The nine year war to wipe out terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and adjoining tribal belt of Pakistan due to unlawful activities of al Qaeda and taliban has obviously not borne the desired results. Instead it has now been revealed that the said terrorist organizations have quickly spread their network over extraordinary large areas additionally getting criminals from different countries like David Coleman Headily absorbed into their cadres.
This increasingly menacing problem now requires the task of intelligence gatherings and sharing for taking coordinated action sharply to obviate terrorist attacks even all the more imperative.
But this should not deviate the US and NATO forces/ countries from concluding this war in a tough and ruthless manner so that the Taliban and al Qaeda menace does not raise its ugly head again. already illogical announcement of 'surge and exit' plan by the Obama administration and the recent disarray in war strategies contemplated by the White house strategists and differently perceived by the on the ground war generals that resulted in replacing Gen Mc crystal by Gen Petraeus has had the effect of emboldening the Taliban twice .First, wining side does not announce its exit plan without having defeated and undone the enemy. Second, wining armies do not undergo replacement of generals in the concluding stages of war, in the way this has been done .
These drawbacks have already shown their telling effects inside Afghanistan with marked deterioration in political scene adversely affecting US interests. Hamid Karzai who was till recently vowing to fight back the Talibans now appears in worrisome quest even for striking a power sharing deal with Taliban’s ready, for the said reason, to give political influence over his country to Pakistan. Reportedly with this objective in view. Pakistan army chief Chief kayani and Pakistan ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha had a face to face meeting with Hamid Karzai. There are also reports that even Haqqani network operating across Pakistan borders in the adjoining areas of Afghanistan may also find a role. How US and NATO forces war objectives are being met is not at all clear .Talibans who never hesitate to break their pledges at the last moment may present a scary situation for the retreating US troops.
Sensing this changing scenario, Pakistan president has recently had talks with Chinese premier HU Jintao in Beijing for conducting feasibility talks for constructing a road from kashgar (in xinijang) to Hawelian in Pakistan through Karakorum that may shorten the entire distance to 750 km. Indian authorities see this as an increasingly military infrastructure not in the interest of peace for this region.
Further recently resignations of Bismullah khan , the chief of staff of afghan army and Arumullah Saleh , the head of afghan intelligence, both of them being non-pushtuns has created suspicion and resistance among the non-pashtun population of Afghanistan and Abdullah Abdullah has openly spoken of Afghanistan slipping into chaotic conditions of civil war witnessed in the early years of war, when Ahmad Shah Mehsud was fighting the talibans from northern alliance .
Regional powers like China, Iran , India and Russia are watching the situation with grave concerns .Some quarters in US and European countries are also eyeing the possibility of division of Afghanistan with Northern areas including Kabul under Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara (non-Pashtun) control while southern areas with Pashtun population and Taliban presence being stationed with US troops permanently.
Aghanistan has traditionally been the transit route for large armies and populations.Afghanistan divided population may now pave a similar path for emerging power of china desiring to march even in territories of Pakistan with similar intentions . Pakistan has already witnessed areas breaking up violently due to linguistic and ethnic faultlines resulting in formation of Bangladesh . Nobody can predict how the history of this region will be shaped in the regional power struggle.
India should therefore give up its weak foreign policy with subdued approaches with regard to Pakistan-Afghanistan problem and instead adopt a strong posture so that Pakistan does not stand as a wall to the legitimate global commercial and trade interests of India in Central Asia , West Asia and other parts of Mid East.
The article was published in website
http://english.samaylive.com/nation/articles/676468135.html
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