The bombing massacre in Baghlan in northern Afghanistan is a wicked crime that shows with abundant clarity the perils facing the country as it struggles to find hope, peace and prosperity. The bombing in which scores of people died, including six legislators, took place during the opening of a new sugar factory, the very sort of industrial enterprise that Afghanistan needs for a stable and productive future. The high-level delegation included six members of Parliament who were attending the ceremonies celebrating this small but nevertheless significant economic milestone for the medium size city. The bomber or bombers therefore not only attacked the step toward modernity but they also struck at the will of the Afghan people.
It is interesting that the Taleban were quick to deny involvement with the attack in a province which has been largely free of violence. One reason for the denial would be to make local warlords suspicious of each other. The fact that this was a possible multiple suicide bombing clearly suggests Al-Qaeda’s involvement. Though Al-Qaeda claims its enemy is the United States and its Western allies, it has proven by its many atrocities in Iraq and elsewhere that its nihilist principles do not prevent it from murdering Muslims as well.
There are many mourning and bereaved families today in Afghanistan. But the anger these victims and the wider country feels at this crime must be turned to advantage in order to unify the country in its determination to end conflict. That will only come about when the Taleban can be included in the political process, a task far easier said than done. But a way must be found to bring this predominantly Pashtun political group to the negotiating table. At the very least, such an engagement might undermine the position of Al-Qaeda, whose foreign fighters have relied heavily on support from groups within the Pashtun community.
Failure to bring about talks with the Taleban will guarantee a longer presence for US and other NATO forces in the country. It will also maintain the delay in the arrival of large quantities of economic aid and will also hamper even those projects like the Baghlan sugar factory which have got under way.
The Taleban know just as well as the government in Kabul that there can be no conclusive military end to the uprising currently under way. NATO and Afghan forces may win individual battles but they can never win the war. For their part, the Taleban can only disrupt and destroy, seizing areas for a brief period until driven out. They can never conquer. And along the way they too suffer. In recent months more than 5,000 people have died in violence, many of them Taleban insurgents or civilians in communities where the insurgents were hiding. Taking all this into consideration, it is clear that yesterday’s attack should cause the government to redouble its drive for reconciliation with the Taleban using the good offices of an intermediary such as the UN. It is the only option.
