A galaxy of political leaders, intellectuals, think tanks and human rights activists have expressed their views and concerns over the extraordinarily complex and fluid situation in Afghanistan. The Taliban has won the war against the US ‘superpower’. Is this all or there is more to this horrific saga unfolding before the world. The last word is yet to be written. 

There is consensus that Pakistan created the Taliban, funded the Taliban and supported the Taliban. Also, they have bred the Islamist jihadists in their backyard. No wonder, there are celebrations all over Pakistan. Even all Muslims world over are silently happy at the current outcome. “When history is written, it will be stated that the ISI defeated the Soviet Union in Afghanistan with the help of America,” Hamid Gul, a former ISI chief, said on television in 2014. “Then there will be another sentence. The ISI, with the help of America, defeated America.”

As per experts, the Afghan War consisted of many choices, decisions, policies and actions. But, all failed due to lack of understanding the complexity of Afghan society and affairs. Furthermore, they failed to learn from the lessons of mankind’s wars – armies overstretching beyond their means and ways will ultimately collapse. Most important is the lesson of the Vietnam War – Big Armies and Big Money cannot assure victory in counterinsurgency wars. Let me highlight the oft quoted lesson – “Fools learn from their own lessons; Wise learn from others lessons”. Add to the quote that “Idiots refuse to learn from even their own past lessons.”

President Joe Bidden justified the reasons for the time-bound withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and blamed the Afghan government and army for the quick Taliban takeover.  And now Biden is threatening Taliban of swift and forceful” response if they attack the US. I am sure no one in the world took it seriously. In a fight, the beaten keeps threatening of revenge. 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that “We are experiencing a human tragedy for which we share responsibility as the West.”

No longer the Taliban can be coerced into submission by the U.S. The bottomline is that the US lost the wars against “Global Islamist Terrorism” and illegal narcotics trade. 

In sum, there are a whole range of perspectives in public domain over the emerging Afghan scenarios depending on one’s partisan leanings: New Modern and Moderate Taliban to totally radicalized Taliban.  And, it is the present and future course of developments that needs to be reviewed pragmatically and scenarios identified and defined with the past as the prim through which the future portends.

Ipso facto, the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is now part of the new world order.  How the new world order  will traverse a new course is yet to unfold. Israel believes that “American allies in the Middle East, including Israel, would find it difficult to rely on Washington’s assurances and the important lesson for them would be to focus on building their own capability to counter threats.”

Undeniably, the geopolitics of the Middle East will be redefined.   Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and others want the U.S. out of the Middle East.  Iran, besides Pakistan,  has  played a significant role in funding and equipping the Taliban and has directly contributed to this victory. They supported, assisted, funded and armed Jihadists, particularly to run the campaign to kill the US and British forces in Afghanistan.

Russia shares China’s concerns about instability. The former Soviet states in Central Asia are vulnerable to Islamist jihadists.  Just as China will not want the Taliban harboring ethnic Uyghur groups, any support for Islamist movements in its backyard, similarly it would be unacceptable for Moscow.  However, none can rule out the prospects of Russia and China in collusion with Pakistan using Taliban as a weapon against the West particularly the U.S. and also India.   After all, they cannot be expected to squander the golden window of opportunity ajar  to exploit. Already, they have announced its intent to aid rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Recognition of the Taliban regime is bound to follow sooner than later.

China is invested in Afghanistan’s stability, but it has no interest in political or military intervention. China too  paid the Taliban to chase and kill rebel leaders.  China eyes for the strategic mineral resources particularly copper, besides consolidation and advancement of its economic interests and BRI. Nonetheless, even China and Russia have their Islamist jihadist challenges to face and overcome.

For sure, India will be kept out by both Pakistan and China, particularly its developing strategic relationship with the U.S. in the QUAD.  Few nations have as much to lose in Afghanistan as India, whose security interests are threatened by both the Taliban’s cooperation with anti-India terrorist groups and China’s growing footprint,

Experts have expressed  quite a few concerns over the emerging situation in Afghanistan.  Some of them apprehend the consolidation and advancement of  a “Jihadist state”.  After all, the Taliban has already released al Qaeda, ISIS and jihadist prisoners in Kabul and other cities. Surely, they would be reinforced  by other foreign jihadists from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and other nations from across the world.

