Pakistan holds solution to solving Afghan conflict

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The key to the solution of the Afghan problem lies in Pakistan; however, as long as Pakistan is dependent on the three A’s - the army, Allah and America - the conflict against the Taliban is unlikely to go away.

“Terrorism has become a lucrative industry for Pakistan,” a senior Afghan official told this reporter.

“It has been seven years since the United States launched the war in Afghanistan to hunt down the Taliban, Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda,” an Afghan diplomat told the Middle East Times.

Given the resources available to the United States in modern technology, firepower, manpower and financial power, greater strides should have been accomplished by now, he said. Instead, the situation is regressing, with the Taliban making major inroads and regaining influence.

How did the United States get to this point? Much as in Iraq, the initial phase of the war went smoothly. The U.S. military, with assistance from anti-Taliban Afghan forces, drove the Taliban from power and routed al Qaeda from their safe havens. But soon after, things started going wrong.

Several major mistakes were committed along the way. First, was the launch of the Iraq war, which numerous observers, military officers and officials, as well as Afghan officials, now say was an unnecessary and disastrous distraction from getting the job done in Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately, the Americans allowed themselves to be side-tracked by Iraq,” said an Afghan official.

The Taliban, recognized by only two countries in the world and which gave refuge to bin Laden and his followers, was chased out of power by U.S. forces after the horrendous attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “But, regrettably, the job was not terminated,” said the diplomat.

Among the errors committed was leaving an escape route open to both the Taliban and al Qaeda to Pakistan, where many members of both organizations found refuge.

The key to solving the Afghan problem now lies beyond the borders of that war-torn country in neighboring Pakistan. Several U.S., European and Afghan experts are adamant on that point.

Francesc Vendrell, the European Union’s special representative in Afghanistan, told a conference in Geneva last month, attended by some 380 security and conflict-resolution specialists, that “the situation in Afghanistan today is getting worse than it has ever been.”

“The Taliban have been able to mount attacks,” Mr. Vendrell said, warning against any urge Western countries might have to pull their troops out. “We must definitely not think about moving out of Afghanistan. This is not the time to leave.

“We need to stay as long as the Afghan public, through their elected officials, want us to stay,” he said.

Summing up what went wrong for the coalition and warning against a premature withdrawal of coalition troops, Mr. Vendrell placed part of the blame on the coalition for trusting former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

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