Afghanistan: the graveyard of empires and opportunities

Whenever you hear the name of Afghanistan, the first picture that comes to your mind is the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and years of civil war, unrest and a complete lack of civilization. A picture that shows nothing but the stories of historical battles of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi, Babur Shah, Alexander of Macedonia, Temor Lane, and many others, and not to forget, the Anglo-Afghan wars and the defeat of the former Soviet Union. It is a very rare occurrence that you would speak to an Afghan and they don’t start telling you the history of Afghanistan’s long and distinguished wars and conquests often with a gleeful and proud spark in their eyes. The stories of their nation; the graveyard of empires.

Here resides the problem; often unknowingly, we have imprisoned ourselves in the chains of this fake pride and accomplishment and has used it as a source of inspiration for many deeds; both good and bad. The Afghan political leader has always used this phenomenon to lure the unsuspecting youth to their political aspirations and once done it leaves nothing but a group of disillusioned youth in its wake. Even now, the current elite political leaders have invested millions and billions in building a security and defense force that is becoming harder and harder to manage and lead. To what purpose? To what end? These are the questions that ought to be asked of our current leaders. Is a very mighty, strong and heavily-invested-in military force really the answer to our problems?

Now the questions that pop up are many but the most important ones circle around the lines of is it really necessary for Afghanistan to be a powerful military force? How does it benefit Afghanistan to boast such a force at a volatile region in the world when surrounded by nuclear powers? Does Afghanistan have the income and resources to maintain such a military force and compete with those nuclear powers?

A brief look at the military budget of the neighboring countries is quite revealing; in 2019, Pakistan’s military budget was 11.4 billion, India’s was 66.5 billion, China spent 168.2 billion and Iran spent 7.4 billion in American dollars and when you compare it with the 5 billion budget for Afghanistan; there are still ways to go. From a financial investment perspective, it is quite clear that Afghanistan – dependent on foreign aid to run its military – is not in any position to compete with its neighboring countries in any level be it from facilities, technology, resources, armory and strategic capacity.

One might consider the above as valid reasons for not going that rabbit hole and especially since after 18 years of international investment and donor funding, Afghanistan’s military and security forces are still plagued vehemently by corruption and misuse. That poses the question then if not military might, then what could possibly allow Afghanistan to be an influential, strong and united government at the regional level? The answer is simple; Afghanistan’s geographical location on the world and region map.

Afghanistan’s strategic location has often times been the core focus of international powers both past and present and has played a vital role in the nation’s history. This location simultaneously brings about a plethora of opportunities in trade, economy, and politics and yet the one thing that poses the least threat to the neighboring countries of Afghanistan is trade. Marco Polo, infamous historian and traveler, has often cited Afghanistan’s critical location as a key ingredient for trade promotion, and even after so many years, he is not far off. Not to mention, the host of vital and high-value minerals Afghanistan has to offer such as precious gems, lithium and uranium.

Afghanistan’s Silk Route can be the key cog in connecting the west with the orient and can play a vital role in streamlining trade routes and creating jobs and employment. This will not only create a consistent and strong source of income for Afghanistan but also will help bring a wide variety of cultural effects and technological advancements which in the long run can help improve Afghanistan’s economy. The Wakhan corridor will also be a very key route to allow Afghan businessmen and that of the other western countries easy access to China allowing for consistent export of Afghan and otherwise products.

The recently developed Silk Route project has the potential to turn Afghanistan into a historical trade hotspot and trade has always had a knack for softening up the political tensions which the region is rife with. That too, is only possible, if Afghanistan is safe and secure and no longer at war, which makes it a key decision for the government of Afghanistan and the international community to ensure that security is not just another bulletpoint in a list but a mandate that needs implementation as soon as possible. In short, if Afghanistan is looking to establish itself as a legitimate and influential regime in the region, then military might and war is not the answer, but trade and commerce. For its only through trade, that this country’s infrastructure can be rebuilt and utilized for a better and prosperous nation.