The decades of war has turned Afghanistan into a barren land. US have reserved its status of being major donor country, whose financial support has helped Afghanistan run its socio-political and economical matters. Afghanistan is in dire need of financial assistance to cope its huge military and economic needs. Afghanistan and US ties are reinforced after “Enduring Strategic partnership Agreement” was established in 2012, that laid the foundation of long-lasting relationship pre and post US draw down. It should be ascertained the two partners will fully utilize every single opportunity getting the war-torn Afghanistan rid of some if not all problems; certainly terrorism being the prior most. It was expected the U.S. should exercise its influence in the greater interest of peaceful and politically durable Afghanistan by leaving no stone unturned in bringing all the factions on the table of negotiations or inflict a crushing defeat to denying faction. The on ground gesture depicts the former being a prior most agenda beleaguering the later categorically. 

The former unprecedented attacks in Afghan capital, jail break and seizure of potential Province Kunduz by Taliban intimates an official war waged against innocent civilian to chasing their political aims. It’s no surprise after decade long bloody conflict at the behest of infrastructural and human losses US has shifted to rebranded Taliban and armed insurgent not terrorist group. Unobjectionably, the wave attacks and intimidation of Afghan civilian seem not to be convincing even to brand them local terrorist if not international terrorists. This shift has certainly come into being after US dismantled Al-Qaida and Taliban nexus and spectacular assassination of Osama Bin Ladin in Pakistan. The comeback of Taliban in political arena seems to be part of set script is likely hatched in the form ongoing demands for peace talks from across the world. This is what I was expecting out of President Obama’s former diplomatic speech that asserted the revival of peace talks off-sighting Taliban’s political gains at the cost of civilian losses. Taliban be reintegrated in the political setup of Afghan government, seems the most favorite proposition by international community.

Reversing policy on Afghanistan, President Barack Obama announced to maintain 9800 forces through 2016 and subsequently reduce it to 5500 beyond it. The said number of residual forces will primarily be providing security to US military installations, embassy and partake in advice and train mission of Afghan National Security Forces. Earlier the two heads of state Obama and Ghani have discussed a range of issues ranging from strategic, security, diplomatic, and economic relationship and plan to pace the foreign troop withdrawal. One of the core issue that earned vital importance during the talks was the push on the US to slow down its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Entertaining the request put forth by president Ghani the US President Obama later in joint White House news conference announced to keep its current 9,800-strong force in Afghanistan until the end of the year, without a change in end mission as planned in 2016.

It was said that post U.S’s forces withdrawal 10,000 troops would be left behind to look after security of US embassy and officials. It was said that the U.S. would keep the Kandahar Airbase in southern Afghanistan and Jalalabad Airbase in eastern Afghanistan open by the end 2015, which was earlier planned to be closed. Jalalabad has been the primary base used by the C.I.A. to conduct drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan including the edge-cut assassination of Osama bin Laden. President Obama’s speech conformed the already set deals the two heads of states.

In addition both the premiers seem to be on same page deeming Taliban a political entity and ISIS a security threat. US deem the emerging terrorist group of Islamic State affiliates with gaining foothold in Afghanistan, a potential threat to Afghanistan and other countries. 

The U.S. government, for its part, has already taken steps to facilitate negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Previously it has supported differentiating the U.N. sanctions that apply to Al Qaeda from those that apply to the Taliban, to allow the lifting of travel bans on members of the Taliban. Many Taliban inmates in detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, were set free.

In the light of established nexus found between Afghan Taliban and Pakistan, -it used to play vital role in persuading Taliban for peace talks. As witnessed Pakistan accordingly is playing its due part in carrying forth talks given rounds of informal proposition surfaced earlier. Afghanistan blames the neighboring countries for some of its harms. For instance the military operation in tribal areas of Pakistan is deemed to have pushed a major series of global terrorist networks is the concern expressed by president Ghani. Obama confirmed by stating the Al-Qaida affiliates are pushed into Afghanistan in the wake of military operation in tribal areas of Pakistan. In order to do away with this very problem Afghanistan should increase its surveillance at the borders areas and movements of individual should be closely checked. The US can help Afghanistan in getting out of the said emerging woes of infiltrating Taliban and ISIS. Both the state should not let terrorist use its border areas for vested interest of other. In spite of altering relation between the two countries Pakistan’s role in reviving the peace talks seems unarguably essential.