Washington: – Senator Jack Reed, the Chief of the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate, made vitriolic criticism that the Taliban could achieve success against the United States because of the sanctuaries provided by Pakistan. In the Afghan war on terror, Pakistan played from both sides, the United States and the Taliban. At the same time, Reed warned that the security of the United States and allies would be under threat given the Pakistan-Taliban cooperation after the US military withdrawal. 

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Following the announcement of military withdrawal from Afghanistan by President Biden, the US Congress evaluates this decision from different angles. William Burns, Director of the CIA, presented the stand of the Biden administration on military withdrawal from Afghanistan while speaking in front of the House Intelligence Committee of the US Congress. The CIA Director answered questions asked by the committee regarding the situation in Afghanistan, taking into account the Taliban relations with Pakistan and the dealings between the notorious Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the Haqqani Network of the Taliban. Burns clarified that the United States would force Pakistan to cooperate for democracy, peace and stability in Afghanistan.  

Pakistan’s interests also are linked to the democratic process, peace and stability in Afghanistan. If Afghanistan becomes unstable and disturbed, the effects will be seen even in Pakistan. Therefore, Burns expressed confidence that the Biden administration will force Pakistan to cooperate for democracy in Afghanistan. But Jack Reed, Chief of the Armed Services Committee, gave a reaction contradictory to the claims made by the CIA Director. Jack Reed castigated Pakistan, citing the accusations levelled by Afghan Study Group, a think tank having the approval of the US Congress, against Pakistan.  

A superpower like the United States could not win the war in Afghanistan in two decades. It has to withdraw its military acceding to the Taliban demand. Taliban is looking at this US military withdrawal as its victory. Questions are being raised about what the United States did in Afghanistan after spending trillions of dollars and sacrificing 2,400 soldiers. Against this background, Jack Reed accused that the credit of the Taliban success goes to the shelter received by the Taliban from Pakistan. It became easy for the Taliban to launch attacks in Afghanistan as the United States did not target these Taliban shelters in Pakistan. Pakistan was supplying required confidential information, against the United States, to the Taliban. Senator Jack Reed accused Pakistan of standing with the United States and behind the Taliban in this war.  

Reed pointed out that the Pakistan-Taliban cooperation will become more lethal after the US military withdrawal and pose a serious security threat for the United States and its allies. So far, the previous US administrations could not provide requisite attention to Pakistan given Afghanistan, Iraq, and the internal problems. Senator Reed warned that this allowed the Pakistan problem to fester.