After 9/11, I lived through Australia’s long war in Afghanistan. There are lessons the world must learn

After 9/11, I lived through Australia’s long war in Afghanistan. There are lessons the world must learn | Shadi Khan Saif

For Australians, Afghanistan became the country where a generation of soldiers served their longest war. For Afghans, it became a country where another generation struggled to build a new lifeA quarter of a century ago today, the world witnessed a devastating series…

Originally published by The Guardian11 September 2026, 06:00Full licensed article

For Australians, Afghanistan became the country where a generation of soldiers served their longest war. For Afghans, it became a country where another generation struggled to build a new life

A quarter of a century ago today, the world witnessed a devastating series of attacks on the United States that would change the lives of millions across the globe, setting off a vicious cycle of violence that continues to reverberate.

I vividly remember watching the breaking news of the 9/11 attacks on our old television, which we had only recently connected to the cable TV network in Pakistan. We had been sheltering there since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and could not return because of the civil war and the subsequent Taliban rule.