Factoring in the Indo-Af-Pak triangle

The security paradigm in the Af-Pak region is as paradoxical as it was on the eve of 9/11. After a decade of US hard and soft measures to root out extremism and terrorism, stability in Afghanistan remains elusive. Widespread violence and staggeringly slow development challenge US claims that many of the objectives of its war against terrorism have been accomplished. The USNATO drawdown by the year 2014 seems hasty. The Karzai government has been unable to articulate the vision and vigour that the war-torn country requires.

The international community has failed to understand the dynamics of the Afghan political and socio-economic context: more than 80 per cent of aid poured into Afghanistan has been allocated to short-term stabilisation programmes instead of more beneficial long-term development projects.

Taliban forces have regained effective footholds in the southern provinces of the country, with a modified strategy
focusing on intimidation and high profile attacks.