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Early last year, the Taliban began offering deals in villages, which Afghan officials described as a ceasefire.
But in reality, Taliban leaders were offering money in exchange for the return of weapons by government forces, Afghan and US officials say.
A year and a half ago, the meetings moved to the regional level and then to the provincial capitals. As a result, government forces have surrendered, according to the Washington Post, citing more than a dozen interviews with Afghan officials, police, special operations forces and other soldiers.
In just over a week, the Taliban occupied more than a dozen provincial capitals and entered Kabul without any resistance. This led to the withdrawal of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the collapse of the government.
The Afghan security forces at the entrances to Kabul and in the city itself have simply disbanded. At night, the police checkpoints had already been abandoned and Taliban fighters walked freely through the streets.
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The pace of the military collapse has surprised many US officials and foreign observers. And the US government has stepped up its efforts to evacuate the embassy workers in Kabul.
The Taliban have taken advantage of the uncertainty caused by the agreement reached between the Taliban and the United States in Doha in February 2020. It was then agreed that the Americans would withdraw completely from Afghanistan.
Part of the Afghan forces realized that they would soon no longer be able to depend on American airstrikes and other important battlefield support, so they began to accept offers from the Taliban.
“Some just wanted money,” said an Afghan special officer of those who knew the Taliban.
But others saw the US pledge to withdraw as a guarantee that the Taliban would return to power in Afghanistan and wanted to secure a place on the side of the winners.
ZUMAPRESS / Scanpix nuotr./Kabulas
The agreement reached in Doha, which was supposed to end the war in Afghanistan, led to the demoralization of Afghan forces and a resurgence of corruption. Some police officers complained of not receiving a salary for six months or more.
“They saw the document (agreement with the Taliban – ed.) As the end,” the official said of most pro-government Afghans.
“The day the agreement was signed, we saw a change. Everyone began to take care of only themselves. It is as if the United States has left us to fail,” he added.
The negotiated surrender to the Taliban gained momentum with the signing of the Doha agreement, US and Afghan officials said. When US President Joe Biden announced in April that US forces would withdraw from Afghanistan this summer with no strings attached to the Taliban, the capitulation accelerated further.
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As the Taliban occupied more and more territory, government-controlled areas began to surrender without a fight. A week ago Kunduz, one of the key cities, was occupied. A few days of negotiations mediated by tribal elders ended in a surrender agreement. Therefore, the last government-controlled base went to the Taliban.
The talks in the western province of Herat soon ended with the resignation of the governor, senior officials from the Interior and Intelligence Ministry, and hundreds of soldiers. The deal was completed overnight.
“I was so embarrassed,” a ministry official said of the surrender of senior Interior Ministry official Abdul Rahman. – I’m just a little man. If he does that, what should I do? “
A massive surrender also took place in the southern province of Helmand last month. And when the Taliban fighters approached the southeastern province of Ghazni, the Taliban-protected governor fled. It is true that, on the way to Kabul, he was detained by Afghan government officials.
Several powerful and motivated elite units participated in the Afghan army’s fight against the Taliban. However, they were often dispatched to provide reinforcements to less-trained military and police units that could not withstand pressure from the Taliban.
Scanpix ”/ AP nuotr./Talibai Kabule
A task force stationed in Kandahar, guarding a key border crossing, received an order from the commander to surrender.
“We want to fight! If we give up, the Taliban will kill us, “said a special forces official.
According to him, when the Taliban reached the territory, the commander ordered not to fire a single shot. Border guards apparently surrendered immediately, thus leaving a special force unit alone.
Unwilling to surrender and fight with more abundant forces, the members of the unit laid down their weapons, dressed in civilian clothes, and left their post.
“I am ashamed of what I did,” said one of the unit’s officers. “But if I hadn’t escaped, my own government would have sold me to the Taliban.”
When an Afghan policeman was asked about the lack of motivation of his forces, he assured them that they had not been paid their salaries.
Several officials who fought on the front line in Kandahar before the city surrendered said they had not been paid for 6 to 9 months. Therefore, the money offered by the Taliban was even more tempting.
“Without America, there was no fear of being caught corrupt. It showed traitors within our military,” he told the Washington Post.
Several officials from the Kandahar police force said the failure must be attributed to corruption and not lack of experience.
“It just came to our attention then. I think they need something completely new,” said Ahmadullah Kandahari, a Kandahar police officer.
A few days after Kandahar’s capture, the police made themselves visible. Bacha, a 34-year-old police chief, has left office for several months. He claims that his self-esteem suffered as a result of the resignation, but found himself in the greatest despair over the fact that he was not being paid a salary.
“The last time I saw you, the Taliban offered $ 150 for people who worked for the government to surrender and join them. Do you know what the price is now? “He told the journalist.
Bach didn’t laugh and several of his men bowed at the answer.
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