Keeping Pakistan Aboard On Fresh US Afghan Strategy

Article By Bassam Javed.The air over Afghanistan elections is finally cleared. Consequent to the withdrawal of Dr. Abdullah from the runoff elections for which he had worked so hard to materialize.

the Independent Afghan Election Commission declared the incumbent president as having been re-elected on the basis of August 20 elections for the second time running. Predictions by the US high ups that Karzai would win prior the actual runoff could take place, Dr. Abdullah concluded that he had no chance to win the runoff and as such decided to withdraw. His withdrawal could have also been the result of mutual understanding reached between Dr. Abdullah and President Hamid Karzai wherein the latter may have assured Dr. Abdullah to occupy some important portfolio in his government sometime later. The fact that Karzai became the president for the second time running through an election that was disputed for fraud, may now force him aggressively confront grafting, corruption practices that plagued his first term as the president, to justify his presidency in the eyes of Afghans as well as the world. His western backers would now be now more determined to hold him accountable for all his actions that he takes in his next presidency to free Afghanistan from all of its ills.

During the second term President Karzai will surely work towards reconciliation with Taliban by talking to them to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. In doing so Pakistani help will be vital to supplement the talks with the Taliban. The talks would also help frame a time table for a face saving phased withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan are sown in eternal relationships through religion, culture, free movements from either side into each others territory, cross border marriages and for other thousand reasons. It is for this reason that a common Pakistani is well aware of Afghan tribal customs and traditions. Presence of foreign forces in this area, primarily covering Pakistan and Afghanistan, be it the western or Russian or Indian, has always been resented by the local populations on either side of the common borders and as such would always act as irritants in stabilization of this area.

As per the latest news the fresh strategy in making by Obama administration has been narrowed down to four options which he is likely to discuss with his national security team. Robert Gibbs the Press Secretary for Obama did not divulge the options however he said that the decision to send in more troops is still weeks away. Rightly so, as the decision to send in more troops without a clear cut and workable strategy tantamount loosing lives for committing yet another mistake through prolonging stay of the foreign troops in Afghanistan. After all it is their presence on Afghan soil that unites the Taliban forces. A huge total of US $243 billion has already been consumed by this war. Placement of additional troops would only add to further expenditures with concurrent resentment and resistance by the Taliban.

By closely working together, the United States and Pakistan have been successful in dismantling Al-Kaida’s strong holds in the region and continue to hunt them as they are on the run. Pakistan is passing through a critical phase of its young democracy and faces a host of problems. There is a security problem as Pakistan confronts the Taliban terrorists, then there is energy problem, economy is not vibrant as it should be and to top it all it is fighting a determined insurgency that is being deliberately fomented by intervention of foreign agencies like Research and Analyses Wing of India, evidence of which has come to limelight during Operation Rahe Nijat in South Waziristan against the Taliban. In confronting all its problems it is vitally and morally important for the United States to keep Pakistan aboard on the evolving strategy on Afghanistan as any security or political upheaval resulting out of this strategy therein Afghanistan will directly affect Pakistan. If it is being contemplated to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan and still achieve the desirable results, then there is an undeniable requirement to discuss with Pakistan as it can be instrumental in filling up the vacuum. Concurrently, Afghan Pashtuns need to be engaged to stabilize Afghanistan since the Northern Alliance comprising non Afghans like Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmen would always be considered settlers through migrations over decades from their own countries. The ascendancy in Afghan affairs of these settlers would in no way be acceptable to Pashtuns who have ruled Afghanistan for over two hundred years now. Pashtuns have always been deliberately kept out from all Afghan affairs since the Taliban ouster from Kabul in 2001.

Pakistan has suffered as no other country in the world from the Afghan morass. It has lost billions of dollars in its economy. It has lost hundreds of lives in Taliban backlash in its main cities in the wake of operations in Swat and South Waziristan without much of donors much promised monetary or material aid. Men in uniform have laid their lives in fighting the insurgents. Talking to Pakistan on the fresh strategy will aid the mutual confidence and assure Pakistan of much declared American commitment of building a lasting and trustworthy relationship with Pakistan. As such, the fresh strategy must take in account the impacts that it will have on the sensitivities of Pakistan to change the view of the United States in Pakistan.

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