Cool minds needed
It was one of the most vicious attacks in recent Afghan history. And that is saying something, given the perpetual state of turmoil the unfortunate state has been. A truck bomb deep into the heart of nation’s capital, near some key embassies. With more than 80 dead and more than 350 injured. Tempers are, understandably, rising. The government is seething with rage and, as usual, fingers are being pointed down south towards the usual suspects.
And the international community agrees. When the Afghan government accuses Pakistan of running safe havens for terrorists, which they use as launchpads for attacks into Afghanistan, it seems that the world community endorses the allegations, if only to the extent of broadening Pakistan’s involvement to inability to control, rather than outright collusion. The Pakistani state, for what it is worth, says that it is engaged in an all-out, all-encompassing war against the scourge of militancy. That it has nothing to hide.
Now if the international community were to get into the business of evaluating the veracity of Pakistan’s claims, it should also examine the extent of progress that the heavily subsidised Afghan government has made. How such a massive bomb penetrated such a high security area is something that needs scrutiny. The commander of the US and Nato forces did laud the Afghan forces from entering the “Green Zone,” which houses western military headquarters and several embassies, but that is setting the bar really low.
The blame game could be alluring because it takes the onus of responsibility off a state. Also because a proportion of the blame is true. That toxic combination can make it a potent narcotic that will prevent any real progress that a state can make. It is time for the Afghan government to do calmly evaluate its own trajectory in its fight against the militancy that rages in the southern part of the country. Cancelling cricket matches will not make the spectre go away.