Withdrawal warning
The Afghan Taliban have warned Nato forces against staying in the country after the May 1 deadline that was agreed under the group’s deal with the US last year. The threat is not surprising, nor is the expectation that Nato forces won’t meet the May 1 deadline. This is because the deadline was agreed to by the former US President Donald Trump after little-to-no consultation with Nato partners or even America’s own military leadership.
Indeed, US and Nato military leaders have been warning since day one that a hard deadline could be impossible to meet as any withdrawal would have to be properly managed to avoid leaving behind a void. But Trump never considered peace and stability in Afghanistan as a factor. His priority was always getting any deal done and bringing the troops home as an election ploy. He even tried pushing for all US troops to return stateside before the election, forcing his military leaders to take the unprecedented step of shooting down the suggestion in public.
But that is not to say that the foreign troops should be extending their stay indefinitely. The peace deal, by and large, remains acceptable to all parties to the Afghan conflict. The US should work with Nato to offer the right amount of carrots so that the Taliban accept some form of an extension. We all know that the stick alone has failed to yield results.
At the same time, while the US and Nato claim the uptick in violence is the reason they will have to extend their stay, we cannot ignore the fact that it takes two to tango. In this case, the government in Kabul, at the bare minimum, must share blame for the violence. Keep in mind that they are the ones that refused to come to the table when Trump told them to, which led to continuing military exchanges with the Taliban.
Yes, it may have been insulting to be given orders, but sovereignty is something that the Afghan government lacks. The government is wholly propped up by the US and its allies. By refusing to listen to their masters, they are dooming the people of Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2021.
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