September 15, 2021 The first of its kind, this book interrogates that simplistic yet powerful geopolitical narrative and asks what truly drives India's Afghanistan policy. Pakistan's top diplomat has some ideas from his country on how to engage the new Taliban government in Afghanistan UNITED NATIONS -- Be realistic. The Taliban Will Decide if Pakistan Recognizes Israel. The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency has supported the Taliban from their inception with money, training, and weaponry. (Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, has also been a deputy leader of the Taliban since 2015.) A wisecracking foreign correspondent recounts her haphazard experiences in Afghanistan and Pakistan while sharing cautionary observations about the region in its first post-Taliban years, its ability to prevent a Taliban regrouping and the ... Although the Chinese government is unlikely to stir up religious terrorism in the region, it will seek to work with the Taliban and possibly even incorporate Afghanistan into its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Introduction -- The American skeptics -- Russian skeptics -- The American rationale -- The Russian rationale -- The study's objectives -- Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Since taking power, Taliban messaging on the TTP has been strikingly vague. The country's hard-liners have funneled support to the Taliban for decades, and they can now envision their allies firmly ensconced in Kabul. For the Taliban, it was to resist the US presence and eventually force it out of Afghanistan by availing itself of sanctuaries in Pakistan. The international community will judge Pakistan more than the Taliban for supporting them and helping them form a government in Afghanistan. Islamabad helped reconstitute the group after U.S. forces overthrew them late that year. Since then, the TTP has sent fighters to Afghanistan from Pakistan and staged joint attacks with the Taliban. Pakistan’s government believes that the Taliban’s ideology emphasizes Islam over Pashtun identity. A wisecracking foreign correspondent recounts her experiences in Afghanistan and Pakistan while sharing cautionary observations about the region in its first post-Taliban years and the responsibilities of the U.S. and NATO. Another factor that could prompt the Taliban to snub Islamabad’s request is their quest to gain domestic legitimacy. The Taliban’s victory and triumphant jihadist narrative will embolden Islamist radical groups in Pakistan. Aug. 17, 202104:42. Last year, an estimated 1.4 million Afghan refugees were living in the country. Without U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan to support intelligence collection and counterterrorism operations by the Afghan forces, al-Qaeda and other terrorists will have more freedom of operation and the ability to rebuild their leadership networks and capabilities. The U.S. government has a long-standing record of investment in Pakistan in return for cooperation on terrorism, but this has yielded limited dividends given Pakistan’s own regional security interests. April 9, 2019 Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem says the Taliban is seeking respectful and friendly relations with Iran. Following 9/11, the US sought (and secured) a new relationship with Pakistan. Comments are closed automatically seven days after articles are published. Islamabad and close ally Beijing will coordinate their positions on Afghanistan, but both will take it slow and observe instead of rushing in to recognise the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, and Pakistan will also wait for Russia to be on board. Its goal to contain Pashtun nationalism and counter India by having a Pakistan-friendly government in Afghanistan does not account for either the quirks of the Taliban or the warring religious fundamentalist forces within Pakistan. [256] On 8 February 2009, US commander of operations in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal and other officials said that the Taliban leadership was in Quetta . The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has delivered a strategic victory to Pakistan, establishing a friendly government in Kabul for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Taliban are keen to gain goodwill from the Afghan public, and they know many Afghans are mistrustful of Pakistan because of its sponsorship of the Taliban during the war. Imran Khan is in Uzbekistan to attend the two-day 'Central-South Asia conference' which is also attended by other high-ranked leaders of other countries including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and several others from Russia, Japan, and the US. A government of mullahs and terrorists snuffs out freedoms despite talk of inclusion and human rights. The leaders of Pakistan’s two strongest Islamist political parties have welcomed the Taliban victory, with one even offering to help the group with its plans for governance in Afghanistan. September 14, 2021 Pakistan has unambiguously clarified its stand and cannot do anything more." Joe Biden told Fox News reporter that US involvement in Afghanistan was a counter terrorism operation and not a nation building attempt. ©2021 Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union. This book will be of interest to scholars in south asian political studies, ethnic studies and international relations. This book was