The Prospects of Peace in Afghanistan
The prospects for peace in Afghanistan will remain distant for as long as the Taliban own the entire political apparatus.
The prospects for peace in Afghanistan will remain distant for as long as the Taliban own the entire political apparatus.
It is clear that under the Taliban’s constitution, the public have no say in the decision-making process.
Victory against the US, ethnic conflict within Afghanistan and disappointment with Islamabad could lead the Taliban to create a new Pashtun state on the ruins of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Pashtun-led Taliban are ripping up Afghanistan’s fragile social contract by centralizing all power and creating conditions for civil war, disintegration and spillover into neighboring regions.
The very real threats of mass hunger and sectarian violence will lead to greater suffering in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the picture is more complicated than a simple fight between women-hating extremists and freedom-loving feminists.
The US must not keep bombing and killing civilians to provide cover for the Afghan government to avoid difficult but necessary compromises at the negotiating table.
