Islamic Republic of Afghanistan : News & Discussions

Signing ceremony of MoU for the construction of the Lalandar "Shatoot" Dam in Afghanistan​

A signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] for the construction of the Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam in Afghanistan took place over VTC on 9 February 2021. The MoU was signed by EAM Dr. Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Mr. Hanif Atmar, in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of Afghanistan H.E. Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.

The project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region.

This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India- Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and the President in June 2016. Signing of the MoU on Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam is a reflection of India’s strong and long-term commitment towards the socio-economic development of Afghanistan and the enduring partnership between our two countries. As a part of our Development Cooperation with Afghanistan, India has completed more than 400 projects covering all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister, in his remarks, highlighted the civilisational relationship between India and Afghanistan and gave an assurance of India's continued support for a peaceful, united, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan.
 
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India evacuates staff from Kandahar consulate as Taliban advance into city | India News - Times of India


Frankly , I would've thought the ANA being some 200 k strong would've put up a fight. They seem to be collapsing like Ninepins . The Najib Government showed much more resilience than these nincompoops . Acc to this report it's game over within a few weeks . It's no wonder the Afghan Govt was almost pleading for a national unity government as a compromise.

Meanwhile Pakistan is doing what it does best . Allow it's tanzeems to fight within Afghanistan alongside the PA both ex & serving personnel as well as alongside the Taliban.

There's no sign of any mobilization by the NA or news about Abdullah Abdullah , Amrullah Saleh & Masood . The situation as it stands is far too depressing & alarming than previously thought based on extant news .

@Milspec ; @Nilgiri
 
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India evacuates staff from Kandahar consulate as Taliban advance into city | India News - Times of India


Frankly , I would've thought the ANA being some 200 k strong would've put up a fight. They seem to be collapsing like Ninepins . The Najib Government showed much more resilience than these nincompoops . Acc to this report it's game over within a few weeks . It's no wonder the Afghan Govt was almost pleading for a national unity government as a compromise.

Meanwhile Pakistan is doing what it does best . Allow it's tanzeems to fight within Afghanistan alongside the PA both ex & serving personnel as well as alongside the Taliban.

There's no sign of any mobilization by the NA or news about Abdullah Abdullah , Amrullah Saleh & Masood . The situation as it stands is far too depressing & alarming than previously thought based on extant news .

@Milspec ; @Nilgiri

Let us see how things develop around Kabul, that is where ANA is going to consolidate around the blackwater "consultancy" crew....logistically the other cities are just too much for them.

It wont be over there in few weeks or even this year I feel....at least from what I have seen so far in the ANA handles based there.
 
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Let us see how things develop around Kabul, that is where ANA is going to consolidate around the blackwater "consultancy" crew....logistically the other cities are just too much for them.

It wont be over there in few weeks or even this year I feel....at least from what I have seen so far in the ANA handles based there.
If this means losing control of the rest of the country at the cost of holding Kabul & the Panjshir valley I don't see how's that going to help . They may only prolong the war at best in case of the former . I wonder how are supplies & logistics going to be managed though.
 
India evacuates staff from Kandahar consulate as Taliban advance into city | India News - Times of India


Frankly , I would've thought the ANA being some 200 k strong would've put up a fight. They seem to be collapsing like Ninepins . The Najib Government showed much more resilience than these nincompoops . Acc to this report it's game over within a few weeks . It's no wonder the Afghan Govt was almost pleading for a national unity government as a compromise.

Meanwhile Pakistan is doing what it does best . Allow it's tanzeems to fight within Afghanistan alongside the PA both ex & serving personnel as well as alongside the Taliban.

There's no sign of any mobilization by the NA or news about Abdullah Abdullah , Amrullah Saleh & Masood . The situation as it stands is far too depressing & alarming than previously thought based on extant news .

@Milspec ; @Nilgiri
Well,
Remember after 87 withdrawal by the soviets, a bunch stayed back, during the Mujhahideen civil, the russians fired close to 400 scuds at the insurgents killing almost 2000 of them.

Also there was no clear target. everyone was fighting everyone. Massoud fought against Najib's soviet back forces, so did dostum, Hekymetyaars hizb, then there was Abdul Haq's attacking Kabul, I forgot the name of the old guy, some saferi or naderi something like that fought hizb as well as dostum. The massoud fought all of the Pashtuns and also Dostum. So everyone was busy fighting each other that gave Kabul more time untill they reached the accords.
And lastly remember Kabul fell to Massoud and Dostum alliance, a force back in the day to reckon with, So much so they broke the backs of Hizb once and then hizb+isi+mullah omar next. They ran out of resources and had to fall back to panjshir.

