Daily Times

The time has come for the Americans to play truth or dare. For the Taliban have made it clear that they are already waiting at the negotiating table. All the US has to do is show up. Without the government of President Ghani.

The basis for this is not so much an overt move to side line Kabul. But rather underscoring the Taliban position that does not recognise the civilian regime as party to the conflict. This is not an entirely unreasonable way of viewing things. After all, the country has been living under American military occupation for the last 17 years. Which makes the US responsible for the security situation; thereby casting it in the role of natural power broker.

For only Washington can answer important questions regarding a timeframe for an eventual withdrawal of all foreign troops. The matter at hand, however, remains whether or not it is willing to play ball. Thus far it has repeated the usual mantra of supporting Ghani in the peace process. All of which signals that the US is not budging even an inch on the issue of bilateral talks.

This does not bode well for Pakistan. Or the broader region. Especially given that the Taliban is using this country as a go-between of sorts. Just as Washington did when it made Islamabad unilaterally responsible for dragging the Taliban to peace talks. Yet when the opportunity is now firmly within reach, the Americans have opted for the status quo.  To describe this as extremely unfair would be an understatement. And to many Pakistanis, this smacks of being set up for failure. Indeed, in a nation where the religious right is being propped up by the establishment and feeds off anti-American sentiment, this is at best a risky gamble.

If the US is therefore sincere about exiting the Afghan quagmire and leaving behind a stable Pakistan at peace with its western neighbour — now would be the time to demonstrate intent. And this means empowering the incoming set-up in Islamabad to be a conduit for peace. For if it does not, Washington will once more find itself in the court of public opinion; ready to receive an unfavourable verdict. One that concludes the Americans have no plans to quit the region for the simple reason that to do so will not serve their geo-strategic interests. Such as, containing a rising China. Moreover, the US is also liable to find itself charged with actively encouraging the scapegoating of Pakistan as a source of regional terror.

The Taliban have said that they are ready to talk to the Afghan government as part of subsequent discussions about the future political composition of the country. And with general elections scheduled for October of this year, there is no time to lose. Already some pundits have started floating the idea of postponing the vote; contending that polls can hardly be regarded as free and fair while conducted under occupation; with the Taliban threatening more than 50 percent of national territory.

Thus the ball is in the US court. No one else’s. Now the Afghan people will have to wait and see if President Trump wants to be known as a true man of peace. For ending the forgotten war.  *

Published in Daily Times, June 20^th 2018.