As chaotic scenes unfolded more than 4,000 miles away in Kabul, veterans of the 20-year conflict and families who lost loved ones on the battlefield have been asking the stark question: “Was it worth it?”
“There is a generation of Afghans who have been given a taste of what freedom is like, so you never know, but it feels pretty bleak at the moment,” said Andrew Fox, a former major in the Parachute Regiment who served on three tours of Afghanistan and who has spoken openly about the impact of PTSD on his own health.
“But as one of my friends said to me: it’s like the defining feature of our adult lives has turned out to be pointless. I think that’s where we all were … this week.
“On patrols we’d see the little girls and boys running around playing with their kites and they would talk to us and take a few sweets. They’re probably 16 or 17 now and the thought of those lovely little kids growing up to be adults who only knew a degree of freedom and suddenly being thrown back into oppression is heartbreaking.” » | Ben Quinn | Tuesday, August 17, 2021
