Afghan Taliban will support Pakistan against foreign aggression

[hussain0216]

That is exactly the problem. Why on earth have we not worked for more cards in the last 17 years. States like Uzbekistan has its share of influence in Afghan politics. Iran plays its Dari-Persian card quite well and hence has a lot of influence in both politics and media, which BTW they use against us. India did well to generate good-will with Afghan people by projecting soft-power. What have we done, except holding on to that one card that we had all along.

Whatever Musharaf did back in 2001, he did made a terrible mis-calculation about the resolve of US and its allies. It was thought that US is angry and wants to punish someone, they won't stay for long, Iraqi mis-adventure helped to strengthen that frame of mid. But after 17 years they are still there. Kabul regime is not going to fall anytime soon.

And here we are, whether rightly or wrongly, the only state majority of Afghans consider as hostile. We are the boogie-man Kabul is using to unite a fractured nation, we are scape-goat US wants to blame for their failures and a state that even our closest allies are starting to distrust.

We never gave the Kabul regime a chance, we always thought of them as a temporary puppet that is bound to fall. So we never invested in them.

We had so many things going in our favor. Our second largest ethnic group is their largest. They relied on us for trade, they relied on our hospitals, our universities. But every time we closed those borders, it pushed Afghans further into Indo-Iranian camp. In the meantime, both India and Iran tried facilitating Kabul's trade, Afghans are flying to India for medical facilities, their students are welcomed in Indian universities.

It is time to realize that Kabul is not going to fall any time soon. They are here to stay. Taliban can control the countryside, but major urban centers will be controlled by regime. And if a president like Trump can not pull out those forces, no future POTUS will. They will not let Kabul be Saigon. And even if only the US air support remains in Afghanistan, ANA will not let Taliban capture and hold a major city.

Now we have to act accordingly.

Nobody understands Afghans better than us. Through decades of work on the ground, our intelligence agencies know exactly what grievances each clan in each district has, what are their tribal feuds, no other agency or country can manipulate Afghan politics like we do. But we never really used this as our main approach. We did not give their political system much significance.

But others did, so the mood in their politics is such that even a man like Hikmatyar has to speak against Pakistan to stay relevant.

We have to act now, we have to create a new political class in that country that will look after our interests. Yes we are late, but as I said we will be far better at it than RAW or any other agency for that mater. In a span of 4-5 years we will be able to get a class that will be there to counter Indian influence in Afghanistan. Who knows we might yet make an ally out of Afghanistan in a couple of decades.

As the Machiavellian Prince of our land once said, Democracy is the best revenge.

Its better not to do any of that BS and just step away from the Afghans

Seal the border and let them wallow in their filth

 

[IceCold]

Pakistanis can defend their motherland, we do not need support from the taliban or anyone else for that matter. Let the US try and they will find out we are neither Iraq nor Afghanistan.

 

[H. Dawary]

@Joe Shearer Would you be surprised that a person who could be accused of blasphemy on account of his soft spot for athiests fully supports Afghan Taliban. To qoute "they are bast*ards but they are our bast*ards" comes to mind. That clown Musharaf sold Afghanistan for a few dollars more and now we have people here wanting to give away even the "scraps" we have left.

In the world of Machiavellian geo-politics you end up with some strange "friends". Some of the muppets here don't understand that Taliban are the only card Pakistan has in Afghanistan. Give them up, well then you might as well give Afghanistan on a platter to India.

This is an old post, However.

You are very wise, although I disagree a lot with you on moral and religious grounds, still... you make very good posts, they are at times very enlightening.