Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Ambiguous Shots

With the ambiguous peace talks in process in Afghanistan and abroad, President Karzai's administration seems too weak to undertake an initiative. It has been always making passive reactions to what has mainly been decided overseas and the incidents happening inside the country. From Taliban's terrorist activities and international mission to fight against them to President's impractical wishes and begging calls, the process has entirely disappointed Afghan citizens.

They have suffered more than enough from longtime hatred, enmity, violence, international terrorism and domestic clashes and are far away form feeling confident about a promising near future.

However, following a decade, the wishes remain in vain. Afghan and international stakeholders have begun a competition to offer incentives and advantages to the Taliban members and the Hizb-i-Islami fighters led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the most notorious individuals on US government wanted list. Since the issue is clearly linked to external groups, networks and states, the process that has begun will prove futile unless a genuine regional consensus is reached.

Of course, a regional problem requires regional solution. The Government of Afghanistan says it is committed to working with the neighbours to improve regional security. Improved regional security will require coordinated actions to increase intelligence sharing, collaboration between border security forces to combat narcotics trafficking and organized crime, and joint strategies to eliminate the ability of insurgents to operate freely along our undefended frontier.

The elimination of cross-border sanctuaries must be a high priority for all. Iran, Pakistan and India have been playing significant role in the post-Taliban era in Afghanistan. Thus, their roles are of high importance for Afghanistan and the international community.

For that, the US has been making efforts to maximize cooperation among them to carry on counter insurgency plans. The US has been running from pillar to post between Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to end the "war on terror" and bring some sort of stability to the South Asian region. 

Until now they have not made much progress. In his State of the Union address this week, US President Obama reiterated his commitment to having US troops to leave Afghanistan by 2014. Keeping in mind that the proposed peace talks, reintegration plan and similar programs should ensure all parties' interest and serve their genuine objectives, the stakeholders are to avoid highlighting conflict of interests and continue the proxy war here.