In an interview published on Wednesday with a German broadcaster, former US President George W. Bush criticized the withdrawal of the West from Afghanistan and said he feared that Afghan women and girls would be “suffering unspeakable harm”.
In an interview with the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, asked whether the withdrawal was a mistake, Bush replied: “You know, I think yes, because I think the consequences will be incredibly bad.”
The war in Afghanistan began under Bush after the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Washington gave Taliban leader Mullah Omar an ultimatum: surrender of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and dismantling of militant training camps or preparation for attacks. Omar refused, and a US-led coalition launched an invasion in October.
The withdrawal of US and NATO troops initiated by current President Joe Biden at the beginning of the year is about to be completed. Taliban fighters storm through district after district and take control of large parts of the country.
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In a DW interview on the occasion of the outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s last official visit to the United States, Bush said that Merkel supported the mission in Afghanistan, among other things, “because she saw the progress made for young girls and women in Afghanistan”.
“It is unbelievable how this society has changed through the brutality of the Taliban, and suddenly – unfortunately – I fear that Afghan women and girls are suffering untold suffering,” said Bush.
During the Taliban’s rule in the late 1990s, women were largely confined to their homes and girls had no access to education. Despite protests from the US and Europe, the Taliban enforced their extreme version of Islamic Sharia law. However, there was no mass violence against girls and women.
“I’m sad,” said Bush. “Laura (Bush) and I have spent a lot of time with Afghan women and they are scared. And I think of all the interpreters and people who helped not only the US forces but also the NATO forces and it seems like they are just being left behind to be butchered by these very brutal people. And it breaks my heart. “
Also read: The return of the Taliban is not only a headache for India. Here’s why.
See also: The Return of the Taliban: Are Indian Investments in Afghanistan at Risk?
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