The third anniversary of Taliban control in Afghanistan reminds us that there is little prospect for circumstances on the ground changing anytime soon, especially the cruel treatment of women and minority members of the nation. While it carried out some of the greatest atrocities in memory, the former Taliban government in the late 1990s stayed in power. This was despite sanctions imposed internationally.

Eventually, it was pushed from power in a US-led military assault connected back to the Afghan territory used by Osama bin Laden to organize the disaster after the daring 9/11 attacks on New York and other locations. Supported by an international coalition, it was a component of a larger “war on terror,” aimed at changing Afghanistan’s government.

The patterns of the last three years have some similarities to those of the previous Taliban government in the 1990s.

More than out of concern for the awful suffering of the Afghan people, the post-9/11 military drive was a reaction to America’s targeting by the Afghanistan-based al Qaeda. If the past Taliban leaders had refused bin Laden room on their territory and not hosted worldwide terrorist networks on their territory, then the prior their rule would have presumably persisted uninterrupted.

The patterns of the last three years have some similarities to those of the previous Taliban government in the 1990s. The reclusive Taliban commander Mohammed Omar issued directives back then prohibiting women from working under circumstances comparable to Afghanistan now. According to reports from 1990s Kabul, poor widows and unmarried women were allegedly compelled to wed Taliban militants as the hard-liners were knocking on their homes to probe their moral dedication. The effects were horrible. Many women gave birth without professional supervision, frequently at the hands of hardly literate women from their families; hospitals were left without female physicians and nurses. Family members standing close may plainly hear the cries of delivery moms.

Poor widows and unmarried women were allegedly compelled to wed Taliban militants as the hard-liners were knocking on their homes to probe their moral dedication.

Unless their families could afford to bring them over the border to hospitals in Pakistan or Iran, babies requiring caesarean sections were regarded as dead before their birth. After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 1990s’ intolerable circumstances reflected a protracted struggle. Seeking to mend the “bleeding wound” of Afghanistan, late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev publicly declared the end of the war in 1989. Sadly, however, the wound still blebs now. Before the Taliban came, the 1990s saw periodic shifting of power from one warlord to another. And the next two-decade American-led assault cost more than $2 trillion, making it the costliest war waged in history. But the hurried 2021 US departure, similar of Washington’s 1973 departure from Vietnam, created a power vacuum the Taliban once again seized.

Under Taliban control, the US and other Western nations made the horrible error of implementing sanctions that virtually stopped all economic flows into Afghanistan.

Under Taliban control, the US and other Western nations made the horrible error of implementing sanctions that virtually stopped all economic flows into Afghanistan, including a significant portion of the humanitarian aid scheduled to be sent there. Remember two equally important lessons from the past as Afghanistan suffers diplomatic isolation now.

First, mindlessly applied economic restrictions run the danger of harming those who external forces are meant to safeguard. Furthermore, penalties again and again have shown to be only semi-useful in aiming the forces supposed to be punished in the first place. To do a cost-benefit study of incidents of sanctions during the 20th century, a thorough worldwide evaluation is absolutely required. Many times, the outcome has been more a further hardening of the behavior of targeted forces rather than a pushing towards more compliance.

Second, employing the bait of economic instruments while enforcing strict policies of control is equally risky. Once the Taliban was driven to the brink, bin Laden and his al Qaeda network became to be the main financial supporters of the government in the 1990s. Information of yearly donations of $100 million or more from bin Laden to keep the Taliban viable then spread around the circles of Afghan warlords.

Although the Taliban have acted with the sharpest contempt for human dignity over the last three years, punishment imposed upon Afghanistan must guarantee the security of common people. It is imperative that a new worldwide humanitarian project led directly by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres give financial assistance for the Afghan people.

It is imperative that a new worldwide humanitarian project led directly by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres give financial assistance for the Afghan people.

Now, Afghanistan’s often devastated infrastructure’s rebirth to provide economic possibilities for its people — especially women — must assume much more importance. A good lesson from the 1990s amply illustrates the pressing requirement of stopping Afghanistan’s leaders from ever depending on another nonstate player with harmful intentions. More crucially, however, the empowerment of the Afghan people while the nation is still under diplomatic isolation might ultimately assist to propel the well-meaning aspirations of many both within and outside Afghanistan.

Beginning a high-profile conversation with the Taliban, a new UN-led humanitarian operation might convince them to embrace objectives that are well within their strict worldview. One approach to provide technical training while following the established government guidelines is education of women at home utilizing social media platforms. Another may be building institutes to assist young women operated entirely by already competent Afghan women.

Likewise, important areas worth investigating may be crucial services like food distribution centers geared only for women and hospitals manned by women. The Taliban leaders of Afghanistan today are unlikely to show a behavioral modification anytime soon. Still, the reason of helping the Afghan people ought to be given top priority.