Russian Peace Process is a Mirage, while the American process goes through a Series of Assassinations

By: Saifullah Mustanir*

(Translated)

The Russian Foreign Ministry Officials state that the Moscow Peace Talks will be held in the beginning of November, involving all sides of the conflict and other regional and international players. Previously, Russia had invited all regional and other countries to participate in such peace talks on September 4th 2018. However, due to the Afghan government and the United States’ refusal to participate for Kabul’s claim of not being coordinated previously. Therefore, Zameer Kabulov, the Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan announced that these talks will be held in the beginning of November this year, after the Afghan Delegation – headed by the Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister – visited Moscow.

Russia, as always, is far behind in realization of the real American evil intentions in the region – post Afghanistan - US Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). Because in the past, the Russians assumed that the American’s sincerely “fight terrorism” and narcotics. However, after their realization of the fact that by signing the BSA, the US has not only positioned herself for a long-term foothold in Afghanistan, but also has; a. used Afghanistan as poppy cultivation farms, b.  deliberately brought insecurity in the northern parts of Afghanistan and, c. helped ISIS rehabilitate in these parts, aimed at challenging the Central Asian stability. Therefore, Russia was forced to seriously consider the establishment of strong political ties with Taliban.

Consequently, they started a new peace process, parallel to the American initiated process in Afghanistan. However, their miscalculation of the situation lies in their wrong comparison of Afghanistan with Syria. It is due to the fact that the US economic-political (colonialism) agenda for the Syria is different than that is for Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the US and NATO’s priorities are to; a. use Afghanistan’s geostrategic location, besieging Russia and China, b. colonize the Central Asian natural resources, c. steal Afghanistan’s virgin minerals and, d. prevent the emergence of the Islamic Khilafah in the region. Therefore, they will never share or handover its affairs – in war and ”peace” – neither to China nor to Russia.

Meanwhile in Syria, the US involved first Russia (before it fails) and later Turkey after it realized its failure in protecting its puppet through Hizbullah Militias, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani Shia Militias. Meanwhile, to deviate the revolutionary forces, it supported the Saudi, Qatari and Turkish roles, that resulted in the survival of the brutal Syrian regime and a temporary defeat of the revolution of the people of Shaam. However, the style of bringing Russia into the Syrian political arena is designed to disable its ability to exit the conflict and increase its burden of huge military expenditure on a daily basis– without US’s permission. This in itself is damaging the Russian – newly built – economy, because of which Russia is trying to exit through a series of failed peace talks’, though the real lines for the Syrian political future is drawn by the US in Geneva and Riyadh, the implementation of which lies on Turkey’s shoulders.

On the other hand, the American designed peace process for Afghanistan – in a post Zalmai Khalilzad entry as a Special Secretary of States’ Envoy for Afghanistan’s ”Peace” process – it started from his ten days visit to Islamabad, Doha, UAE, Riyadh and Kabul. As a result, he was able to meet with the Taliban, Afghan government, Pakistani and Arab Officials; discuss their proposed Afghanistan “Peace” Process; and exchange their special messages. Thus, one of the diehard Taliban opposition figures, General Abdul Jabar Qahraman, was assassinated – through a bomb blast – inside his electoral campaign office in Lashkargah city of Helmand Province. In addition, two days later, General Abdul Raziq, one another famous anti-Taliban figures, a strong influential of the southern Afghanistan and the police chief of Kandahar Province was also assassinated right after his meeting with the US-NATO top commander for Afghanistan. Almost two weeks later, Fareed Bakhtawer, Speaker of the Farah Provincial Council and the most influential figure of his province was killed in a helicopter crash. He, was the only remaining force at the face of Taliban, during the fall of the city, while police, army and NDS forces had fled the city already. Taliban have claimed responsibility for all of these assassinations.

One of the important points in this discussion is the technical and political nature of General Abdul-Raziq’s assassination. It is so unclearly reported, and so little information is provided to the public, where it is inconsiderate to denounce the direct and indirect American involvement. Therefore, the Afghan public has reached to the conclusion that the Americans themselves have carried out this assassination, as all sides of the conflict have benefited from this incident. For Pakistan, a strict opponent of the barbed wires on Durand line, for Taliban, a diehard enemy, who also gained fame in torturing and murdering numerous Taliban figures and for President Ghani, a political rival in the southern electoral region of the country has been removed. Thus, the question remains that which one of these can be more beneficial for the US to lose one of the most loyal puppet commanders of them in the country?

In addition to and in continuation of this series of assassinations in Afghanistan, Maulana Sami’ul Haq, the leader of Jam’iat e Ulema Islam of Pakistan – on the other side of the Durand line –, who also had inherited the Haqanya Madrassa, and famed as the “Spiritual Father of Taliban” was assassinated by an unknown person in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In accordance to BBC, the Afghan and Pakistani governments had some serious concerns over his possible influence in – failure of the – peace talks and therefore, had tried to gain his support for these talks, something that could not attain his green light at all.

Moreover, following the assassination of General Abdul Raziq, Mulla brother, one of the deputies of the late Mulla Muhammad Umar, was released from the Pakistani prison upon the special request made by Khalilzad. Additionally, five ex-Guantanamo detainee Taliban were also released from their house arrest in Doha.

Consequently, if these developments do not appear interrelated technically, however, they are directly pointing towards the ground paving for a “peace” that the US is hoping to achieve. Therefore, in addition, to the intensified US bombing of Taliban, they have also started a round of “peace” talks with Taliban. As a result, they are not only releasing the Taliban prisoners, but also are removing each and every one of those, who can pose as a threat to a peace process, which in fact is a trap for dividing the Taliban forces – bringing their political leadership into the government and leaving the fighting force – void of political leadership and joining other groups - to continue their battle in parts of Afghanistan and giving the American’s their reason to remain occupying Afghanistan.

It is upon us to carefully study the political scenario of Afghanistan from all of its regional and international dimensions; do not allow the colonialist forces, each one of whom compete in drinking Muslim blood, to play with the fate of Afghan people and all of the involved parties. Instead, we need to evaluate our situation based on our Islamic beliefs, stay steadfast in exposing their evil plots and protect the Ummah from falling into the colonial traps.

* Director of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 208