"I didn't want to give satisfaction to Pakistan's ISI to humiliate the Republic and compel a statement under duress. Or worse than that, to interrogate an Afghan President."
"By staying, I'd have legitimated a violent coup. This was a coup. It was not an agreement, all previous statements by the Taliban regarding their conduct had been violated." By leaving, "the road for genuine political settlement was opened and not simply a takeover legitimated."
Dec 26, 2021 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
While it fails to discuss Pakistan’s role, it’s a good read by @yarotrof/@jessdonati. There’s no shortage of reasons behind Afghan debacle, but much can be understood by discerning Taliban’s thinking and approach before their takeover. Some excerpts below. wsj.com/articles/how-t…
During Doha talks, when tensions between Taliban’s politicos and military hardliners were strong, one Taliban negotiator, Mullah Fazal, a Haqqani associate, traveled to meet his frontline commanders to explain the Doha agreement’s terms. The military commanders weren’t ecstatic.
Nov 12, 2021 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
The news that Qatar will now serve as a "protecting power" for US interests in Afghanistan is a good development. While the designation is a common practice in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, how might things shape up moving forward? (1)
THREAD
reuters.com/world/exclusiv…
The US has neither broken off diplomatic ties with Taliban authority nor had ever formally/informally established one. But considering US refusal to formally recognize the ruling authority, the opening of US Interests Section is a *creative* way to engage w/ Taliban authority. /2
Oct 27, 2021 • 24 tweets • 5 min read
How Pakistan enabled the Taliban's takeover—an insider account. (THREAD)
Afghanistan’s collapse was no accident. It was a culmination of many failures—internal and external—but the nefarious role Pakistan played in the Taliban takeover was significant. 1/ wsj.com/articles/how-p…
Pakistan’s long-running dual-track approach in Afghanistan is no secret, but it became significant after the 2019 Doha negotiations. In Doha, Pakistan played Taliban whisperer and vowed to facilitate a political deal between Taliban/non-Taliban Afghans. Yet its role was vague. /2
