US and Taliban need to seek mutually beneficial ties

President Joe Biden’s decision to seize Afghanistan’s assets held in American banks has caused deep resentment inside Afghanistan and beyond. The announcement that Afghanistan’s $3.5 billion in assets would be held back and utilised as compensation payments to the victims of the 9/11 attack is unprecedented, unfair, immoral and in violation of international law. It is a theft that is unpardonable. No amount of deceptive logic can hide the fact that the seizure of assets is an act of banditry. The guilt of misappropriation becomes more glaring when one considers the dire state of Afghanistan’s economy. With millions facing starvation and about a million children in danger of dying because of lack of food in the next one year, the act of misappropriation should be widely seen as inhuman and barbaric.

The Taliban and indeed many leaders around the world have reacted strongly towards such a bizarre move. Shocked and shaken by this unexpected turn of events, the Taliban leaders have however not shown any anger. Instead, they have shown composure and tolerance while condemning the act as a sheer onslaught on the resources of a country that is on the edge of collapse. This is because the Taliban leaders have realised that they have very few options. If they choose the path of confrontation, they will not gain anything and their case for recognition would not receive any robust support from the international community. Therefore, they have decided not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge of rebuilding their country. The Taliban are keeping their doors open to continued interaction with Washington and other countries. But the prospects of any US retreat on the issue of seizure of assets do not seem bright. If the US continues to stick to its decision of misappropriating Afghanistan’s assets, tensions would grow in turn driving the Taliban into desperation. A time may come when there would be a near total breakdown in diplomatic engagement between them and the US — and that would be a point of no return. Any such breakdown in relations would entail a heavy cost and such a rupture would drive the Taliban further into “China’s orbit”. China would move in to establish a permanent foothold in West Asia. Conditions will then be ideal for the completion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China would benefit from $1.5 trillion worth of mineral resources in Afghanistan. China’s political and economic domination would then no longer be in question.

It seems that the US will attempt to create all sorts of roadblocks in the release of the remaining assets and the Taliban will continue to suffer. Washington has already exerted pressure on its allies not to formally recognise the Taliban government and are encourage former warlords to begin to resist the new dispensation in Kabul. More than 70,000 Afghans have sought asylum in the US in the wake of the collapse of the Ghani-led government. Their fate and future would remain a matter of deep concern for any government in Kabul.

Before things escalate out of hand, both the US and the Taliban should seek negotiation talks to build more trust, create more harmony and move closer to a reconciliation. The US must realise that the Taliban do not have any goals to achieve beyond its borders. The Taliban’s agenda of adopting an Islamic system does not have any component that could threaten any other country or pose a danger to anyone. If the Kabul government succeeds in bringing stability to the country, it would herald the advent of a new era of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region. Everyone would be a winner.

Why should the US not take advantage of a tremendous opportunity offered by the ending of a long conflict in Afghanistan? The end of the conflict provides a rare chance of peace in the region. It should not be wasted by pursuing antagonistic agendas and seeking hegemony and control. Both China and the US would benefit from access to mineral resources, investment opportunities, trade growth, and investment in human resources. Mankind would benefit from the socio-economic emancipation of the teeming millions if there is more focus on education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and modernised agriculture. Poverty reduction and job creation would be the immediate outcome of a sustained era of peace.

Both the Taliban and the US should seek more convergence on issues that currently divide the two. In seeking to create more trust and a better understanding, a foundation of a lasting and mutually beneficial relations can be laid with huge dividends for all. The alternative to this is more misery and more suffering for all.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2022.

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