http://www.khaama.com/the-talibans-pledge-to-protect-national-projects-is-a-fallacy-02449
On November 29, the Taliban published a statement on their website indicating that they will protect national projects that are in the interest of the Afghan people. The Taliban specifically pledged to protect the TAPI pipeline, CASA-1000 energy project, and the Mes Aynak project.
In response to the Taliban’s statement, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, a spokesman of President Ghani said, “How could we trust them now?” The answer is clear. In its simplest words, as General Nicholson said, the “Taliban destroys Afghanistan.” Indeed, the Taliban are attempting to destroy and destabilize Afghanistan. It is very naïve to believe that the the Taliban will protect Afghanistan’s national interests. The Taliban is a foreign political project transported to Afghanistan to serve the interests of the Taliban’s patrons.
In reality, the Taliban has pledged to protect projects that are in the interests of its patrons. China, an ally of Pakistan is the main beneficiary of the Mes Aynek project. China is a supporter of Pakistan’s pro-Taliban policy. In October at the BRICS summit, India boldly called Pakistan “the mother ship of terrorism.” In response to Prime Minister Modi’s remark, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying rejected Modi’s statement and said China “is against linking any country or religion with terror and asked the world community to acknowledge Pakistan’s “great sacrifices.” China’s denial of Pakistan’s support for transnational terrorism does not change reality. As David Sedney, a former deputy U.S. ambassador to Kabul said, “the bottom line is the Taliban kill Afghans and the Taliban do so from bases in Pakistan. That’s been the case for 15, 20 years now.” Moreover, the Taliban has a friendly relationship with China. According to Reuters’ news a Taliban official said that Taliban “have good terms with different countries of the world and China is one among them.” Thus, the Taliban is committed to protect a project that is in the interest of its patron.
Furthermore, Pakistan is the main beneficiary of the CASA-1000 energy project. The article “Casa-100 Formally Inaugurated” in the
Dailytimes noted that “the significance of the electricity from CASA for Pakistan can hardly be over-emphasized. The country has been in the grip of a debilitating power crisis for well over a decade.” The CASA project is designed to benefit Pakistan. Pakistani Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, “Pakistan will receive the entire 1,300MW due to weak demand in Afghanistan.” Afghanistan will not receive any of the electricity.
Moreover, the TAPI pipeline is another project that is vital to Pakistan’s national interests. Pakistan will receive nearly triple the amount of gas that Afghanistan will receive. The TAPI pipeline will mitigate the gas shortage crisis in Pakistan. The article “Four Countries Ink Deal for $10 billion TAPI Gas Pipeline Project” in the
Tribune noted that “Afghanistan’s share has been set at 500 mmcfd, which will also be up for grabs either by Islamabad or Delhi if Kabul does not need it.” In other words, like the CASA project negotiations, if Afghanistan is at a disadvantaged position, Pakistan will take Afghanistan’s share of gas.
The TAPI pipeline, the CASA-1000 energy project, and the Mes Aynek project are three projects that significantly benefit the Taliban’s patrons. Other projects that are specifically designed to promote development in Afghanistan are sabotaged by the Taliban countlessly.
On December 6th, the governor of Farah said that the Taliban are preventing the completion of the Bakhshabad Dam. The Bakhshabad Dam will bring significant development to the Afghanistan. According to 1TV news, the dam “has the capacity to generate 27 megawatts of electricity and irrigate 104 thousand hectares of land. With 81 meters of height, it will be capable of reserving 1,360 million cubic meters of water.” Similarly, in 2013, the Taliban attempted to destroy the Salma Dam with the help of Iran. The Taliban attempted to blow up both Dams that are vital to the agricultural and economic development of Afghanistan.
In August, when the Taliban temporarily controlled the Khanabad district in Kunduz, the Taliban blew up the Puli Alchin bridge. Puli Alchin was the main bridge connecting the northern provinces of Afghanistan to neighboring central Asian states. The Taliban destroyed the war-torn nation’s vital infrastructure to protest the increase of trade between Afghanistan and the central Asian states that resulted in a decrease of Pakistani goods imported to Afghanistan.
According to Shah Hussain Murtazawi, a deputy presidential spokesman “Over the past few months, they [Taliban] have inflicted more than two billion Afghanis [about $300 million] of damage to infrastructure and public properties in 11 provinces…the Taliban has destroyed 302 schools, 41 health clinics, 50 mosque minarets, 5,305 houses, 1,818 shops, a government building, six bridges, 293 overpasses, and 123 kilometers of roads in 11 provinces.” Evidently, the Taliban does not protect the national interests of Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s claim to piety should have obligated them to be honest in their press statement. The Taliban should have written that they are only dedicated to protecting infrastructures that are in the interests of its patrons.
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By Khaama Press - Sat Dec 10 2016, 12:11 pm
http://www.khaama.com/talibans-new-demands-for-ending-insurgency-include-direct-talks-with-us-02450
The Taliban militants group in Afghanistan has offered new demands for ending the group’s insurgency in the country, including direct talks with the United States, it has been reported.
The new conditions include recognition of the political office of the group in Qatar and removal of group’s members from the UN blacklist.
“That is why there is need for America and its allies to come to the table for direct talks with the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) for negotiating an end to the occupation,” Sohail Shaheen, a Qatar-based spokesman of the group, quoted by The News said.
Shaheen further added, if peace is the objective of the other side, then the Taliban must be allowed to open their “political office” in Qatar and names of their senior members be removed from the UN blacklist.
“These obstacles in the way of establishing peace cannot be simply ignored,” Shaheen said, warning that “mere slogans and statements” (by the other side) would further complicate the issue rather than promoting Afghan peace.
This comes as reports emerged earlier suggesting peace talks could likely kick off between the Afghan government and Taliban group.
The Afghan government opted military option against the group after it rejected to participate in direct peace talks earlier this year and after the group announced its annual spring offensive.
The government was forced to withdraw from the peace efforts after the group claimed responsibility behind a number of deadly attacks across the country, including a major attack on VIP protection unit in Kabul that left over 400 people dead or wounded.
