NEW DELHI: The Taliban’s ascendency in Afghanistan is as much a triumph for the Pakistan’s ISI as it is for the group that is now seeking to rule the war-ravaged country. For years, Pakistan has dreamt of a regime in Kabul that is beholden to Rawalpindi. That dream has been realised. The much sought after ‘strategic depth’ against India that Rawalpindi has desired has been achieved. The question is: how long will the new rulers in Afghanistan remained under Pakistan’s influence? Is the Taliban cohesive enough? Is it really fully under Pakistan’s control? Those questions remain too. In this conversation with Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale, London-based Adrian Levy, author of acclaimed books like The Exile and the recent Spy Stories: Inside the secret world of the RAW and the ISI and a long-time observer of the Af-Pak region, dwells on the rapid changes in the region and the likely fallout of the Taliban victory in Afghanistan and its implications for the region and the western world.
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