چکیده:
Ambiguous، often contradictory، assessments of the achievements of NATO/ISAF operations in Afghanistan make it difficult to form a clear picture of the situation on the ground. However، despite the rhetoric of politicians and military leaders who speak of ‘sticking it out’ till the job is done، there are unmistakable signals that the endgame has started. The emphasis now is on fashioning an exit strategy that will justify the claim of ‘mission accomplished’. It is ironic that it is only now، with the dawning awareness that ‘a victor’s peace is impossible’، that the importance of involving the regional states is finally being recognized. With the exception of Pakistan، which from the outset played a strategic role in Western-led operations، there was an implicit reluctance، amounting to a virtual ban، on cooperating with these states as equal partners. China، Russia and Iran were largely ignored، while the Central Asian states were regarded mainly as transit routes. Yet by geography، history، ethnic ties and culture، Afghanistan is an integral part of the region. The ‘neighbourhood’ states are neither unaware nor indifferent to what happens there. Before and since 2001 there have been regional initiatives aimed at promoting stability and development in Afghanistan. This paper gives an overview of the main initiatives، bilateral and multilateral which seek to promote the country’s re-integration into regional cultural، economic and security networks.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Afghanistan, NATO and the Regional States: Challenges and Responses Shirin Akiner Abstract Ambiguous, often contradictory, assessments of the achievements of NATO/ISAF operations in Afghanistan make it difficult to form a clear picture of the situation on the ground.
In 1997, Uzbekistan launched a series of diplomatic consultations to lay the groundwork for the formation of what came to be known as the ‘Six plus Two’ Contact Group, comprising the six states that neighbour Afghanistan – China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – together with Russia and the United States.
The widely reported shortcomings of the Afghan army and police (including high levels of desertion, rampant drug addiction and infiltration by insurgents), suggested that despite the political pressures to reduce the coalition’s role, in practical terms it would be difficult to accomplish this without severely compromising security.
Supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international financial institutions, this project will enable Tajikistan to export electricity to Pakistan via Afghanistan.
In October 2010, Tehran was for the first time officially represented at a meeting of the international contact group on Afghanistan (comprising EU, NATO, and numerous other states).
This paper is based on a longer presentation by the same author, entitled ‘Regional Initiatives to Promote Stability and Development in Afghanistan’, made at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on NATO, the Fight against International Terrorism in Afghanistan and Security Situation in Central Asia since 9/11, held in Ankara, 8-9 April 2011.