'In the West, the Taliban is known for its medieval barbarism, public executions, stoning of women for adultery. But for many Afghans now, they are respectable -- as the Taliban provides security,' says noted writer William Dalrymple in a two part interview with rediff.com's Arthur J Pais.
Read Part I: 'Americans in Afghanistan know their game is over'
In the concluding part, Dalrymple also describes Indian involvement in Afghanistan as a major strategic error.
You fault the West for ignoring developmental work in Afghanistan
Whatever intentions the West had to improve the roads, schools, hospitals and other services in Afghanistan were forgotten by the focus on getting rid of Saddam Hussain in Iraq. Because of the obsession with Saddam, Afghanistan was allowed to rot. Obama could have changed the situation but he has been busy on the war front.
We had a real opportunity to show that we represented education and development. We could have proved that we were there for the Afghans and not just for our own sake. By helping the welfare of the Afghans, we could have demonstrated that we were not building a fortress there for our own strategic interests.
Despite the US pouring approximately $80 billion into Afghanistan, the roads in Kabul are still full of potholes. They are in a worse condition than in the smallest provincial towns of Pakistan. And this is true for most of Afghanistan. The health care is also nonexistent for most part.
Advertisement
