After 9/11, I lived through Australia’s long war in Afghanistan. There are lessons the world must learn | Shadi Khan Saif
News Source
•Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:00:02 GMT
📰 What Happened
Journalist Shadi Khan Saif has written about growing up through the war in Afghanistan. He watched the 9/11 attacks on television as a child in Pakistan. His family had fled Afghanistan and could not return. He says the attacks changed millions of lives and began a cycle of violence.
He later returned to Kabul and started working as a journalist. He saw cities grow and universities open. But most of the countryside stayed trapped in a deadly stalemate. Foreign forces, Afghan troops and Taliban fighters all fought for control.
🔍 The Backstory
More than 35,000 Australians served in Afghanistan over two decades. The Australian War Memorial records 47 deaths and 263 wounded. For Afghanistan, the war ended in 2021 when the Taliban took Kabul. Thousands of people tried to flee.
Saif says Australia helped people escape the very project it helped build. He says the world must learn that war alone is not the answer. He wants Australia to keep helping Afghans and listen to them.
🎯 Why It Matters
The 9/11 anniversary reminds us that long wars have long costs. This story asks what countries owe the people they promised to help.
Journalist Shadi Khan Saif has written about growing up through the war in Afghanistan. He watched the 9/11 attacks on television as a child in Pakistan. His family had fled Afghanistan and could not return. He says the attacks changed millions of lives and began a cycle of violence.
He later returned to Kabul and started working as a journalist. He saw cities grow and universities open. But most of the countryside stayed trapped in a deadly stalemate. Foreign forces, Afghan troops and Taliban fighters all fought for control.
More than 35,000 Australians served in Afghanistan over two decades. The Australian War Memorial records 47 deaths and 263 wounded. For Afghanistan, the war ended in 2021 when the Taliban took Kabul. Thousands of people tried to flee.
Saif says Australia helped people escape the very project it helped build. He says the world must learn that war alone is not the answer. He wants Australia to keep helping Afghans and listen to them.
The 9/11 anniversary reminds us that long wars have long costs. This story asks what countries owe the people they promised to help.