With the timeline for the US troops withdrawal only eight months away and no light at the end of the tunnel in Afghanistan, Washingtons options are getting limited. What must have added to President Obamas blues is that the war in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly unpopular at home and there is strong opposition even within the administration to the prolongation of the conflict. Meanwhile, the surge which was aimed at seizing the initiative from the Taliban has failed to achieve the objective. Despite claims by Gen Petraeus that the Talibans position was becoming increasingly untenable and that that had forced them to hold talks, many in the US and in the region remain skeptical of an upturn in the situation on the ground.
Mutual suspicions among those fighting the Taliban add another complexity to the conflict. There is a lack of trust between the US and the Afghan government. Ditto between Islamabad and Kabul. That the Taliban had participated in talks indicated that they had withdrawn from the precondition of withdrawal of foreign troops prior to the start of talks. Washingtons reluctance to directly join the talks has led Taliban to think that what Washington is really interested in is not peace but division among the militants ranks. This has also created doubts about the outcome of the reconciliation process among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE who are acting as facilitators. The way President Karzai has tried to sideline Pakistan in recent talks with the Taliban has sent a negative message to Islamabad.
One can understand that the Obama administration has been fully engrossed in the midterm elections, putting everything else on the backburner. With the exercise being over within a couple of days, President Obama would hopefully find time to pay attention to removing the misunderstandings that have the potential to stall the peace process. This would prolong the war which would be bad both for the US and the region. Washington has to realise that it has to play a major role in reducing the misunderstandings among the stakeholders, Pakistan being one. Unless this happens, order and security in Afghanistan and peace with honour for the US would remain a mirage.
