Omid Sobhani is an journalist from Afghanistan who was trapped in country after the United States withdrew in August 2022. He bravely escaped and is now based in Europe.
How the 9/11 Attack Continues to Shape Afghanistan’s Future
by Omid Sobhani, September 11, 2024
It was a dusty afternoon, and the wind carried fine particles of soil that could sting your face if you weren’t wrapped in a scarf. I was 12 years old, playing with the neighbor’s kids near our home when a convoy approached, stirring up even more dust. Foreign troops were arriving.
About 100 kilometers northwest of Herat city, in Western Afghanistan, our district, Gulran, was surrounded by mountains whose loose soil made it easy to spot any approaching vehicle from afar—the dust kicked up by their tires would hang in the air like a signal.
The isolated district, bordering Iran and Turkmenistan, had no paved roads, just endless dirt paths—and even today, that hasn’t changed.
The layers of dust on the Humvee windows told us these soldiers had traveled a long way.
A mixed group of soldiers—black, white, and red-skinned—stepped out of the armored vehicles. Some chewed gum, others smoked cigarettes. For us Afghan kids, whose skin tones ranged from olive to wheat-colored, this sight was both unfamiliar and bewildering.
The tanks, soldiers, and the heavy weapons mounted on their vehicles were both terrifying and exciting. My friends and I didn’t know who these people were or why they had come, but it was clear they were foreigners—they didn’t look like us.
One soldier, a tall Black man with a shaved head and dark sunglasses, waved at us. At first, we hesitated, nervous about their weapons and tanks. But when he reached into his bag and pulled out a snack, our fear began to fade. His simple gesture drew me closer, though my heart raced as I approached them.
He knelt, smiling, and spoke in a language I didn’t understand. Handing me the packet of snacks, he tapped my shoulder and laughed with his fellow soldiers. For me, the moment was intense and surreal, but to them, it seemed like an amusing encounter. When I returned to the group of kids, clutching my prize, they all wanted a share, but I wasn’t ready to part with it just yet. Eventually, they too approached the soldiers and were rewarded with their packets.
As a child, I didn’t fully understand why the soldiers were there, and my father, a truck driver, didn’t provide clear answers. For years, I remained unaware of the larger story behind the foreign troops’ presence.
It wasn’t until much later—after moving to Herat city and beginning my studies in English—that I began to piece the story together. As I prepared for the university entrance exam, eventually choosing journalism and working as a freelancer for ABC News Australia and other media outlets, I finally connected the dots. The soldiers I had encountered as a boy were part of a larger, global mission. They had been sent to fight the “War on Terror” after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, claimed by Al-Qaeda, an internationally designated terrorist group with bases in Afghanistan and the region.
The U.S.-led mission. and its Afghan allies toppled the Taliban regime, which had harbored Al-Qaeda. The new government that came to power with Western support brought hope, opening doors for girls to attend school, for universities to flourish, and for the freedom of expression to take root.
Much of what followed after 9/11 was framed under objectives like preventing Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist haven, nation-building, and promoting democracy. These themes were frequently played out in daily news. However, this project ultimately failed, as evidenced by the fall of the U.S.-backed Afghan government and the return of the Taliban in 2021.
After two decades of conflict, the Taliban regained power, ending the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan. With their return came the end of many hopes for a democratic, free society. One that Afghans long worked for.
Today, Afghanistan faces a situation very similar to their first reign (1996–2001), with women’s education banned, most jobs for women prohibited, media freedom restricted, and numerous vice and virtue laws back and being practiced.
Back then, it was Western allies and the Afghan government versus the Taliban and their supporters. Now, it’s the Taliban, alongside regional powers like China, Iran, and Russia, allegedly cooperating with the CIA in the fight against the ISK branch of ISIS. Security concerns from Afghan soil brought many Taliban foes closer to them as partners.
Under Western supervision, there had been freedom of speech and basic rights like education. But now, under that same Western watch, those rights have been stripped away. Adding to this shift, the number of terrorist groups operating in the region has increased, with Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which launches attacks from Afghan soil, targeting Pakistan.
The U.S. may have achieved its initial goal of removing the perpetrators of 9/11—taking out Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011 and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Kabul in 2022—but the struggle for Afghanistan’s future remains as complex as ever. While the international community provides humanitarian aid, it remains disengaged from the direct political involvement of the Taliban in Kabul. The Taliban, far from reforming, continues to dismantle the progress made over two decades, plunging the country back into darkness—especially for women, who are barred from basic human rights.
At this moment, as global attention shifts to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Afghanistan’s story is fading from the world’s consciousness. Yet, for those of us who lived through it—the future of Afghanistan remains a painful source of uncertainty.
Back then, it was hard for me to connect the dots for the present. Now, it’s still difficult to connect the dots for the future. Things remain as unclear as they were when I was a child.
The anniversary of September 11th serves as a stark reminder of how deeply Afghanistan’s fate has become intertwined with global events. For Americans, it’s a day of remembrance, loss, and reflection. But for Afghans like myself, it’s a reminder of a different reality: the promises made during the “War on Terror”—of freedom, peace, and a brighter future—have been undone, bringing us back to the dark days of Taliban rule.
At the center of this uncertainty are ordinary Afghan women who are barred from education for over three years and confined to the corners of their homes. A great cost with an unforeseeable solution.
Twenty-three years after 9/11, Afghanistan stands at a crossroads once again. Though deeply connected to the events leading to 9/11, its future is as bleak as it was when I stood in that dusty village as a child, watching the foreign soldiers drive by.
Omid Sobhani
— September 11, 2024