published as a special issue of Contemporary South Asia. These new levers of influence include a role as mediator. When Pakistan gained its independence in 1947, Afghanistan was the only country to vote against its formation at the United Nations. In 2017, he was involved in negotiations with Pakistani religious hard-liners who had staged a three-week sit-in in Islamabad. U.S. intelligence cooperation with the Afghans could help to mitigate terrorist threats in the near-term but the challenges to maintaining pressure on most terrorism threats will mount over time. To complicate matters further, the Taliban maintain close ties with the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), sometimes referred to as the Pakistani Taliban. Rather than helping Pakistan, the Taliban government is likely to press Pakistan to negotiate with the TTP, something which can become a point of inflection in the future. Taliban's victory in Afghanistan complicates Pakistan-China relations. Islamabad [ Pakistan ], September 7 (ANI): From politicians to cricketers to Islamists, Pakistan is celebrating the Taliban . In that scenario, the relationship would revert to the status quo ante in a hurry—and establish yet another phase in a partnership destined to endure, warts and all. The Haqqani network, long considered by the US as an insurgent organisation in its own right, is a component of the Afghan . September 21, 2021 The organization's spokesman said that Afghanistan's land will not be used against any country. Taliban wants good relations with all countries, advises India and Pakistan to resolve issues. The Taliban side stressed that it attaches great importance to Afghanistan's relations with China, Russia and Pakistan, and the three countries are playing a constructive and responsible role in consolidating peace and stability in Afghanistan. Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, Merkel’s Legacy and the Future of Germany, In Brief Since 1947, Afghan governments have rejected the Durand Line, which separates Pakistani Pashtun-dominated territories from Afghanistan. Zahid Nasrullah Khan on Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations. Since the events of 9/11 incident and initiation of War on Terror, the political landscapes of the Asian region has transformed radically. Beijing has its eyes set on using Afghanistan as a strategic corridor once U.S. troops are out of the way. Taliban-Iran relations have improved in recent years, but Alex Vatanka, director of MEI's Iran program, believes Tehran remains somewhat skeptical of the de facto rulers of Afghanistan. Pakistan's security establishment is cheering the Taliban's recent military gains in Afghanistan. A Taliban government could help Pakistan counter India, including by providing a haven for anti-India jihadi groups. The TTP is responsible for the deaths of many thousands of Pakistani civilians. The first in-person leaders’ summit shows how far the group has come after nearly two decades of irrelevance. Engage. Pakistan will recognise the Taliban government but not any time soon and based on conditions including the formation of a broad-based and inclusive government and respect of fundamental human rights. Taliban torn apart due to Pakistan's intervention The faction, led by Mullah Baradar and Mullah Yusuf, is irked by Pakistan's increasing interference in the Taliban. The group has long had a presence in Pakistan’s tribal areas; its links to Pakistan go back to the 1980s, when it was a guerrilla force fighting the Soviet occupation and received Pakistani backing. For some Western powers hoping to influence the new Taliban government, there are hopes that Pakistan could play a role as . In 1971, after a bitter civil war, a large portion of Pakistani territory in the east dominated by the Bengali-speaking community broke away to become Bangladesh. These include new Prime Minister Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, who headed the Taliban’s leadership council based in the Pakistani city of Quetta, as well as Sirajuddin and Khalil Haqqani. China is ready to develop "good-neighbourly, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan", a foreign ministry spokeswoman said, but also noted Taliban promises that Afghanistan would . Tellingly, however, just a few days after his arrival in Kabul, the Taliban announced their new interim government. Pakistan’s military ruler Pervez Musharraf seized the opportunity to once again make his country a close ally of the US, thereby gaining it billions of dollars of debt relief and military aid. Local Journalists Webinars, A Conversation With Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi of Pakistan, Virtual Event Pakistan is playing a risky game in supporting the Taliban. Pakistan-Taliban Relations. Pakistan's top diplomat has some ideas from his country on how to engage the new Taliban government in Afghanistan UNITED NATIONS -- Be realistic. by Rachel B. Vogelstein Pakistan has supported the Taliban in the form of supplying weapons, training, and battlefield advice, and facilitating Taliban fighters’ cross-border movements, despite strong U.S. pressure and the risk of being designated a state sponsor of terrorism. | View Comments (), NEW FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Instead, the 2001 Bonn agreement led to the creation of an Afghan government dominated by the Northern Alliance, the leaders of which were friendly with