The assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, former President of Afghanistan and the head of the High Peace Council that is leading reconciliation efforts with the Taliban, has underlined that the prospects of peace in that long-suffering land remain remote. The manner of the killing, by a trusted visitor carrying a bomb in his turban, has an eerie resemblance to the assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud of the Northern Alliance 10 years ago. Two men posing as television journalists killed the “Lion of Panjshir” two days before al-Qaeda carried out its horrific attacks on the New York Twin Towers. It was clearly a pre-emptive move to neutralise the Northern Alliance and deny the U.S. a strong ally on the ground in the military retaliation that would follow the 9/11 attacks. Rabbani's assassination is the most significant political killing since that of Massoud. With the Taliban and the Pakistan-based Haqqani network emerging as prime suspects, it is a massive setback to the peace process. An ethnic Tajik who headed the fragile and embattled Afghan government between 1992 and 1996, Rabbani was a hated figure for the Taliban. The feeling was mutual, but he had thrown himself into the efforts by the U.S. and President Hamid Karzai to bring the militants to the negotiating table. Only in June, Rabbani declared that the HPC's efforts had led to a breakthrough in contacts with the Haqqani network and the Quetta Shura. Even Mullah Omar, the Taliban supremo, made some interested noises. The 71-year-old Rabbani was also making overtures to Pakistan in an attempt to repair relations that had soured in the 1990s. The assassination revives doubts about the assumption that some Taliban are ready to do a deal with Washington.
Rabbani himself was not entirely convinced about the reconciliation project. His participation was most likely driven by fears of being left out of any settlement in a post-U.S. scenario. Both the U.S. and President Karzai saw him as vital to the challenge of bringing non-Pashtun groups on board. This task is bound to get more complicated as non-Pashtuns are now likely to turn suspicious about Taliban intentions. For India, the killing means the loss of an ally. Coming barely a week after the Taliban attack on the U.S. Embassy, this terror strike in an area described as the “Green Zone” of Kabul also nails the U.S. claim, as it withdraws troops from Afghanistan, that western troops have succeeded in weakening the militants. The American envoy in Kabul brushed off last week's attack as mere “harassment,” saying the traffic congestion in the Afghan capital was now the bigger headache. If only that were true.
Can there be an end to the Afghan problem? After the last King, Afghanistan in last 40 years have remained in flux. First Russians had to abandon Afghanistan and now Americans are on the verge of desperation. It seems that the only way out of this problem is complete annihilation of Taliban. The victory of Taliban is out of option for the non Muslim world. The best way out here is to divide Afghanistan on the ethnic lines. The division will kill the militancy as well as Taliban.
It is increasingly becoming clear that US invasion of Afghan would end without any fruitful results and by the time US troops leave Afghanistan , it would be at the brink of full blown civil war.
It is a loss for Afghanistan which is struggling for restoration of Democracy.Pakistan is playing a double game in Afghanistan.On one side it is supporting US and on the other hand, supporting Talibans.The ISI's support to Taliban terrorists in attacking NATO forces/Hqrs, and killing peace maker Rabbani, once again proves its motive.Pakistan will not yield to any threats by USA. Unless it is declared terrorist state, it is not going to listen to US. By this way Pak govt., wants one more American aid.It is not too late now.At least the world should unite literally and fight against Terrorism , keeping aside their isms and theories.Other wise the destruction of humanity is not too far.If the nuclear arsenal fall into the hands of these terrorists, all will come to an end. Let the world awake.
i think US should abandon the concept of good taliban and bad taliban.Good Taliban is nothing but a proxy used by Pakistan to further its strategic interests in af.It's cost has to be borne by ordinary Afghans. Taliban is a terrorist organisation of highest order.Pak is suffering all humiliations on its inaction on terrorist groups like haqqani network in the hopoe that it will finally recover its costs once US exits.a nation that has destroyed itself cannot be left in charge of another unstable nation.
A country as torn as Afghanistan, needs nation building. Although it will be wrong to compare it to Germany after WWII but the measures taken then were actually spot on. Measures that builds a government, an efficient police force, educational infrastructure are the need of the hour. With inclusive education I believe the scourge of fundamentalism can be slowly rooted out, not only in Afghanistan but elsewhere too.
The dreadful death of Rabbani must be viewed as a red light by Afghans and of course the complete world.After every terrorist assault,a country's people pledge to finish terrorism.Why don't all the countries counter attack this global enemy ,to give it a final blow? We all need to pledge that this will be our last pledge to end terrorism.
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