US Gives Tidings of Victory in a War that Has No Definition
Such expression from the address of a senior White-House member actually confuses the war politics in Afghanistan and somehow indicate that America does not want to negotiate with Taliban.
The debate over war and peace in Afghanistan has turned into a mystery for the people of the country as the United States and its allies are in the war-torn country for 17 years. None of the parties involved in the war completely believe in the victory.
During these years, the government of Afghanistan along with its biggest supporter (America) are fighting the Taliban and at the same time talking peace. Taliban has rejected negotiation with the government in many statements and has invited America to the negotiation table. However, the US has recently asked the Taliban to negotiate with Kabul.
The US secretary of state made an unannounced visit to Kabul Tuesday and met with president Ghani. Mattis in his trip to Kabul said victory in Afghanistan has no military definition.
According to Mr. James Mattis, Taliban’s negotiation with Kabul is the victory of the United States and the international community in Afghanistan. Such expression from the address of a senior White-House member actually confuses the war politics in Afghanistan and somehow indicate that America does not want to negotiate with Taliban.
There is no doubt that any war ends with negotiation, even when one side completely wins in a war, again, negotiation and agreements being carried out between the two sides.
The question now is whether the situation is in a way that it will bring the Taliban to the negotiating table? It is clear from the new US strategy on Afghanistan that Taliban group cannot invade all Afghanistan by launching offensive attacks.
U.S and NATO air forces now can drop bombs on insurgents. The escalation of the war and the aggression of the Afghan security forces will further exert a military pressure on the Taliban as the group’s leadership is under serious pressure in Quetta and Karachi.
According to political experts, Afghanistan will not be able to negotiate with Taliban since the leadership of the group in Pakistan enjoying endless financial and human resources and will never short on soldiers and suicide bombers and money. Conditions for political talks will never be reached as long as the calculations of Taliban leaders do not change.
First, the calculation of Taliban leaders should change. It will change when pressure would be continued on Pakistan.
The United States had vowed that if Pakistan continues supporting groups opposed to Afghanistan, it will lose many things.
America placed Pakistan on the gray list of international financial institutions. Such pressures should be imposed on Islamabad to press Taliban leaders.
The generous offerings of the Kabul process-2 put the Taliban leaders under serious moral pressure, which is why they do not want to give clear answers to these suggestions.
If the moral, political, economic, and military pressures are applied in a coordinated way, the probable outcome is greater. The Taliban leadership should feel more loads, in order to make them negotiate with Kabul.
In addition, the United States and International Community should give a clear message that what is the stance of Washington and world if Taliban say no to all political efforts.
Akhtar Suhail – (DID) press agency
Translated by Zaher Mahjob
