Hopes for the new face of Afghanistan

As the father of two sons - one of whom served and one currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces - I cannot be more grateful to those who served in Afghanistan. The story "Now the next phase" in the Daily Herald on Sept. 1 informed that separate schools for boys and girls have reopened and women wearing headscarves are out on the streets in Afghanistan. It showed signs of movement away from draconian restrictions.

President Trump brokered the Afghan deal and President Biden executed it in good faith. We are not a perfect nation, but when you travel the globe marred with conflict based on ethnicity, religion, corruption, pseudo-nationalism, you realize how blessed America is. The U.S. continues to be one of the choicest countries for refugees and immigrants alike, where they can openly practice their faith, educate their children and raise families in peace. The world needs to be thankful to those 2,465 American and other soldiers who gave up their lives protecting freedom not just for the U.S., but also for the world.

Because of their supreme sacrifice, no terrorist attacks emanated directly from Afghanistan.

The U.S. has a history of nation-building and extending friendship to its adversaries as evident from our relationship with Germany, Japan and Vietnam.

Hopefully, the "new" Taliban will see that and live in peace while giving freedom to its own people under moderate Islamic laws that we see in countries like Malaysia and Turkey. Let it also be a lesson for countries such as India and Pakistan, North and South Korea to move away from past hostilities and focus on providing better lives for their citizens. Let us hope moderate Taliban leaders like Abbas Stanikzai (trained at the Indian Military Academy) who met the then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for peace talks, are the new face of Afghanistan.

Subhash Nigam

Palatine