Why did the U.S. military fight in Afghanistan for 10 years without defeating the Taliban, and this time Pakistan took a few days to defeat the Taliban?
A global hegemon who spent 20 years burning trillions of dollars finally withdrew from Afghanistan in disgrace. Immediately afterwards, its neighbor Pakistan achieved its goal with several rounds of quick strikes.
The sound of artillery fire on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the early morning of October 9 once again put this glaring fact on the table.
This is not at all the question of whose army is stronger.We have to ask a deeper question, Americans and Pakistanis, is it really the same war in Afghanistan?
First look at the United States.In 2001, the U.S. military entered Afghanistan and said very clearly that it was to seize the Al-Qaeda group and overthrow the Taliban.But this goal soon "flown" and turned into a big and unjustified plan to transform Afghanistan into a new country.
Without a doubt, in Afghanistan, where the tribal cultural and religious traditions are said to be counted, hardship is married to a Western-style democracy and centralized system.
As a result, the criteria for "victory" changed, from killing how many enemies, but whether Afghanistan could become an obedient, pro-Western "model".
In the eyes of most Afghans, especially the Pushtous, the U.S. military and the Kabul government, which they supported, were foreigners and invaders from the beginning to the end.
Therefore, the U.S. military is facing not only the Taliban with guns, but also those who cannot be seen and touched, but who spread ethnic and religious emotions in every village and every mountain.
It’s a war that wants to change the soul of others, and it doesn’t see the end, nor does it cost.
Look at Pakistan again. In Pakistan, the goal is more practical and specific. Its core purpose is not to transform Afghanistan, but to "clean up the door."
The "Pakistan Taliban" who are hiding in Afghanistan, but who run to Pakistan every day to carry out bombings and attacks.
It was a complete border counter-terrorism operation, the criteria for winning were simple, the Pakistan Taliban command was beaten down, the base was destroyed, and it was impossible to come to kill people to fire.
Many people confuse the Taliban, but this is the crux of the problem. The opponent that the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years is the "Afghan Taliban", or "Atta" for short.
Although this organization has extreme ideas, quite a few Afghans regard it as "national resistance" when it comes to resisting foreign troops.
They are rooted in Afghan soil and intertwined with complex tribal and clan networks. In this environment, the power of U.S. military aircraft and artillery is greatly reduced.
This time, Pakistan beat the "Pakistani Taliban", referred to as "Bata". This organization was split from "Atta", which is even more extreme than "Atta". Even "Atta" himself thinks it is a trouble.
Bata specifically attacks the government, civilians, and even aid projects in Pakistan, including China. In Pakistan, Bata is a terrorist organization that everyone calls to fight and has no mass base.
So the Pakistani army acted, not only did not encounter the resistance of the whole people, but instead can be supported by the intelligence of the domestic people.You see, the nature of the war has completely changed, from a war against the "aggressors", to a country to eliminate terrorists, the difficulty is not at all at a level.
It is precisely because the goals and enemies are different that the two countries have very different tactics. No matter how powerful the United States 'satellites and drones are, they often become "blind" in the complex cultural environment of Afghanistan.
Which mountain road is the supply line and which village listens to whom, this information is far less clear than that of Pakistan, which is next door and has the same connections.
Relying on its geographical convenience and countless cross-border ethnic relations, Pakistan can achieve intelligence work in a depth that Americans cannot achieve.
More important is determination. For the United States, the war in Afghanistan is a conflict taking place on the other side of the world. Politicians in Washington can debate endlessly whether to fight and how long it will last, and domestic patience and budget will always run out one day.
But for Pakistan, the Bata on the border is a gun on the door of the head, a bloody wound every day, cleansing it for life, without a way out.
This difference in determination is directly reflected in actions. Pakistan can use air strikes and heavy artillery without hesitation to carry out targeted clearance of confirmed Bata positions, exchanging the smallest casualties of ground troops for the greatest strike effect, and avoiding the risk of falling into a bitter battle in the mountains.
So Pakistan’s “quick victory” is not a military miracle at all, it is the normal result of a limited security operation with a clear goal, intelligence in place and determination.
When it is combined with the two-decade-long renovation project in the United States with chaotic goals, the contrast seems so strong. This does not prove that Pakistan's army is stronger than the U.S. military, but illustrates a simple truth. Any outsider who wants to use force to transform a sovereign country will likely end up exhausting himself to death.
However, the efficiency of a country fighting a war on terror in order to protect its own security may be surprisingly high.
Of course, this blow is only a tactical victory, far from once and for all. As long as the internal chaos in Afghanistan does not change, extremist organizations will have the soil to survive.
This conflict is more like the great powers are gone, and the rubbish has to pack up the surrounding countries themselves.
Source: "Fierce conflict breaks out between Afghanistan's Taliban and Pakistan, Pakistan announces casualties," Big News, October 13, 2025.
