THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 25, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 25, 2018
Afghanistan, on a slow fuse
The attack by the Taliban gunmen at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul last weekend was a grim reminder of the deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan. The siege at the hotel lasted more than 12 hours and claimed 22 victims, including 14 foreigners, before the gunmen were neutralised. Days earlier, in an interview with CBS, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that Afghanistan is “under siege”, with “21 international terrorist groups operating in this country” and “factories producing suicide bombers”. He acknowledged that without U.S. support, the Afghan national army would not “last more than six months” and the government would collapse. This is a bleak assessment indeed coming from an insider who has seen the situation unravelling.
Deteriorating situation
Over the last 16 years, civilian casualties have mounted to 31,000, increasing progressively to over 4,000 a year. The Afghan security forces are losing nearly 7,000 men a year, an attrition rate difficult to sustain and twice the number of casualties that the international coalition forces suffered from 2001 till 2014 when they ceased combat operations and embarked on Operation Resolute Support to “advise, train and assist” the Afghan forces. The U.S. has contributed significant blood and treasure, spending over a trillion dollars (considerably more if long-term veterans’ care is included) and losing more than 2,400 lives in pursuing the longest war in its history. Of this amount, about $120 billion has been spent on reconstruction and development, more than the inflation-adjusted expenditure under the Marshall Plan for rebuilding Western Europe after World War II. The rest of the international community has also contributed. India is a significant partner, having spent over $2 billion on humanitarian assistance, infrastructure building and human resource development, with an additional billion dollars committed. U.S. President Donald Trump is determined to bring about a change in American policy and while authorising a limited increase in U.S. troop presence by 4,000 soldiers, has also been critical of Pakistan. On January 1 he tweeted: “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” The tweet has been followed by a suspension of all military assistance to Pakistan. This has resulted in resentment in Pakistan but whether this will bring about a change in its army’s behaviour remains to be seen.
Eroding legitimacy
Meanwhile, the legitimacy of the National Unity Government (NUG) consisting of Mr. Ghani as President and Abdullah Abdullah as Chief Executive (a newly created position) is increasingly under question. Cobbled together after the disputed 2014 election with political backing from the Obama-Kerry team, the Chief Executive’s position was to be legitimised through a constitutional amendment creating the post of Prime Minister, which has not happened. Without a clear division of power and responsibility, relations between the President and his Chief Executive have remained strained. With presidential elections due next year, it is clear that the NUG experiment will not be repeated. It is hardly surprising that since end-2016, there are growing questions about the legitimacy of the present arrangement. Meanwhile parliamentary elections, which were originally due in 2015, are yet to be held. Electoral reforms to ensure greater transparency have not been implemented. The decision to issue new election cards based on biometric voter registration has remained stillborn. The seven-member Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the five-member Electoral Complaints Commission were finally constituted in November 2016 after prolonged political wrangling between the President and the Chief Executive but the chairman of the IEC was sacked recently. While July 7 has been announced as the date for Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections, most Afghans are certain that elections this year are highly unlikely. Given that elections are funded by the international community and one election is likely to cost $250 million, it is highly probable that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be clubbed together in the middle of 2019, for reasons of economy. However, whether these elections can be held at all will depend upon security. Currently, Taliban controls over 50 districts while another 120 districts are contested, leaving more than 200 districts where the Afghan government exercises control. In other words, the current security situation will not permit elections to be held in nearly 45% of the territory of Afghanistan. This is enough to raise doubts about the legitimacy of any electoral outcome. It is true that the Taliban cannot secure a military victory as long as the U.S. is present, but it is equally true that their ability to disrupt peace, prevent reconstruction and hamper elections continues to grow.
Emergence of warlords
In December, Mr. Ghani announced that he had accepted the resignation of Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor. Mr. Atta issued a denial, refused to step down and declared that he would arrest the new appointee Engineer Dawood if he entered the province. Mr. Atta is an influential leader of the Jamiat-i-Islami and had been in his current position for 13 years, emerging as the regional strong man. In earlier times, he had backed Dr. Abdullah but now he calls him ‘a snake’. When Kabul announced that his signatures were invalid and no provincial payments including salaries to officials would be forthcoming, Mr. Atta coolly declared that he would take control of the customs revenues from the Hairatan land port on the Uzbek border. He has been addressing public rallies questioning the authority of the government in Kabul. The message has not been lost on other regional strong men. Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek leader, in Turkey since last May, has supported Mr. Atta. Mr. Dostum was forced into voluntary exile amid investigations into allegations that he had arranged for the kidnapping of a political opponent who had then been raped and tortured by him and his guards. Further west, Ismail Khan, a former minister in the Karzai cabinet and governor of Herat, can take charge of the lucrative trade route with Iran. In Kandahar, police chief Abdul Razik, who has been in his position since 2011, has resisted attempts to shift him. To his credit, he has delivered a measure of security in Kandahar, in sharp contrast to neighbouring Helmand. He also controls the Spin Boldak crossing into Balochistan. In doing so, he relies as much on his loyal Achakzai militia as on the official police.
