The approaching date of the complete withdrawal of US and NATO troops, the escalation of the war and the stagnation of the Doha Peace Talks have obscured the fate of war, peace and the future of Afghanistan. As the war intensified over the past two months, the Taliban have gained more territory outside their traditional centers of power.
The concern now is what threat will the government face after the complete withdrawal of foreign troops and the expansion of Taliban-controlled areas? Will the areas controlled by the Taliban not allow other terrorist groups to grow? How successful will the government be in repelling the Taliban from these areas without foreign troops?
A number of military experts are concerned that other terrorist groups will keep the flames of war burning. Baz Mohammad Yarmand, former deputy of interior ministry, says there is room for growth of al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, but the government must weaken the impact of foreign intervention in building and equipping terrorist groups. “We are very concerned that if there is peace with the Taliban, other terrorist groups could fuel the war in Afghanistan,” he added.
“There was a flurry of weakness in tactical steps and a lack of troop supplies as the districts fell, but we believe that the security forces are defending strongly,” he added. “War is not the solution, we must move towards peace.”
The military expert believes in bringing peace to the country and says the commitment of Pakistan, Iran, Moscow, China, the Arab world, Europe and the United States to peace in Afghanistan is promising.
Meanwhile, Atiqullah Amarkhail, another military expert, says that if the Taliban are not seriously suppressed, they will use and manage a number of other terrorist groups to achieve their goals. Mr. Amarkhail added that the management of the war should be strong and the defense of the republic should not be sporadic. He also said that the United States left Afghanistan in a state of violence and tension. According to him, there should be a consensus among security officials and everyone should gather around the government and defend the republic, after which foreign forces would leave Afghanistan.
According to the US Central Command, the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is 90% complete. US President Joe Biden has announced August 31 as the end of the US war in Afghanistan.
“If the war had been organized and managed properly, it would have had good results,” Mr. Amarkhail said. “Everyone acts independently. This does not work well. Everyone should go to war with the Taliban in consultation with the government, otherwise, the lost areas will be under Taliban control again.” According to him, the Taliban in the north have set up their strategy to create a catastrophe in Afghanistan. Some, who are pursuing their own interests, accuse the government of insecurity in the north, which is completely baseless.
In recent days, the war in the north has spread unprecedentedly. Currently, of the 27 districts in Badakhshan, 26 are under Taliban control. In addition, the Taliban are active in Takhar and Baghlan provinces. Atiqullah Amarkhail says the government should manage the war properly to improve the security situation and not just mobilize the people against the Taliban.
Contrary to claims by the government and the Taliban, the war in Afghanistan has intensified. The Afghan government and the Taliban have repeatedly stated that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem, and that it must be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. Contradictions in speech and action are other indications that the future of the people and government of Afghanistan is in a state of ambiguity.
Taliban Provide a Safe Haven for Terrorist Groups
Meanwhile, Rohullah Ahmadzai, Ministry of Defense Spokesperson, said that various terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan and that the Taliban is the bedrock of these terrorist groups in the country. Mr. Ahmadzai added that the Taliban were providing space, facilities and training to domestic and foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan. “With the withdrawal of the US military, we have faced some problems,” he said. “In some places, we retreated to our bases to better equip and fund our forces, and in order to prevent civilian and military casualties, and damage to public facilities.”
He stated that we will soon see sweeping changes in favor of the security forces on the battlefield.
Taliban No Longer Own the War
Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of national security, has said that the Taliban no longer owns this war and that this war and peace is no longer in the hands of the Taliban. “By giving the false pride of Fatah (conquering), they used the Taliban as a means to create catastrophes that would result in the killing of Afghans, the destruction of Afghanistan and ultimately the division of Afghanistan,” Mr. Nabil added. According to him, it is possible that in most places where weaponry, vehicles and equipment were said to be looted by the Taliban, we will soon witness these looted items enter the battlefield with the black flags of ISIL.
