Press. voanews.com
Afghanistan’s
beleaguered president, Ashraf Ghani, will host an international conference
Tuesday in a fresh bid to develop “wider consensus” on how to end an
increasingly deadly conflict in the country and collectively fight cross-border
terrorism. The government has named its new regional peace initiative “the
Kabul Process" conference but the first meeting is taking place amid
worsening national security and deepening political tensions.
Foreign
Ministry spokesman Ahmad Shakeb Mustaghani told reporters Monday that
authorities are determined not to allow domestic challenges to hamper their
efforts. He said Afghanistan’s neighbors, such as Iran and Pakistan, are among
the confirmed participants. The spokesman also said others taking part include
the United States, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab
Emirates, Britain, the United Nations and European Union.
“And our
security institutions have also assured the government of putting enough
security measures in place in order to ensure the security of this meeting,”
said Mustaghani. Events of the past week, however, have overshadowed what is
being described as a key step toward promoting Afghan peace and security.
Two
suicide bombings and deadly anti-government protests in Kabul have killed
nearly 120 people and wounded around 600 more. The bloodshed started with a
massive truck bomb explosion that ripped through the diplomatic section of the
capital on Wednesday, May 31.
No group
has claimed responsibility for the either attack, but analysts say they may
mark a turning point.
“The
attack was so large that it changed the situation qualitatively," Zalmay
Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq told VOA. "So
many Afghans were killed and injured it cannot be treated as business as usual.
Afghanistan should no longer have patience for such action."
The
violence outraged residents and political opponents who took to the streets to
demand Ghani resign. Several demonstrators were killed Friday in clashes with
security forces.
Political
divisions
Foreign
Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, head of a major party in the ruling coalition,
Monday linked his cooperation with the Ghani government to the removal of heads
of all security institutions, including the national security adviser.
He
maintained they all failed to prevent the violence and fired at innocent
protesters.
“There is
no doubt that the situation, both political and security situation in
particular, is not good. The inhuman terrorist act that took place on
Wednesday...is a clear example that there is a big problem with the heads of
the security institutions. They should be removed,” Rabbani said.
Deadly
Truck Bomb Rocks Kabul
On
Saturday, the foreign minister and key members of his Jamiat-e Islami party,
including Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, were attending the funeral
of one of the victims of the deadly protests when a triple suicide bombing
struck the service.
Most of
the top leaders miraculously escaped unharmed, but an angry Rabbani, in a press
conference, accused elements within the coalition government of playing a role
in facilitating the attack.
Presidential
spokespeople, without directly responding to Rabbani’s accusations, dismissed
them as "politically" motivated, saying a high-profile investigation
into the violence is under way and the government urges all parties to await
the outcome.
Pakistan
Blame
While
Afghan governing partners are locked in political confrontation, the state
intelligence agency (NDS) has accused the Haqqani network, a key Taliban ally,
of plotting Wednesday’s suicide bombing in cooperation with Pakistan’s spy
agency (ISI).
Islamabad
has rejected the charges as baseless and unfounded, saying Pakistan “in the
strongest terms” has condemned the Kabul terrorist attack. He also dismissed
allegations that Taliban insurgents are using Pakistani soil for orchestrating
the violence.
Instead
of indulging in a blame game, Afghans must share evidence with Pakistan so it
could take “the required action,” said foreign policy advisor, Sartaj Aziz, on
Sunday.
“This
accusatory approach is instigated by those who have no interest in peace and
stability in Afghanistan and their malicious agenda is to damage
Afghanistan-Pakistan relations and the cooperation initiatives recently gaining
momentum,” Aziz asserted.
Attacks
highlight need for talks
While
some in Afghanistan rejected holding talks immediately following the brutal
attacks, Barnett Rubin, associate director of the Center on International
Cooperation at New York University and writer of several books on Afghanistan,
said the situation highlights the need for dialogue.
“You hold
peace conference during a war. War means bloodshed and killing and
unpredictable events. There are also many people who want to continue the war.
Hence it’s inevitable that peace conference will meet under such
circumstances.”
Michael
Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington,
said that although last week’s bombing has raised internal political divisions,
it could lead to a greater push for a peace deal.
"The
attack underscores just how horrible things are and that reconciliation is the
only way forward to bring an end to the constant bloodshed in Afghanistan…The
situation on the ground is growing increasingly critical, and clarity about
U.S. plans has never been more necessary," Kugelman said. The extent of
the U.S. role in Afghanistan has been under review by the Trump administration,
which is expected to announce its strategy soon.
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