KABUL (SW): Analysts believe Russia is enhancing its secret ties with the Taliban in a bid to counter the expansion of Daesh and oppose the clout of the U.S here.
This comes at a time when Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, was quoted by some media outlets saying that the Afghan Taliban have evolved as an active political party and as an effective armed group. Kabulov has been also quoted as saying that the Taliban have cut ties with Daesh and other international terrorists, and are fighting for the establishment of an independent government in Kabul.
Jawed Ghafoor, an analyst, told Salam Watandar that Russia sees Daesh as a ‘project’ of the U.S. designed to infiltrate into Russia via the Central Asian states. Ghafoor added that the growing U.S. pressure on Pakistan has compelled this country to approach Russia, and the Taliban, on the directives of Pakistan, have also initiated efforts to approach Russia and Iran. “This [the Taliban] are a good mean for the Russians to challenge U.S. interests here as well as use all the groups here against the West and Daesh”, he said.
Ghafoor however, warned that this is a dangerous game for Afghanistan, and the Afghan government should condemn such remarks by the Russian officials. He added that on one hand, they [Russians] are providing arms to the Afghan government and on the other hand they are acknowledging the Taliban as a ‘strong political party’.
Muhibullah Sharif, another expert on military affairs, said that the remarks by Kabulov suggests that in the short term there are no chances for peace in Afghanistan. He recalled the U.S. first backed the ‘Mujaheden’ against the USSR and now Russia aims to use them against the U.S. Sharif went on to say that the world powers have always manipulated Islamist groups for their own gains.
There have been reports in the past as well about Iran and Russia’s ties with the Taliban, and even about supply of arms to the militants.
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