Does the U.S. bear responsibility for the Taliban’s atrocities in Afghanistan?

Bullets and broken glass scatter the compound where there was a fight between Taliban fighters and the Islamic State group in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. The Afghan Taliban have killed eight Islamic State group fighters and arrested nine ...The situation in Afghanistan can most aptly be described as an ever-escalating dumpster fire, with women becoming the greatest casualties in a Taliban-fueled dystopian nightmare.

Less than a year and a half since the U.S. entirely pulled troops out of Afghanistan in August 2021, the situation continues to disintegrate, with rampant poverty raging and human rights evaporating.

Any gains made during America’s long presence in the beleaguered…