Ruined police HQ after Taliban's suicide attack, resulting in heavy losses on government forces side
I wonder if first step to regain trust is/could be granting permission for export of ATAK to Pakistan. An option since the US is atm too far away from any direct dealing with Pakistan (IMO, but I haven't kept track of any dealings so I may be wrong in my assumption).With Afghanistan's Future at Stake, US Courts Pakistan
By Jeff Seldin, Nike Ching, Ayaz Gul
May 25, 2021 12:51 AM
FILE PHOTO - In this file photo taken on July 26, 2020, a general view of a US military base, which has been handed over to Afghan forces, is pictured in Achin district of Nangarhar province, which shares a border with Pakistan.
PENTAGON/STATE DEPARTMENT/ISLAMABAD - More than three weeks into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Washington's plans to help ensure the country does not descend into chaos remain murky despite a ramped-up effort to get Afghanistan's neighbors — Pakistan in particular — to do more.
The focus has been on rallying support, both for the ongoing diplomatic push to keep talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban on track, and for military cooperation should instability make new U.S. counterterrorism operations necessary.
But the U.S. efforts to solidify plans for what comes next appear to have taken on renewed urgency in recent days, leaning on outreach from the White House and the Pentagon to overcome a decade of strained ties and start to win over Pakistani officials.
FILE - National security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington.
Already, U.S. officials have voiced some optimism that an initial meeting between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Pakistani counterpart, Moeed Yusuf, on Sunday in Geneva, went well.
"Both sides discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest," according to a statement issued by the White House on Monday, which made no reference to Afghanistan.
"Both sides agreed to continue the conversation," it said.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, right, meets with Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 10, 2021.
The Pentagon, likewise, expressed confidence following a call early Monday between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
"The secretary's discussion this morning was very useful," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters. "The secretary reiterated his appreciation for Pakistan's support for the Afghanistan peace negotiations and expressed his desire to continue to build on the United States-Pakistan bilateral relationship."
History of mistrust :
Yet beyond the initial discussions, progress on both the military and diplomatic fronts appears to be elusive, complicated by years of mistrust, some of it dating back to May 2011, when Washington did not alert Pakistan to the U.S. special operations forces raid in Abbottabad that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
At the time, Islamabad warned the U.S. against any unilateral military action on Pakistani territory.
And Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday rejected the idea of allowing the U.S. to use Pakistan as a base for troops or as a staging point for potential airstrikes, dismissing speculation about the possibility of such an arrangement as "baseless and irresponsible."
In an interview with VOA, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi cast further doubt on how much help will be coming from Islamabad when it comes to ensuring Afghanistan is as stable as possible after U.S. and coalition troops leave.
"We have no business interfering in their internal matters, but we are there to help if they require our help, and we will try and be as positive as we can," Qureshi told VOA's Urdu service.
"Afghanistan is a sovereign country. It's an independent country," he said. "Whatever we can (do) we will, but they will have to ultimately shoulder the responsibility."
U.S. officials, though, continue to hope Pakistan will, in the end, be willing to do more, even if just out of self-interest.
"It has always been the case that Pakistan has much to gain from peace in Afghanistan," a State Department spokesperson told VOA on the condition of anonymity, given the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions.
Other officials have expressed cautious optimism that self-interest, combined with encouragement, will sway officials in Islamabad to be more proactive.
FILE - Zalmay Khalilzad, special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation, testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, April 27, 2021.
"I hope those with influence over the Taliban, such as Pakistan, do the right thing," Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, told U.S. lawmakers last week. "We are pressing them to do that."
Possible incentives :
There are questions about how much leverage the U.S. can ultimately exert on Islamabad.
One option could be freeing up some $300 million in security aid to Pakistan that was frozen in 2018 under former U.S. President Donald Trump after his administration chastised Pakistan for a "dual policy of fighting some terrorists while supporting others" — a reference to Pakistan's ties to the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
U.S. officials will not say whether such a move is even under consideration.
"We do not comment or speculate on policies that may or may not be under deliberation," a State Department spokesperson told VOA — and even if it was, the money may not be enough to change Pakistan's thought process.
"It's complicated," a senior Pakistani official dealing with national security matters said to VOA about the aid. "We are not asking. If we get it, of course we won't say no."
In the meantime, U.S. options may be narrowing for its military posture once the withdrawal from Afghanistan is complete.
In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov attends the talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 7, 2021.
Russia's presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Monday that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will not allow the U.S. to establish military bases on their territories.
"They made it clear that this was impossible," he told the Russian news agency Sputnik, adding, "Our contacts with our Tajik and Uzbek partners indicate that there was no official request to them."
For their part, however, U.S. officials insist there is still time to work out agreements for the basing of troops and assets for when the pullout from Afghanistan is finally completed this coming September.
"These are obviously diplomatic discussions that are ongoing and are clearly not complete,' the Pentagon's Kirby told reporters. "We're exploring a range of options and opportunities to be able to provide a credible and viable over-the-horizon counterterrorism capability, and there's lots of ways you can do that. Overseas basing is just one of them."
