The world has become significantly more perilous since the inception of the Biden administration's America-Last policies. The most recent evidence of this occurred on Wednesday, as border guards from Afghanistan and Pakistan exchanged gunfire, resulting in the closure of a vital border crossing between the two nations. This raises concerns about the possibility of a conflict in Central Asia, adding to the existing global challenges. The Associated Press reported that "Pakistani authorities shut down a crucial border crossing with landlocked Afghanistan on Wednesday, shortly after border guards from both sides engaged in gunfire, signaling escalating tensions between the neighboring countries." Indeed, AP has astutely pointed out that gunfire is a clear indicator of rising tensions.
The specific reasons for this violent confrontation were not immediately clarified, according to Nasrullah Khan, a Pakistani official. However, it may be related to recent disagreements between the Pakistani government and the Taliban regime in Kabul concerning the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. On August 6, VOA News reported that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had declared cross-border attacks, including those on Pakistan, as "haram" or forbidden in Islam. The Pakistani Taliban had been conducting such attacks in pursuit of an Islamically pure regime in Islamabad, paralleling the one in Kabul. However, the Afghan Taliban withdrew its support and sought reconciliation with the Pakistani government. Regrettably, this reconciliation was short-lived, as on August 22, the Pakistani Taliban, disregarding Hibatullah Akhundzada's stance, killed six Pakistani soldiers.
This incident at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan occurred shortly after tensions at the Afghan border with Iran nearly escalated into a full-scale war. On August 7, IFP Media Wire reported that the Taliban had deployed thousands of troops and hundreds of suicide bombers to the Afghan border with Iran, citing a dispute over water resources as the cause. Iran issued a warning to the Taliban in response.
One individual largely responsible for the escalating regional tensions in Afghanistan is President Joe Biden. Even two years later, the consequences of Biden's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan continue to affect people, and this impact is likely to persist for decades. On August 22, the Associated Press reported that more than 200 extrajudicial killings of former Afghan government officials and security forces had occurred since the Taliban took control of the country two years ago, as documented in a UN report. These individuals were promised safety by the Taliban but, as the saying goes, "War is deceit" (Bukhari 4.52.268). Nine days prior, the Daily Mail reported that more than 65 terrorists, including those who had left fingerprints on IEDs intended to harm Americans in Afghanistan and a prisoner released by the Taliban, had been allowed into the United States following the disastrous withdrawal. This situation raises significant concerns about security and the consequences of such decisions.
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