THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- October 23, 2017- Topic 2
Cycle of terror: on the many deadly attacks in
Afghanistan
The multiple terror attacks that killed at least 200 people in
Afghanistan last week has set alarm bells ringing in Kabul. That the attacks
occurred at a time when the United States was putting to work its new strategy
to stabilise Afghanistan underscores the resolve of the militants to stay the
course of insurgency. Most of these attacks were carried out by the Taliban.
On
Friday, bombings in two Shia mosques killed more than 80 people, mostly Shias,
for which the Islamic State has claimed responsibility. The security situation
in Afghanistan is increasingly worsening. If the government faced only one
major armed insurgency till a couple of years ago, now it has to fight on many
fronts. While the Taliban, which control almost half of the country, are
focussing largely on government buildings and security personnel, the IS’s
local branch, known as the Khorasan Province, is waging a bloody sectarian war.
Friday’s was the sixth major attack this year on Shia shrines. While the Afghan
government has issued a strong statement reiterating its resolve to fight
terror, such words will not inspire confidence unless an international
coalition strengthens Kabul’s capacity to enforce the rule of law. Civilian
war-related deaths have risen since 2012, when 2,769 people were killed. Last
year the toll was about 3,500, according to the UN.
The U.S. has made several promises vis-Ã -vis Afghanistan.
But after 16 years of war, the world’s largest military force appears to be as
clueless as the Afghan army on how to put an end to the conflict. One option,
as many diplomats have pointed out, is to engage the Taliban directly, while
continuing the fight against other terror groups such as al-Qaeda and the IS.
The Obama administration had expressed the willingness to talk. But such
attempts did not take off amid problems including the Taliban’s ambitions, the
American drone campaign against their leaders and Kabul’s inability to pursue a
bold deal, let alone Pakistan’s dual play. The latest wave of Taliban attacks
occurred days after officials from four countries — the U.S., China, Pakistan
and Afghanistan — met in Oman, seeking ways to revive peace talks. The attacks
are a message from the Taliban that they are least interested in talks. Why
should they be, at a time when they are on the offensive? An outright military
victory in Afghanistan appears remote, given the Taliban’s swelling networks and
the support they enjoy in rural areas. But an outright victory looks impossible
for the Taliban too as long as the U.S. remains committed to Afghanistan. This
makes peace talks the only practical way forward. But Kabul and the coalition
should first restore Afghan confidence in the government’s ability to govern,
before reaching out to the Taliban.
Vocabulary
Occur: happen;
take place.
Example: The accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m.
Synonyms: happen, take place, come
about, transpire, materialize, arise
Resolve: firm
determination to do something.
Example: She received information that strengthened her resolve
Synonyms: decision, resolution, commitment
Insurgency: an active revolt or uprising.
Example: Rebels are waging an armed insurgency to topple the monarchy
Worsen: make
or become worse.
Example: Her condition worsened on the flight
Synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate, compound, add
to, intensify, increase
Reiterate: say
something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
Example: She reiterated that the administration would remain steadfast in its
support
Synonyms: repeat, say again, restate, retell, recapitulate
Engage: participate
or become involved in.
Example: Organizations engage in a variety of activities
Synonyms: participate in, take part in, join in, become involved
in, go in for
Willingness: the quality or state of being prepared to do something.
Example: The ability and willingness of workers to migrate
Synonyms: readiness, inclination, will, wish, desire, alacrity
Outright: open
and direct; not concealed.
Example: An outright refusal
Synonyms: absolute, complete, downright, utter, sheer, categorical
Offensive: causing
someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry.
Example: The allegations made are deeply offensive to us
Synonyms: insulting, insolent, derogatory, disrespectful, hurtful, wounding
Coalition: an
alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political
parties forming a government or of states.
Example: A coalition of conservatives and disaffected Democrats
Synonyms: alliance, union, partnership, bloc, caucus, federation, league