Meanwhile, Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to the U.S. Congress that “terrorist groups like al Qaeda could reconstitute in Afghanistan sooner than the two years defense officials had previously estimated because of the rapid Taliban takeover of the country. The situation could result in a greater counterterrorism threat, he acknowledged.” Peter Bergen wrote “For the global jihadist movement, the victory of the Taliban will be as significant as ISIS victories were in Iraq and Syria…. Just as they did after those ISIS victories, many thousands of foreign fighters are likely to pour into Afghanistan to join the victorious ‘holy warriors’ and receive military training.”  Susan Glasser seconds Bergen’s warning: “The possibilities, from large-scale human-rights atrocities to a new center for international jihadist terrorism, are bloodcurdling.

Experts in hindsight view peace talks in Doha, Moscow and Istanbul have been used by the Taliban as “Smoke screen”. Under the original agreement with the U.S., the Taliban are committed to prevent terrorist groups from operating in Afghanistan and are expected to evict these groups from Kabul in the next few days. Will the Taliban honor its commitment? They can ill afford to do it as of now. At the same time, the Taliban warned that U.S. troops in Afghanistan must leave by Sept. 11—the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that launched the U.S. into the war. The Taliban’s spokesperson stated that  “we are committed not to attack them, but he stressed they have to leave by that date. It’s not clear what will happen if American forces remain in Afghanistan after Sept. 11.”

Haibatullah Akhundzada is currently the Taliban’s supreme leader with authority over political, religious, and military affairs. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar heads the political office of the Taliban. Sirajuddin Haqqani leads the Haqqani network and oversees financial and military assets across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Mullah Yaqub, son of the late Mullah Omar, founder of the Taliban  is the ‘Chief of Operations’

The Taliban have already engaged former President Hamid Karzai, Tajik leader and former CEO of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah and Hezb-e-Islami chief Gulbuddin Hekmatyar seeking support in forming the next government of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Ex-Vice President Saleh has shifted his base to Panjshir Valley and has raised the spectre of revolt against the Taliban.

And, the Taliban leaders – Mullah Baradar and Mullah Yakub – have entered Kabul and  trying to  prevent the foreign fighters from finding a base in Kabul. The Taliban has asked the foreign jihadist groups to leave Afghanistan. Will they depart from Afghanistan?

The Taliban have sought to project greater moderation;  but many remain skeptical. One spokesman of the Taliban stated that “they  would not seek retribution against former soldiers and members of the Western-backed government, adding the movement was granting amnesty for former Afghan government soldiers as well as contractors and translators who worked for international forces.” Yet another Taliban spokesman tweeted that fighters had been instructed to protect “life, property and honor”; and “it will stay out of the upscale diplomatic quarter housing the U.S. Embassy complex.” But scenes on the ground in Kabul tell a different story.  Fear and uncertainty prevails in Kabul. Equally worrisome is the likelihood of the Taliban re-imposing the “Strict Sharia Law” going back to “dark, aggressive and violent rule like before” and “nothing different than 2001.  

Currently, the Taliban is facing a major challenge to ensure security of Kabul.  The highly complex relationship between the Pakistan government – the Taliban, the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, Al Qaeda and other Jihadists like Islamic State (IS), Jaish e-Mohammed(JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and many others – will continue. In what form it would rollout within Pakistan and spillover into the neighborhood is quite unpredictable as of now. A large number of fighters belonging to the have entered Afghan capital Kabul. They are not under the control of the Taliban.  They may also establish strongholds/bases in Kabul and other cities. Meanwhile, Jihadists across the globe will be emboldened to seek a safe haven in pursuit of Jihadist end objectives.  So, the real challenge in the next few days for the Taliban is going to be to assert their authority and reign in Islamist jihadists in Kabul and other cities.   Can the Taliban ensure Afghanistan remaining  free of Islamist jihadist groups and violence?

