Framing case for a war against a phantom enemy much against the true will of the US public in particular and the world community in general is what President Barack Obama is unsuccessfully struggling hard at. The so-called well intentioned “change we can believe in” now stand for the status quo.
The Guantanamo Bay Concentration Camp is still there while the International Court of Justice is pursuing war crimes against many non-US offenders and war criminals. The contention of precision drone attacks by Barack Obama is thus not compatible with accepted legal norms. While Osama Bin Laden may have been guilty of 9/11 attacks, he was never formally charged. Very few Al-Qaeda members could be finally charged so far.
Pakistan unfortunately has a very responsible position to hold – whenever something goes wrong somewhere in the world, it is held responsible for. For the past 7 to 8 years, the CIA has been carrying out drone attacks against alleged Al-Qaeda/Taliban militants who sneak or are sneaked into Pakistan’s FATA from Afghanistan under the watchful eyes and highly technical surveillance of ISAF.
The drone-attacks accrue minor positive results but colossal and long term negative results as far as Pakistan is concerned. The heavy collateral damage in the shape of deaths of innocent women and small children are boiling up cauldron of animosity against Pakistan and the United States. A brother (even of terrorists) who has lost his two brothers in a drone-attack is a fit case to become a terrorist rather than a peace-activist or well wisher of Pakistan or the US.
The US is repeating the same mistakes it made when it humbled Soviets back in 1988. The spectre of battle-hardened Al-Qaeda members /Talibans is likely to haunt the US and unlucky Pakistan again. The government, concerned international organisations and the media must remind the US (now talking to the Taliban) that it opposed Pakistan’s talks with militants in Swat/SWA. Redeeming failure is perfect recipe for disaster.
It is on record that the US and other players did not listen to Pakistan then back in 1988 and paid a heavy price as did Pakistan. The US is doing that again. The most prudent solution will be to engage all stakeholders: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, China, CARs bordering Afghanistan. Taliban and other Afghan factions be made confident through a 2 to 3 years crash reconciliation and reconstruction program after complete withdrawal of all foreign troops with a firm commitment to financially support the Afghan government for the next decade. The US must understand by now that it can affect the things up to a certain limit only.
The US and ISAF must follow the logical conclusion of completely referring and handing over Afghan case to the UN. A sizeable UN peacekeeping or reconstruction force should be raised to train Afghan bureaucracy, Afghan Army and Police which ISAF has not been able to do during all these ten years. Pump in real construction and rehabilitation resources to exploit the potential of disillusioned Afghan youth.
Much awaited and promised Relief Economic Zones (REZ) in FATA should now be implemented to positively reorient the youth of the area. The US and Pakistan should both work seriously on this aspect as procrastination will cost the US dearly.
Afghanistan will only gain from a stable Pakistan and stable FATA; any other situation will be damaging for Afghanistan. The so-called “war on terror” has run its course. It is now at the point where diminishing returns have kicked in, that too exponentially.
MASOOD AHMAD
Lahore
