Why is Afghanistan not an economic transit point, but a field of security competition?
Author: Abdul Naser Noorzad, security and geopolitics researcher, especially for Sangar
Recognizing the position and place of Afghanistan in the current games requires the recognition of several cases that must be addressed separately. What is clear is a multi-sided game, irregular and far from the interests of Afghanistan, which has aggravated the crisis in this country. This situation has ended in favor of the Taliban and strengthens their power bases every day.
Because there is a misunderstanding of the current situation in Afghanistan, we should know that Afghanistan is not an area of interests where big powers make decisions based on their special interests. Instead, this country is an area of conflict between security, political and economic interests, which has led to the conflict between the axis and extra-regional powers. The reason is that this geography is not suitable for the powers involved peacefully.
Due to this, confrontation and conflict, has become the real nature of the crisis between them. In addition, contrary to general wisdom, Afghanistan does not have fertile geography for regional and world powers. Rather, this country has established its positive efficiency like a chemical fertilizer for the fertility of other geographies and its surroundings.
The security aspect of Afghanistan plays a key role in the security and political interactions of the region. Accordingly, the peaceful efforts of any of the countries and factors involved will not be effective and useful to solve the problem of Afghanistan. Because the security aspect has cast a heavy shadow on political, economic and cultural issues, so the interaction around Afghanistan, which affects the region, is more about security than active political interaction and convergence at the regional level. This security feature has caused powerful players to enter the game and Afghanistan remains at the center of their competition. This confrontation has more military and security aspects than political and diplomatic approaches.
Contrary to the conventional understanding which is being think that the problem of Afghanistan is related to the underground resources of this country and that the powers involved in the issue of Afghanistan are greedy for Afghanistan's mines, the more important factor of their involvement in this country is the geographical and geostrategic elements that are the determining factor in creating crisis in this country, and great powers without any proper reason continue to play a multilateral security game.
Based on this, the powerful countries of the region and beyond the region have never been present in Afghanistan with benevolent intentions; rather their presence is a territorial use of Afghanistan's position in order to win the field of security competitions.
Another factor in aggravating the crisis in Afghanistan is the country's strange ability to cultivate extremism, revolutionary movements and politics, and elements that can cause the creation of war networks and the emergence of proxies in this country. This talent, capacity and suitable background for religious, political and security extremism in Afghanistan has provided and made this country more involved in security games.
Therefore, as mentioned before, the cultural, political, economic and regional integration components play a lesser role in the developments of Afghanistan, and it is on this basis that despite Afghanistan's position, which can be an important crossing point for the economy, peace and stability of the region, slow to link the South with the North and the West with the East (Asia), this role has turned into a field of negative security competition.
In addition, Afghanistan's isolation among the security systems of the region has had a very terrible feedback. Still, there is no hope for Afghanistan to get out of this strange security predicament. None of the countries included in these security systems are willing to use their security, economic and political interests for the benefit of peace and stability in Afghanistan. This lack of interest in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan has turned this country into a competitive field and the surrounding countries have inevitably turned to security and war options to protect their interests.
To get out of the current situation, it is necessary to first form a regional security, political and economic consensus on Afghanistan. In the next step, transforming the security role of countries into a more peaceful role and by resorting to the components of economic competition can help improve the situation. An agreement on the pivotal role of Afghanistan as an economic gateway and connecting regional economy can greatly contribute to the peace and stability of Afghanistan and the region. The misunderstanding caused by the role of Afghanistan's mines in the current crisis has largely diverted the main attention to the real nature of the crisis from the analysis.
The main nature of the crisis and the competition between the regional and extra-regional powers is the territorial position of Afghanistan rather than the insignificant greed for Afghanistan's mines, whose economic and financial benefits are far less than its losses. It is not possible to make Afghanistan neutral in the current situation, until Afghanistan becomes a part of one of the regional security systems and has a strong commitment to ensure stability and peace; Until the countries of the region decide for the peace and stability of Afghanistan and consider this country as a buffer region and free from negative competition.