The global imperative
The last two years have witnessed a significant shift in Russia’s position. While it has denied U.S. reports of having supplied weapons to the Taliban, Russia acknowledges that it has opened up communication channels and is prepared to both provide a venue and facilitate peace talks. At the recently concluded Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov described the Islamic State as the principal threat to Afghanistan and the region. He questioned as to how its fighters had been brought into northern Afghanistan in unmarked helicopters when the airspace is under U.S. control. The U.S. flatly rejects such insinuations and questioned Russian and Iranian motives in weakening the Kabul government by giving recognition to the Taliban. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, there was an international consensus on rebuilding Afghanistan and ensuring that it should not become a source of regional and global instability. That consensus has eroded over the last 16 years. Further, the Afghans who had returned in large numbers determined to reclaim their country and rebuild it are frustrated at the steady decline in both security and governance. The newly created Afghan institutions are unable to address the challenges without significant international support, both financial and material. However, with a breakdown in the international consensus, it may not be long before the slow fuse reaches ignition point. And 2019 may well become the critical year.
WORDS/ VOCABULARY
1) Grim
Meaning: Very serious or gloomy.
Example: “His grim expression”
Synonyms: Stern, Forbidding
Antonyms: Amiable, Pleasant
2) Deteriorating
Meaning: Become progressively worse.
Example: “Relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply”
Synonyms: Worsen, get worse
Antonyms: Improve
3) Siege
Meaning: A military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender.
Example: “Verdun had withstood a siege of ten weeks”
Synonyms: Blockade, Beleaguerment
Antonyms: Relief, Raising
4) Claimed
Meaning: State or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
Example: “The Prime Minister claimed that he was concerned about Third World debt”
Synonyms: Assert, Declare
5) Bleak
Meaning: (Of a situation) not hopeful or encouraging; unlikely to have a favourable outcome.
Example: “He paints a bleak picture of a company that has lost its way”
Synonyms: Unpromising, Unfavourable
Antonyms: Promising, Hopeful
6) Unravelling
Meaning: Investigate and solve or explain (something complicated or puzzling).
Example: “They were attempting to unravel the cause of death”
Synonyms: Solve, Resolve
Antonyms: Complicate
7) Casualties
Meaning: A person killed or injured in a war or accident.
Example: “The shelling caused thousands of civilian casualties”
Synonyms: Victim, Fatality
8) Attrition
Meaning: The process of reducing something’s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure.
Example: “The council is trying to wear down the opposition by attrition”
Synonyms: Debilitation, Harassment
9) Coalition
Meaning: A temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government.
Example: “A coalition between Liberals and Conservatives”
Synonyms: Alliance, Union
10) Combat
Meaning: Take action to reduce or prevent (something bad or undesirable).
Example: “An effort to combat drug trafficking”
Synonyms: Fight, Battle against
Antonyms: Give in to
11) Embarked
Meaning: Begin (a course of action).
Example: “She embarked on a new career”
Synonyms: Begin, Start
12) Veterans
Meaning: A person who has had long experience in a particular field.
Example: “A veteran of two world wars”
Synonyms: Retired soldier
Antonyms: Novice, Apprentice
13) Pursuing
Meaning: Seek to attain or accomplish (a goal) over a long period.
Example: “Should people pursue their own happiness at the expense of others?”
Synonyms: Strive for, Push towards
Antonyms: Eschew
14) Aid
Meaning: Help, typically of a practical nature.
Example: “He saw the pilot slumped in his cockpit and went to his aid”
Synonyms: Assistance, Support
Antonyms: Hindrance
15) Deceit
Meaning: The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
Example: “A web of deceit”
Synonyms: Deception, Deceitfulness
Antonyms: Honesty
16) Resentment
Meaning: Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.
Example: “His resentment at being demoted”
Synonyms: Bitterness, Indignation
Antonyms: Contentment, Happiness
17) Cobbled
Meaning: Roughly assemble or produce something from available parts or elements.
