The article is much suggested reading by the Democracy Digest

Does the U.S. risk turning a chance for success in Afghanistan into a shameful failure?

If the result of a quick withdrawal is the collapse of the government and the reestablishment of sanctuaries for terrorists, the United States could be dragged back into the conflict at a far greater cost — as happened in Iraq three years after the pullout, The Washington Post fears That’s not to mention the loss of all that this country has invested, in lives and treasure, in helping to build Afghanistan’s democratic political system and extend basic rights to women.

A reckless push to leave, without adequate security guarantees and a credible plan, would amount to betrayal on many fronts, argues analyst Simon Tisdall. It betrays a fragile democratic process, whose next stage – presidential elections next month – is jeopardized by uncertainty over US intentions, he writes for The Guardian.

An unprincipled cut-and-run would betray Afghan women’s groups and civil society activists whose precious gains, in terms of personal freedoms, education, healthcare and travel, may be trampled in the rush for the exit. If the Taliban regain the upper hand religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Shia Hazaras, will suffer badly, he adds.

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