It is up to the neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan on how to move forward
The NATO’S combat mission which came to end on Sunday illustrates both the strengths and the limitations of the US. It shows that while it might have been easy for Washington to remove the Taliban government through its formidable military force thirteen years back, establishing control over Afghanistan required sacrifices that even a superpower could not afford. While the people of Afghanistan had to pay a heavy price for the folly of the Taliban chief Mullah Umar, who refused to dissociate with al-Qaeda which had launched attacks inside the US, the international coalition also lost 3,485 soldiers in what turned out to be America’s longest war.
With 13 years of war and no respite to fighting the Afghan government is being required to take on a resourceful, battle-hardened and motivated enemy with the help of the hastily trained Afghan security forces numbering 350,000 which lack the necessary assets, such as air support, medical evacuation systems and intelligence. The government needs better cohesion at home and a greater understanding with neighbours to achieve peace and stability.
After wavering for years over the issue of terrorism Pakistani establishment and political parties have finally decided to uproot extremist militants of all hues and colours, though only future will tell how strong the commitment is. With numerous terrorist groups having established themselves in North Waziristan, any further delay in operation Zarb-e-Azb would have been disastrous. While al-Qaeda is still active in the region, Pakistan is also being targeted by the pro-Mullah Umar Taliban groups like the one led by Fazlullah. Meanwhile the ISIS is attracting volunteers from all over the world who can play havoc when they return to their own countries. The developments require an understanding between all the countries in the region, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A well-coordinated joint action by Pakistan and Afghanistan can act as the guarantor of peace in the two countries. The joint action will generate confidence between the neighbours and cement relations between them.