Example: “The film was imperfectly cobbled together from two separate stories”
Synonyms: Scribble, Improvise, Devise
18) Legitimised
Meaning: Make legitimate.
Example: “Voters legitimize the government through the election of public officials”
Synonyms: Validate, Legitimate
Antonyms: Outlaw
19) Amendment
Meaning: A minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.
Example: “An amendment to existing bail laws”
Synonyms: Revision, Alteration
20) Strained
Meaning: Force (a part of one’s body or oneself) to make an unusually great effort.
Example: “I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any sound”
21) Ensure
Meaning: Make certain of obtaining or providing (something).
Example: “Legislation to ensure equal opportunities for all”
Synonyms: Safeguard, Protect
22) Wrangling
Meaning: Have a long, complicated dispute or argument.
Example: “The bureaucrats continue wrangling over the fine print”
Synonyms: Argue, Quarrel
Antonyms: Agree
23) Sacked
Meaning: Dismiss from employment.
Example: “Any official found to be involved would be sacked on the spot”
Synonyms: Dismiss, Throw out
Antonyms: Hire, Take on
24) Clubbed
Meaning: Combine with others so as to collect a sum of money for a particular purpose.
Example: “Friends and colleagues clubbed together to buy him a present”
Synonyms: Pool resources, make a kitty
25) Hamper
Meaning: A basket with a carrying handle and a hinged lid, used for food, cutlery, and plates on a picnic.
Example: “A picnic hamper”
Synonyms: Basket, Pannier
26) Denial
Meaning: The action of denying something.
Example: “She shook her head in denial”
Synonyms: Contradiction, Refutation
Antonyms: Confirmation
27) Emerging
Meaning: Move out of or away from something and become visible.
Example: “Black ravens emerged from the fog”
Synonyms: Come out, Appear
Antonyms: Disappear
28) Provincial
Meaning: Of or concerning a province of a country or empire.
Example: “Provincial elections”
Synonyms: Small-town, Non-urban
Antonyms: National, Metropolitan,
29) Forthcoming
Meaning: About to happen or appear.
Example: “The forthcoming cricket season”
Synonyms: Imminent, Impending
Antonyms: Past, Current
30) Rallies
Meaning: Bring together (forces) again in order to continue fighting.
Example: “The king escaped to Perth to rally his own forces”
Synonyms: Muster, Marshal
Antonyms: Demobilize, Disband
31) Exile
Meaning: The state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons.
Example: “He knew now that he would die in exile”
Synonyms: Banishment, Expulsion
Antonyms: Return
32) Amid
Meaning: Surrounded by; in the middle of.
Example: “Our dream home, set amid magnificent rolling countryside”
Synonyms: Among, Amongst
Antonyms: Surrounding
33) Allegations
Meaning: A claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof.
Example: “He made allegations of corruption against the administration”
Synonyms: Claim, Assertion
34) Lucrative
Meaning: Producing a great deal of profit.
Example: “A lucrative career as a stand-up comedian”
Synonyms: Profitable, Gainful
Antonyms: Unprofitable
35) Relies
Meaning: Depend on with full trust or confidence.
Example: “I know I can rely on your discretion”
Synonyms: Depend, Bank, Place reliance
Antonyms: Distrust
36) Flatly
Meaning: Showing little interest or emotion.
Example: “‘You’d better go’ she said flatly”
37) Insinuations
Meaning: An unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad.
Example: “I’ve done nothing to deserve all your vicious insinuations”
Synonyms: Implication, Inference
38) Consensus
Meaning: A general agreement.
Example: “There is a growing consensus that the current regime has failed”
Synonyms: Agreement, Harmony
Antonyms: Disagreement, Minority view
39) Eroded
Meaning: Gradually destroy or be gradually destroyed.
Example:”This humiliation has eroded what confidence Jean has”
Synonyms: Abrade, Grind down, Crumble
40) Frustrated
Meaning: Prevent (a plan or attempted action) from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled.
Example: “The rescue attempt was frustrated by bad weather”
Synonyms: Thwart, Defeat
Antonyms: Help, Facilitate
Other Important THE HINDU EDITORIALS for the month of December , 2017 :
DECEMBER – THE HINDU EDITORIAL
Other Important THE HINDU EDITORIALS for the month of January , 2018 :
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 22, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 19, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 18, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 17, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 12, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 11, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 10, 2018
