Questions about the US’ impending withdrawal from Afghanistan
Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar shake hands. PHOTO: AFP
Questions about the US’ impending withdrawal from Afghanistan
The American withdrawal, while welcome and long overdue, might destabilise Afghanistan even more
There’s no doubt that the United States (US) is indeed withdrawing from Afghanistan despite prior speculation among some that US President Biden wasn’t serious about this fateful decision. The latest reports indicate that it’s already completed approximately 20% of this process ahead of its self-imposed deadline of September 11
th. The conversation has now shifted to the consequences of the US’ full withdrawal. Most observers expect the Taliban to gain ground and perhaps eventually return to power. While the neighbouring countries would pragmatically adapt to that possible reality, many average Afghans might fear for their futures and thus begin yet another la
Joe Biden speaks about the withdrawal of the remainder of US troops from Afghanistan. PHOTO: AFP
Does the US have ulterior motives for withdrawing from Afghanistan so hastily?
The Taliban’s prospective post-withdrawal militant gains over more of Afghanistan might catalyse a series of crises
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that “the Unites States’ (US) hasty withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan already dealt a serious blow to the peace process in Afghanistan, as well as negatively affected the regional stability.” This top-level diplomatic assessment of the situation might surprise some observers who thought that China wanted America out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. In fact, some Western Mainstream Media outlets had earlier claimed that the People’s Republic scored a strategic victory after US President Joe Biden’s announcement early last month to withdraw from Afghanistan by the 20
US Marines and Afghan Commandos stand together. PHOTO: AFP
Will US troops redeploy to Central Asia after withdrawing from Afghanistan?
It would be counterproductive for the CARs to once again host US troops
The
Wall Street Journal cited unnamed United States (US) officials over the weekend to report that some of them would prefer to redeploy their country’s troops from Afghanistan to some of the neighbouring Central Asian Republics (CARs) such as Tajikistan or Uzbekistan following America’s planned withdrawal from the war-torn country by September 11
th. They problem, however, is that they’re also aware that Russian and Chinese influence there might work to counteract such a scenario. This makes that outcome unlikely, but it nevertheless can’t be discounted because there’s a certain logic inherent to it which might prove to be attractive for some of the concerned countries.
What’s the significance of the Kyrgyz-Tajik clashes?
A protester shouts during a rally to demand the authorities to hand over weapons to volunteers willing to support residents of Kyrgyzstan s southern Batken province following clashes with Tajik troops. PHOTO: AFP
What’s the significance of the Kyrgyz-Tajik clashes?
The Kyrgyz and Tajik people might be more susceptible to externally supported radical narratives than ever before
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, fellow members of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) mutual defence pact and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), clashed with one another last week over their disputed frontier that has yet to be fully delineated since they achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The violence unexpectedly exploded over a contested water distribution facility and quickly spiralled out of control to the point where over 40 people were killed, hundreds injured, and a few thousand evacuated with