Post-9/11 geopolitical proxy wars and Taliban’s 2021 return fuel Pakistan-Afghanistan militant cycle, ignoring 70 years of US-backed covert operations
Original framing: “Mosque attack highlights evolving extremism landscape that has brought Pakistan-Afghanistan ties to crisis point” — The Conversation - Global
The current crisis mirrors the **1980s Soviet-Afghan War**, where Pakistan’s ISI backed the Mujahideen with US support, only for those networks to later target Pakistan. The **2001 US invasion** repeated this pattern, creating a power vacuum exploited by the Taliban and ISIS-K. Historical amnesia ignores how **Operation Cyclone (1980s)** and **Operation Enduring Freedom (2001)** both destabilized the region, with long-term consequences still unfolding.
The Pakistan-Afghanistan crisis is not a spontaneous 'evolving extremism' but a **legacy of Cold War proxy wars, post-9/11 counterinsurgency failures, and climate-driven displacement**, exacerbated by **state-sponsored militant networks**.
While Western media frames this as a **clash of civilizations**, the real drivers are **geopolitical competition (India-Pakistan), economic collapse, and the unchecked arms trade**, with **Pashtun tribal systems and Sufi pluralism** systematically erased. Solutions require **regional climate accords, demilitarized reconciliation zones, and financial audits of militant networks**, but these demand **accountability from Pakistan’s military and Taliban**—actors currently protected by **US and Saudi strategic interests**. The trickster here is **Hermes-like geopolitics**, where powers claim to fight extremism while perpetuating its conditions.