The civilian leadership of the two countries has not always been on the same page. Their relations have seen a lot of ups and downs over the last decade and a half as a result. The very nature of their partnership is intricate and complicated.
One major factor is the lack of success in resolving the core issues of Afghanistan. On one hand, the removal of Taliban government has been welcomed largely by the Afghans, on the other, the inability of the new civilian administration to take charge and control not only Taliban insurgents but also warlords has left many bemused.
The earlier issues
There still exists distrust on both sides which has been present from day one. The presence of ISAF forces on its own has been an issue for Afghans who have historically fought foreign invaders.
To make matters worse, the initial phase of the US led invasion saw the high number of civilian casualties. A few reported incidents of deliberate ISAF targeting civilians also outraged the locals.
Such events have continued to take place over the years though with a much lesser frequency. The last major outrage was witnessed in 2012 when pages of the Holy Quran were found desecrated at a US base by local staff members. The event led to large scale violent protests across the country.
Historical perspective
Even though the US-Afghanistan relations have made headlines over the last fifteen years, they date back to nearly a hundred years. The first diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1921 with a group of officials from Afghanistan visiting the US. The first US legation was formed in Kabul in 1942 and the first embassy in 1948.
Afghanistan received a fair bit of economic support in form of infrastructure building and skill development from the US over the many years. The financial grants in different shapes also amounted in hundreds of millions of dollars. Limited military support was also provided to Afghanistan though US did not entertain a request from Afghan for a greater defense cooperation.
The Soviet invasion
It was only when the then USSR invaded Afghanistan that the two really got active on a military front. The invasion in fact led to a near end of diplomatic relations between the two when the US Ambassador was killed in Kabul during a rescue attempt after his abduction.
In the midst of the Cold War, US took the fight to the USSR in Afghanistan with the help of neighboring Pakistan. ISI became highly active during the 1980s in recruiting the Mujahidin to fight the Soviets, trained them and provided them with arms and ammunition. Late Congressman Charlie Wilson was instrumental in facilitating the cooperation between US and Pakistan for the whole exercise.
All kind of support was provided to the various afghan groups back in the day to fight the Russians. The effects of the Afghan Jihad from those days can still be seen on the Afghan political scene. Many of the current political figures, be those in the current government setup or leaders of Taliban came to prominence during this period.
The current Afghan scenario
The current condition of the terms between the two countries is a complex affair and involves more than just the two governments. Afghanistan has been named as a major Non-NATO ally by the US which is a clear show of confidence. However, at the moment, Washington is dealing with multiple stakeholders in the region and not just Kabul.
The list includes the Afghan government, the Taliban, the vast number of warlords and the neighboring Pakistan which was very proactive during the Afghan Jihad era.
Washington and Kabul
The first and foremost that needs to be catered to is the government in Kabul which is less than pleased with the current conditions and does not fully trust Washington. While the ability of Taliban to stage a forceful comeback is not a real threat anymore, recent push by them certainly can give Ghani and Co. some sleepless nights and challenge the ability of the afghan security forces to defend against insurgency.
US invaded the country in the quest of hunting down Al-Qaida members and ensuring that a repeat of 9/11 does not take place. While it has effectively achieved its mission regarding Al-Qaida, Afghanistan to this day has not become a stable and peaceful state.
It is safe to say that US had little planning for an exit from the country when its goals were eventually achieved. The transition to peace and improving the overall condition of Afghanistan as promised could not be delivered. These issues have proven to be thorny and Kabul is angry with its counterparts in Washington.
On the flipside, the failings of the Afghan civilian government can be seen as the already segregated society experienced a further decline in harmony and unity. The inability of the government to unite people has helped the cause of Taliban in maintaining a fair sympathy amongst masses. This not only complicates matters for the government but also for ISAF.
The US government, meanwhile, has been long worried about the alleged corruption in Kabul as well.
Hundreds of billions of dollars has been funneled into the war and subsequent rebuilding of the war torn nation. Former President Hamid Karzai after his reelection vowed to root out this social evil to make the country more prosperous. It is hard to say that he was hardly able to fulfill this mission.
The non-state actors
The involvement of warlords in the whole scenario also means that there are very powerful men that can create issues if they are not appeased at least at a local level. For them personal interests are paramount and their interests may not always be aligned with those of the public.
Their support too is important both for the local government as well as the foreign forces that are present in the region. This further complicates the matters and reduces the ability of both parties to deliver to their own likings cent percent.
The Taliban meanwhile have been active in gaining territory in the northern region of Afghanistan. The remote rugged areas have long been safe havens for fighters from different parts of the world and are the perfect hide out due to their geographical features. In order to maintain peace in the country, both U.S and Afghan governments have to pursue talks with the former rulers of Afghanistan as well as making sure that they are unable to gain any further ground.
The Pakistan angle
Pakistan has facilitated talks in the past and currently is once again pushing the stakeholders to return to the tables talk in the larger interest of the region. As a neighbor and a major player during the Cold War days, Pakistan maintains at least some relations with the former jihadists.
The country has long suffered at the hands of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which is a splinter group of Afghan Taliban. The invasion of the neighboring country and Pakistan’s support for ousting the sitting regime has cost Pakistan big time both in terms of loss of lives and destruction of infrastructure at a massive scale. Whatever policy is being pursued in Kabul, it has direct impact on Pakistan’s security situation to a certain degree. Pakistani policy makers are quite naturally active in ensuring its interests too are protected.
This role as a mediator not only helps peace in Afghanistan but also helps Pakistan to counter the ongoing militancy and achieve greater success in the military operations against the TTP. A strong role in the political betterment of western neighbors will help in countering the growing influence of arch rival India as well.
Recent developments and their impact
Recent developments between US and Afghanistan have been rather heartening. Ashraf Ghani, the current President of Afghanistan assumed office in September of 2014. He appears to be better equipped with the ability to understand US point of view as well as make them understand his. Ghani has had a strong relationship in person with US since he studied at the Columbia University and has taught at UC Berkley and Johns Hopkins University for years before working the in the World Bank.
Some events off late have also forced the US and Afghan government to work closer together and ensure that the peace in Afghanistan can endure in the longer run. With Taliban on the rise and ISIS threat also looming, the two parties will need to ignore their differences and work together.
A testament to this was seen in the meeting held in Washington between President Obama and Ghani in March of last year. At the conclusion of the meet, it was made pretty clear that US is willing to keep its troops in Afghanistan beyond the planned pull out in 2016. The Afghan political elite too wanted this decision to be taken.
The
importance of foreign forces presence in Afghanistan cannot be
downplayed since they are training the Afghan soldiers. It is paramount
that the local security forces are able to counter both internal and
external threats immediately and in future.In the longer run, such cooperation and environment of understanding can go a long way in maintaining peace in Afghanistan as well as providing the country with an opportunity to move forward from the wars it fought and truly progress.
The help from US and other countries involved in Afghanistan both militarily and economically will be critical. It wouldn’t be an easy task for certain but as the cliché goes “a journey of thousand miles starts with the first steps”, the journey towards a better Afghanistan must continue despite all the hurdles
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