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Trump’s strategy and Pakistan’s open hand in Afghanistan

24 Sep 2020 - 10:54

The announcement of Donald Trump's new strategy in Afghanistan received mixed reactions from the Afghan and Pakistani officials. Through a purely security point of view and regardless of other problems that Afghanistan is grappling with, this strategy would give Pakistan the opportunity to change the game in Afghanistan according to its own wishes.


By: Abbas Fayyaz

About two weeks have passed since the declaration of Donald Trump’s new strategy in Afghanistan. In this strategy, the US administration nakedly warns Pakistan against sheltering the terrorist groups.  
During this period, different reactions have been seen from the regional countries, ranging from Pakistan’s dissatisfaction to Afghanistan’s warm reception - although, there were some considerations about it too.
The announcement of the new strategy also raised a series of questions: What would be Pakistan’s new approach towards Afghanistan? how much can we hope that Pakistan changes its behavior in Afghanistan and give up the support of the terrorist groups claimed by the Americans and Afghans?  What would be waiting for Afghanistan following the new strategy?
To answer such questions, we need a prelude:
If we do not have a comprehensive explanation of an issue and not consider all its dimensions, not only we have not solved the problem, but also the dilemma could get worse.
In the new US strategy, the security view prevails and the involvement of the military in its design is quite evident. Meanwhile, the current problem in Afghanistan is the resultant of a set of political, security, social and cultural issues on a domestic, regional and even international scale.
Without promoting the culture of tolerance, and mutual respect among the ethnic groups, without respecting different religions and unity among the Muslims, without tolerating the political rivals, and without involving all the influential forces in a way that they consider themselves as part of Afghanistan’s future, no problem will be solved in the country.
The American unilateralism can solve nothing in Afghanistan. By ignoring the regional and international considerations and also the collective interests of the regional countries, the crisis would remain unresolved.
Furthermore, no problem can be solved in Afghanistan without nation-building and formation of an inclusive government.
So in this country, with all its cultural, social, political and security problems, the focus on a limited security view and attributing all the troubles to Pakistan's support for the Taliban- which of course there is no doubt about its existence- is somehow downplaying of an issue that has plagued the Honorable Afghan nation for many years.
Meanwhile, we should notice that a comprehensive view is not enough on its own and a sincere intention is also needed. In this regard, there is a great amount of pessimism towards the US which claims to be sympathetic to the Afghan people, and towards Pakistan which is the most influential country in the Afghan crisis.
 In such a situation, the Americans have announced a strategy that is a halfway return to the past. Once upon a time, when the Taliban did not have the current power and territory, the Americans and the NATO tried to destroy them via deploying more than 130,000 troops. But today, they implicitly confess that the Taliban should somehow get involved in Afghanistan’s political process.
the Americans justification is that by increasing the military strength of the US forces and the Afghan military forces through the Resolute Support Mission (RSM), they can force the Taliban to adopt a peaceful approach. This is a good wish, but the experience does not confirm that.
The Americans also hope to push Pakistan back via their threats and therefore provide the necessary conditions for the weakening of the Taliban and their return to the political process. But, does Pakistan, as the Taliban’s main supporter, has the same view?

Pakistan has a different definition of Afghanistan’s crisis.          
Abbas Fayyaz is a member of the scientific council of the Institute for East Strategic Studies


Story Code: 2370

News Link :
https://www.iess.ir/en/analysis/2370/

Institute for East Strategic Studies
  https://www.iess.ir