Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Afghanistan’s upcoming district council elections must be accompanied by further reforms to local government, recognizing the realities and limitations of Afghan politics.
The unyielding antagonism between India and Pakistan remains one of the greatest tragedies of Asian politics.
India should focus on shaping the outcomes of the U.S.-Pakistan negotiations, since those talks will not only influence the situation in Afghanistan but could also have significant implications for the subcontinent as a whole.
India will inevitably have to do more in Afghanistan, since the United States will not bear the security burden forever. Any substantive India-U.S. strategic coordination, however, could presage a major change in the regional politics of South Asia.
New Delhi’s increased strategic engagement with Kabul is a break with past policies and will enhance India’s influence in the region.
While calling for an “integrated” approach to the region, Trump left to others the arduous task of shaping and implementing diplomatic and military details.
India must its increase its economic diplomacy and security cooperation with Afghanistan while countering the narrative that the success of the revised U.S. policy toward South Asia hinges on Kashmir.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s reset of Afghan strategy marks an important discontinuity in Washington’s approach to South Asia.
Regional connectivity projects give Afghanistan a substantive trading alternative to Pakistan and provide a powerful mechanism for trade and economic development.
Sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan is a risk worth taking in the U.S. national interest, so long as it is as part of an integrated strategy for Central and South Asia.
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