Since Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s announcement to convene a meeting of the traditional Loya Jirga to discuss and decide the terms for US forces to stay in Afghanistan, violent attacks in the already war-torn country are on the rise.
The assassinations of Karzai’s brother Ahmad Wali Karzai and senior adviser Jan Mohammad Khan have not only made the Afghans all the more sceptic, but they also raised many questions.
On the one hand, the US-led allies have announced their pullout schedule, while on the other the US is pressing Afghanistan for “strategic accord”.
A few months ago President Hamid Karzai had announced to convene the traditional Loya Jirga to discussing the current situation in Afghanistan and deciding on strategic ties with the US.
To this end, a high level commission has already been constituted with former Afghanistan president and spiritual leader Prof Sibghat Ullah Mujaddadi as its chief.
Despite its announcement of pulling its troops out of Afghanistan, the US wants certain permanent bases across the country.
Some insiders believe that US authorities have also selected sites in this regard and a few of them are already under US occupation of the US officials and troops.
Except Kabul, the other six bases would be in Afghanistan’s border regions neighbouring Central Asian Republics, Iran and Pakistan.
No one can deny continuation of the “Great Game” in Afghanistan which in turn was the continuation of the so-called ‘Cold War’.
Whatever might be the justifications of the rulers and religious leaders of the Islamic countries, all they in fact contributed to the US victory against former Soviet Union and making the former an unrivalled super power.
Again with the support of Islamic countries, the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq.
Some circles do speculate that now the US is eyeing on certain other strategically important regions in South and Central Asia.
Analysts believe the US is strategically scattering its military might in Afghanistan and beyond.
Although the US strategic deal with Afghanistan is just a part of the “Great Game” but President Karzai is not in a position to give a green signal to the US in this regard as yet.
Certain regional allies of the US are also playing a dual game when President Karzai is going to take the Afghans into confidence over their future. The phenomenon that can hamper the Karzai’s initiative is the rising tide of violence. Even when all the Afghans want to get rid of wars and violence a minority of them can only thrive on the same. And this minority group is being patronised, financed and provoked by external financiers.
In the end only the Afghans will have to choose their future. They will have to shun tribal hostilities while realising the purpose of the US-Afghanistan ‘strategic ties’. Only through a grand reconciliation and unity can they thwart the external conspiracies.
