is for quite some time now that the US and NATO forces’ aerial raids along Pak-Afghan border areas have almost become daily event.
These strikes have killed dozens of civilians and Pakistan security personnel and many wounded besides creating panic in the FATA. Since September 03, 2010, more than 220 people have been killed in Pakistan in over 40 such strikes. But now the United States is seeking to expand the areas inside Pakistan where Central Intelligence Agency drones can operate. However, National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense taking strict notice of the US’ intention to broaden the area of drone attack said that Pakistan’s sovereignty and security is continuously being violated in the name of war on terror. This fresh rhetoric is in sync with US intentions to attack and operate freely into Pakistani territory and divert the world’s attention from their failures in Afghanistan vis-à-vis peace and stability.
It is also for quite some time that Pakistan is being accused by the NATO/ISAF of either harboring or funding Al-Qaeda terrorists and insurgency in Afghanistan thereby threatening to conduct ‘hot pursuits’ across border into the Pakistani territory in search of Al-Qaeda sanctuaries. It only reflects the US’ double-edged policy paradigm. It is also true that no matter what immense contributions have been made by Pakistan to the US’ nine-year war, the US and its allies will remain at dagger drawn towards Pakistan. so it is not first time that Pakistan has to explain one way or the other that she is neither on a war front with Afghanistan nor sole responsible for peace and security there. The real responsibility lies with Afghan government and all the security forces present there including U.S, NATO and ISAF to combat Taliban and Al-Qaeda elements while Pakistan is just playing a role to support the smooth working of Afghanistan and all security forces. In view of repeated allegations on Pakistan and hawkish attitude of the US it would be empirical to highlight the real causes of instability and growing militancy in Afghanistan rather than irrationally whipping on Pakistan to do more and escalating war in Afghanistan.
First and foremost, the role of US and NATO forces in promoting a culture of peace and harmony in Afghanistan is of much speculation. High-handed tactics of US and NATO, the moral degeneration of Afghan army under the patronage of the coalition forces is reported to be on rise. It is ironic that at one hand coalition forces keep on harping that Pakistan is contributing to the instability in Afghanistan while ignoring the coalition forces and Afghan National Army’s (ANA) misconduct with the civilian population which in turn is shifting Afghan masses’ resilience from ANA and NATO to Taliban. The derogatory standards and coercive policies of coalition forces’ towards masses has immensely contributed to the insurgency in Afghanistan.
Another example of US’ double standards vis-à-vis terrorism combat policies are their secret relationship with Taliban. Taliban militants have bases and their training camps in Tagab, Alasay and Tamir districts of Kapisa province, which is located next to Bagram airbase. Kapisa province is under little control of Afghan government therefore, responsibility for the security of the area lies with German and United States’ troops. Interestingly, coalition forces maintain close contacts with Taliban in the area, ANA troops and local people are fully aware of the fact. It is for this reason that coalition forces never launched a serious operation in the area and the Taliban reciprocate it by never attacking an exclusive coalition forces’ convoy, even a single vehicle with few foreign troops can operate in the area without any threat from militants. On the contrary, there have been number of instances where on the same route ANA convoys were targeted but never foreign troops. Further, only low level or less motivated militants are usually being arrested by the coalition troops and they too are often released after few days with gifts and money. The foreign Commanders have adopted this tactic to spend their four to six month tenure in Afghanistan peacefully.
Presently the US and Kabul are making renewed efforts to make peace with Taliban realizing that peace in Afghanistan is not possible until and unless Taliban are made party to it. Previously, the same was proposed by the Pakistan but, ironically, then the US, NATO and Afghan government viewed Pakistan’s proposals and peace deals to fight terrorism with jaundiced eye.
Now that the US has realized the need to have peace with Taliban who constitute main strength of Afghanistan but it has failed to understand that the renewed Afghan efforts to make peace with the Taliban and end the nine-year war would fail without Pakistan’s help. There is no dearth of hint that Pakistan's role in finding a peaceful solution to the problem is not only important but crucial. Hence at this hour, Washington’s intention to expand war on terror into the Pakistani territory by extended attack lines beyond FATA would be a folly.