ANA is not Northern Alliance anymore, the fighters either are jaded or retired, the new crop is weak and derived from the non-fighting force, lack the will to fight as well as the tribal motvations that bound them in the past.
 
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ANA is not Northern Alliance anymore, the fighters either are jaded or retired, the new crop is weak and derived from the non-fighting force, lack the will to fight as well as the tribal motvations that bound them in the past.
This isn't a question of choice. It's a question of their survival . I doubt the non Pashtuns are going to be accepting of the Taliban. Ditto for the other minorities. Other than picking up arms whether as part of the ANA or otherwise , I really don't see how else will they survive.

Furthermore the kind of internecine quarrels observed between different Mujahideen groups that dominated the post Soviet withdrawal won't be seen this time around . The Taliban has always been a disciplined force . This time around the situation is more of a 1996 type than of a 1989 type.
 
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This isn't a question of choice. It's a question of their survival . I doubt the non Pashtuns are going to be accepting of the Taliban. Ditto for the other minorities. Other than picking up arms whether as part of the ANA or otherwise , I really don't see how else will they survive.

Furthermore the kind of internecine quarrels observed between different Mujahideen groups that dominated the post Soviet withdrawal won't be seen this time around . The Taliban has always been a disciplined force . This time around the situation is more of a 1996 type than of a 1989 type.
ANA was setup to fail. Afghanistan has no economy to sustain a trained military, unless it is propped up by aid. If its finances could have been sorted out, it could have had a chance.
At this point, there is nothing, just some farming, and opium trade.

The only way it could have been rescued if US provides air support. Pretty soon Taliban will create choke points, and Kabul will run out of fuel. No fuel, no air superiority, and Kabul done.

On the other hand, US could straight up threaten Pakistan to control it's dogs or it will be back to drones, and see if they bite.
 
Road to peace in Afghanistan lies in Pakistan.

Now one can take that to mean whatever one wishes it to mean.
 
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ANA was setup to fail. Afghanistan has no economy to sustain a trained military, unless it is propped up by aid. If its finances could have been sorted out, it could have had a chance.
At this point, there is nothing, just some farming, and opium trade.

I'm not quite sure if the ANA is that weak. Beginning Trump's presidency, the US has steadily withdrawn from an active role with the ANA carrying out all the operations which in the past couple of years have in all probability seen a downturn in support functions by the US troops to the ANA too. Arguably this is also the phase where the Taliban made active gains.

I see their lack of performance as primarily a leadership problem. If the government itself isn't keen on takit a stand & is virtually in surrender mode what does it do to the morale of the fighting men . To make matters worse there's a deep division within the government itself with the NA elements in an uneasy truce with Ghani's followers.

Let's not forget the Afghan Army ably held fort during Najeeb's tenure after Soviet withdrawal in 1989 right up to 1992 when the SU dissolved & aid dried up.

The only way it could have been rescued if US provides air support. Pretty soon Taliban will create choke points, and Kabul will run out of fuel. No fuel, no air superiority, and Kabul done.

On the other hand, US could straight up threaten Pakistan to control it's dogs or it will be back to drones, and see if they bite.


I don't think the US & it's allies would deny the Government aid. I personally think they don't trust this government to last. Where a Churchill is required we seem to see an Atlee in power. That to me is the fundamental problem with the present leadership in Afghanistan. Unless a new leadership emerges & that would be to lead the resistance since I don't see the present government lasting too long, providing aid would in the present situation be like throwing good money after bad.

I hope my assessment is wrong for the sake of Afghanistan & India.
 
Well,
Remember after 87 withdrawal by the soviets, a bunch stayed back, during the Mujhahideen civil, the russians fired close to 400 scuds at the insurgents killing almost 2000 of them.

Also there was no clear target. everyone was fighting everyone. Massoud fought against Najib's soviet back forces, so did dostum, Hekymetyaars hizb, then there was Abdul Haq's attacking Kabul, I forgot the name of the old guy, some saferi or naderi something like that fought hizb as well as dostum. The massoud fought all of the Pashtuns and also Dostum. So everyone was busy fighting each other that gave Kabul more time untill they reached the accords.
And lastly remember Kabul fell to Massoud and Dostum alliance, a force back in the day to reckon with, So much so they broke the backs of Hizb once and then hizb+isi+mullah omar next. They ran out of resources and had to fall back to panjshir.

ANA is not Northern Alliance anymore, the fighters either are jaded or retired, the new crop is weak and derived from the non-fighting force, lack the will to fight as well as the tribal motvations that bound them in the past.

Warlords will rise to prominence again. They will call for resistance and people who do not like the Taliban will flock to them. So we are gonna see a repeat of everyone fighting each other. Whether it will last or not is anyone's guess.