The Curious Case of Abdul Ghani Baradar

The expeditious legitimacy of the Taliban government in Afghanistan took the world by astonishment, and inquiries concerning the progress of Afghanistan were stressed. Nonetheless, as women continue their designated jobs and education, a swift shift in Taliban ideology is revealed. The transition largely unaffected the US resentment against Taliban officials, however, the case of Abdul Ghani Baradar can throw doubt on the credibility of their claims.

Abdul Ghani Baradar is officially documented as an Afghan militant and one of the founders of the Afghan Taliban. he is anticipated to be the upcoming president of Afghanistan. Hence, it is worthwhile to acknowledge the role of the USA in the rise of this key political figure, as he was released from Pakistani prison under the pressure of the Trump Administration in 2018. In fact, he demonstrated a prominent role in the Doha negotiations and headed the Taliban political office.

This fact was further confirmed in US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s address to the US Institute of Peace on 8 February 2019. He confirmed that the release of Abdul Ghani Baradar from Pakistani prison was undertaken at his request. Accordingly, the support extended to key Taliban players puts the role of the USA in the current dynamics of Afghanistan into question. Adding on, the Taliban forces have demonstrated effective public relations strategies to counter media warfare, such as readily accepting interviews by female journalists, taking selfies in the streets of Kabul, and debunking propaganda through their Twitter handles and press conferences. The extraordinary public relations communication further throws doubt on the role of the USA, as such anorganizational structure is hard to attain under tribal circumstances.

Academics largely depict and address the notion that the 20-year war against the Taliban forces demonstrates US resentment against the militants. However, it can be argued that their rise to power was promoted by ambitions of containing China and its rising influence across Afghanistan and Central Asia. The land of Afghanistan has access to abundant resources, such as chromium, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, zinc, lithium, marble, and talc, in addition to energy resources of natural gas and petroleum. On the contrary, the state of China also exhibits aspirations of accessing Central Asian states through the Wakhan Corridor under the sovereignty of Afghanistan, under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The relation of the USA with prominent Taliban figures like Abdul Ghani Baradar questioned the legitimacy of US resentment against the Taliban government. Accordingly, the notion of the USA backing the Taliban forces to generate a civil war to contain China’s aspirations in Afghanistan and Central Asia was brought up.

Along with that context, the US intelligence predicted a civil war subsequent to the Taliban takeover, thereby impacting China’s objectives in the region. Instability in Afghanistan carries the capability of directly impacting the means of China seeking benefits, and coming across as the victor in the recently induced cold war. Henceforth, the US played a critical role in the Taliban’s rise to power and is responsible for the ascent of prominent political figures such as Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Nevertheless, the contemporary dynamics of Afghanistan lie in favor of China, despite the Taliban takeover. The effective public relations and shift in Taliban ideology resulted in its fast acceptance among the Afghan population. In addition, the former US-backed government of Ashraf Ghani being riddled with corruption, hence people readily accepted the Taliban government, and progression towards a civil war was sidestepped. In addition, the withdrawal of US strops allowed China to attain maximum opportunities in Afghanistan.

Shortly after the takeover, the Foreign Office of China released statements regarding establishing friendly cooperation with the new Afghan government and projected affirmations that it would play a role in reconstructing the war-torn land while respecting its sovereignty. Hence, China will aim to access the resources of Afghanistan and Central Asia in the near future.

It is also critical to acknowledge that the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, acts as a potential safe haven for terrorist groups. Since China is home to militant Uighurs and is combating their insurgent movements, the relations of these states can be tested. It will bring up the relation of Taliban forces with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement into question, which serves as a source of unrest in China’s Xinjiang province.

The relation of the USA with prominent Taliban figures like Abdul Ghani Baradar questioned the legitimacy of US resentment against the Taliban government. Accordingly, the notion of the USA backing the Taliban forces to generate a civil war to contain China’s aspirations in Afghanistan and Central Asia was brought up.

Nevertheless, the acceptance of Taliban forces among the Afghan population and the recognition by China allows for China to attain the benefits of the region without the presence of US troops. However, the future of China and Afghanistan remains uncertain under the influence of Uighur militants, and their affiliation with the Afghan Taliban. Accordingly, the notion of potential safe havens for Uighur militants in Afghanistan has been brought up, raising the question whether China and Afghanistan will be able to pursue economic interests despite ideological clashes?