Last Sunday, the Taliban launched an attack near Kabul as the United States sought to revive stalled peace talks. Washington suggested holding a conference in Turkey this month and forming an interim government that would include Taliban representatives.
The National Interest says that when the United States obligated the Afghan government to negotiate with the movement, and when the Trump administration announced in 2020 that it would begin a complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, many were quick to conclude that after nearly two decades, it had somehow recognized that the rebel group was It cannot be excluded from shaping the country’s future.
Realizing that the path to stability by sharing power with an enemy “may be an enlightened thing to do,” the magazine said, but Washington or Kabul does not forget the human and financial costs of the 20-year campaign.
“The National Interest” referred to the famous saying of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that the insurgents win “if he does not lose,” adding, “This means that all an insurgency has to do is stay put, resist, and wait until its adversary loses the will to carry on.”.
In fact, some go so far as to say that the group has got exactly what it wanted; The moment the last American soldier leaves Afghanistan, nothing will ultimately prevent the Taliban from retaking the country – a goal it has fought for since its ouster in 2001.
It is clear that the Biden administration has not lost sight of such concerns; It is currently reviewing the deal, raising hopes in the security community that the withdrawal may be delayed if there is a real possibility that it may lead to the victory of the Taliban.
On the face of it, the magazine believes, this is good news, as it may calm fears that the deal has been rushed into the Trump era for electoral considerations.
But putting so much hope on the idea that the US presence alone will be sufficient to avoid a fearful Taliban takeover is a dangerous mislead, as the National Interest describes.
