Unprecedented scenes were observed in Afghanistan as Taliban has managed to overthrow the incumbent US-backed government in the country. According to reports coming in, Taliban’s Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is in contention to become the new Afghan President while Ali Ahmad Jalali, former Afghan Interior Minister, will head the transitional government.
The US exit after 20 years marks the return of the Islamic terrorist outfit to power. On the occasion of the fall of Kabul, the speech that former US President George Bush delivered in the aftermath of the USA’s victory over Taliban in 2001 has gone viral on social media.
In his speech, George Bush emphasised on ‘human rights’ and the support from allies. The speech was made on the 12th of December, 2001 during the Signing Ceremony for Afghan Women and Children Relief Act of 2001.
FLASHBACK – Bush in 2001: "Taliban regime is coming to an end." pic.twitter.com/vzx8xutWsM
— Disclose.tv ? (@disclosetv) August 15, 2021
During the speech, George Bush said, “For several years, the people of Afghanistan have suffered under one of the most brutal regimes — brutal regimes — in modern history; a regime allied with terrorists and a regime at war with women. Thanks to our military and our allies and the brave fighters of Afghanistan, the Taliban regime is coming to an end.”
He continued, “Yet, our responsibilities to the people of Afghanistan have not ended. We work for a new era of human rights and human dignity in that country.”
Bush had stated, “Before the Taliban came, women played an incredibly important part of that society. Seventy percent of the nation’s teachers were women. Half of the government workers in Afghanistan were women, and 40 percent of the doctors in the capital of Kabul were women. The Taliban destroyed that progress. And in the process, they offered us a clear image of the world they and the terrorists would like to impose on the rest of us.”
George Bush had gone on to state, “The central goal of the terrorists is the brutal oppression of women — and not only the women of Afghanistan. The terrorists who help rule Afghanistan are found in dozens and dozens of countries around the world. And that is the reason this great nation, with our friends and allies, will not rest until we bring them all to justice.”
“America and our allies will do our part in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. We learned our lessons from the past. We will not leave until the mission is complete. (Applause.) We will work with international institutions on long-term development — on the long-term development of Afghanistan. We will provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan,” he had added.
George Bush past comments go viral
With Taliban set to return to power, the comments made by George Bush 20 years ago have gone viral again.
Dec 2001: “Thanks to our military and our allies and the brave fighters of Afghanistan, the Taliban regime is coming to an end.” – George W. Bush
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 15, 2021
Aug 2021: Taliban enter Afghan Capital #Kabul as US diplomats evacuate by chopper – Reuters pic.twitter.com/w9XAU73XJL
Then US President George W. Bush in December 2001, "… the #Taliban regime is coming to an end." pic.twitter.com/nYi0EeSi4d
— Afroz Alam?☠️ (@AfrozJournalist) August 15, 2021
Intelligence failure?
In the second week of August 2021, intelligence agencies in the United States of America had predicted that Kabul would fall within 90 days. A US defence official talking to Reuters citing US intelligence sources said that the new assessment of how long the Taliban will take to capture Kabul is a result of the rapid gains the Taliban has made in the recent weeks even as the US-led foreign forces prepare their final withdrawal from the country.
The official had added that it is not a forgone conclusion, as the Afghan security forces could be able to push back the Taliban by putting up more resistance. But Kabul has fallen to Taliban within a week of that statement.
