New Delhi, July 3
The visiting Afghan Foreign Minister, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, today painted a gloomy picture of the security situation in his country and told India that the Taliban was regrouping in a big way.

Dr Abdullah told External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh that the Taliban had become “numerically stronger” and that this had become possible only because it was getting “outside support” (read Pakistan).

The United Nations Security Council had last week deliberated on the situation in Afghanistan. The UN Representative in Afghanistan Jean Arnault had also come out with a report on the Afghan situation which specifically said that the Taliban was still being helped by outside forces.

The UNSC deliberations and Mr Arnault’s report also figured in the hour-long Natwar-Abdullah talks today.

As the Taliban’s resurgence hit international news headlines in the past few weeks, the US turned the heat on Pakistan. President George W Bush spoke to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf over phone and spoke his mind on how the Taliban continued to be helped from certain elements in the Pakistani establishment, though Islamabad’s official policy is to contribute to the international efforts in the ongoing war against terrorism.

After Mr Bush’s call, General Musharraf spoke twice to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has openly stated that the Taliban was getting support from and sanctuaries in Pakistan.

The US establishment is keeping its fingers crossed on the worsening situation in Afghanistan as the recent developments there have heightened its ultimate horror: Afghanistan sliding into an Iraq-type morass of insurgency.

There has been a spurt in the Taliban attacks on the US interests in Afghanistan and skirmishes between the American troops and the Taliban are being reported more frequently. Only a few days ago, the Taliban had registered its strong presence when it downed a US helicopter.

The trouble spots in Afghanistan include Kandahar, Jalalabad, Uruzganj and Kunnar provinces— the first two significant from the Indian point of view as India has its consulates there.

During his meeting with Dr Abdullah, apart from discussing the security situation in Afghanistan, especially recent spurt in incidents of violence attributed to the Taliban, Mr Natwar Singh also discussed regional situation and the Afghanistan-US strategic partnership that was signed on May 23 in Washington.

Mr Natwar Singh reiterated India’s commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan through its $ 500 million assistance programme spread over 2002-08. Half of this amount has already been disbursed. Most of the Indian assistance is project-specific.

Mr Natwar Singh thanked Afghanistan for co-sponsoring the G-4 resolution and also for Kabul’s understanding and constructive role played in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).