The Taliban drove the United States out of Afghanistan. Now, Afghanistan’s foreign minister wants the United States to reopen its embassy and invest in the country.
This request deserves careful consideration, but reopening the embassy should not mean a return to business as usual. The Taliban’s record on human rights, women’s rights, and democratic freedoms cannot be ignored.
The United States should learn from its long and costly involvement in Afghanistan. Diplomacy is preferable to isolation, but renewed engagement must protect American interests while upholding basic human rights. Any return to diplomatic relations should require meaningful guarantees for the rights, education, and safety of women and girls.
America has already paid an enormous price in Afghanistan. Our future relationship should be based not on military intervention, but on principled diplomacy, accountability, and respect for human dignity.
We must also remember the thousands of Afghans who supported America, especially translators and others who were promised protection. We owe them a debt of honor and should do everything possible to fulfill those commitments. American presidents should honor commitments made by their predecessors.
God did not give girls the gift of life so that they could be oppressed by men. Our goal must be peace, stability, and human dignity—not another endless war.
We should also remember the tragic lessons of the George W. Bush administration, when an opportunity for negotiations with the Taliban was dismissed. We must never repeat such costly mistakes.
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