Its to revisit old issues.
Your approach to creating a thread is acceptable for latest developments.
If you want to discuss old news then correct approach is to open a thread with an opinionated post and highlight relevant sources in it for discussion. And open a thread in
best-fit section.
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Any observer can be very critical of a development in relevant analysis. But, it is important to read global developments correctly.
(1) Pakistan has so-called strategic depth in Afghanistan due to shared religion, culture, and values.
Take a look at this map:
(2) US does NOT have direct access to Afghanistan. Pakistan was willing to provide access to Afghanistan. In this situation, US had to be mindful of Pakistan's interests and applied its Theory of Limited War to achieve its mission.
What was the mission?
Osama bin Laden was a violent terrorist and founder of al Qaeda who killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children before his death in 2011.
www.fbi.gov
On January 4, 2006, President George W. Bush makes remarks on the global war on terror to an audience at the Pentagon, following a Department of Defense briefing with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, General Peter Pace...
www.georgewbushlibrary.gov
American mission was to dismantle Al-Qaeda Network in the AfPak region in response to 9/11.
(3) Afghan Taliban were close to Al-Qaeda Network and stood in the way.
This report describes the preparations for Operation Enduring Freedom, Army operations and support activities, coalition issues, and civil-military operations in Afghanistan from October 2001 through June 2002.
www.rand.org
But Afghan Taliban stood no chance against US-led forces in direct clashes. Many were killed while survivors chose to flee to neighboring countries. Al-Qaeda Network followed suit.
US-led forces toppled the Afghan Taliban setup of Afghanistan in 2002 but Pakistan could prevent EXTINCTION of the Afghan Taliban on the ground. Refer back to (1) above.
Afghan Taliban is a Pashtun religiopolitical movement with legs in Pakistan in the form of Shura.
Abstract. The Miran Shah Shura predated the Quetta Shura, but only in 2007 did it start to drift away and become more and more autonomous. The main grudge
academic.oup.com
Americans decided to pressure Afghan Taliban to come to terms with American mission. Americans created an alternative Afghan setup and used it to countercheck Afghan Taliban in the country. Americans also made sure that Afghan Taliban will not be able to control large population centers such as cities while at it.
Negotiations between Americans and Afghan Taliban commenced in 2013 with Qatar and Pakistan acting as facilitators. Mullah Baradar was in Pakistan's custody at the time (don't ask why), and was released in 2018 to facilitate negotiations with Americans when Trump administration felt that he was useful to the cause.
Pakistan has released Afghanistan’s Taliban leader from prison, a spokesman for the Taliban said on Thursday.
www.aljazeera.com
The negotiations were about securing American interests in the sense that Afghan Taliban will not allow Al-Qaeda types to plot attacks on Americans from Afghanistan. Afghan Taliban accepted this demand but pushed for American withdrawal in exchange. Afghan Taliban's counter-demand was accepted by Trump administration when US-led forces had dismantled Al-Qaeda Network to large extent in the AfPak region. A large number of Al-Qaeda operatives were nabbed and/or taken out with most notable hits on following:
- Osama Bin Laden = assassinated in 2011
President Obama addresses the Nation to announce that the United States has killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda.
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
Pakistan Army Official Web Portal
pakistanarmy.gov.pk
- Hamza Bin Laden = assassinated in 2019
The United States had a role in the operation that killed Hamza bin Laden, officials said. But other details, including where he died, remained unknown.
www.nytimes.com
Hamza bin Laden, the son of al Qaeda's founder and the architect of the 9/11 attacks, is reportedly dead. If true, this is more than just a symbolic loss for the terrorist organization.
www.rand.org
The deal [in question] was signed in 2020 and does not suggest defeat but a political settlement that works for US irrespective of giving the Afghan Taliban another chance. And US is willing to apply its stick if an Al-Qaeda operative is spotted:
For answers about what this strike means for al-Qaeda, the US approach to counterterrorism, and Afghanistan’s future, we turned to experts across our network.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
The message has been sent across - Afghan Taliban are under observation and [will have to] uphold their side of bargain.
But the pressing question is this. What Pakistan has gained from this saga?