US ignores Afghanistan at its own peril

The Biden administration continues to ignore Afghanistan at America's Peril and stuck with the notion that abandoning the country after two decades of military presence, was wise despite all evidence to the contrary.

Writing for The National Intrest, Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), said the White House and its Congressional supporters seek to forget the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

According to Rubin, for many Democrats, the result is a political problem, one that they fear Republicans will exploit should they regain Congress in 2022. "Too many Republicans, for their part, view Afghanistan only through the prism of partisan score-settling."

"Both Republicans and Democrats fail the United States, however, if they treat Afghanistan only as a political football and ignore the ramifications from the withdrawal which are now apparent," he added.

This criticism comes as several bombings have been witnessed in the past couple of days. Condemnations have poured in from all quarters with calls for proper investigation and justice for the deceased.

On Thursday, at least nine civilians were killed and 13 others wounded in twin blasts in Mazar-i-Sharif. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the twin explosions in the Afghan city.

This is the latest in a series of bombings to shake Afghanistan and comes just days after a blast at a Shia mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif dozens of people.

Rubin argued that the Biden administration may have misinterpreted the relative calm which followed the US withdrawal as a sign that the Taliban could consolidate control. "In reality, the calm was illusionary."

( With inputs from ANI )