Lately, the
US Department announced, “The top US priority in South Asia is to end the war
in Afghanistan through a sustainable political settlement.” It informed the
Congress that any political settlement must also ensure Afghanistan’ never
again serves as a haven for terrorist attacks against the United States or its
interests.”
Ambassador
Zalmay Khalilzad, a US diplomat of Afghan origin who is negotiating a political
settlement with the Taliban, said that the US-backed peace plan could be “A
springboard for regional connectivity, development, and economic integration.”
Earlier, the
State Department and the Afghan government agreed to focus US assistance on
America’s highest priority, “Furthering the peace process, ensuring Afghanistan
does not serve as a terrorist safe haven, promoting Afghan self-reliance, and
maintaining Afghan stability.”
I have no
option but to term the statement of US Department a lie on the following
grounds:
1) Afghans
Taliban had neither played any role, whatsoever in 9/11, nor do they have the
capacity to hit US interests or its allies. Taliban were used by the US to
repel USSR attack on Afghanistan, which they did successfully.
2) The
US had announced to pull its troops from Afghanistan in 2014, which were not.
It seems US is adamant at keeping its troops in Afghanistan because of ‘other
reasons’. Over the years the US had failed in bringing peace and ushering
development in the country, as it was never an objective.
3) One
of the conspiracy theories is that the division of Taliban into good and bad is
based on the support for or resistance against cultivation of poppy in
Afghanistan. It seems that those resisting cultivation of poppy in Afghanistan
and demanding withdrawal of US troops have been termed ‘Bad Taliban’.
4) The
persistent stay of US troops in not for the development of Afghanistan but for
the protection of drug trade, which allows CIA to make billions of dollars
every year and use it on proxy wars in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa.
5) After
the recent hype in US-Iran confrontation, it seems more probable that US will
increase its troops in Afghanistan and use them in the assault against Iran.
Therefore,
all the favors the US intent to offers to Afghans are nothing but cover up,
these include:
1)
US
working with the Afghan government to define the parameters of a sustainable,
long-term partnership, a shift from military to civilian assistance.
2)
State
Department’s 2020 budget seeking resources to help Afghanistan to maintain and
expand the gains it has made over the last 18 years.
3)
Earlier,
the World Bank held a donors meeting in Kabul on to arrive at and cement a
peace agreement that allowed increasing economic well being and prosperity.
4)
Promoting
self-reliance by developing internal resources, attracting investments, and reducing
security costs.
