JAIPUR - Western military intervention in Afghanistan has left it "far poorer and deplorable" and the onus now lay with the west to create jobs in the country to stem the movement of youths towards extremist groups, according to British journalist Christina Lamb.
"People of Afghanistan need jobs and security and the two things are closely linked. The country has a very youngpopulation, most of whom are under the age of 30 years, and these people have nothing to do. You go to any Afghan village it's full of people hanging around," Lamb said.
"They either have the option of growing poppy since Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer, or to go to the Taliban or even the ISIS which is now paying lots of money," she told PTI in an interview.
Earlier participating in a discussion on her new book titled "Farewell Kabul: From Afghanistan to a More Dangerous World," the author drew from her three-decades experience of reporting in Afghanistan.
Lamb, who began reporting in Peshawar in 1988, marched up to the areas of Afghanistan where the 'mujahedeen' was fighting Russian troops.
Through her book, Lamb argues that the US military intervention to out power the Taliban in Afghanistan by fighting a long war, although well-intentioned, has turned into a defeat despite their victory because it left the country in a far poorer and deplorable condition than before.
"I want people to think more carefully before intervening in a country. Afghanistan shouldn't be forgotten. More people are dying there than any time in all the years of fighting. We should not forget that  and in particular the situation of women," she said.
The winner of Prix Bayeux, Europe's most prestigious award for war correspondents, the author said the many promises made to the women in Afghanistan by the Western countries have not come to fruition till date.
"A lot of promises were made after the Taliban government was removed in 2001. The West told the women of Afghanistan that they would be free and they would be able to run for office, or hold jobs and  be able to speak at international conferences.
"So I think we have great responsibility to stand up to those women today. I think a lot of women are in fear of their lives, and the west should be doing something to protect them," she said.
The author has written seven books including "The Africa House", "Small Wars Permitting" and also co-authored "I am Malala" with Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
"I am Malala," which went on to bag the Non-fiction book of the year award in Britain, was Lamb's way of telling people what was happening in Pakistan during the late 90's, but through the voice of young Malala.
"It was actually a way of telling people what was happening in Pakistan, but reaching out to a much bigger audience.
"If I had written a book about my views of what had happened to Pakistan during that period, it would have sold not many copies. But this book sold millions. It was a way of bringing alive the situation and making people realise what was going on," Lamb said.
The author had interviewed Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai 2007, at the time the Taliban had entered Swat region, where Malala lived with her family.
"He had read my book on Pakistan, 'Waiting for Allah' and quite liked that. They wanted somebody who knew Pakistan, knew the west and was preferably a woman and had been in Swat. That's how the book on Malala clicked," Lamb said. (Agencies)