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

Taliban Policies are Tricky!

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Taliban Policies  are Tricky!

Before the present image and meaning of Taliban, the word Talib (plural or Taliban) was perceived positively. Talib is a student of religious schools called Madrassa who after studying for certain years will become a Mullah. In the past there was much respect for Mullahs. However, their involvement in politics and activities other than religion has brought a significant decrement in their fame among the people who have a little bit of knowledge. In last two decades the meaning of Talib has completely changed. By hearing the word Talib, images of brutality and killings run on one's mind.

Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until they were toppled in late 2001. They had been able to have a firm control over 90 percent of Afghanistan. They accomplished this success in a very short span of time by gaining the trust of a large portion of Afghan population. 99.9 percent of Afghan population stands to be Muslims. Before occupying an area or fighting, the Taliban used to present the holly book of Islam, the Quran to the people of that area and would tell them, 'would you people fight Quran?' The people had no say and were bent towards Taliban allowing them to enter their towns, districts and provinces.

After finding hold over capital Kabul, the real face of Taliban started becoming visible to people. They were tyrant and completely against the human rights. They acted completely against the humanity and Islamic codes by killing tens of thousands of Afghans especially in central parts and Northern provinces of Afghanistan. Towards the end of nineteenth century, out of fourteen million refugees around the world 5 million were Afghans forming more than one third of all refugees. The lives of these refugees were very concerning.

No would dare to return to Afghanistan fearing the brutality of Taliban. After the fall of Taliban, a major number of Afghans have returned home but still millions of Afghans are living abroad. Their condition in countries like Iran has been of a great concern.

More than a decade of Afghan war has past and Taliban perceive they are winning the game as US and its allies have already kicked off withdrawing their forces from Afghanistan. Since 2006, the Taliban have successfully regrouped and reorganized their fighters giving a very tough time to international troops in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have extended their operations from south to north and other peaceful regions of the country like Kunduz and Badakhshan. Both sides of the Durand line serve as terrorists' epicenter for recruitment of new people and their training. The stoppage of US drone attacks on the tribal areas of Pakistan has further benefited them.

Although the US and Afghan military authorities claim that the Taliban are now weak, suicide bombing, IED attacks, targeted killings and other forms terrorism go on almost on daily basis in Afghanistan. Security condition is becoming more horrific with each passing year. As the 2014 – when the US troops are set to withdraw completely from Afghanistan – nears, fears regarding the future security of Afghanistan continue to grow.

Indeed the Taliban are pursuing their strategy of war and politics to reach their own objectives. After long, they have given a green signal to solving Afghan conflict through table talks. But there seems to be no sincerity in the intentions of Taliban. They, on the one hand, show their willingness to a political solution of Afghan war and forward their demands including release of their leaders from Gitmo and on the other continue spreading fear and terror in Afghanistan.

Three blasts (including one suicide attack) in Kandahar last week took lives of thirteen people and injured many others. This and several other acts of insurgency that have occurred recently in Afghanistan coincide with the Taliban agreement to negotiate a peace deal and establish an office Qatar. Taliban and the US have had several sessions of talks in the last ten months and have reached agreement on some major points. But still there is no hope as deal with Taliban is not only risky but also tricky.

After ten years of fight aimed at eliminating them, they key is still in their hands. Karzai calls them his brother and the US says that they are not its enemy. This should be counted as a success for Taliban.

As we are moving ahead, we should expect more attacks from Taliban and such attacks wash away the possibility of any immediate solution to the war in Afghanistan. With all the fuss about deal with Taliban, there is no need to be overly optimistic.

Past experience shows that Taliban are rigid to solving issues through negotiations. In 90s, when Taliban entered Afghanistan, they betrayed certain Jihadi leaders by inviting them to negotiation tables. All those invitations proved to be traps to kill and capture leaders who opposed them. In the last two years too, they have played certain tricks with Mr. Karzai. In 2010, a man who introduced himself as Taliban's representative turned out to a shopkeeper after looting funds set for reconciliation process. Last year, a man who called himself Taliban's messenger was actually a suicide bomber and assassinated Karzai's peace envy, Burhan-ud-Din Rabban.

Mohd. Ahsan is permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at outlookafg hanistan@gmail.com

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