The Taliban is growing in strength across the western and southern parts of Afghanistan as winter slowly sets in the war ravaged country. Coalition forces are finding it increasingly difficult to stop the determined Taliban resurgence. With the fall of a western Afghan district at the hands of the Islamic fundamentalists, people are starting to question NATO and the Afghan government’s policies regarding the tackling of the Taliban’s military and political successes.
Many political analysts have warned that the country was breaking into two, with the situation in the west and the south far more dangerous compared to the relatively calm north and the east. The eastern part is slowly becoming fractious due to the influence of Pakistan’s hardliner tribal militants. The popularity of the Afghan president is at an all time low with many Afghans blaming him for not giving enough attention to the backward conditions of the west and the south.
The Taliban has been mostly benefited from the backwardness of the south and the west, as it has helped the radical group in launching a propaganda war against the Afghan government. Most of the Taliban’s recruits come from the south and the massive suicide attacks success that the group had last winter in the south have certainly provided the required boost to the group’s fight against Afghan and coalition forces.
As there was the report that the Taliban fighters are surrounding out side the Kandahar challenging assertions by Afghan government and foreign troop, finally the rebels have overrun a district centre in western Afghanistan as fighting took place in a nearby area captured earlier this week.
According to a Canadian report, the Taliban’s struggle is being financed by various Jihadist groups and individuals from Pakistan and the Gulf. Furthermore the tactics of kidnapping and extortion of foreign aid and reconstruction workers have certainly added to the concern of the coalition forces that are facing domestic pressure to withdraw their forces from the country and with a harsh winter setting in, the situation might get far more difficult to control.
The Iraq war too has played its part to motivate the Taliban. Afghan public opinion has certainly shifted and insurgents from Iraq are also providing support to the Taliban in Afghanistan. It will be of great help to the Afghans and the world if NATO and the Afghan government come up with a constructive strategy to curb the Taliban influence. Afghanistan should not be left alone again in the mercy of radicalism.
Link: Reuters
Image link: Pocho
