NOTHING CAN BE RULED OUT IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: A few months ago, it would have been unthinkable. But now, it seems, many countries are accepting the ground realities in Afghanistan. A global power like China has promised to help the Taliban “rebuild” Afghanistan while calling on the US to lift sanctions against the new government in Kabul. Officials from Turkmenistan are due to visit Kabul to discuss continuing work on the TAPI pipeline linking Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. But, for the Taliban, there is still a long way to go. They must realise their policies - especially on matters of security and on rights on women - have to be aligned with that of the modern world for them to be accepted. Many countries are choosing the policy of wait-and-watch as far as their dealings with the Taliban are concerned. However, the fact that some have taken steps to deal with the controversial new rulers of Kabul tells us that nothing can be ruled out in international politics. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP