American Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Sixteen topnotch academicians, generals and young scholars were invited to discuss the topic ‘American Withdrawal from Afghanistan in December 2014Postwithdrawal Puzzle of Policy Options for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan’ postAmerican withdrawal from Afghanistan scenario after December 2014 and puzzle of policy options for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Obviously, the US, Russia and China are compulsive players in the game. Bharat Karnad thinks that the new regime of GhaniAbdullah with a ?sufficiently weakened? Taliban as a military force should help to consolidate democratic framework. An Afghan scholar, Mohammad Ata Roshangar sees democracy taking roots in his country with propelled by an urban educated class with improved conditions of health, life and economy economic, health and living conditions, this class has developing a vested interest in the development and success of democracy ,and situation cannot be reversed any longer by internal conflicts can no longer reverse this situation. Others like P.M. Kamath ask Pakistan to give up the futile pursuit of attaining strategic depth inwith Afghanistan; Tej Pratap Singh sees keeping India out from Afghanistan as the foremost strategic objective of Pakistan. Sudhir Singh is not too far when he states that Pakistan’s policy in Afghanistan has turned it a much hated country. Kavita Sharma, Navshikha Duara, Amruta Deshmukh say Pakistan is following zerosumgame foreign policy in Afghanistan wherein any gain for India is treated as loss for Pakistan. Lt. Gen. Kamath and Lt. Gen. Shekatkar with direct experience in the war theatre highlight perfidious role of Pakistan in promoting terror against Afghanistan and lay certain policy guidelines for India and the US to checkmate reemergence of Taliban and Terrorism in Afghanistan. Arvind Kumar and Arpita Basu Roy strongly advocate a regional solution to the Afghan puzzle; Senior scholar R. G. Gidadhubli discusses comeback opportunity for Russia, while Subhadeep Bhattacharya delineates inroads made by China in Afghanistan. Dilip Mohite while looks ing at Afghanistan in the South Asian context, and B.N. Mehrish examines limited role of the UN. This book is a timely addition to the growing literature on current Afghanistan situation. It will be certainly very useful for policymakers, academicians and the general public interested in International Relations.