There is no doubt that the Taliban control the geographical territory of Afghanistan, and unfortunately, no internal force has been able to seriously challenge them yet. This is the reality acknowledged both by regional countries and the United Nations, leading them to seek increased engagement with the Taliban. The primary goal of the controversial third Doha meeting, already receiving significant criticism, is to pave the way for reconciliation and broader cooperation with the Taliban. Thus far, the Taliban have not only disregarded any of the UN’s demands regarding human rights, women’s rights, establishing an all-inclusive government, or combating terrorism but have also forced the organization to accommodate their stance.
Over the past nearly three years, the Taliban have repeatedly proven themselves unyielding, showing little regard for UN warnings and pressures from global powers. Nonetheless, there are still many who do not share this perspective, believing that the Taliban “have come down from the mountains” and will eventually become more moderate. This sentiment was expressed by the head of UNAMA, who made considerable efforts to bring the Taliban to the third Doha meeting, even foregoing the presence of female representatives and civil society organizations and accommodating every Taliban demand.
The United Nations, by this action, essentially demands of us that if we desire our well-being and survival in Afghanistan, we have no choice but to accept the reality of the Taliban, refrain from excessive demands, and settle for what little we can get. Isn’t such normalization of appeasement a legitimization of bad politics and terrorism? If we accept every evil reality imposed upon us and refrain from resistance, does the notion of fighting for human values become meaningless? If, during negotiations with an ignorant and rigid group, we repeatedly compromise on the values we fight for, succumbing to the fascist demands of this group, why should we waste our time foreseeing the inevitable disaster of such talks?
If we seek the root destruction of a harsh reality, we cannot achieve our goal through reconciliation and interaction with its perpetrators. To fundamentally combat harsh realities, we must confront them head-on. This battle is not merely military; it doesn’t mean wasting valuable time assassinating a Taliban soldier in distant mountains or city alleys. Killing Taliban soldiers—quickly replaced by others—demonstrates the weakness and failure of anti-Taliban military fronts. Such armed actions may serve superficially in propaganda but without forming part of a strategic plan to immobilize the enemy on all fronts and evolving into a more developed approach over time, they remain childish adventures that diminish over the long term and ultimately conclude.
What is currently observed is that the performance of the two active military fronts in Afghanistan is not sufficiently remarkable to claim they have posed a significant challenge to the Taliban, warranting optimism. The military activities of both fronts, which have faced considerable criticism and do not appear to have achieved much recognition to date, remain severely limited, showing no signs of evolving into more developed forms of conflict. This serious challenge must be addressed. If these active military fronts cannot tackle the major difficulties they face, they have no bright and hopeful future ahead and will ultimately falter.
Politically, the situation does not favor opponents of the Taliban either. Countries, directly or indirectly, are engaging with this group, seemingly without any alternative. The United Nations, as a respected global entity, is also attempting to create more grounds for reconciliation and collaboration with the current regime. If Taliban opponents could establish a robust political-military front against this group, the current situation might have been different. Nevertheless, major weaknesses in both military and political arenas do not imply that there is no promising outlook or clarity for combating the Taliban. Therefore, we should not resign ourselves to Taliban tyranny. Every struggle initially faces significant challenges and difficulties, but only with unwavering determination and tireless perseverance can these challenges be overcome and hope restored.
Weakness and inadequacy in the course of the struggle on one side, and the indifference and frailty of the people on the other, leading to increased despair and doubt among fighters, should not deter them from continuing on the difficult path they have chosen, forcing them into compromise and cooperation with the Taliban. Engaging in reconciliation with this group, labeled as “dialogue” by the United Nations in its current approach, does not benefit opponents of the Taliban significantly; rather, it only grants this group more leverage and credibility. The United Nations and the Taliban pay no attention to the demands of the opposition to this group; it is as if they do not exist at all. The Taliban consider even prominent political parties and movements from the so-called republican era, which currently play the role of opposition outside the country, as fugitive, defeated, wandering, and insignificant pawns in media displays—they dismiss them entirely. This attitude extends to other political forces opposing the Taliban.
In such circumstances, the only rational and honorable way forward is resistance against the harsh reality imposed by the Taliban, to construct an alternative reality—one rooted in democracy, pluralism, and knowledge-centric values.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
