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Only Way Out of Afghanistan

In fact, the Reuters report quoting a website insists no one from the Taleban had ever been in talks under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, and other friendly Arab countries to end the conflict.

However, there are reasons to doubt the veracity of the statement directly quoting Taleban chief Mullah Omar. The facts are: he has been at large since the US Invasion in October 2001, and Washington has announced a reward of $10 million for his capture. Secondly, he is not a media- savvy person and has kept himself largely aloof, even when his militia reigned supreme in Afghanistan. And last but not the least, reputed Taleban leaders like Mullah Zareef and spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid have time and again said that the student militia is not averse to talks – but only with a couple of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.

Keeping aside what Mullah Omar said verbatim or didn’t, there are always spaces within a movement where nuances of reconciliation exist amid assertions of challenge. The reality is that the mess in which Afghanistan is in today cannot be cleared until and unless Taleban are brought on board.

At a time when Pentagon and Nato are planning to double their strength, the possibilities and opportunities of a meaningful dialogue shouldn’t be squandered. Fortunately, the Americans too are weary of this never-ending conflict. The new thinking among the top brass is to keep the option of a dialogue with Taleban open to help reverse the downward spiral in Afghanistan, and neighbouring Pakistan.

In these testing times when the US and the world at large are increasingly battling the economic chaos, it has become all the more necessary to find a negotiated way out of Afghanistan.

With India and Pakistan raising stakes of another war following the Mumbai terror attacks, the entire region can slide into utter chaos and anarchy. If Afghan history is anything to go by, no foreign power has ever been able to win a war in Afghanistan. For all their ruthless ways and often unacceptable actions, Taleban cannot be wished away. The West has no option but see them as part of a solution, rather than a problem. The militia representing the country’s Pakhtun majority is a force to reckon with. A three-way dialogue involving the Afghan government, the United States and Taleban should begin forthwith. Washington, which blundered its way into the country after the September 11 attacks ostensibly to punish the Taleban, urgently needs to prepare ground for a political settlement. Dialogue is the only way forward.