AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Five years after America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the war that America has waged against Iran raises a similar question: why is it sometimes more difficult for America to end its wars than to start them?
Greg Jaffe, a writer for the New York Times, in an attempt to answer this question, says that the Afghanistan war, which ended five years ago in chaos and with the deaths of a number of Americans in the Kabul airport bombing, holds important lessons for decision-makers now seeking a way out of the war against Iran.
According to this writer, the concerns that led three American presidents to avoid ending the Afghanistan war ultimately did not materialize. Afghanistan did not become a haven for terrorism or a platform for attacks against America after the US withdrawal.
Defeat and Withdrawal; An Opportunity Washington Missed
Jaffe believes that Washington had a clear opportunity to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2011, after the killing of Osama bin Laden and the decline of al-Qaeda's capabilities, but political and military considerations prevented it.
American officials were concerned about their country's credibility, felt a sense of obligation to their Afghan allies, and also believed that withdrawing from Afghanistan would be an insult to the sacrifices of soldiers killed or wounded in the war.
The writer, citing Carter Malkasian, who served as an adviser to American commanders in Afghanistan, says that many officials, had they known then what they know today, would likely have argued more strongly for an early withdrawal.
Jaffe also points out that the American military structure itself has difficulty accepting the idea of withdrawal, because its military culture is based on fighting to achieve victory.
As the likelihood of the Taliban's defeat diminished, Washington's objectives gradually shifted from victory to reducing damage and costs and preserving the Afghan government. A situation that, in Jaffe's words, resembled a doctor who knows his patient will die but hopes the death will not occur during his shift.
The Iran War Is Different
The writer then turns to the war against Iran and recalls that Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, had previously promised that this war would be completely different from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
He described this war as swift, decisive, and with clear objectives, and emphasized that it was not going to become an endless war.
But subsequent developments have put these promises to a serious test. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to American attacks, and it became clear that air power alone may not be sufficient to defeat Iran or reopen this vital commercial route.
After the failure of the airstrike option, the US administration has now counted on a naval blockade of Iran's exports and the imposition of economic sanctions to force Tehran to make concessions.
Other American military officials no longer speak of a quick victory, but of a campaign that may last months or even longer.
The Dilemma of Withdrawing from War
Jaffe believes the main similarity between the Afghanistan and Iran wars is that the adversary is fighting for its survival. The Taliban had counted on exhausting American forces, and it appears Iran is prepared to do the same.
But there is one important difference: America's interests in the war against Iran are less connected to preserving a political system or rebuilding a country. Also, the cost of withdrawing from the war against Iran may be less than the cost of a large-scale military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the problem is not solely about military capability. It is also difficult to accept defeat after years of war.
The writer notes that the end of the Afghanistan war in practice became an effort to redefine defeat as a tribute to soldiers and their sacrifices.
Heroization Instead of Accepting Defeat
On the fifth anniversary of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, Hegseth honored three Marines wounded in the Kabul airport bombing and awarded them medals, presented with delay, as a sign of their courage.
But the noteworthy point was that the ceremony focused on the heroism of the soldiers, and in this narrative, the reality of America's defeat in a long and costly war received less attention.
Jaffe believes this lesson is highly significant for the war against Iran. Honoring soldiers and preserving the image and credibility of the American military does not necessarily require the continuation of war.
In his view, accepting the limits of American power can be more realistic than allowing a limited operation to turn into a widespread conflict from which withdrawal will become increasingly difficult.
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