Ehsan Sajadi
August 31, 2021, marked a historic turning point: the departure of the last American soldier from Afghanistan. This was not a routine military withdrawal but the conclusion of two decades of occupation, the end of a long and costly war, and the beginning of a new phase in Afghanistan’s political destiny. With this decisive moment, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) once again assumed full control of the country.
The End of Occupation and the Return of Independence
Following the October 2001 invasion, Afghanistan came under the authority of an international coalition that dismantled the Islamic system of governance. Their objective was to impose a Western-backed puppet regime and foreign ideologies. For twenty years, this occupation inflicted deep wounds on the nation. Thousands of men, women, and children were killed, disabled, or injured, while the country’s infrastructure, economy, and security were left in ruins.
The expulsion of American forces restored genuine independence to Afghanistan. With no foreign military presence remaining, full authority now rests with the IEA. The Taliban, long branded as terrorists and targeted with every weapon imaginable, proved themselves to be the true sons of the nation. Sacrificing their lives in the path of Allah Almighty, they fought to end the occupation and, by divine support, emerged victorious. Today, they govern the country, establishing a Sharia-based system of administration.
America’s Role and the ISIS Project
During its occupation, the United States not only violated human dignity but also sought to advance the ISIS project. The ISIS Khawarij, essentially a Western creation, repeatedly attempted to obstruct the jihad of Islam’s true soldiers and Mujahideen. In Afghanistan, as elsewhere, the group became a persistent source of disruption and violence.
Before the IEA’s return to power, ISIS received extensive support and protection from foreign powers. Its fighters were transported by helicopters, armed with modern weaponry, provided with millions of dollars in cash, and given broad opportunities to recruit and spread propaganda in madrasas, mosques, universities, and villages. They enjoyed access to media platforms and operated openly without fear of reprisal.
Atrocities of ISIS
With such backing, ISIS committed crimes so horrific that even many non-believers would have recoiled. Infants were slaughtered in their cradles, tribal elders were buried in explosives and detonated in public, young men were beheaded with their severed heads displayed in marketplaces, and women were enslaved. Mosques, madrasas, schools, and universities were bombed, while weddings and celebrations were turned into scenes of mourning. There was scarcely any vile act that ISIS did not commit.
The IEA’s Decisive Role
Praise be to Allah, with the IEA’s return to power, the twenty-year occupation ended and ISIS’s backbone was broken. After the departure of the last American soldier on August 31, 2021, the group lost its principal patron and logistical lifeline. Previously, whenever ISIS came under pressure, American aircraft and troops would intervene. With the U.S. withdrawal, that support vanished.
The IEA acted swiftly and decisively. Within a short period, it dismantled ISIS networks, cut off financial channels, blocked recruitment, and neutralized propaganda outlets. By the will of Allah and through determined action, the IEA eliminated the group’s leaders and fighters, reducing ISIS in Afghanistan to little more than a name.
Conclusion
The end of Western occupation, the return of the IEA to power, its firm measures against ISIS, and the support of both Allah Almighty and the Afghan people were decisive in dismantling ISIS’s presence in Afghanistan. After decades of turmoil, peace and stability have returned, marking the beginning of a new and secure chapter in the nation’s history.