UK-US lost legality in Afghanistan

Rory Stewart, a British Conservative MP says that the US and the UK have lost their legality in finding a resolution for the conflicts in Afghanistan.

“After nine years, the international community needs to recognise it lacks knowledge, it lacks power, it lacks legitimacy,” said Stewart, the senior partner in Britain’s ruling coalition.

The US military in Afghanistan is to be withdrawn in July, this is when Washington has promised to give the control of the country to local forces.

Steward, who worked on Iraq’s miseries after the 2003 war, showed interest and concern over the Afghanistan local problems after the Taliban.

“There is no confidence in the ability of the United States to sort this out … It no longer has the trust or the legitimacy. I think it is extremely unlikely that the United States is going to develop a coherent focused policy towards negotiation … its one thing to say we’re going to negotiate with the leadership of the Taliban, but in particular the British government is unlikely to have the leadership or the legitimacy to make that happen.”

Speaking in the Jaipur Literature Festival, where Pakistani journalist and Taliban expert Ahmed Rashid and India’s ambassador to Kabul Jayant Prasad were present, Steward said, “There is absolutely no reason for (India’s) running away from peace and reconciliation … We must have the country’s neighbours contribute to the sovereignty and independence of Afghanistan rather than subvert it.”

India and Pakistan, as two nuclear-armed countries, have disagreements over Delhi’s interference in Afghanistan. Their aim is to watch the relationship between Islamabad and Beijing – which is strategically powerful.

Prasad also highlighted the key role of regional powers in supporting a political settlement.