America’s war on terror has always been messy, but Biden has created a new history for letting Pakistan turn back the clock at least 25-30 years in Afghanistan. Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan is not a victory for the Taliban but Pakistan, as it guided and assisted the Taliban all these years.
No matter how much we make fun of Pakistan lampooning it as a poor state, the bitter truth is that this so-called poor state has gained considerable weight, thanks to the shortsightedness of world leaders.
Walking hand in hand with its enemy and eating its dollar on the way, it has rendered one of the worst humiliations to the United States. Yet, the US takes no tangible action against Pakistan.
After the attack on the twin towers, had the US stationed its troops in Pakistan instead of Afghanistan, the position in the sub-continent would have been different today. But since that did not happen, let us leave that aside.
The unplanned withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and its abject surrender before the Taliban has destabilized the sub-continent. Taliban (in whatever version) is a threat to the entire world, especially to Bharat.
Worried about the fallout of the events in Afghanistan, Bharat took the correct stand by not recognizing the Taliban and asking it not to use Afghan soil for fomenting terror against any nation. However, there are people in Bharat who like to see the other way.
Immediately after the takeover of the Taliban, several Muslim leaders in Bharat hurled praises on the Taliban and wanted the government of Bharat to recognize it. Political leaders in Kashmir valley went to the extent of saying that the Taliban could emerge as the role model of governance to the whole world. The way terrorists have started killing Hindus and Sikhs in Kashmir, we now know what sort of rule these politicians desire.We did the right thing by not recognizing the Taliban, no matter what Taliban lovers in our country have to say.
With the Taliban’s rise, we have a renewed threat in Kashmir. We have already started witnessing the consequences of power change in Afghanistan in Kashmir. Terrorists have started unleashing terror on Hindus and other minorities in Kashmir by indulging in targeted killings.
As of now, there may be no Afghan terrorists in Kashmir. However, the happenings in Afghanistan have galvanized terror outfits in Pakistan and Kashmir. They see the Taliban’s coming to power as a victory of Islamists over non-Muslims. If earlier we had a rogue state around us, we now have a rogue empire around us. The victory of the Taliban will spur Jihadi activities around the world.
The Taliban’s rise to power has exposed double standards of several countries like China, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, UAE, and more regarding terror. The world cannot win the war on terror if it sticks to its double standards in dealing with terror. The role of Pakistan in abetting terrorism is not new. The world knows it and yet keeps ignoring it.
Lessons for Bharat
For several years, Bharat kept pampering separatists and mainstream politicians of Kashmir. For several years, separatists in Kashmir took money from both Pakistan and Bharat but did bidding for Pakistan only. Kashmiri politicians are no different in any way. Similarly, the Afghanistan government and army received monetary and military assistance from the US for several years.
But when the time came to fight the Taliban, politicians fled the country, and the army handed over the power to the Taliban on a platter. Some reports say that the Afghan military received money from UAE for not fighting the Taliban. Bharat too invested a lot of money in development projects in Afghanistan. All that has gone to waste.
It is good not to lose sight of these facts before making any fresh moves. Unfortunately, the clock has been turned back in Afghanistan, but we should ensure it is not turned back in Kashmir.
