Nato and the US should support Afghanistan

Elections are a seminal moment in any democracy. It assumes more importance in a war-torn country such as Afghanistan as the power of ballot offers invaluable hope to people. On Sunday, a suicide bomber attacked a voter registration centre in Kabul in a bid to spread fear, violence and dissuade people from participating in electoral process. Dozens were killed and scores injured. Since the voter registration began this month for legislative elections due in October, there have already been at least four attacks on such centres. Daesh has claimed responsibility for the latest one. The extremist group is one among the many enemies of Afghanistan, and do not want even a semblance of order in the country. Since the extremist group has been uprooted from its stronghold in Syria and Iraq, it is trying to get its grip on the vulnerable Afghan nation. Sowing fear and chaos has been its strategy. But Afghanistan should not be deterred. Its people should not lose hope and give in to terror.

Afghanistan has been on the front line of the global war on terror for decades, and it cannot win this battle alone. It needs the support of international partners. The onus lies with Nato and primarily the US, which has had an incoherent policy since the beginning. Instead of leaving the country for the wolves, it should be more supportive of President Ashraf Ghani and his government. The US should offer more aid and security, which Afghanistan needs to ensure fair elections. Ghani’s government is willing to take bold measures for peace. It was right in inviting Taleban to the table without preconditions for talks. It has a security plan in place, which should be discussed and supported. There would be no simple solutions for the country that is struggling with the rise of Daesh, resurgence of Al Qaeda and menace of Taleban. The government only has control over less than two thirds of the country. Lawlessness is writ large. Yet, it deserves a chance. The government is trying to keep the nascent democracy alive and transform its society into a stable nation. It would be in the interest of Nato and the US in particular to back Afghanistan and help it craft a strategy that has victory as its end goal.