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California, Oct. 15 (ANI): Political scientist Francis Fukuyama has described the Taliban, both in Afghanistan or Pakistan, as "non-expansionist bogeymen".
"One must understand that the political motives of the Taliban (in Afghanistan) focus on the exit of NATO forces from Pashtun areas. They don't have a larger agenda and they don't want to branch out in other parts of the world," The Express Tribune quoted Fukuyama, a Senior Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, as saying.
Fukuyama believes their counterparts in Pakistan are equally non-expansionist.
"The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an ethnically based group. It is not plausible they would destabilise the state or extend their influence over non-Pashtun areas," Fukuyama added.
He believes there is an 'alliance' between the TTP, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), but that the nexus is far from apocalyptic.
"These groups don't like a revolution and instead are content to target and kill people to put pressure on the state," he said.
For Pakistan, Fukuyama believes the "problem lies elsewhere" - a failed decentralisation experiment.
"The decentralisation of provinces has worked fairly well. That situation could worsen if centre-province relations deteriorate. That could then get out of control," he said.
Commenting on the endgame in Afghanistan, Fukuyama said: "A political settlement post-withdrawal will have to take into account what the people decide. We need to see whether the Pashtun will have the government. But I don't see the Taliban marching to Kabul." (ANI)
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsde...cientist-.html
"One must understand that the political motives of the Taliban (in Afghanistan) focus on the exit of NATO forces from Pashtun areas. They don't have a larger agenda and they don't want to branch out in other parts of the world," The Express Tribune quoted Fukuyama, a Senior Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, as saying.
Fukuyama believes their counterparts in Pakistan are equally non-expansionist.
"The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an ethnically based group. It is not plausible they would destabilise the state or extend their influence over non-Pashtun areas," Fukuyama added.
He believes there is an 'alliance' between the TTP, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), but that the nexus is far from apocalyptic.
"These groups don't like a revolution and instead are content to target and kill people to put pressure on the state," he said.
For Pakistan, Fukuyama believes the "problem lies elsewhere" - a failed decentralisation experiment.
"The decentralisation of provinces has worked fairly well. That situation could worsen if centre-province relations deteriorate. That could then get out of control," he said.
Commenting on the endgame in Afghanistan, Fukuyama said: "A political settlement post-withdrawal will have to take into account what the people decide. We need to see whether the Pashtun will have the government. But I don't see the Taliban marching to Kabul." (ANI)
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsde...cientist-.html