Will Selber: Pakistan May Exploit Taliban Opposition Groups for Its Own Goals

DID Press: Will Selber, a retired regional affairs officer with the US Central Command (CENTCOM), has warned that potential cooperation between anti-Taliban groups and Pakistan could undermine the groups’ internal cohesion and weaken public support for them in Afghanistan.

In an article published by The Long War Journal, Selber referred to reports that Pakistani military and intelligence officials had met with representatives of anti-Taliban groups. He noted that these developments come against the backdrop of Islamabad’s long history of supporting the Taliban.

According to Selber, potential cooperation between anti-Taliban groups and Pakistan could have three major consequences: first, Islamabad could use these groups as instruments to advance its own objectives; second, internal divisions and rivalries among anti-Taliban groups could intensify; and third, public distrust of these groups in Afghanistan could increase.

The retired US officer also raised questions about the political and social implications of such cooperation.

One of the main challenges facing anti-Taliban groups, he argued, is how to respond to Pakistani attacks on Afghan territory and the killing of civilians without risking the loss of potential support from Islamabad.