Editor's note: The U.S. started the Afghan war in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It ended the war irresponsibly 20 years later. Why did the Taliban return and what is the future of Afghanistan? We compiled a list of viewpoints from our commentators. The article reflects the authors' views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

On August 30, General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, announced that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has been completed, ending 20 years of U.S. military occupation. Although it is a "mission accomplished" for the U.S. military, many see it as a "mission failed."

Ever since the Taliban took over Kabul, the blame has been put mainly on the U.S. for the ensuing chaos. The situation unfolded so fast that even the quickest decision-makers in Afghanistan did not know how to respond. Some surrendered to the Taliban and others simply fled, leaving a disorderly and unprepared nation for its own people.

People began to ask: Why did the Taliban return, and what is now the future of Afghanistan?

U.S. as the main cause of the mess

After U.S. President Joe Biden declared the withdrawal deadline, clouds of uncertainty began hovering over everyone that got the message. The only thing certain in all this mess was the decision itself – the irresponsible withdrawal of U.S. troops. It is them who declared a war two decades ago after 9/11 terrorist attacks to fight against the Taliban. It is also them who tried to end the war to leave the situation to the Taliban. Moreover, it may still be them who would like to cooperate with the Taliban to stabilize the situation.

Anthony Moretti, an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership of Robert Morris University, questions whether the Americans will learn from this. In his article, "Will America learn from Afghanistan? Doubtful," he points out that it is a ridiculous story with no end.

Will the U.S. be responsible for this war? Keith Lamb, a commentator who graduated from the University of Oxford does not think so. In his article, he argues the U.S. would act like it would do in any other war: by "playing the victim card, divorcing itself from any responsibility for future terrorist events, while simultaneously providing terrorists with covert support."

If the U.S. never learns, then would its allies learn? Maybe. Economic affairs commentator Huang Yongfu expressed his perspective in the article, "Allies sweat over American's Afghanistan withdrawal." He says America's European allies would have to turn the cooperation tide, especially commercial links to China, and many more countries in Southeast Asia would look to China for their prosperity.

Rebuilding Afghanistan through cooperation

The Americans started a mess and left a mess in Afghanistan. To rebuild and invest in the nation, first and foremost, the Taliban need to fix this mess. Afghanistan needs a safe and peaceful environment.

Above all, the Afghan people know their own nation the best. Asif Durrani, former Pakistani ambassador to Iran and the UAE and a deputy head of mission in Kabul from 2005 to 2009, reminds us how the Western narrative has not changed after all these chaotic years. "It may sound bizarre to Western scholars. Still, the Taliban lived with the Pashtun code of honor – the Pashtunwali – a code calling upon a Pashtun to be hospitable (melmastia), protect his honor (ghairat) and take revenge (badal) on his enemy."

Hujjatullah Zia, a journalist and senior writer at Daily Outlook Afghanistan, observes the new situation after the Western occupation as some fear that women's rights may deteriorate under the Taliban takeover. He argued that one needed to have new insight into the new Taliban. "The Taliban fear being sidelined at the international level and not recognized by world powers. With this in mind, the Taliban are likely to show flexibility regarding women's rights and freedoms and seek to include Afghan officials and warlords in the next administration."

However, to reform the way of governing and cooperate with the new world, Taliban would not be able to do it by themselves, nor could it be done by the Americans as the past two decades suggest. It needs to be done by multilateral cooperation of all parties in Afghanistan as well as all neighboring countries.

Bobby Naderi, a London-based journalist and documentary filmmaker, urges all sides to rebuild Afghanistan in a creative way. He argues that the U.S. should consider rebuilding Afghanistan with its neighbors and their creative nation-building initiative.

Haider Rifaat, a features writer from Pakistan, suggests maybe China can do better with nation building as the Chinese have often shown the world great infrastructure development capability. He observes, "Unlike the U.S., the Chinese government assisted Afghanistan in the past without intervening in the country's political affairs. In the near future, China could work towards the socioeconomic growth of Afghanistan by providing financial assistance to rebuild the country's economy, explore pathways of developing infrastructure and educational institutions, and contribute vastly toward the health sector, therefore ushering in a new era of change for the Afghans."

Although China is willing to play a role in rebuilding one of its neighboring nations, the future should still be in the hands of the Afghan people. Stephen Ndegwa, a Nairobi-based communication expert, author and international affairs columnist, shared his thought on broader cooperation with the Western world of rebuilding the nation: "The narrative that Afghanistan cannot be ruled by its own citizens like other civilized nations can no longer hold as the truth is now out for all to see."

After 9/11, the Americans dragged the Afghans into chaos. The most powerful nation in the world proved to be the least responsible. Who would lead the Afghans to peace? Of course, not America. Or not America alone. Cooperation is needed to sow the seeds of permanent peace in this war-torn nation for decades to come. Not only the Americans need to learn it, but also the Taliban.

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