On Thursday, February 25, 2021, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) held an online roundtable discussion on “NATO Mission in Afghanistan: The Way Forward". Sediq Sediqqi, Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs for Strategy and Policies; Dr. Arian Sharifi, Former Director of National Threat Assessment in the Afghan National Security Council; Hosna Jalil, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs; and David Sedney, President of the American University of Afghanistan, were the speakers of the program. The event was moderated by Jyoti Malhotra, National and Strategic Affairs Editor, The Print, India.

Sediq Sediqqi said that after one year of the US-Taliban agreement we have to pose very serious questions: what is happening after that [US-Taliban agreement]? What are the Taliban doing with the Agreement? The Taliban are targeting civilians. The agreement elevated the Taliban. They are now traveling to the capital of country that are U.S. adversaries. Sediq Sediqqi said that the Taliban have not lived to their commitments. He said that we have yet to see whether recent Taliban return to Doha talks is just a show.

Hosna Jalil said that the talks did not have any impact on the level of violence as the violence by the Taliban has increased. Reiterating Jalil's comments, Dr. Arian Sharifi said that the international community, particularly NATO, is not coming up strong in support of the Afghan Government and in condemnation of what the Taliban have been doing. He said that from a strategic point of view, it is at NATO's best interest, to have a long-term commitment to Afghanistan.

David Sedney said that the students of the American University of Afghanistan are very worried about the security situation and the political future of the country. He said that "the students are very hostile to the idea of return of the Taliban, and they see that as betrayal of the world they have grown up in the past twenty years". They are also not very happy with the U.S. and NATO, because they feel that there's certain betrayal as expectations raise and a lack of delivery.

You can watch full video of the roundtable discussion in the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/AISSAfghanistan/videos/1030086387516206/