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No Fear No Favour

Afghanistan is not the first country where America showed its back, same happened in Vietnam, Somaliya, and Cuba: Know How

“You are either with us or against us…” US President George Bush made this statement on September 21, 2011, after the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks, and exactly 15 days after that, American planes started bombing Afghanistan. Today, after almost 20 years, the same America has fled from Afghanistan. Almost the whole of Afghanistan, including Kabul, is again under the control of the same Taliban, against whom this superpower waged a war on terror.

Due to this decision of America, the common Afghan is so restless that he is not even able to lose his life by sitting in the landing gear of a flying airplane to escape from his own country. The special thing is that America’s spread is neither the first time nor Afghanistan is the first country to become its victim. After the Second World War, America has left four countries including Afghanistan like this on at least four major occasions.

1. America left Vietnam after fighting continuously for 19 years:

The most talked about case of America’s withdrawal is the story of Vietnam. Despite five times the number of troops from Afghanistan and 19 years of horrific bombing, the US could not bow down to communist North Vietnam. Under domestic pressure, Richard Nixon, who became president in 1969, made up his mind to get out of Vietnam. In January 1973, a peace treaty was signed between the US, North Vietnam and South Vietnam and the Viet Cong in Paris.

Actually, under the guise of this agreement, America wanted to withdraw its army from Vietnam. After this the same thing happened in Vietnam which is happening in Afghanistan today. On March 29, 1973, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam before the US forces could completely withdraw. Two years later, on April 30, 1975, communist Vietnamese troops entered Saigon, and the remaining Americans had to flee hurriedly.

Saigon is today known as Ho-Chi-Min City, the capital of unified Vietnam. Ho-Chi-Min was the biggest leader of Communist Vietnam. The beginning of the Vietnam War is considered to be 1955. North and South Vietnam were established in 1954 under the Geneva Accords. There were elections to be held for a unified Vietnam for two years, which never happened. Communist North Vietnam was led by Ho Chi-Min, while South Vietnam was commanded by Catholic nationalist Ngo Dinh Diem.

2. America left the humanitarian mission in Somalia

In January 1991, in the African country of Somalia, militias of several opposing tribes, ie armed rebel groups, overthrew President Mohamed Siad Barre. Soldiers of the Somalia National Army joined the armed groups of their respective tribes. A civil war broke out throughout Somalia to seize power. The United Somalia Congress, the main rebel faction in the capital Mogadishu, also split into two factions. The leader of one of these factions, Ali Mehdi Muhammad, became president. The other group was being run by Mohammad Farah Addidi.

As the humanitarian crisis escalated, under the United Nations Operation in Somalia-2 (UNOSOM-2), food and medical aid were started to the common people, but Addidi’s faction was coming in the way. In such a situation, on October 3, the US sent an army task force from a house in Mogadishu to capture two of Addidi’s close associates. This attack became a big problem for America. During the mission, the rebels shot down two Black Hawk helicopters of the US Army.

19 American soldiers were also killed during the campaign. About 73 were injured. One was captured by the rebels. He was rescued 11 days later with great difficulty. The bodies of slain American soldiers and pilots were dragged through the streets by a mob of rebels. Recordings of all these brutal scenes aired on American TV. After the fighting that lasted all night, in the morning the Pakistani army stationed there under the United Nations mission evacuated American soldiers from there.

The US withdrew from its entire mission of humanitarian aid in Somalia. He withdrew all his soldiers. Due to this, the mission of humanitarian aid of the United Nations could not bring relief to the common people to a large extent. Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden also took a jibe at America’s escape and called American soldiers cowards. After this, the US remained silent in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

3. Defeated badly in Cuba, refused to help the fighters sent by the Air Force on the last occasion:

In January 1959, communist revolutionary Fidel Castro overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The new communist government began confiscating private property in Cuba. Most of them were North Americans. Castro began to fuel communist revolutions in many countries of Latin America. He also started speaking openly against America. In such a situation, in January 1961, America broke diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Even before this, President Eisenhower allowed the CIA to train and provide weapons to Cuban fleeing people to overthrow Castro. April 15, 1961 Three planes in the US bombed a Cuban airbase. These planes were being flown by Cuban pilots. On April 17, 1961, more than 1,200 Cuban fighters invaded Cuba via the Bay of Pigs, promising American weapons, training, and air support if needed.

Castro had already received information about the attack. The Cuban Air Force sank most of the attackers’ boats. John F Kennedy, who became President after Eisenhower, on one occasion refused to provide air support as promised. Eventually more than 100 attackers were killed in a matter of hours. Around 1,100 were apprehended.

It was only after this incident that the Soviet Union deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba. Soon after, the US Navy laid siege to Cuba. America threatened nuclear war if the Soviet missile was not removed. Both countries came to the brink of nuclear war. At one point the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missile and the crisis was averted. This is called the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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