more-inThe attack by the Taliban gunmen at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul last weekend was a grim reminder of the deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan. Days earlier, in an interview with CBS, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that Afghanistan is “under siege”, with “21 international terrorist groups operating in this country” and “factories producing suicide bombers”. In other words, the current security situation will not permit elections to be held in nearly 45% of the territory of Afghanistan. However, with a breakdown in the international consensus, it may not be long before the slow fuse reaches ignition point. Rakesh Sood is a former Ambassador to Afghanistan and currently Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.

Source: The Hindu January 24, 2018 18:33 UTC