Regional approach is highly important
Resumption in bilateral cooperation between Afghanistan and regional countries including Pakistan has been well received in all quarters and should continue. A second meeting of Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (Recca) was held in Kabul between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The primary focus of the ‘trilateral practical cooperation’ is to support and facilitate the peaceful reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan and further strengthen ties between the three countries.
There are however some ground realities that need to be taken into account. Any efforts at infrastructure development in the country will be met with violent resistance from the Taliban and ISIS.
Only yesterday Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg reached Kabul to meet with President Ashraf Ghani when a dozen rockets were fired at the International Airport in the capital and near the American Embassy. Both the Taliban and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack and it just goes to show the fragility of the country’s security apparatus and the reach of the enemy in even the most well secured areas in the country.
Trump’s Afghan policy has nothing new to offer in fact it is a step backwards. He wants more boots on the ground, more bombing and now there is pressure on Afghan President Ghani to close the Taliban office in Qatar which is a channel for dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Afghanistan has to realise that solely relying on the US to bring peace is no longer an option. Their track record speaks for itself. Iraq, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan; all they have brought is instability, death and a vacuum for groups like ISIS to foster and take control in once they decide to leave.
It is near impossible for Afghanistan to completely abort the US mission but the current government has to realign its strategy towards increased cooperation and dialogue with regional countries. Having the US carpet bomb terrorist hotspots has never worked and never will.
