True Afghan Review: Attacks on Afghan academic units' part of an info war
Attacks on Afghan academic units' part of an info war
By Hanan Habibzai 03/11/2020 The Doha Agreement, signed between the Taliban and the United States, has paved the way for peace talks between the government and the Taliban. But ongoing situation on the ground shows that significant efforts on the way to discredit these talks. Afghan government says for the Taliban Escalating violence means showing up presence and claim more territory in order to appear more powerful at the negotiations table in Qatar. The situation has rather more devastated Afghans when the Kabul University been attacked by armed men on Monday killing 22 students and injuring many more. This perhaps removed the last shred of faith they may have had in the government ability in providing a safe environment. But the Taliban has denied responsibility for the recent attacks on academic institutions, a spokesman said, adding that the attacks were not their work, but government forces insisted the ambush were carried out by the Taliban.Watch this story and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Earlier, US peace envoy Zalmai Khalilzad had repeatedly said in various interviews that some domestic and regional countries were trying to obstruct the ongoing peace process. In June, this year, the American newspaper The Daily Beast published a lengthy report on the allegations of how the challenges to peace is created within the country's security sector. A report in the Daily Beast showed a video of two men being held captive by the Taliban with their eyes closed. The two men have accused Afghan security sources of collaborating with ISIS, a claim denied by Afghan security officials. But in recent days, ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on several educational institutions, including that on Kabul University. The attacks on private educational institutions were carried out against Shiites minority who holds direct Iranian support. The Taliban have rather good relations with Iran, and the Taliban’s Doha delegation has visited Tehran once. Earlier this week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed what he called the next Afghan government not to allow India to use Afghanistan against his country. The United States says the Doha peace process has been begun with Pakistan's direct support. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, who has spent most of his life in the guerrilla warfare and is an experienced military expert, has previously warned that India is trying to infiltrate private militias in Afghanistan through a number of networks to keep the war going in the country. Many analysts say that India is investing in thwarting the peace talks initiated by Pakistan and the United States in Doha. India has close ties with former members of the Northern Alliance who are now key members of Ashraf Ghani's government. Some say that if the ongoing peace talks delay due to the continuing violence, the Ashraf government will have a chance to complete its five-year term. Some others say, if not, the country's major cities could become battlegrounds. Signs of this are that US forces are currently reducing the number of their soldiers in accordance with the US Taliban’s Doha agreement, they are withdrawing while dismantling the military barracks they have built in Afghanistan. In this very critical time experts accuse the Afghan government, on creating hostile environment in Kabul calling it as of Taliban attacks, as an attempt to produce particular information in order to change the perspectives of the media and to prevail over the minds of the US policymakers on the peace talks in Qatar. It is most noticeable that people in power in the country are playing either way using violence but the main hit remains civilians. The situation makes Afghanistan less attractive around the world. International sympathy for Afghanistan is decreasing due to the continuing violence. The last 20 years have not focused on building the country's infrastructure as an outcome for the country's future. The focus, of the international and domestic forces and the media, is on the war. Consequently, destructive military and guerrilla attacks continue. Furthermore, the taunt of the most common form of verbal irony exist about the drain of the billions of dollars aid packages to Afghanistan in the last 20 years. Experts say widespread corruption in the government has led to a shift in private pockets or a focus on the military, in response the Taliban again become stronger. There are concerns, however, that if the peace process is not properly exploited, the devastating consequences of bullets and bombs could make it more difficult for Afghanistan to recover.
Earlier, US peace envoy Zalmai Khalilzad had repeatedly said in various interviews that some domestic and regional countries were trying to obstruct the ongoing peace process. In June, this year, the American newspaper The Daily Beast published a lengthy report on the allegations of how the challenges to peace is created within the country's security sector. A report in the Daily Beast showed a video of two men being held captive by the Taliban with their eyes closed. The two men have accused Afghan security sources of collaborating with ISIS, a claim denied by Afghan security officials. But in recent days, ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on several educational institutions, including that on Kabul University. The attacks on private educational institutions were carried out against Shiites minority who holds direct Iranian support. The Taliban have rather good relations with Iran, and the Taliban’s Doha delegation has visited Tehran once. Earlier this week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed what he called the next Afghan government not to allow India to use Afghanistan against his country. The United States says the Doha peace process has been begun with Pakistan's direct support. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, who has spent most of his life in the guerrilla warfare and is an experienced military expert, has previously warned that India is trying to infiltrate private militias in Afghanistan through a number of networks to keep the war going in the country. Many analysts say that India is investing in thwarting the peace talks initiated by Pakistan and the United States in Doha. India has close ties with former members of the Northern Alliance who are now key members of Ashraf Ghani's government. Some say that if the ongoing peace talks delay due to the continuing violence, the Ashraf government will have a chance to complete its five-year term. Some others say, if not, the country's major cities could become battlegrounds. Signs of this are that US forces are currently reducing the number of their soldiers in accordance with the US Taliban’s Doha agreement, they are withdrawing while dismantling the military barracks they have built in Afghanistan. In this very critical time experts accuse the Afghan government, on creating hostile environment in Kabul calling it as of Taliban attacks, as an attempt to produce particular information in order to change the perspectives of the media and to prevail over the minds of the US policymakers on the peace talks in Qatar. It is most noticeable that people in power in the country are playing either way using violence but the main hit remains civilians. The situation makes Afghanistan less attractive around the world. International sympathy for Afghanistan is decreasing due to the continuing violence. The last 20 years have not focused on building the country's infrastructure as an outcome for the country's future. The focus, of the international and domestic forces and the media, is on the war. Consequently, destructive military and guerrilla attacks continue. Furthermore, the taunt of the most common form of verbal irony exist about the drain of the billions of dollars aid packages to Afghanistan in the last 20 years. Experts say widespread corruption in the government has led to a shift in private pockets or a focus on the military, in response the Taliban again become stronger. There are concerns, however, that if the peace process is not properly exploited, the devastating consequences of bullets and bombs could make it more difficult for Afghanistan to recover.
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