Lubna Sunawar
Lubna Sunawar is a PhD Scholar at Peace and Conflict Studies (PCS), National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: Afghanistan, US, Pakistan, troops, GWoT, Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISAF-NATO, Afghan government
Abstract
The withdrawal of a significant bulk of (ISAF) forces from Afghanistan has dramatically enhanced Pakistan’s importance not only as a neighbouring country of Afghanistan, but also as a country which is directly affected by the War on Terrorism launched by the US and its key allies back in 2001. The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under United Nation’s mandate. At the time of the invasion, it was expected that the US would accomplish its mission by rooting out the Taliban and then establishing a fully functional democracy in Afghanistan. However, the current state of affairs pertaining to law and order is worse than ever before. Insecurity, criminal market economy, unemployment, home-grown insurgency, poverty, war between warring factions, and corruption in Afghanistan are all matters of great concern for everyone. Despite using extensive military force to eliminate the Taliban and alQaeda supporters and networks, the US and coalition forces have faced severe resistance in the form of insurgency and backlash. These forces are defeated to some extent but the US could not eliminate them. They are more organized than ever before and their movement has shown greater resilience over the years, gathered strength from the Afghan populace. Particularly, their resistance has increased in the Pashtun-dominated northern and southern provinces along the Pakistan border, which have become a safe sanctuary for the terrorist groups. The paper examines the failure of US-led coalition forces to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan even after fourteen years since the War on Terrorism started; it also discusses the likely repercussions of the US-led ISAF-NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, the major challenges that lie ahead for newly elected Afghan government and identifies potential scenarios,and the consequences of the fourteen-year War on Terrorism on Pakistan.
First Published
September 25, 2014
How to Cite
Lubna Sunawar, “The 2014 US Withdrawal – An Unsettled Quagmire for Pakistan,” Regional Studies 32, no.4 (Autumn 2014): 98-122, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/the-2014-us-withdrawal-an-unsettled-quagmire-for-pakistan/
Issue
Volume 32, Issue 4