Disagreements Between Afghanistan And Pakistan Over Their Disputed Border Are Increasing

A Pashtun man passes a road sign while pulling supplies towards the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing.Reuters

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border: Back To Politics As Usual? -- Jerry Meyerle, The Diplomat

The risks of conflict and collapse post-2014 are significant, but disaster is not inevitable.

As the U.S. draws down its forces in Afghanistan, disagreements between Afghanistan and Pakistan over their disputed border are again coming to the fore. Over a decade of intense U.S. involvement has shaped the region according to priorities set in Washington. Long-festering regional issues were pushed into the background in favor of combatting al Qaeda and the Taliban.

The insurgency, which spans both countries, is becoming an increasingly bilateral problem – a trend that is likely to continue as the U.S. pulls back from southwest Asia, leaving the region’s leaders to deal with the Taliban threat amongst themselves. Policymakers in Islamabad and Kabul are beginning to forge closer ties as U.S. involvement steadily declines and the shadow of further reductions in Western funding and force levels looms large.

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My Comment: These border differences have been around for generations .... and I suspect that a hundred years from now the same differences and disagreements will be present.