Afghanistan On Verge Of War
By VOR
By Vladimir Gladkov
A leaked secret report by the US military claims that Taliban, backed by Pakistan, is getting ready to retake control over Afghanistan.
The document, derived from thousands of interrogation and intelligence reports, also claims that Taliban still has wide support among the Afghan civilians. If the information is true, the Taliban will hardly miss the possibility, granted by NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Now after the catastrophic decline in Pakistani-US relations Washington finds itself in an extreme need of an alternative access route to and from Afghanistan, which may soon become contested territory. The solution found by Washington totally complies with the usual American tactic of foreign policy. The White House decided to waive a ban on military assistance to Uzbekistan, mysteriously forgetting about the human-rights violations of Uzbekistan’s government.
The accusations of supporting the extremists are not new for the Pakistani government. Washington and Islamabad have a long story of diplomatic scandals and mutual accusations. Both governments tried to find a compromise even after such incidents, extremely embarrassing for Pakistan authorities, as the secret liquidation of Osama bin Laden by US Spec Ops or the controversial release of the CIA contractor Raymond Davis. But now the situation seems to have finally reached its peak. In November Islamabad decided to block the border crossings into Afghanistan used by US in a response to another American airstrike that killed Pakistani troops. And as the report, leaked to the press including The Times and BBC states, the Pakistani security service does support Taliban in its plans of retaking control over Afghanistan. According to the report, such a scenario is more than possible, since the violence in Afghanistan has reached its highest level since 2001 when Taliban was driven out by NATO-backed Afghan forces. Despite the terrorist attacks, conducted by Taliban on the territory of the country, the extremists are still widely supported by the Afghan people.
“Many Afghans are already bracing themselves for an eventual return of the Taliban,” said The Times, quoting the report. “Once ISAF (NATO-led forces) is no longer a factor, Taliban consider their victory inevitable”.
The report also proves the numerous claims that Inter-Services Intelligence – the Pakistan’s security agency, was assisting extremists, directing attacks against NATO forces. “Senior Taliban leaders meet regularly with ISI personnel, who advise on strategy and relay any pertinent concerns of the government of Pakistan,” says the report, claiming that Pakistan is aware of the locations of senior Taliban leaders.
“Pakistan knows everything, – says the report, quoting a senior al-Qaeda detainee – They control everything. I can’t [expletive] on a tree in Kunar without them watching.”
“The Taliban are not Islam. The Taliban are Islamabad.”
Unsurprisingly Pakistan keeps denying any accusations. “A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in our own interests. We cannot indulge in any activity which takes us away from achieving that objective,” says Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman describing the situation as “ridiculous”.
However, the statements of Pakistani officials will hardly help America to find a solution. While the threat of Taliban’s return to Afghanistan is more than considerable and the Pakistani-Afghan border is closed for American troops, the US has to find an alternative way in and out of Afghan territory. The White House seems to have found a solution despite the fact that it contradicts the US government’s own principles. Always ready to crucify other countries for their unwillingness to follow democratic values, America has decided to re-establish its partnership with Uzbekistan, ignoring its record of human-rights violations. Uzbekistan has been barred from receiving US military assistance since 2003, but now the former Soviet republic presents a perfect alternative to sending supplies through Pakistan. The waiver that will allow the US to provide nonlethal defensive equipment to Uzbekistan was signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 18. While the further development of situation is still not easy to see, Afghanistan seems to be entering its new chapter.
A lot of concerns raised in this article are a stark reality of the situation in Uzbekistan. It
has been a very volatile state for almost a decade and more so in last five-six years. Since
this earlier USSR state has been mostly out of the politics of South Asia, not much track has been kept by us.
As the US deadline to pull her troops comes near, such blame-counterblame game will keep building its crescendo until the Americans finally pull out next year or the year after. We must not forget, with due respect, that today’s Pakistani mindset is just a reflection of the US mindset of about three decades ago.
I have repeatedly argued on it, between US and Pakistan, it is difficult to distinguish, who is
master and who is slave or servant? Pakistan has imbibed all the Western diplomatic tricks that West had not contemplate to backfire on them. A monster once created doesn’t decipher between the loyalty of its masterhood. Now the genie is out of bottle. US/Pak are same for it.
Pakistan itself crocks shamelessly as victim of terrorism; you enjoyed them alongwith the dollars flowing from all around in the name of 9un)holy war in Afghanistan against the USSR/Northern Alliance. I must also point out here that the creation of the genie was also with a tacit understanding of using these brutes
in Kashmir once they have been freed in Afghanistan. Sure enough, US still shamelessly watch them unleashing their terror and unrest in
Kashmir valley since 1989 onwards.
US as it is rightly observed in this column, will not hesitate to sacrifice any other nation when its own interests collide, US has sacrificed Indian interests obtusely. I have repeatedly tried to remind US, not to recognise Pakistan’s Western and Eastern borders differently. US has been overtly myopic in their
dealings on their war on Islamist extremists when it comes to Afghanistan and India. Monsters even did not spare its own land of Pak,
what to speak of others. When it comes to India, Pak has been thrust with an idea of an arch rival, the western media keep generating this hate agenda on its peak. They don’t miss even a slightest opportunity to remind the Paki volatile mentality to remind and keep it at its full.
This partitioned approach by US is being counterproductive for both Pakistan and US while making no difference to INdian establishment. India is used to it ever since 1947 and more so slowly but surely since the two wars inflicted on her in 1965 and 1971. This
didn’t generate any confidence on Indian side but Muslim psyche of hate Hindu and India due to their inbuilt barbarism is difficult nay impossible to eradicate. And it will never be eliminated until they have a fear of reprisal like in Western nations. India lacks it outright. This emboldens the Muslim society seen as recent as the Saman Rushdie episode now followed by a fresh engagement with Tasleema Nasreen.
I must be excused but Islam and its Wahabi/Sunni/Salafi/Deobandi arrogant mentality will never, I observe it, never permit to live in peace and coexistence. Unfortunately Paki Islamists like Lashkar Al Qaeda etc radicalised groups operate in India with a select radical local groups with impunity. Sex and religion are two such human weaknesses that can entice any person to go out of the way to any extent. It practically makes them blind to fanatism.
Islam incoporates both maladies in one. This leads to generation of all the evils one want to keep at bay.
Coming back to now Afghanistan/Pakistan imbroglio, as the US withdrawal date nears, Pak knows it well. The recent US/Pak fallout is only
an expected reaction. US wants Pakistan to act to their convenience which doesn’t suit the interests of Pakistan because of India whom Pak
considers an arch rival. The fact is that it is the Pakistan which has been aggressor always and India was thrust into wars mindlessly.
Pakistani leaders have to learn to use their own brains instead of use the borrowed brain of Uncle Sham. Otherwise I would presume that their cannot be a lasting solution. I have only yesterday expressed my views, once US exits, Afghanistan is all set for a fresh bloodbath.
If Obama is faced with harder nails next year, I am not sure of a more widespread escalation of violence, may be initiation of WW III like situation. We only have to wait and watch the situation as it unfolds in Muslim world and US, France elections. With the economic slump and so many mindless national regional unrests, the difficult electoral prospects, are the most rife and appropriate situations for a war. Let us see. God bless