Mar 3: Just hours after the ending of a week-long “reduction” in violence that was crucial for Donald Trump’s peace deal in Afghanistan, the Taliban struck again: On Monday, they killed three people and injured about a dozen at a football match in Khost province. This resumption of violence will not surprise anyone actually invested in peace for that troubled country. The point of the U.S.-Taliban deal was never peace. It was to try and cover up an ignominious exit for the U.S., driven by an election-bound president who feels no responsibility toward that country or to the broader region.
Seen from South Asia, every point we know about in the agreement is a concession by Trump to the Taliban. Most importantly, it completes a long-term effort by the U.S. to delegitimize the elected government in Kabul — and, by extension, Afghanistan’s constitution. Afghanistan’s president is already balking at releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners before intra-Afghan talks can begin — a provision that his government did not approve.
One particularly cringe-worthy aspect: The agreement refers to the Taliban throughout as “the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan that is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban.” This unwieldy nomenclature validates the Taliban’s claim to be a government equivalent to the one in Kabul, just not the one recognised at the moment by the U.S. When read together with the second part of the agreement, which binds the U.S. to not “intervene in [Afghanistan’s] domestic affairs,” the point is obvious: The Taliban is not interested in peace, but in ensuring that support for its rivals is forbidden, and its path to Kabul is cleared.
All that the U.S. has effectively gotten in return is the Taliban’s assurance that it will not allow the soil of Afghanistan to be used against the “U.S. and its allies.” True, the U.S. under Trump has shown a disturbing willingness to trust solemn assurances from autocrats; but its apparent belief in promises made by a murderous theocratic movement is even more ridiculous. Especially as the Taliban made much the same promise to an Assistant Secretary of State about Osama bin Laden while he was in the country plotting 9/11.
Nobody in the region is pleased with this agreement except for the Taliban and their backers in the Pakistani military. India has consistently held that the legitimate government in Kabul must be the basic anchor of any peace plan. Ordinary Afghans, unsurprisingly, long for peace — but they are, by all accounts, deeply skeptical about how this deal will get them there. The brave activists of the Afghan Women’s Network are worried that intra-Afghan talks will take place without adequate representation of the country’s women — who have, after all, the most to lose from a return to Taliban rule.
But the Pakistani military establishment is not hiding its glee. One retired general tweeted: “Big victory for Afghan Taliban as historic accord signed… Forced Americans to negotiate an accord from the position of parity. Setback for India.” Pakistan’s army, the Taliban’s biggest backer, longs to re-install a friendly Islamist regime in Kabul — and it has correctly estimated that, after being abandoned by Trump, the Afghan government will have sharply reduced bargaining power in any intra-Afghan peace talks. A deal with the Taliban that fails also to include its backers in the Pakistani military is meaningless.
India, meanwhile, will not see this deal as a positive for regional peace or its relationship with the U.S. It comes barely a week after Trump’s India visit, which made it painfully clear that shared strategic concerns are the only thing keeping the countries together. New Delhi remembers that India is not, on paper, a U.S. “ally.” In that respect, an intensification of terrorism targeting India, as happened the last time the U.S. withdrew from the region, would not even be a violation of Trump’s agreement. One possible outcome: Over time the government in New Delhi, which has resolutely sought to keep its ties with Kabul primarily political, may have to step up security cooperation. Nobody knows where that would lead.
The irresponsible concessions made by the U.S. in this agreement will likely disrupt South Asia for years to come, and endanger its own relationship with India going forward. But worst of all, this deal abandons those in Afghanistan who, under the shadow of war, tried to develop, for the first time, institutions that work for all Afghans. No amount of sanctimony about “ending America’s longest war” should obscure the danger and immorality of this sort of exit.
Comments
Islam is not a religion to add membership to show the population.
It is a true religion to practice guidelines of only one creator Allah (S.B.T). Accepting and quitting Islam will not make any difference for true Muslims. One who understands his creator will not reject his religion even if he dies because his life starts after death which is unlimited. The life in earth is so short that we can compare to hotel stay for a day.
Rejecting Islam means he is rejecting his creator Al Mighty Allah and it doesn’t mean he is quitting from Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world only in Qty. where is true Muslim? very few in qty
Accepting Islam doesn’t mean becoming membership in Islam. It is accepting his creator and his guidelines to practice successful and peaceful life and thereby prepare for his permanent life which starts after his death.
For true Muslims there is no fear to die. because he is always prepared and waiting for his death
May Almighty Allah guide us True path and success.
This is really unfortunate. He has chnged in religion only to get the verdict in his favor. Suppose he wont get it, will he convert to Christianity or Budhism or Sikhism? Will the media give same preference in case he would have changed to religion other than Hinduism or if any Hindu converted to another religion. This issue is now on the top agenda of Media and they are publishing it by applying ghee + butter. None knows truth behind it. However this family will not succeed in this world and the life after death if they convert to other religion though none can force them to change the religion. Islam or Muslims will not lose anything if this family converts to another religion. But this family will lose and they will realise it sooner or later. Let us pray God to keep them on right path and not on the path of Sathan.
he would have converted to christinaty so he can get international help from devil DOnald trump or vatican pope, lol religion is your choice, but the main point here the god look at is your heart, how you treat mankind & how you obey GOD command, how to spend you money & how you live..people who worship idol will be throwen to hell forever there is no excuse and the punishment is very severe, if your an eithest there will be a change & it depend on GOD & also how you lived in earth.
The religion is set of law decreed by the CREATOR/ ONE AND ONLY GOD.
It guides from birth till death and showing how to be also succesful in the life after the death.
This is not how we think just to suite the temporary needs.
Before accepting or rejecting any religion, he should have thorough idea of its teachings.
Unless it is known, believed in it and practiced, we can not call him the follower of Hinduism OR ISLAM, OR Christianity OR whatever.
Like changing for personal temporary gains, has no meaning and not required they can live like aninals which have no religions.
The animals follow and do whatever easy for them.
God give wisdom to all
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