Lacking a clear and practical strategy in fight against terrorism, the government of President Karzai has usually trapped in contradictions. Insisting on building a peaceful and just Afghanistan is what practically contrasts with President Karzai's call for releasing dangerous Taliban members being detained in Afghan or US forces-controlled detention facilities. There have been irritating cases in which Taliban commanders were freed by Karzai administration to pacify the stubborn guerillas but then rejoined militants and conducted painful terrorist operations.
An official from the Ministry of Justice had told BBC some two months ago that around 2,500 Taliban members were released over the past one year. The move is said to have been aimed at appeasing militants to lay down arms and embrace reconciliation process. The indications have sometimes, on the opposite, shown that they have returned to the battlefield to give a fresh breath to the dying Taliban.
According to a statement issued by president office more than a month ago, Afghan government had asked its US counterparts to hand over control of Bagram prison to the Afghan forces. The demand came amid all-out efforts to start talks with the Taliban representatives who are said to have stationed in their political office in Qatar.
Bagram prison holds the most notorious Taliban leaders and local commanders. In the very first days following his second controversial win of presidential seat, President Karzai promised he would launch all-out struggles to bring Taliban to the Table to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan.
To this end, he initiated certain appeasement policies that led to no more than defying militants. Forming a peace consultative forum and the more recent Ground Council, President Karzai tried to mark this long-awaited achievement. But it never came true as far as his government initiatives are concerned. Instead, the US government with some of her non-Afghan partners launched the peace process to help bring an end to their decade-long, exhausting fight in Afghanistan.
The call was made amid tensions between Karzai and his US backers over plans by Taliban insurgents to open a political office in Qatar as a precursor to possible peace talks. Karzai is reportedly concerned that he has been sidelined by the move and insists that any negotiations should be led by his government.
Few months ago, the news on opening Taliban's political office in Qatar was broadcast by western media, not Afghan government or its ineffective High Peace Council. So far, President Karzai administration has followed the news broadcast on foreign media, rather than playing an active role in the preparatory steps to begin negotiations.
The US embassy in Kabul announced this weekend that Afghan president had agreed to extend the deadline for detainees transfer to Afghan detention centers one more month. The previous statement published by President's Office had said Mr. Karzai had issued instructions to a commission consisting of the ministers of defense, interior and justice, as well as other top government and judicial officials, 'to complete their job regarding the handing over of the (Bagram) prison and other prisoners who are held by foreign forces.' 'The work should be completed within a month,' it said.
The U.S.-led NATO coalition is gradually handing over responsibility for security to the Afghan police and army. The process is due to be completed in 2014, when most foreign troops are scheduled to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Karzai's recent demands were considered as a series of exercises in political brinksmanship by the president, as he tries to bolster his negotiating position ahead of renewed talks for a Strategic Partnership Document with America that will determine the U.S. role in Afghanistan after 2014.
Among the conditions that Karzai has set is an end to night raids by international troops and complete Afghan control over detainees. Although Karzai routinely plays to anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan by denouncing the U.S., he needs America's military and financial strength to back his weak government as it battles the Taliban insurgency.
Following president Karzai's order, the United States had said the transfer of a US military prison to Afghan control should be handled in a "responsible" way. "We have been working... for some time with the Afghan government on appropriate timing and pace for transfer of the detention facilities" at Bagram, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said at that time. "We need to do this in a manner that is maximally responsible. That's what we want to do. And we're going to... keep working on it," she added. The US embassy in Kabul has now welcomed President's agreement on a further extension of the deadline for detainees transfer.
President Karzai government has insisted to assume Taliban enmity to Afghan government, citizens and the world community less serious than it is now. He has frequently called them his upset brothers who are misled by foreign ill-minded elements. His inability to distinguish friends and enemies is commonly demonstrated in his speeches and practices.
Confident about his government's inability to tackle the situation aptly in absence of US and Coalition forces, he is insisting to take control of Bagram prison to compensate what his fact finding delegation calls violence of human rights against Taliban prisoners by US forces.
He is not only asking for takeover of all US-controlled prisons, but his administration and the daydreamers in the so called High Peace Council has previously freed some well-known Taliban figures who then demonstrated their inflexible terrorist nature by violent attacks on Afghan civilians and security forces. An example of how Taliban prisoners will resume terrorist activities if freed from prison camps was represented by the atrocious slaughter of innocent civilians in Urozgan in 2010.
Afghan officials have asserted that the request to take over control of Bagram prison earlier than it was set previously is aimed at accelerating peace talks with Taliban. However, experts have seriously warned that Afghan government can't independently handle the things unless there is continued support from coalition and NATO forces.
To over-excitedly make a move on to conciliate Taliban will prove counterproductive. Instead, there should be some realistic options to further alleviate tensions and facilitate a promising future. Increasing national forces' ability, reality-based and gradual submission of the mission to afghan government and further replacement of military activities with the civil development projects can ease the way. Overconfidence on president Karzai government's ability to deal with militants, run prison camps and involve Taliban in government authorities will certainly endanger current achievements.
On the other hand, Afghan security institutions neither hold the required level of capacity to handle things on their own nor are well-cleared to demonstrate sufficient confidence. Delegating sensitive responsibilities to the Afghan government will further destabilize the situation and escalate insecurity.
Extensive reports on penetration of Taliban and certain foreign elements in Afghan forces body raised serious concerns on whether the forces were enough reliable to undertake the missions. A series of prison breaks in Kabul, Kandahar and other provincial facilities demonstrated both lack of ability and trust in Afghan security forces whose partiality and reliability were clearly targeted by Taliban and foreign spy agencies. In the most astonishing case, some 540 Taliban prisoners escaped overnight from southern Afghanistan's Kandahar jail in a daring breakout in 2010. With this, the government needs to decide more practically rather than playing hero.