HVK Archives: Taliban's onslaught is a warning to India, says Rabbani's envoy
Taliban's onslaught is a warning to India, says Rabbani's envoy - The Times of India
Mahendra Ved
()
August 5, 1998
Title: Taliban's onslaught is a warning to India, says Rabbani's envoy
Author: Mahendra Ved
Publication: The Times of India
Date: August 5, 1998
Fresh aggressive Taliban onslaught in Afghanistan's northern
provinces should ring alarm bells here. If the forces of the
exiled government of Burhanuddin Rabbani fail to stop the
Taliban, they may be soon knocking at India's doors - in
Afghanistan's north-eastern corner touching Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK), the area popularly called the Camel's Neck.
Besides besieged key position of Mazar-e-Sharief, the "real
fight" is on in these north-eastern pockets. "If we lose and
Taliban win, it should be bad for Indian strategy and will give
Pakistan the strategic depth that it has been seeking," warns
Masood Khalili, envoy of the exiled government of Rabbani in New
Delhi.
As northern Afghanistan's provinces are falling to the Taliban
onslaught and Mazar-e-Sharief, the main centre, has been
besieged, diplomatic circles here think its fall could signal an
end to an effective resistance by the Rabbani forces,
However, Mr Khalili says all is not lost in this ding-dong
battle. Ahmed Shah Masoud, his military commander, whom he
contacted at Takhar over telephone Monday night, has assured him
of strong defence lines around Mazar, where fighting has yet to
begin.
"Give us one week. If we hold out at Mazar, then the scenario
will change. Please do not forget that Taliban are not capable of
long fights. They only fight short battles," Mr Khalili said.
The fate of Mazar is crucial to the fratricidal power struggle in
Afghanistan which began almost since the Russians withdrew. On
this city depends the survival of the Rabbani government which
was ousted from Kabul in September 1996. Save a couple of
countries, including Pakistan, it still enjoys diplomatic
recognition from the world community, including the United
Nations.
The Taliban have scored major gains in recent months, capturing
Konduz in the north, touching Turkmenistan. "Taliban are
galloping towards Central Asia and we are doing our best to stop
them. We still control 25 per cent of the territory," said Mr
Khalili.
Among the major Taliban gains have been Maimana, the capital of
Faryab province and the latest, Shabargan, the home base of Uzbek
warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum. Dostum has been in and out of
Afghanistan in the last one year and has thus lost control of
local commanders who, when confronted, have switched over to the
Taliban.
The current spate of fighting in northern Afghanistan is the
result of the massive help Pakistan has rushed to the ruling
Taliban in the wake of the May nuclear tests.
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