I wonder if first step to regain trust is/could be granting permission for export of ATAK to Pakistan. An option since the US is atm too far away from any direct dealing with Pakistan (IMO, but I haven't kept track of any dealings so I may be wrong in my assumption).
Unfortunately there wont be any ATAK for Pakistan, US is exploring various methods including providing funds etc to regain trust but pleasing US is almost impossible.
You mean Pakistan.
The road is long, and the treatement Pakistan has received would require herculean task and admissions by US. Pakistan isn’t going to even bother with US if it means China reduces their support even a fraction. So it’s a lost game imo.
I would not be so sure about the ATAKs. The fact is access into Afghanistan will require Pakistan. The Central Asians are under too much Russian and Chinese influence. I can't see Iran acting as US conduit. That like for the past 40 years leaves Pakistan.Unfortunately there wont be any ATAK for Pakistan, US is exploring various methods including providing funds etc to regain trust but pleasing US is almost impossible.
Afganistan is your strategic background teritory, calm and friendly enviroment as well as goverment towards pakistan should be priority number one for you, with usa or not.I would not be so sure about the ATAKs. The fact is access into Afghanistan will require Pakistan. The Central Asians are under too much Russian and Chinese influence. I can't see Iran acting as US conduit. That like for the past 40 years leaves Pakistan.
The problem is Pakistan sold itself short in 2001. The value anybody gives you is often pedicated on how much you value yourself. Women will sell their privacy for £5 whereas some would rather die. Musharaf the dictator back in 2001 was desperate as he had no political support within Pakistan. So when USA came knocking he said "yes" for pennies. But for his own rule the pennies were good enough because it gave him legitimacy as he got to hang around President Bush.
So going forward we will see what happens. I know there are intense discussions going on begind the scenes and the Pakistan point man is NSA Moeed Yousef a brilliant mind and highly capable individual. In fact he was resesarch student at Harvard Universities Kennedy School and then Associate Vice President at United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC. He knows the Americans well.
So personally I am expecting hard bargaining and trust the team under Prime Minister Khan will navigate the best policy for Pakistan.
You have no idea my friend the destruction, loss and suffering Pakistan has borne since 9/11 and invasion of Afghanistan. Non of the 9/11 hijackers were Pakistani. They were Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese. Yet non of those countries suffered for the 9/11 attacks. The primary victim was the Afghan people followed by Pakistan. There never was any suicide bombers in Pakistan before that. In fact I associated suicide bombing with Hindu Tiger Tamils of Sri Lanka.Afganistan is your strategic background teritory, calm and friendly enviroment as well as goverment towards pakistan should be priority number one for you, with usa or not.
Don't worry about this guy. We will have him hanging by his balls within the year unless he gets refuge in USA. Find out what happened to the Russian puppet Najibullah in 1996. This American stooge will get it also. Nobody forget that regime was installed by a illigitimate invasion by USA in 2001. Now that Americans are leaving time is up.
Don't worry about this guy. We will have him hanging by his balls within the year unless he gets refuge in USA. Find out what happened to the Russian puppet Najibullah in 1996. This American stooge will get it also. Nobody forget that regime was installed by a illigitimate invasion by USA in 2001. Now that Americans are leaving time is up.
"There is evidence which shows that famous Pakistani generals from Pakistan's intelligence agency such as Aslam Beg, Gen. Hamid Gul the former head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI], Nasirullah Babur and others and besides that, there were other intelligence officials from other countries. The plan to kill Najibullah was implemented by ISI," he said.
Until now, reports indicated that after entering Kabul in the fall of 1996, the Taliban killed Najibullah and his brother Gen. Ahmadzai and then hanged them in Ariana Circle in the city.
With regards to Turks and Pakistan we don't have to have convergence over everything. Friends often have some areas of divergence. Afghanmistan is extremely tribal so the Uzbeks don't agree with any other groups in the country.Then we will catch up on this next year then. We must account for what US will leave support structure wise for Afghan national govt....and how that links up with Russian, Central Asian and Iranian motivations in not seeing Taliban get to a 90s level of situation. IMO Taliban certainly will not be getting anywhere close to Kabul area (and other important hubs to defence of more progressive areas of AFG) and that brings a grey status quo at that point going forward....but let us see.
In meantime, typical reactions from typical quarters (in support of such barbarism + terrorism that is second nature to Taliban) prove wider points to wider audience about those quarters....and credibility of what the more progressive elements of AFG say about them.
That will have its own wider consequence and sustained result as well.
Turkey would do well to listen to what its Turkic brother countries invested in Afghanistan (Uzbek and Turkmen) have to say about Taliban and Turkey own experience in the ISAF....if the Turkic brotherhood is one that carries water on a consistent basis.
With regards to Turks and Pakistan we don't have to have convergence over everything. Friends often have some areas of divergence. Afghanmistan is extremely tribal so the Uzbeks don't agree with any other groups in the country.
Regarding the bigger picture whatever is going to happen post US pull out will be loss for India and gain for Pakistan. That is 100% certain. We can slice and dice the degree of this but things are going south for India in Afghanistan.
You guys only sneaked in under the tails of the Americans after 2001. Now that Uncle Sam is leaving you guys better also pack your bags.