A global hegemon who spent 20 years burning trillions of dollars finally withdrew from Afghanistan in disgrace. Immediately afterwards, its neighbor Pakistan achieved its goal with several rounds of quick strikes.
The sound of artillery fire on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the early morning of October 9 once again put this glaring fact on the table.
This is not at all the question of whose army is stronger.We have to ask a deeper question, Americans and Pakistanis, is it really the same war in Afghanistan?
First look at the United States.In 2001, the U.S. military entered Afghanistan and said very clearly that it was to seize the Al-Qaeda group and overthrow the Taliban.But this goal soon "flown" and turned into a big and unjustified plan to transform Afghanistan into a new country.
Without a doubt, in Afghanistan, where the tribal cultural and religious traditions are said to be counted, hardship is married to a Western-style democracy and centralized system.
As a result, the criteria for "victory" changed, from killing how many enemies, but whether Afghanistan could become an obedient, pro-Western "model".
In the eyes of most Afghans, especially the Pushtous, the U.S. military and the Kabul government, which they supported, were foreigners and invaders from the beginning to the end.
Therefore, the U.S. military is facing not only the Taliban with guns, but also those who cannot be seen and touched, but who spread ethnic and religious emotions in every village and every mountain.
It’s a war that wants to change the soul of others, and it doesn’t see the end, nor does it cost.
Look at Pakistan again. In Pakistan, the goal is more practical and specific. Its core purpose is not to transform Afghanistan, but to "clean up the door."
The "Pakistan Taliban" who are hiding in Afghanistan, but who run to Pakistan every day to carry out bombings and attacks.
It was a complete border counter-terrorism operation, the criteria for winning were simple, the Pakistan Taliban command was beaten down, the base was destroyed, and it was impossible to come to kill people to fire.
Many people confuse the Taliban, but this is the crux of the problem. The opponent that the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years is the "Afghan Taliban", or "Atta" for short.
Although this organization has extreme ideas, quite a few Afghans regard it as "national resistance" when it comes to resisting foreign troops.
They are rooted in Afghan soil and intertwined with complex tribal and clan networks. In this environment, the power of U.S. military aircraft and artillery is greatly reduced.
This time, Pakistan beat the "Pakistani Taliban", referred to as "Bata". This organization was split from "Atta", which is even more extreme than "Atta". Even "Atta" himself thinks it is a trouble.
Bata specifically attacks the government, civilians, and even aid projects in Pakistan, including China. In Pakistan, Bata is a terrorist organization that everyone calls to fight and has no mass base.
So the Pakistani army acted, not only did not encounter the resistance of the whole people, but instead can be supported by the intelligence of the domestic people.You see, the nature of the war has completely changed, from a war against the "aggressors", to a country to eliminate terrorists, the difficulty is not at all at a level.
It is precisely because the goals and enemies are different that the two countries have very different tactics. No matter how powerful the United States 'satellites and drones are, they often become "blind" in the complex cultural environment of Afghanistan.
Which mountain road is the supply line and which village listens to whom, this information is far less clear than that of Pakistan, which is next door and has the same connections.
Relying on its geographical convenience and countless cross-border ethnic relations, Pakistan can achieve intelligence work in a depth that Americans cannot achieve.
More important is determination. For the United States, the war in Afghanistan is a conflict taking place on the other side of the world. Politicians in Washington can debate endlessly whether to fight and how long it will last, and domestic patience and budget will always run out one day.
But for Pakistan, the Bata on the border is a gun on the door of the head, a bloody wound every day, cleansing it for life, without a way out.
This difference in determination is directly reflected in actions. Pakistan can use air strikes and heavy artillery without hesitation to carry out targeted clearance of confirmed Bata positions, exchanging the smallest casualties of ground troops for the greatest strike effect, and avoiding the risk of falling into a bitter battle in the mountains.
So Pakistan’s “quick victory” is not a military miracle at all, it is the normal result of a limited security operation with a clear goal, intelligence in place and determination.
When it is combined with the two-decade-long renovation project in the United States with chaotic goals, the contrast seems so strong. This does not prove that Pakistan's army is stronger than the U.S. military, but illustrates a simple truth. Any outsider who wants to use force to transform a sovereign country will likely end up exhausting himself to death.
However, the efficiency of a country fighting a war on terror in order to protect its own security may be surprisingly high.
Of course, this blow is only a tactical victory, far from once and for all. As long as the internal chaos in Afghanistan does not change, extremist organizations will have the soil to survive.
This conflict is more like the great powers are gone, and the rubbish has to pack up the surrounding countries themselves.
Source: "Fierce conflict breaks out between Afghanistan's Taliban and Pakistan, Pakistan announces casualties," Big News, October 13, 2025.