Shamsher Alam
Parallel to Taliban’s outreach to regional and extra regional countries, the Afghan government has also taken the belated steps to communicate and revive the bilateral relations with the regional as well as the other significant countries, having some interests in Afghanistan. In the backdrop of emerging threats of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan and its further expansion in the region, which could plague the whole central Asian countries and beyond, provide a reasonable stance for regional and extra regional countries to converge their efforts for neutralizing the threats of IS with all its manifestation in the regional and international context.
The emergence and rising of IS in Afghanistan could be seen as a worst case scenario, not only for central Asian countries but significantly for China and Russia. Keeping aside all the controversies and speculation about the mentors of IS, its emergence and gaining momentum depicts that IS could not work indigenously to carve its strategy and tactics with minute details to effectively engage targets. Their ability to well plan and timely strike, , flawlessly executed operations, confirms an upper hand of support by some superior entity, which is providing them the sophisticated intelligence, training, equipment, light as well as heavy weapons. Although, the emergence of IS and its operations in Afghanistan has already started and taking its toll, in terms of brutal attacks and brutality against the government forces as well as Taliban, but so far the intended cooperation and required collaboration with other courtiers is still in metamorphic stage.
It is quite interesting that keeping in view the reports of Russia and Iran reaching out to the Taliban for countering the emerging threat of the IS in Afghanistan and beyond, it is said by certain experts that in response to this step, Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar had traveled to certain countries in the region to prevent them from working with the Taliban. Afghan government is trying hard to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan different regions but their resistance and ability to target any place in Afghanistan, is a matter of serious concern for the Afghan government. However, due to some inherent problems of the Afghan forces, like, lack of proper facilities and appropriate combat training and equipment, lack of timely and accurate air support, increased desertion and continuously lowering morale of the troops, are few of the contributing factors of their failures and lack of will to fight Taliban and other miscreants.
In that context of deteriorating security situation and countering the threats of IS in Afghanistan and beyond, the possibility of collaboration of other countries with Taliban to neutralize any situation which could arise to effect their interests, Afghan government took a step to dilute any such scenario. Besides, reportedly, Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar visited Iran, Russia, and Central Asian countries to convince these countries to break ties with the Taliban and prioritize their bilateral relations with Afghanistan for achieving the convergence of interests against fighting the terrorism with all is manifestation. During one of his interview with media, Hanif Atmar revealed that Afghan government has conveyed explicitly to these countries that if they helped any of the terrorist groups, Afghanistan would definitely suffer and they might lose their friend (Afghanistan) and Taliban could never be their friend. He also claimed that if Afghan National forces were not around; the terrorists would turn Central Asia into Hell. Acclaiming support by different countries, Hanif Atmar had elaborated that in addition to United States or NATO military aid; these countries had also agreed to keep unity against the terrorist groups.
As far as this part of support by different countries are concerned, Afghanistan may gain an appropriate level of military equipment and support or other war fighting machinery, but why the Afghan government’s policy makers forget that despite of a full fledge military power of the US alongwith her strong allies in Afghanistan, failed to fight and defeat Taliban, how come the residual foreign forces and negligible Afghan forces could simultaneously fight Taliban as well as IS in Afghanistan. Besides, what lessons were learnt by the foreign forces after fighting the longest war of the history in Afghanistan; must also be learnt and followed by the Afghan government. Experts are firm in their conclusion that fighting the Afghan Taliban by the Afghan government could not bring the desired peace in the country; it could start another decade of miseries for the common Afghans. Experts also opine that the only way forward for the Afghan government is to keep rolling the halted peace talks, as it would be the ultimate option for achieving peace and prosperity for Afghanistan and beyond.
