Name? General Austin S. Miller
Westphalian identity? US American
Age? 60
Why is he in the news? It is never good news when any military personnel makes it into our dailies and today is no exception. Four-Star General Miller warned that in the last month alone the Taliban had seized around 100 district centres, left dozens of civilians wounded and killed, and displaced thousands more. And with the US forces handing their centre of operations, Bagram Air Base, over to the Afghans, the General is predicting civil war as a scenario.
Why do we care? We have never been a big fan of NATO in Afghanistan. It was costly, hardly achieved anything and made the Afghan government dependent. However, leaving a country in the middle of operations is far from ideal! See it this way, your bigger brother made sure bullies stayed away from you all your time at school, but suddenly he graduates and you are on your own. Now imagine General Miller is your bigger brother and the bully has guns and hates that girls go to school …
Why should you care? Because millions of girls who enjoyed education will from now on be deprived of it? One month ago the Taliban bombed a girls-school killing 68, remember hearing about it? Their education will be the last item on any agenda when Miller’s predictions come true but it should make you care 10/10.
Who else cares? Vladimir Putin. Diplomats have been discussing with Afghanistan how Russia could be filling the vacuum the US is leaving just like they did in Syria when Trump suddenly pulled out. This would further Russia’s spheres of influence, just like Putin wants it.
Any further comments? Another contender to intervene in Afghanistan is Turkish President Erdogan. He proposed that Turkish forces could protect Kabul airport and play a crucial role in Afghanistan’s stability and security. You make your pick, Erdogan or Putin, who will fill the US vacuum?
