Taliban take over: Is it even true?
By Tessa Toms
Much of the present narrative highlights how much Taliban is capturing more and more parts of the Afghan state with each passing day. Seldom, are there reports in the mainstream media about gains of the Afghan forces. A casual read through many media reports would cast an impression among the readers that the Afghan forces are sitting idle. An ignorant mind is bound to consider this as the truth. However a prudent mind would wonder, what an absolute naïve and nonsensical pitch for a psywar (psychological warfare) campaign!
“It is baseless propaganda,” as rightly pointed out by the deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Defence, Fawad Aman. Taliban’s claim of controlling 90 percent of Afghanistan’s border is an “absolute lie” Aman told AFP. He reiterated that ‘ government forces were in control of the country’s borders and all main cities and highways.’
Efforts of the Afghan forces in securing the country cannot be ignored. Afghan forces retook control of Kaldar district in the northern province of Balkh. Kaldar district in the province located along the Amu River, sharing borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan was captured by Taliban a month back, the Afghan forces along with members of the public uprising forces have gained back control over it. The Hairatan border town, which is a key trade gateway and a port between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, is located in Kaldar district is now secured and the situation in Mazar-e-Sharif and in its periphery has since remained stable.
In northern Jawzjan province, key Takiban members and 9 militants were killed after warplanes targeted terrorist hideouts in Murghab and Hassan Tabbin villages on the outskirts of provincial capital Shiberghan. Qari Ismail, the Taliban Shadow Governor for Jowzjan was also killed along with 11 bodyguards in an airstrike in the Salmzan area of Jawzjan Province.
Meanwhile, Afghan forces secured the Islam Qala port area, with a combined team of the National Directorate of Security personnel, Commandos, and militia affiliated with former Water and Energy Minister Ismail Khan. Islam Qala port in the western province of Herat is Afghanisthan’s biggest border crossing with Iran. Acting Interior Minister Gen. Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal appreciated Ismail Khan’s recent decision to form National Uprising Forces to cooperate with the ANDSF in Herat Province. Afghan security forces also foiled an attack on the Salma Dam in Herat, killing two Taliban fighters and injuring five others.
There seems to be a propaganda spread to legitimize Taliban’s position as a political stakeholder advertising its image as a ‘possible firewall against militants linked to Islamic State terrorists who operate out of Afghan bases’. Consequently, the group is making sure that the key political leaders of the states that support it make statements in support of the outfit. An influential Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain leading the Defense Affairs committee of the Upper House of Parliament is reported to have said that “China, Iran and Russia apparently are reconciled to a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan.” Further he said that, “China, Iran and Russia have a certain comfort level with the Taliban and they are willing to cooperate with them and give them legitimacy, unlike 1990s, when only Pakistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia recognized them,”
Conversely, news reports suggest that as of the third week of July, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Tajik counterpart, Sherali Mirzo discussed joint measures to counter threat from the Taliban along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. Earlier, Russia pledged support to Tajikistan to build new border outposts. The Russian led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is stationing troops near Afghanistan’s northern border. Previously, Tajikistan on June 26th, deployed its forces near the Afghan border on and later on July 5th, the Tajik government recalled some 20,000 reserve personnel to strengthen forces along the approximately 1,360-kilometer frontier with Afghanistan. Also, members of the CSTO visited the Tajik-Afghan border area in early July.
Further, forces belonging to Russia’s 201st Division, which is stationed in Tajikistan, conducted military exercises on July 6th, involving attack helicopters and tanks, specifically in response to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. On July 7th, Uzbek troops conducted joint exercises with the Russian military in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand Province. The military preparedness of Russia and the Russian led CSTO members nowhere appeared to be a preparation awaiting Taliban coming to power.
“An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in India, while on his first official visit to the country. This statement came as a reaction to the key Taliban leadership visiting China and assuring their international obligations. “The Islamic Emirate assured China that Afghanistan’s soil would not be used against any country’s security and they (China) promised not to interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs, but instead help to solve problems and bring peace”, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told AFP.
It is a widely known fact that China is more interested in containing the activities of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) militants in Afghanistan and to prevent their infiltration into Xinjiang. Also, securing their investments in order to foster their BRI plans is Beijing’s key priority and that explains their friendly attitude towards the Taliban.
Further, Blinken in New Delhi said that, “The Taliban says that it seeks international recognition, that it wants international support for Afghanistan. Presumably it wants its leaders to be able to travel freely in the world, sanctions lifted, etc. The taking over of the country by force and abusing the rights of its people is not the path to achieve those objectives.” Security analysts suggest that the Taliban has geared up their international diplomacy, aiming to seek global recognition for the time they hope to return to power. “By getting the Chinese on their side, the Chinese would be able to provide them with diplomatic cover at the Security Council,” Australia-based Afghanistan expert Nishank Motwani told AFP. He added that, “It is important to note… when other countries open up their doors and engage with the Taliban it undercuts the legitimacy of the Afghan government and presents the Taliban almost as a government in waiting.”
Finally, whatever be the Taliban and its supporters propaganda, the international community must look at the outfit cautiously. Providing support to a militant organization trying to gain political recognition would only prove detrimental to the region’s long term peace and stability.
