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Thursday March 28, 2024

Dialogue with Afghan Taliban

The war in Afghanistan started with President Clinton striking Khost with Cruise missiles in 1998 cu

By Ayaz Wazir
February 18, 2010
The war in Afghanistan started with President Clinton striking Khost with Cruise missiles in 1998 culminated with President Bush's invasion of that country in October 2001. The eight years of insurgency that followed speak more of death and destruction than of help to the Afghans or development of their country.

The US seems to have learnt its lesson the hard way that war alone cannot solve the problem, after suffering heavy losses both in men and material. That coupled with the colossal expenditure on conducting the war when even the US economy is faltering seem to be the reasons for President Obama's recent emphasis on the need for a political solution to stabilise Afghanistan. His Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, described the Taliban as part of the political fabric of Afghanistan who needed to be included in its political mainstream. General Stanely McChrystal, the US and NATO forces commander in Afghanistan also advocated a political solution to the problems, not ruling out the possibility of a Taliban presence in any future government.

President Obama's decision of sending additional thirty thousand troops to Afghanistan to force the Taliban to agree to a negotiated settlement is interpreted by many as a face-saving device in front of his own countrymen. The impression that he wants to convey to them is that the dialogue was started from a position of strength and not weakness. Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that negotiations are certainly a step in the right direction.

The London Conference has put a stamp of approval on the proposal of negotiations with the Taliban. President Karzai, whose credibility has already been dented by the widespread corruption in his government and the role that he played in the recently held presidential election, has been asked to deal with only those Taliban who are not with Al Qaeda or members of other terrorist organisation, and are willing to accept money and position for laying down their guns. The question that where on earth will he find such a group of Taliban to negotiate with makes the whole process unrealistic and unworkable.

Why would the Taliban lay down arms at this stage for money or petty, inconsequential positions in the government when they know that time is on their side and the US and NATO are almost on the run in Afghanistan. Were they willing to barter their struggle for such favours, they would have done so when they were in total disarray after their removal from power. They would not have fought the only super power on the globe tooth and nail for eight long years.

The Taliban recognise and accept only Mulla Omar as their leader. He is their respected Amir-ul-Momineen - the only person whose orders are obeyed by the Taliban inside Afghanistan as well across the border in Pakistan. The US has to talk to him. Only then will negotiations be meaningful and produce positive results. For that they must first have the UN sanctions against him and his close aides removed to enable them to openly conduct negotiations.

The power position in Afghanistan today is just in the reverse order of what it was before 9/11. The Taliban were in power then and the Northern Alliance was fighting for a comeback. Today, the Northern Alliance is in power and the Taliban are fighting for a comeback. Pakistan, during that period, tried to bring the two sides closer to each other. It engaged the warring sides in shuttle diplomacy in order to facilitate a peaceful solution to the problem. It was not an easy task. The two sides, like today, were not even prepared to sit and face each other across the table leave alone listen to each other and talk about peace. While meditating between them Pakistan kept Iran fully on board.

Although the task was difficult, the mission succeeded in bringing the enemies to the negotiating table. They not only met at the working level (Steering Committee Meeting of 1998 in Islamabad) but also agreed to have a dialogue at the top level. Arrangements were in hand for the meeting when the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had initiated the process, was toppled by Gen Pervaiz Musharraf. With that the shuttle mission came to a grinding halt.

The reason for the foregoing narration is to emphasise the importance of a regional dimension of the conflict in Afghanistan. To ensure a smooth and successful beginning of the negotiations, the role of Pakistan and Iran cannot and should not be overlooked. The two countries are actively pursuing their respective interests in Afghanistan for obvious reasons. Their historical, cultural, religious and ethnic links cannot be ignored. It is thus imperative that the two immediate neighbours of Afghanistan are taken into confidence before the process is initiated. The US may have reservations over Iran's involvement, but that is something that it has to live with if it really wants a negotiated and lasting settlement of the Afghanistan problem.

Another equally important factor is the involvement of right persons in this process. It should not be left to the officials dealing with the subject in their respective governments. Individuals having thorough knowledge of the area, speaking the same language and aware of the customs and traditions should be involved in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table. Once that objective is achieved, it should be left to the Afghans to arrive at whatever settlement they deem suitable for their country.

The US should not dictate terms nor should Pakistan and Iran try to impose their will on Kabul or else the problems will linger on and the fighting will continue in one form or another.



The writer is a former ambassador.

Email: waziruk@hotmail.com