There is no doubt that the capture of Kunduz is neither the first nor last time that the military will be under pressure. But there is unshaken belief in the security forces’ ability to fight off the pressure each time.
The fall of Kunduz city and the severity of the attacks by armed opponents on security forces in different parts of the country is a sign of the managerial weakness of the government. From the reactions of Afghanistan’s allies and also leaders in Kabul, far from revealing the strength of the Taleban, the loss of Kunduz exposes the lethargy of local authorities as well as the lack of decisiveness of the national unity government.
Asadullah who fled to Kabul after the situation in Kunduz got worse says, “The bells of danger have been struck many times, and there were signs of imminent armed attack by Taleban who had set up ambushes around Kunduz. But not taking the threat seriously has created the crisis and people are witnessing a tragedy.”
The situation in other parts of Afghanistan, for instance in Helmand, Badakhshan and Faryab, has been much the same for the past one year. The government should have tackled and repelled the enemy.
President Ashraf Ghani called a press conference and announced that Kunduz was under the management of government forces, and that operations were underway to retake the city.
Masoom Stanekzai, acting defence minister, Nurulhaq Olomi, interior minister, and Rahmatullah Nabil, the head of National Directorate of Security have all assured the public that the Taleban would be ousted and security forces are strong.
While there are areas that were captured by the Taleban and retaken by security forces, local residents have paid a heavy price everywhere.
Arif Rahmani, member of parliament (MP) representing Kunduz, thinks the city was deliberately handed over to the government. According to him, Afghan security forces are able, and if they are managed properly, Kunduz can be recaptured. If not then it means Afghan “statesmen” have a hand in its fall, he adds.
Enemy within
People worry the stage for the fall of Kunduz was set by government authorities. Acting Defence Minister Stanekzai does not agree. “High-ranking government officials will not take an adze and cut the roots of government,” he says. But observers insist there are hands inside the government that are cooperating with armed opponents, charges that surface each time the Taleban has some success.
Jawed Kohistani, a political analyst, believes a small group of Taleban could not have entered the area without a secret understanding with government authorities. MPs have also pointed fingers at a “weak” provincial government and governor. Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the speaker, said the fall of Kunduz city was the result of a plot inside the Afghan government. He blamed Kunduz governor Mohammad Omar Safi who is now abroad for helping the Taleban. If he had not left the city and stood honestly by the side of security forces, Kunduz would not have fallen, he says.
Abdul Wadood Paiman, another MP from Kunduz also supports the conspiracy theory. Security forces were aware of the threat of attack but they were not ready to defend the city, he adds.
Shukria Paiman who is also an MP from Kunduz says, “The fall of Kunduz was a conspiracy and has been a calamity for everyone.”
Foreign hand
Since last year, insecurity has spread in northern Afghanistan, bordering central Asia. Political analyst Hamid Arefi sees the hand of “big international players”. Meanwhile, the emergence of the Islamic State in Nangarhar is blamed on Pakistan.
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