Ending the ‘Great Game’ in Afghanistan

What is the issue?

• A recent IS attack in Kabul and Taliban's new announcement have signalled an increased security challenge for Afghanistan.
• At this juncture, global and regional powers must desist from playing the ‘Great Game’ and build peace.

What is the recent IS attack?

• A bomb attack took place in Kabul at a voter registration centre, killing more than 50.
• It carries a doubly dangerous message from the Islamic State.
• One, it was the group's attack on Afghanistan’s fragile democratic process.
• It implies that elections next year could face more violence.
• Two, a majority of the victims were Shias.
• This highlights the sectarian turn in the conflict.

What is the Taliban threat?

• Taliban has rejected Afghan President Ghani’s offer of talks “without preconditions”.
• Moreover, Taliban has announced its new “spring offensive”.
• It includes the targeting of American forces in Afghanistan.

Have the earlier efforts paid results?

• Last year, the U.S. announced a new ‘South Asia policy’ for Afghanistan. Click here to know more.
• It was officially welcomed by both New Delhi and Kabul.
• It was hailed as a game-changer for the region.
• But now the policy itself seems uncertain.
• The U.S. administration has taken some steps on Pakistani funding of terrorism.
• This is particularly across the Durand Line (border between Pakistan and Afghanistan).
• However, it has clearly not yielded calm on the ground.
• Continuous wave of terrorist violence has lashed Kabul and other cities.
• The Afghan forces control just a little over half the territory today.
• It is down from nearly three-fourths in 2015.
• The U.S. policies guiding Afghanistan are not making much headway.
• This is the same with Kabul’s efforts to protect its own people.

What is the concern with the approach?

• Growing U.S.-Russia tensions are creating space for proxies for both on Afghan soil.
• The attacks by al-Qaeda and IS-related terror groups have their roots in the larger war between Iran and the Arab world.
• Tensions between India and Pakistan cast a shadow over Afghanistan.
• China, to secure itself from Islamist groups, is trying to build a rival military base in Afghanistan.
• Clearly, countries are motivated not only by peace in Afghanistan but by other interests too.
• Efforts have been made for bilateral and multilateral peace talks in recent months.
• But each one has amounted to too piecemeal an effort.

What could possibly be done?

• There is a need to stop the ‘Great Game’ by countries for influence in Afghanistan.
• It is necessary for both US and Afghanistan to take a more hard-headed, realistic view.
• It must be acknowledged that the current situation is a danger to all.
• Defeating terrorism in Afghanistan needs every stakeholder to put aside the differences and build peace.

Source: The Hindu