Military withdrawal not abandoning Afghans

On Friday, US and Nato troops completely withdrew from the Bagram Air Base, the linchpin of the US-led operations. The move fast-forwards the withdrawal of foreign forces, scheduled to be completed by September 11. It marks the beginning of the winding down of the two-decade long war, but the war on terror is far from over. Over the next couple of months, the US, other members of the international community with active involvement of the UN Secretary General and his office must work with the Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul to defend Afghan’s polity from takeover by medieval ideology.

This change of guard comes as the Taliban gains ground and as ordinary people come together and take up arms to fend off the Taliban. The Afghan government in Kabul needs the support necessary to formulate and implement a central strategy to restrict the Taliban. The international community must commit to give direct and indirect support to the Taliban. A recent UN report documents the involvement of Pakistan-based terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in fighting alongside Taliban groups against Afghan national forces. An unstable Afghanistan will be leveraged by an increasingly aggressive China, acting through Pakistan, to force the US and other western powers to refocus their engagement in Asia away from the Indo-Pacific. A move that will give China the free run it wants to give shape to its geopolitical ambitions.

The military withdrawal should not mean the US walking away. The US and allies must enlarge financial assistance to Afghan security forces, protecting the gains of the last 20 years, particularly with regards to women and children. India has a stake in peace, stability and economic growth in Afghanistan, and must extend support.