Nineteen years later, we are all still horrified by the death and destruction the United States experienced on Sept. 11. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in a matter of hours, and countless others were upended forever. One eyewitness said, “The sight [of the towers] was appalling — wreathed in flames and surrounded by hellish black smoke against the clear blue sky.”
Afghans are no stranger to sudden explosions and the tragic deaths of innocents. Even so, Sept. 11 was an attack like no one had ever seen before. It was an explosion that was heard around the world, and we still hear the echoes of its effects today.
That day changed Afghanistan forever too. Less than one month after the attacks, Americans were on the ground in Afghanistan. A new partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan was forged that has shaped the future of both nations ever since.
It is too simplistic to characterize the U.S. presence in Afghanistan only as America’s longest war. It has been a continuous endeavor for enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the rest of the world — and it is an effort that has been marked by repeated success.
With 63% of Afghanistan’s population under the age of 25, the majority of Afghans have few or no memories of life in Afghanistan outside the context of U.S. friendship and support; this friendship and support has been reciprocated. Our youth share a kinship with Americans in their hunger for freedom, and they cherish the values and opportunities the partnership has provided.
Over the past two decades, Americans and Afghans have fought shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and worked side by side to build an Afghanistan founded on freedom and justice. Americans did not just focus on the tactical military aspect of the intervention; they realized that the best strategic approach was uplifting civilians and empowering them to both make and maintain progress.
Progress has not come easily. A lot of blood and treasure has been spilled along the way, and the Afghan people have reciprocated with their own blood, sweat, and tears. But nonetheless, progress has been relentlessly made.
In 2002, only 900,000 boys and no girls were enrolled in school in Afghanistan. Now, more than 10,129,523 Afghan children are enrolled, and 38% of students are girls. Afghanistan has progressed far past the times when women were beaten in the streets for going out without a male guardian. Women now constitute 28% of the Afghan parliament, which is higher than the global average, and are in high-level, decision-making government positions to an extent that is historically unprecedented.
Nineteen years ago, Afghanistan only had trade relations with one country, and the government was only recognized by three countries. We have dramatically increased regional connectivity and expanded our diplomatic and trade relations. Consequently, our GDP has nearly quintupled since 2001, and our exports neared $1 billion last year.
Afghans recognize that information and connectivity are changing the world, and as a result, we have become a member of the World Trade Organization, established multiple trade routes, and created six air corridors. After previously having TVs and radios banned, there are now about 100 TV channels and 213 radio channels in Afghanistan covering a wide range of views and opinions. We have expanded from only 50 kilometers of road to more than 10,000.
Critically, we have crafted a constitution that enshrines the values of freedom, equality, and democracy, and we fight to uphold those values every day. The greatest example of our progress was the peaceful transfer of power in 2014 from one elected president to another for the first time in Afghan history.
The progress that has been made in Afghanistan, even in the midst of an active conflict, is indicative of how much potential Afghanistan truly has.
Afghans want to cement all of these gains and are eager to enter a true peace where we do not have to live in fear that tomorrow our rights or even our lives might be taken away. Unfortunately, even after the U.S. forged an agreement with the Taliban in February, more than 800 civilians were killed, and 1,600 more injured during just the first five months after the “Agreement of Bringing Peace to Afghanistan.”
But now, after 40 years of war, we are on the cusp of an unprecedented opportunity for true peace. Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban are expected to begin on September 12.
Nineteen years ago, Americans lost many innocent lives in a heinous terrorist attack. Now, on the day after this anniversary, we look to the future together.
In order to ensure that an attack like Sept. 11 never occurs again, we have to make sure that on Sept. 12, we forge a better future for Afghans. Successful negotiations mean more than a power-sharing agreement and simply silencing the guns. They mean respecting the will of the Afghan people and finally unlocking Afghanistan’s full potential, ensuring full and comprehensive human security, and both preserving and building upon the gains that we have already made.
Afghanistan and our international allies have worked to ensure that terrorism will not emanate from Afghanistan and affect Americans or the rest of the world. Together, we can go even further. Afghanistan can return to its historic role as a hub for the region. We will be able to capitalize on our more than $1 trillion in untapped natural resources and wealth of human capital. Afghanistan will be able to empower women more than ever and continue to foster a free, democratic society. Once we are finally at peace, we will truly be able to thrive.
In sharp contrast to the fear and brutality of Sept. 11, Sept. 12 must be about progress and hope for Afghanistan.
Today, we remember. Tomorrow, we ensure nothing like this ever happens again.
Roya Rahmani is Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to the United States.
