America’s Af Woes Far From Over, Lessons For India

The Tribune     29th October 2021     Save    

Context: The retraction of US from Afghanistan has several impacts and marks failure of US. Lessons that India should learn from the exercise.

Complexities aftermath of US withdrawal from Afghan

  • US has suffered crushing defeat in Afghan after the 20 years of Afghan war.
  • Multiple failure of leaderships either under pressure from political compulsions or self-serving ticket punching by senior generals.
  • Inaccurate reporting and misreading of Afghan public psychology: Wrong impression of counterinsurgency achieving objectives.
  • Procurements by US defence handled by Afghan contractors (Beltway bandits) and failure of Afghanistan National Army training with these machines that US left.

Lessons to India

  • China threat - Military stand-off at LAC: Deployment of military at LAC to counter PLA will impose huge economic and manpower costs.
  • Develop critical infrastructure – Rapid procurement and heavy spending: on developing logistics infrastructure at Ladakh are without checks and balances.
  • Military modernization – Reassignment and restructuring leading to adverse effect on long term training and force structuring.
  • New rising challenges: Looming threats in Kashmir valley due to rise of Taliban in Afghan and new Chinese law to legitimise border actions.

Way Forward

  • Realign and reorganize forces at Northern frontiers.
  • Step-by-step approach of stabilize LAC.