Peace talks with Taliban in FATA are not the only case of US’ double standards, there is a series of such examples. Hardly a day passes by when Pakistan is not accused of cross-border infiltration whereas it is in fact NATO and Afghan forces that are not pulling their weight in monitoring the long and porous border along formidable mountainous terrain. Pakistan check posts outnumbered those on the Afghan side by 10 to one, and also to mention is the Afghanistan’s refusal of Pakistani offer to fence the border in order to stop alleged cross-border infiltration.
In this context an important but largely overlooked factor is the over presence of Indian consulates in Afghanistan, which are passionately busy in the widespread propaganda against Pakistan besides contributing to the instability in Afghanistan. Indian intelligence’s subversive activities have been exposed many a times, which though did not affect its relations with Afghan government but sparked obvious anti-Indian sentiments among masses. Under such circumstances it became impossible for New Delhi to fulfill her desire of increased military presence in support of its intelligence network working in Afghanistan. The attacks on Indian embassy in Kabul and consulate in Jalalabad are planned by RAW in collaboration with RAAM of to pave the way for deployment of security personnel cum Indian spies along Pak-Afghan border. If India can alter her friendship rules in case of old friend Iran then how come she can be loyal to Afghanistan? It goes without saying that India has no legitimate role in Afghanistan but the dream to confront Pakistan and expand her rule up to energy rich Central Asian Republics. And deprecatingly the Afghan government has failed to mark the narrow difference between a friend and foe.
The worst part of war-wrecked Afghanistan story is that the Afghan government, US-NATO officials know exactly with whom the failure lies but they dare not admit it. And this is perhaps the weakest part of war on terror that coalition forces instead of learning from the failures; the practice is to put the onus on Pakistan who is already facing the major brunt of this war. The fragile situation of the region calls for cooperation among Pakistan, Afghanistan and US-NATO security forces and that the stability in Afghanistan requires a comprehensive peace process including all relevant internal actors and bordering neighbours. The escalation of war in Afghanistan would make matters worse.
These strikes have killed dozens of civilians and Pakistan security personnel and many wounded besides creating panic in the FATA. Since September 03, 2010, more than 220 people have been killed in Pakistan in over 40 such strikes. But now the United States is seeking to expand the areas inside Pakistan where Central Intelligence Agency drones can operate. However, National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense taking strict notice of the US’ intention to broaden the area of drone attack said that Pakistan’s sovereignty and security is continuously being violated in the name of war on terror. This fresh rhetoric is in sync with US intentions to attack and operate freely into Pakistani territory and divert the world’s attention from their failures in Afghanistan vis-à-vis peace and stability.
It is also for quite some time that Pakistan is being accused by the NATO/ISAF of either harboring or funding Al-Qaeda terrorists and insurgency in Afghanistan thereby threatening to conduct ‘hot pursuits’ across border into the Pakistani territory in search of Al-Qaeda sanctuaries. It only reflects the US’ double-edged policy paradigm. It is also true that no matter what immense contributions have been made by Pakistan to the US’ nine-year war, the US and its allies will remain at dagger drawn towards Pakistan. so it is not first time that Pakistan has to explain one way or the other that she is neither on a war front with Afghanistan nor sole responsible for peace and security there. The real responsibility lies with Afghan government and all the security forces present there including U.S, NATO and ISAF to combat Taliban and Al-Qaeda elements while Pakistan is just playing a role to support the smooth working of Afghanistan and all security forces. In view of repeated allegations on Pakistan and hawkish attitude of the US it would be empirical to highlight the real causes of instability and growing militancy in Afghanistan rather than irrationally whipping on Pakistan to do more and escalating war in Afghanistan.
