Afghanistan's stalled future under al-Qaeda

HERAT -- Afghanistan, once on a path to modernization, now ranks among the world's poorest countries, trapped in cycles of conflict and instability fueled by extremist groups like al-Qaeda.

The nation's modern ambitions date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when it invested in infrastructure and industrial projects.

The Salang Tunnel connected the north and south, hydropower dams like Kajaki and Naghlu powered cities, and cement and textile factories provided employment across provinces.

These achievements symbolized Afghanistan's potential as a regional economic center.

However, the Soviet invasion in 1979 shattered that progress. The ensuing decade-long conflict destroyed infrastructure, displaced millions, and left the nation awash in weapons.

When Soviet forces withdrew, Afghanistan faced a fragile political landscape, weakened institutions, and competing warlords.

It was in this turbulent environment that al-Qaeda established a strong presence in the country in the mid-1990s.

Far from contributing to reconstruction, the group pursued a radical global agenda, prioritizing conflict over cooperation and ideology over the well-being of the Afghan people.

Its focus on violent operations diverted resources, attention, and manpower from national development.

Provinces like Kandahar and Khost became recruitment hubs and operational bases for al-Qaeda.

"Al-Qaeda, with help from its extremist allies, fueled civil wars to expand its presence in the country," Italy-based military analyst Muhammad Naiam Ghayur told Salaam Times.

This presence also paved the way for other terrorist organizations to establish themselves in Afghanistan, leading to devastating conflicts, widespread violence, and poverty that continue to this day, Ghayur said.

Human toll

These conflicts have caused catastrophic consequences, including mass displacement and a severe brain drain.

"Many educated Afghans fled abroad, leaving no skilled workforce to rebuild the nation," said Muhammad Shoaib Haidari, a university professor in Herat.

This exodus left a vacuum of expertise and leadership, leading to institutional collapse and creating conditions in which al-Qaeda's extremist ideology could take hold without organized opposition.

The instability also reshaped the nation's economy. "Because of extremist groups, a war economy replaced a productive one," Haidari told Salaam Times.

"Arms and drug trafficking, along with a shadow economy linked to conflict, took the place of legal trade and agriculture," he said.

With domestic and foreign investment fleeing, the country's economic potential was severely undermined, and many development projects stalled.

Some infrastructure, including the Herat cement plant and certain textile factories, remained inactive for decades -- a reminder of what could have been, analysts say.