For the benefit of the region, and the world
For nearly three years Obama administration lost opportunities to work for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. It relied more on war than on diplomacy while Obama concentrated on accommodating partisan political concerns. Rejecting the idea that talks could go along with fighting, the US president preferred to negotiate from a superior position after thoroughly demolishing the Taliban. In December 2011, Washington first seemed to respond positively to the Taliban leadership’s offer for talks in return for the release of its prisoners from Guantanamo but then it retreated. This made the Taliban suspicious of Washington’s motives. While a Taliban office was set up in Qatar, there were no negotiations. Washington has now lost hope of winning what was once Obama’s war of choice. The Boston bombings were a grim reminder to the West that as long as there are unresolved conflicts in the world ignited by it directly or indirectly, no firewall can provide it security. The use of drone attacks as a weapon of choice is bound to add to the US headaches as it would increase the number of extremists and suicide bombers. In case the US decides to simply wash its hands off the Afghan conflict and depart from the region, as it did in 1986, the extremists would follow it like nemesis.
There is a need to fully concentrate on intra-Afghan talks now. The Taliban have to be persuaded to cut off ties with Al-Qaeda and disown groups associated with it. This should not be difficult because the liaison with the terrorists having a global agenda led to the unraveling of the Taliban rule while it inflicted suffering on the entire country. The Taliban’s willingness to hold talks indicates that they realise it was a blunder to continue to host the Al-Qaeda. As things stand the Taliban are unwilling to talk to Karzai who is considered to be an unpopular and corrupt US puppet. It is however not possible to bypass Karzai who remains the head of the government and state. The extremist agenda pursued by the Taliban, when they were in power, was, and is, out of sync with the times. The suppression of minorities led to the creation of the Northern Alliance. There is a need on the part of the religious militia to revise its policies.
Pakistan needs to help in the reconciliation process. The talks have, however, to be led by the Afghans themselves. The belated arrival of a high powered US delegation to discuss the Afghan peace process indicates that Washington agrees with settling the matters through talks. A peaceful Afghanistan means a stable and prosperous Pakistan and a secure and economically integrated region. There is a need, therefore, for the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan to jointly encourage the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table.
