On Wednesday October 19th, 2011, a six member delegation comprising the foreign ministry officials from Belgium and Luxemburg visited the DSS department for a roundtable exchange of views on the regional security dynamics with special reference to Afghanistan. Amongst the participants, were faculty members from DSS and History department and students, who exchanged their views.
The discussion covered a wide range of issues including the implications of Prof Rabbani’s implications on the Afghan Peace process, what will the Istanbul conference spell new for the Afghan Reconciliation and reconstruction scenario, role of the regional actors and post US exit from Afghanistan. it was discussed that the US plan of ushering in a sustainable and strong government in Afghanistan is not possible, specially on timelines, as governance and political stability are not time bound processes and a mere increase in body count of alleged insurgents and terrorists is by no means an assurance towards peace and termination of violent conflict.
In fact, the US and its allies need to create confidence not only amongst the warring factions, but also amongst regional actors and give peace and not warring signals. To start with, bring an end to drone strikes, declare ceasefire and open space for negotiations across the board. The critical variable is seeking clarity in US approach which appears extremely disconnected and vague. The roundtable discussion finished with a round of question and answers and a note of thanks from the Chair DSS.