KABUL – The sudden rise in suicide attacks, both in frequency andintensity, in Afghanistan especially Capital Kabul raises serious questionsas to who was really behind these dastardly acts causing enormous civiliancasualties.
After 22 people were killed in an attack on Intercontinental Hotel,responsibility claimed by Daesh, 103 lost their lives besides injuries to235 others in a suicide attack in the centre of Afghan Capital using anambulance van.
This was followed by an attack on Marshal Fahim National Defence Universityon Monday.
According to media reports, there is despair and anger among residents ofKabul at the seemingly endless wave of attacks who justifiably ask whetherthere was a government in Afghanistan.
Enhanced attacks in Kabul, which is being looked after not only by AfghanGovernment and its army but also the foreign troops, should be a matter forconcern and this raises legitimate concerns whether the present policy ofmilitary solution would produce any results.
Analysts and strategists also apprehend that all this could be part of awell thought out plan to create justification for full-fledged militaryoperation which could also include cross border attacks on ‘safe havens forterrorists’ as claimed earlier both by Afghan Government and the US.
It was next to impossible that Daesh or Taliban would carry out attackafter attack and that too on sensitive targets as well without anyworthwhile resistance.
How is it possible that the United States that has massive intelligencepresence, both land and aerial, is unable to get information on suchwell-planned attacks? The motives also become clear from the statement ofPresident Trump who has urged all nations to crack down on the Talibangroup that orchestrated terrorist attack in Kabul.
His Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that those who supportterrorists or offer sanctuaries to them will no longer be tolerated.
The statement is understandably aimed at Pakistan and should leave nodoubt about what plans the United States has for the region.
Whatever the motives and designs, the world in general and the UnitedStates in particular must not forget that use of force has miserably failedto produce any result in Afghanistan and it is unlikely to yield anypositive outcome in future.
Even the areas that were previously thought to be under some control of theAfghan Government are also now vulnerable and, therefore, peace can onlycome through dialogue and reconciliation and not by shifting blame offailures to Pakistan.