Kiji Noh in San Francisco: The collapse of the Afghan government could be seen as India’s worst nightmare. For the past 20 years, it has adopted a “sandwich” approach to pressure its adversary Pakistan with economic and diplomatic support to the Afghan government — effectively taking advantage of Pakistan’s geographic location between India and Afghanistan.

Kiji Noh in San Francisco: The collapse of the Afghan government could be seen as India’s worst nightmare. For the past 20 years, it has adopted a “sandwich” approach to pressure its adversary Pakistan with economic and diplomatic support to the Afghan government — effectively taking advantage of Pakistan’s geographic location between India and Afghanistan.

But if the Taliban do take control of Afghanistan, that would result in an expansion of Pakistan’s influence, which is intertwined with the Taliban by means of regional and human networks. The result would amount to two big boulders pressing down on India.

In a June 24 piece published in “Foreign Policy,” Michael Green, the senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “If the Afghan government falls to the Taliban, then Pakistan’s influence over Afghanistan will increase.”

He also wrote that India “will be forced to redirect further resources and attention to its vulnerable flank [its border with Pakistan].”

“Rather than enhancing India’s position, a U.S. withdrawal ties down one leg of the Quad,” he noted.

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/1007686.html