Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

The Vicious Cycle

Taliban prisoners' escape from the central jail in Kandahar raised serious questions and criticism against president Karzai administration and his placating policies towards militants. Some of the escapees then launched a two-day operation against Kandahar provincial governor office and the NDS directorate. The blowing news came amid government's long-running appeasement policies encouraging Taliban to join the peace process.

President Karzai has done his best to encourage Taliban to lay down arms and join the peace process. However, the policy has proved counterproductive. Taliban have got enough chance to use Afghan villages and the tribal connection networks to recruit more mercenaries and expand their area of operation.

The government peace initiative included releasing some of high ranking Taliban prisoners. Peace commissions and councils established so far have insisted on providing more privileges to the militants to win their hearts and minds. Both the Peace Consolidation Commission and High Peace Council (HPC) have been trying to release all Taliban prisoners. The HPC spokesman said few days ago that the council was trying to free all Taliban prisoners even those jailed in other countries, especially Pakistan. Likewise, Afghan Second vice president on Tuesday May 10, 2011backed the Council mandate and called upon international partners to provide it with more financial resources. Mohammad Karim Khalili asserted that the national reconciliation process didn't entail sacrificing democratic achievements and constitutionalized values. However, the current political trends are in opposition to him.

As the overgenerous peace initiative implied government exhaustion in fight against Al Qaeda-backed Taliban, they were defied to carry on military attacks. They termed the peace process as phony and counterfeit. The government is, nonetheless, struggling to soothe them. So far, dozens of Taliban commanders have been freed by president order, reconciliation commissions and tribal elders' recommendations. Reports confirmed that some of them have returned back to the battlefield as soon as they've left prisons. This has actually led to a vicious cycle in which dozens of military men are killed to capture a terrorist and a single decree or unrealistic consultation help him safely return to the battlefield.

Early this week, Hajji Mohammad Mohaqiq, A member of Afghan High Peace Council and the prominent Law maker strongly protested against the release of insurgent prisoners by High Peace Council and the national peace and reconciliation commission. He said releasing insurgent prisoners without the proper judicial process from jails could hugely contribute to deterioration of security situation in the country. The recent military trends back his ideas and clearly indicate that, if pursued further, the unrealistic appeasement policies, initiated by government and backed by some exhausted international partners, will ensure collapse of the government, loss of democratic achievements and maybe return of Taliban