First and foremost, the role of US and NATO forces in promoting a culture of peace and harmony in Afghanistan is of much speculation. High-handed tactics of US and NATO, the moral degeneration of Afghan army under the patronage of the coalition forces is reported to be on rise. It is ironic that at one hand coalition forces keep on harping that Pakistan is contributing to the instability in Afghanistan while ignoring the coalition forces and Afghan National Army’s (ANA) misconduct with the civilian population which in turn is shifting Afghan masses’ resilience from ANA and NATO to Taliban. The derogatory standards and coercive policies of coalition forces’ towards masses has immensely contributed to the insurgency in Afghanistan.
Another example of US’ double standards vis-à-vis terrorism combat policies are their secret relationship with Taliban. Taliban militants have bases and their training camps in Tagab, Alasay and Tamir districts of Kapisa province, which is located next to Bagram airbase. Kapisa province is under little control of Afghan government therefore, responsibility for the security of the area lies with German and United States’ troops. Interestingly, coalition forces maintain close contacts with Taliban in the area, ANA troops and local people are fully aware of the fact. It is for this reason that coalition forces never launched a serious operation in the area and the Taliban reciprocate it by never attacking an exclusive coalition forces’ convoy, even a single vehicle with few foreign troops can operate in the area without any threat from militants. On the contrary, there have been number of instances where on the same route ANA convoys were targeted but never foreign troops. Further, only low level or less motivated militants are usually being arrested by the coalition troops and they too are often released after few days with gifts and money. The foreign Commanders have adopted this tactic to spend their four to six month tenure in Afghanistan peacefully.
Presently the US and Kabul are making renewed efforts to make peace with Taliban realizing that peace in Afghanistan is not possible until and unless Taliban are made party to it. Previously, the same was proposed by the Pakistan but, ironically, then the US, NATO and Afghan government viewed Pakistan’s proposals and peace deals to fight terrorism with jaundiced eye.
Now that the US has realized the need to have peace with Taliban who constitute main strength of Afghanistan but it has failed to understand that the renewed Afghan efforts to make peace with the Taliban and end the nine-year war would fail without Pakistan’s help. There is no dearth of hint that Pakistan's role in finding a peaceful solution to the problem is not only important but crucial. Hence at this hour, Washington’s intention to expand war on terror into the Pakistani territory by extended attack lines beyond FATA would be a folly.
Peace talks with Taliban in FATA are not the only case of US’ double standards, there is a series of such examples. Hardly a day passes by when Pakistan is not accused of cross-border infiltration whereas it is in fact NATO and Afghan forces that are not pulling their weight in monitoring the long and porous border along formidable mountainous terrain. Pakistan check posts outnumbered those on the Afghan side by 10 to one, and also to mention is the Afghanistan’s refusal of Pakistani offer to fence the border in order to stop alleged cross-border infiltration.
In this context an important but largely overlooked factor is the over presence of Indian consulates in Afghanistan, which are passionately busy in the widespread propaganda against Pakistan besides contributing to the instability in Afghanistan. Indian intelligence’s subversive activities have been exposed many a times, which though did not affect its relations with Afghan government but sparked obvious anti-Indian sentiments among masses. Under such circumstances it became impossible for New Delhi to fulfill her desire of increased military presence in support of its intelligence network working in Afghanistan. The attacks on Indian embassy in Kabul and consulate in Jalalabad are planned by RAW in collaboration with RAAM of to pave the way for deployment of security personnel cum Indian spies along Pak-Afghan border. If India can alter her friendship rules in case of old friend Iran then how come she can be loyal to Afghanistan? It goes without saying that India has no legitimate role in Afghanistan but the dream to confront Pakistan and expand her rule up to energy rich Central Asian Republics. And deprecatingly the Afghan government has failed to mark the narrow difference between a friend and foe.
The worst part of war-wrecked Afghanistan story is that the Afghan government, US-NATO officials know exactly with whom the failure lies but they dare not admit it. And this is perhaps the weakest part of war on terror that coalition forces instead of learning from the failures; the practice is to put the onus on Pakistan who is already facing the major brunt of this war. The fragile situation of the region calls for cooperation among Pakistan, Afghanistan and US-NATO security forces and that the stability in Afghanistan requires a comprehensive peace process including all relevant internal actors and bordering neighbours. The escalation of war in Afghanistan would make matters worse.
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