India, Pakistan’s perennial foe. When the Taliban launched an offensive in late 2020, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations went into a tailspin as Kabul suspected the Taliban received tacit Pakistan support. Iran is opposed to civil war and foreign military . The TTP has gained a lot with the Afghan Taliban’s ascendance, including the materials of the Afghan military. This book explores the post-9/11 relations between the US and Pakistan. Additionally, a top Taliban official with the group’s political office offered China—Pakistan’s top ally—unusually detailed and effusive praise. Taliban and Pakistani soldiers guard Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Additionally, as seen by Islamabad itself, expect Pakistan to serve as a military advisor, with its armed forces helping to “reorganise the Afghan military.” Pakistan’s military may also help train the Taliban to operate new weaponry—such as air power—they inherited but don’t know how to use. This unique collection presents a comprehensive concept of diplomacy. It regards diplomacy as an institution for communication which, as far as content is concerned, functions as a dependent variable of foreign policy. First, Pakistan has vested ideological interests in the Taliban. Pakistan continues to refer to the TTP as a tool being used by India and other foreign powers to destabilise it. While it is yet to be determined how, when, and to what extent the Taliban will become part of the Afghan government, pinning any hopes on the Taliban to be pro-Pakistan is . Taliban leaders, who also espouse Islamic nationalism, were trained in those madrassas. The surprising speed with which the Taliban took control over most of Afghanistan after foreign forces began withdrawing from the country left Afghanistan's neighbors in a difficult predicament. "Iran does believe the Taliban has changed, but largely not fundamentally, and that's a concern," Vatanka stated. Pakistan and the Taliban have long shared close relations - though Islamabad says its support for the Taliban ended after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. The Council on Foreign Relations sponsors Independent Task Forces to assess issues of current and critical importance to U.S. foreign policy and provide policymakers with concrete judgments and recommendations. Now, Islamabad has to . The TTP waged a horrific campaign of violence in Pakistan between 2007 and 2014 before being weakened by Pakistani counterterrorism offensives. Because of the Taliban's leadership structure, Mullah Dadullah's assassination in May 2007 did not have a significant effect, other than to damage incipient relations with Pakistan. "If the Taliban behave responsibly and run their government moderately, US-Pakistan relations will stay afloat without showing any improvement," Basit said, but if the situation in Afghanistan . I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines. Top Pakistan Diplomat Details Taliban Plan. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told the BBC the Taliban intend to “raise its voice” for Muslims in Kashmir—even though the Taliban have previously said they prefer not to get involved in the dispute. Pakistan's relations with the Taliban will likely be good in the future because the Taliban see Pakistan as a Muslim brother country. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. The second element is China’s growing interest in the region. Some of the tension stemmed from Afghanistan's refusal to recognize the Durand Line—a hastily drawn 1600-mile border in 1893 that divided thousands of Pashtun tribes (Taliban Relations With Pakistan). The two sides do disagree. Twitter: @michaelkugelman. Although some in China assess that the Taliban have become more pragmatic, there is no guarantee for what their policy will look like, especially regarding relations with radical Islamic organizations in the region. At the same time, under pressure from the United States, Pakistan has over the years detained—and allegedly tortured—Taliban commanders, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a Taliban founder who is now back as one of the group’s chief leaders. When Wahab disappeared from his home in Afghanistan to sign on for jihad, it was . However, all of this requires a strong relationship with the Taliban government. This is a gap of strategic proportions, insofar as the Haqqani network has been more important to the development and sustainment of al-Qa'ida and the global jihad than any other single actor or group.Three main factors explain why a more ... President Trump sent U.S. troops to the border with Mexico to supplement the work of authorities there. Meth is even more profitable than heroin—and is turbocharging the insurgency. For instance, Islamabad was frustrated by the Taliban’s lack of action against the thousands of Pakistani Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan. The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban is not an overnight or unexpected military victory for the Taliban or defeat for the United States. Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on Building on friendly relations Beijing has secured with the new Taliban government in Afghanistan, China is now considering new ways to expand influence and embarrass the U.S. Paul D. Shinkman . This book focuses on various facets of this relationship in a long term perspective by analyzing them under various phases.