The Taliban’s Hidden Intentions in the Afghan Peace Process

Image credit: AFP via Getty Images / The Independent

While the world and the people of Afghanistan are following the peace talks between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban with hope for a more peaceful future, the realities on the ground, experiences, and the contradictory behavior of this group are showing that the Taliban are still seeing peace not as a political solution but as a tactical tool to seize power and to reestablish their authoritarian Emirate.

Analysis of current events, especially the group’s insistence on the release of thousands of prisoners before the start of negotiations and the simultaneous intensification of terrorist attacks across the country, is showing that the Taliban are not interested in national reconciliation. Instead, by repeating their war strategy, they are seeking to weaken and to overthrow the Republic.

From the very beginning, the Taliban’s demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners raised serious doubts about their intentions in the peace process. Evidence showed that many of these released prisoners rejoined Taliban ranks.

In documented cases, including in Laghman province, some of these individuals were killed or injured while attacking security outposts. These incidents are completely questioning the Taliban’s claim that these prisoners are cutting ties with war and are proving that this release is becoming a security advantage for the Taliban and a strategic mistake for the government.

The Afghan Senate openly expressed concern over this process and warned about the return of released prisoners to the battlefield.

The Taliban are not an independent political or military movement; rather, they are serving as a tool for foreign actors and regional sponsors.

The Taliban are being trained in religious schools where a harsh, rigid, and extremist interpretation of religion is replacing human values, tolerance, justice, and peace.

This group is never showing readiness or belief in engaging with civil society, freedom of expression, women’s rights, or democratic structures. In fact, the Taliban are considering war a “religious duty” and are viewing it as legitimate until eternal reward is received.

As long as such an ideology is being strengthened with financial and military support from regional sponsors, no real commitment to peace can be expected from this group.

The Taliban are considering the agreement with the United States a great victory and a “clear conquest.” From their perspective, talks with the Afghan government are not for reconciliation but are serving as a tool for the withdrawal of foreign forces and the weakening of the country’s security.

With the potential withdrawal of these forces without a clear and sustainable plan, the Taliban are seeing themselves as the uncontested power on the battlefield. For this reason, they are not showing willingness to reduce violence but are in fact increasing attacks in order to put more pressure on the government and to strengthen their position in negotiations.

Through this strategy, the Taliban are gaining political concessions while deceiving the international community by displaying a diplomatic face, while in reality they are continuing violence and terror.

Based on their extremist religious ideology, the Taliban are rejecting any republican system, elections, human rights, gender equality, and freedom of expression. They are openly declaring that the Republic is a “Western construct” and are seeking to restore an Emirate where only the gun and the fatwa rule.

In contrast to this regressive vision, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is defending a system where political participation of ethnic groups, media freedom, girls’ education, and legal structures are being institutionalized.

For this reason, integrating the Taliban into the existing system is remaining only a dream, because the Taliban are not believing in democratic principles and are considering them “against Sharia.”

The Taliban’s track record over the past twenty years is being filled with suicide bombings, beheadings, attacks on schools and hospitals, assassinations of women activists, journalists, and civilian employees.

This dark record is depriving the Taliban of any national legitimacy. How can peace be made with a group that is not belonging to the people, is not believing in the people’s vote, and is opposing freedom, justice, ethnic diversity, and even the most basic human rights?

If the peace process is moving forward without guarantees, international monitoring, and clear legal conditions to stop violence, peace is turning into a catastrophe; a catastrophe that is bringing the Taliban back to power and collapsing the Republic. While the Afghan government and the international community are trying to achieve a political agreement, concrete evidence is showing that the Taliban are not coming for peace, but are using the process to deceive, to strengthen militarily, and to prepare for the downfall of the Republic.