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http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2016...t_38276440.htm
Taliban's Omari spring offensive
By Sajjad Malik China.org.cn, April 19, 2016
The launch of "Operation Omari" by the Afghan Taliban was not out of the blue. Once they refused to become part of the talks proposed by the four-way Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), comprising Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States, it was evident that the militants would use violence to increase pressure on the Afghan government.
Efforts of the QCG received a massive shock when, despite its announcement in February to start talks, the group failed to bring the Taliban to the table. It was also an embarrassment for Pakistan, as the failure of talks left some members of the groups considering the amount of influence Pakistan was having over the insurgents.
The timing of the talks coincided with the start of the annual fighting season, also called the spring offensive. Better timing would have been at the start of winter when both sides, after exhaustion from fighting, could reflect on their weaknesses and show an eagerness for peace. But for whatever reason, the QCG was confident enough to time it when winter had ended and spring began. In the end, for the Taliban, the lure and legend of the spring offensive proved too strong to resist.
The offensive has been code-named "Omari" in "respect" of their founding chief Mullah Omar who died in 2013 but the death was not revealed until last year when a second round of peace talks between the rebels and Afghan officials was about to take place at the end of July in Pakistan.
The Omari operation is quite symbolic and shows the confidence of the new Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who has slowly strengthened his hold on power by defeating dissidents and wining over the family of the late Mullah Omar.
As the Taliban is showing signs of unity and more aggression, the Afghan government has been marred by allegations of corruption and sharp differences between the groups led by President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, recently landed in Kabul to persuade the two sides not to let their political differences weaken the government.
Taliban's Omari spring offensive
By Sajjad Malik China.org.cn, April 19, 2016
The launch of "Operation Omari" by the Afghan Taliban was not out of the blue. Once they refused to become part of the talks proposed by the four-way Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), comprising Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States, it was evident that the militants would use violence to increase pressure on the Afghan government.
Efforts of the QCG received a massive shock when, despite its announcement in February to start talks, the group failed to bring the Taliban to the table. It was also an embarrassment for Pakistan, as the failure of talks left some members of the groups considering the amount of influence Pakistan was having over the insurgents.
The timing of the talks coincided with the start of the annual fighting season, also called the spring offensive. Better timing would have been at the start of winter when both sides, after exhaustion from fighting, could reflect on their weaknesses and show an eagerness for peace. But for whatever reason, the QCG was confident enough to time it when winter had ended and spring began. In the end, for the Taliban, the lure and legend of the spring offensive proved too strong to resist.
The offensive has been code-named "Omari" in "respect" of their founding chief Mullah Omar who died in 2013 but the death was not revealed until last year when a second round of peace talks between the rebels and Afghan officials was about to take place at the end of July in Pakistan.
The Omari operation is quite symbolic and shows the confidence of the new Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who has slowly strengthened his hold on power by defeating dissidents and wining over the family of the late Mullah Omar.
As the Taliban is showing signs of unity and more aggression, the Afghan government has been marred by allegations of corruption and sharp differences between the groups led by President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, recently landed in Kabul to persuade the two sides not to let their political differences weaken the government.