Impending US Pullout: Times of India

The United States invaded Afghanistan soon after the September 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, DC. After more than 17 years of war, Donald Trump signals that the war’s end is near. The “timing appears to be based on electoral calculations rather than the security situation on the ground, but New Delhi need not panic,” explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s founding editor, in his column for the Times of India. “Having long fed the conflict by providing the Taliban a safe haven, it is neighbouring Pakistan that has more to fear from the emergence of a fragmented Afghanistan under a Taliban government.” Extremist groups like the Taliban and the Islamic State threaten regional stability. Chanda anticipates that Afghanistan will return to its historically fragmented state, worrying for neighbors like India and Pakistan. He urges India to maintain good relations with Afghan leaders and to work with Iran, Russia and China to promote stability and perhaps even peace. – YaleGlobal