ISAS Insights

The perception that the Donald Trump Administration in Washington may be inexorably sliding into a state of dysfunctionality, might have prompted Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to hold out an olive branch to his Taliban opponents and make a peace offer to them. How the Taliban will react is uncertain. They are disunited but, at the same time, gaining ground in battle. The peace process will require greater calibration than what exists at this time between Kabul and Islamabad. So, as of now, peace is not in sight and fighting is likely to continue. However, with the United States’ interests and even capability on the wane, greater responsibility to end the conflict devolves on the regional leadership if it is to avoid wider conflagrations, which will be to the benefit of none.