Afghanistan.. To Where?

Afghanistan has been a land crossroad between east and west and south and west. In the past, Genghis Khan and Alexander the great passed from there. In the modern history, the British, Russian, United States of America and NATO, and other regional and international powers passed from there.

The strategic location of Afghanistan forms a basis of the current conflict that has been taking place for years. September attacks was a factor for the international forces to fight terrorism and intervene Afghanistan; so Afghanistan has become the playground in which international and regional powers compete each other there.

When we look at the political geography of Afghanistan, we find that its south is populated by Pashtun tribes; its north is populated by Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen people and some Arabs and Bashtun.

Russia has been an important power with its influence although it was beaten at the time of Soviet Union. China through its economic power has kept trying to reinforce its power in Afghanistan; constructing a hospital in Kabul by China is one of the witnesses.  India increased its developmental aids to Afghanistan; its funding to train governmental employees in Afghanistan was estimated as 108 million dollars. Iran contributed to fund the presidential campaigns of Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah at one time and at the same level. The percentage of Shi’a in Herat, Afghanistan reached 25 % which has become a base for the Iranian power in Afghanistan.

India and Iran had negotiations to find out the ways encounter Taliban and its threats, both sides focused on discussing the ways and steps aiming to prevent radicals from being in authority again.

Pakistan, the neighboring country of Afghanistan, has an important role in Afghanistan including the Bashtun extended tribes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and accusations of its support and close relations with Taliban.

United States of America announced that it began investigating the documents leaked by wikileaks about the years of war on Afghanistan. While Pakistan denied what was mentioned in the documents with respect to Islam Abad’s support to Taliban.

When the UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited India, he called Pakistan to end its relations with radicals. Cameron addressed Pakistan clearly that it should take strict measures against terrorist groups which targeting South and West Asia, World including Afghanistan, and London streets.

The White House realized the impossibility of controlling Afghanistan without Islam Abad’s support. John Kerry, the Head of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited Pakistan to introduce Obama’s administration suggestion to cooperate with Pakistan to reach to political solution in Afghanistan. Kerry said that sending more military troops won’t solve the crisis in Afghanistan.

David Petraeus, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander U.S. Forces Afghanistan, declared that achieving any advancement in Afghanistan will take time; reassuring his refusal to the deadline of withdrawal from Afghanistan when the current situation won’t suit that.