Afghanistan and Western intervention: ‘a catalogue of failure’

OPINION

Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and is a world renowned expert on the Middle East.

Writing in The Guardian, he calls the West’s interventionist policies in the Middle East “a catalogue of failure” - his comments follow the US’s decision to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and the swift Taliban victory that followed.

In the article, he explains the reasons why Western nations went to war and argues there must now be some form of reckoning.

He writes: “Whatever the long-term impact, two things can be said for certain about the Taliban success. One is that human rights will be set back grievously in Afghanistan. The other is that across the Middle East and much of Africa and Asia, wherever there is anger and resentment with the US, the UK and other western elites, this week’s victory – capping two decades of failed interventions – will be seen by militants as a marker and sometimes an inspiration for a different future.”

Losing Control: Global Security in the 21st Century is University of Bradford Emeritus Professor Paul Rogers’ seminal work of geopolitical conflict and military analysis, predicting the endless war on terror and the increase in revolts from the margins. This newly revised and expanded edition, looks at crucial junctures in the years to come and explores the potential for future military activity in the 2030s and 40s.