Leaving alone Afghanistan was one of the biggest mistakes of the international community in 1990s. When the Soviet Union troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the international community assumed its mission achieved and left Afghanistan alone with different Jihadi groups mainly backed by Afghanistan neighbors and regional powers; these groups and their supporters had contradicting political and religious agendas. It was evident that sooner or later, they will fight against each other to fulfill the agenda of their supporters.
At the same time, among these groups there were leaders who pushed for their ethnic and religious rights; ethnic and religious marginalization has been one of the main policies of Afghan dictators in the past and it was one of the main causes of civil war in 1990s; because the new Mujahidin rulers pursued the same discriminatory policy against certain ethnic and religious groups in the country.
As a result, the interference of the neighboring and regional powers, pushing for discriminatory agendas by the new government and existence of ethnic and religious armed groups contributed to an overall civil war in Afghanistan that took the lives of thousands of Afghans. Further, these factors contributed to changing Afghanistan to one of the safe havens of the terrorist groups in the region. Al-Qaeda was one of the major terrorist groups being harbored in the country. Al-Qaeda played an active role in supporting Taliban to overcome other Afghan armed groups. At the same time, it played an active role in fueling religious conflicts in the country. Al-Qaeda helped Taliban capture Mazar-e Sharif and massacred about 12ooo people during 3 days.
Sadly, the international community considered all these tragedies in Afghanistan as an internal issue; and they deliberately neglected the terrorism threats that were nourished in Afghanistan by Taliban and their affiliate terrorist groups.
As such, the tragic 11 Sept attacks were staged and masterminded by Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan that Taliban played a great role in facilitating this tragic event. The tragic 11 Sept, must remind us of the date of the worst terrorist attack on the United States of America and one of the deadliest days ever on American soil. It also must remind us that neglecting terrorist threats make us to pay huge costs; both financially and the lives of the loved ones. These terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 in the United States and catapulted the country in the age of terror must have a clear message to the international community and the US that, they must make very calculated and cautious decisions about Afghanistan if they do not want events such September 11 happen again.
September 11, 2001, was in fact one of the most tragic events and trying days in the history of the United States and Afghanistan, and the memory of what happened and what was lost must not fade quickly or easily. And just as we should always remember the devastation of that time, so too should we always remember the way the international community left alone Afghanistan and how they paid for it. The last but not the least, Afghans shall keep in mind that why September 11 was masterminded here and must take all the necessary measures not let the terrorist groups to play with their honor and reputation again.