India must review all options on Afghanistan – Times of India

President Donald Trump has indicated a shift in its Afghanistan policy by announcing that the US will always have “somebody there”. Trump now says US forces will not completely withdraw from Afghanistan, even as ending America’s longest war was one of his campaign promises in the last presidential elections.

The US President has also hinted that at some point India, Iran, Russia and Turkey will have to come together to contribute in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. All these remarks have come at a time when the US is negotiating a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, using Pakistan’s mediation.

Security experts in India believe that one of the reasons for reorganizing the state of Jammu and Kashmir state at this time and deployment of additional troops along the Line of Control with Pakistan, is the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

The dynamic emerging from the region, after partial withdrawal of US troops, will demand new thinking among policy makers in New Delhi. Last time, when the US withdrew from Afghanistan three decades ago, Pakistan diverted CIA supported jihadis along with their arms and ammunition to Kashmir. Along with the Taliban, the presence of Islamic State in Afghanistan is a concern for India and New Delhi cannot rely on the US for the country’s security interests.

With Trump expecting India to take responsibility for its own territorial security, it is important that New Delhi keeps a close watch on the developments in Afghanistan and also finds out what Russia, Turkey and Iran’s approach would be in the new circumstances. The Modi government must tread the path carefully and engage the Taliban as well to see if this can bear fruit, instead of following the traditional approach.

Read also: Donald Trump says India, other nations at some point would have to fight against terrorists in Afghanistan

India must review all options on Afghanistan – Times of India