Unlike distant powers, Afghanistan’s neighbours, especially Pakistan, Iran, China and Russia have a huge stake in a stable and peaceful country. They should assist the Afghans to come to a suitable arrangement in which all ethnic groups are represented and do not feel alienated.
Why the US and its Nato allies will continue to look for pretexts to continue interference in Afghanistan and why they will fail.
Soundly defeated militarily by the Taliban, the US warlords have not given up on mischief-making. They are setting up a trap for Pakistan even as they retreat in disgrace from Afghanistan.
While announced to much fanfare that US troops would be out of Afghanistan by September 11, US President Joe Biden left out whether the 18,000 mercenaries euphemistically called “contractors”, operating in Afghanistan would also go. The Taliban are not amused.
Joe Biden is beginning to have second thoughts about withdrawing all US forces from Afghanistan. Should he fail to honour the February 29, 2020 agreement his predecessor signed with the Taliban, there is every likelihood of intensification of conflict resulting is US forces driven out Afghanistan in ignominy.
The United Nations was created to prevent the eruption of future wars but it has been a roaring failure. Far from solving any problems, it has created many. Whose interests does it serve?
Let us be clear: The military invasion of Afghanistan was not meant to ‘liberate’ Afghan women (whatever that may mean) or bring democracy and education. It was and is an imperialist project in which horrific crimes have been committed against Afghan civilians.
Intra-Afghan talks started in Doha, Qatar on September 12 but they are not making much progress. The Taliban and the US-backed Afghan government representatives have very different perspectives on the future set-up in Afghanistan.
The Loya Jirga (grand assembly) is an honoured Afghan tradition but last month the US-installed president of Afghanistan used it as a cover to surrender to the Taliban. While the move is welcome, the manner in which it was utilized is not so honourable
Will Afghanistan finally have peace after 40 years of war and bloodshed? This will depend on whether various Afghan factions can accommodate ethnic groups with divergent interests.
For Trump, exit from Afghanistan before the November presidential elections is the one act that he can present as ‘achievement’ of sorts. But is the American establishment prepared to allow him to do so?
The US and its NATO allies do not give up on mischief. They may withdraw all forces from Afghanistan but their destabilization activities will not cease.
The four-point agreement signed between the Taliban and the US in Doha, Qatar on February 29, 2020 was remarkable in more ways than one. If there is a single take-away from the agreement, it is that another superpower has had its nose rubbed in the dust by the rag-tag band of Afghan Taliban.
There have been many false starts about peace in Afghanistan but there may be guarded optimism this time that may be, just maybe, there will be peace. The next few weeks will tell but unless there is actual peace, it is prudent to be cautious.