Most important, what if the jihadist terrorist elements get control of nuclear material in Pakistan? Also, unrest in the country and drying up of foreign funds is bound to trigger an economic and humanitarian crisis that is likely to leave many Afghans dependent on the narcotics trade for survival. The refugee exodus is bound to flow through Turkey into Europe and the U.S. besides neighboring countries.  In reality, the Taliban is the second name of ISIS or al Qaeda or HAMAS or etc.  The next target will be France, UK, US and even Pakistan and other Muslim countries if they don’t follow strict SHARIA. UK and Germany will soon be repenting their liberal immigration policies with more terror strikes.

Finally, few experts believe that the Taliban do not have the  financial self-sustaining capability.  Taliban has proved such assessments as patently absurd.  In the fiscal year 2020, the Taliban reportedly raked in $1.6 billion with the opium trade.  Also, they can depend on returns from Chinese mining operations and their aid. They may also receive covert financial contributions from private donors and international institutions across the globe – Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and others.

Viewed in the above geo political evolving context and content, India must calibrate its strategic initiatives to counter challenges and exploit opportunities.  After all, the Taliban-Pakistan-Turkey nexus is real. China is also in the game. Even the Indian Muslim Wakf Board member and MP of SP have also hailed the Taliban victory. India must prepare to deter, dissuade and counter the worst case scenario that may engulf J & K and interiors.  Nuanced responses are, therefore, the need of the hour as opposed to emotional and sentimental responses.

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Think of Colorado as an extreme adventure playground for anyone up for the challenge. So summon up your inner dare-devil and check out our list of six heart-thumping activities – if you dare.

Ice Climbing 

During the winter season (which generally ends in the last week of April), many Colorado rock climbers turn to ice climbing, where they use sharp picks and footwear to ascend frozen waterfalls. The sport is particularly popular in Ouray, which is home to the world’s first official ice park. This man-made ice park offers over 200 ice and mixed climbs. Be warned: you to be fit, have plenty of stamina and well trained as this will challenge your endurance levels.

Uphill Skiing

Uphill skiing may sound like hard work and that’s because it is. This involves skiers using special skins on the bottom of their skis, which allows them to hike up the mountains before descending the slopes. It is an intense workout but is popular with locals at various resorts across Colorado but especially Aspen Snowmass. You can join residents who wake up before sunrise to uphill ski before the lifts.

Fat Biking

Fat biking refers to the size of the wheels, not the riders. The bikes come with tyres that are between 4–5 inches thick so that they are able to tackle snowy trails. The width of the tyres allows the bikes to glide across the snow with ease, allowing riders to cycle in weather conditions a regular road bike cannot.

One of the state’s best fat biking spots is Leadville where multiple trails vary in length and difficult. Bear in mind though that you will need a lot of puff regardless of which trail you use. Leadville is Colorado’s second highest city at 10,150 feet tall, so the thin air makes for a challenging experience.

White Water Rafting

Colorado’s rivers and climate make for superb white water rafting conditions, particularly in spring once the snow has melted away. All ages and abilities can take part but those really seeking a challenge can head to the Arkansas River, which offers some of the most advanced rapids in the state.

Hiking

There are seven mountain ranges, four national parks and 41 state parks in Colorado which provide ample opportunities for hiking. One hike which stands out against them all is the Via Ferrata in Telluride, where travellers are suspended 500 feet above the ground to scale a giant cliff face. The trail is two and a half miles long and its most exposed section, aptly titled the Main Event, involves hikers navigating narrow iron pegs that extend from the cliff face. The hike can be tackled alone or with a guide.

Sandboarding

A desert landscape isn’t usually something people would associate with Colorado but the Great Sand Dunes National Park provides exactly that. There are over 40,000 acres of sand dunes at the park, which are framed by contrasting, snow-capped mountains in the distance. Thrill-seekers can try their hand at sandboarding on the dunes, the highest of which reaches an impressive 750 feet.

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In a blog post late on Wednesday, Pichai said the investment would create tens of thousands of new jobs.

“Last year, we hired more than 10,000 people in the US and made over $9 billion in investments.

“We’re now announcing over $13 billion in investments throughout 2019 in data centres and offices across the US, with major expansions in 14 states,” Pichai wrote.

This would enable the creation of more than 10,000 new construction jobs in Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia.

Pichai said Google data centres make a significant economic contribution to local communities, as do the associated $5 billion in energy investments.

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