When I slipped through the mass of Iranian journalists surrounding the Iranian foreign minister, I found Ali Akbar Salehi a very cautious man indeed, apparently more anxious how his English would be translated into Farsi than how he would be reported in The Independent.
“In the trilateral talks between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, we discussed many things and issues that may come up after the Nato military force goes out of Afghanistan,” he said. “I think there was a good convergence of views among the leaders of the three countries … In a nutshell, I’m very optimistic about the future of the region – unlike what some others would like to preach. The nations of these three are going home determined to take in hand their governance and exercise their independence to do the best in economic, political and cultural cooperation.”
~~~This is a long diplomatic way of saying “Phew! – the Americans are going at last and we’re all on our own.” Even Iran’s Supreme Leader, whose wisdom is greeted with Vatican-like adherence here, seems to have concluded that the US plans to abandon its eastern neighbour. Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei thought the Americans would be gone “within three years”. But the vast US airbase in Kandahar, like those at Bagram and elsewhere, look like much longer-term projects; so do the giant US military “lily-pads” (the expression of that extraordinary military strategist D Rumsfeld, Esq) in Iraq.
Afghans, themselves, fear the Obama premature retreat, wary that the lack of security allows the Taliban to regroup.
Many Afghans concerned about feeling abandoned by the U.S. are asking with some urgency, “Will we be ready?”
~~~The core Taliban group’s idea is to topple the system, to reverse the process,” Abdullah Abdullah, a former Afghan foreign minister and President Hamid Karzai’s main opponent in the last presidential election, told reporters in Kabul on Thursday. “They will continue that struggle; that’s very obvious.”
Haroon Mir, an Afghan political and security analyst, said many concerns involve what the Taliban may achieve by 2014, rather than in the next several months.
“We know the Taliban won’t amass a bunch of fighters because 10,000 U.S. troops have left this year, but in 2014, that might be the case,” Mir said. “People are afraid that the Taliban will return, and the Afghan security forces won’t be able to defend the country.”
Even last summer, alleged AQ Khan pal, General Mirza Aslam Beg, was penning harbinger op-eds, hailing the inevitability of Pakistan and Afghanistan’s renewed alliance with Iran.
The Afghan freedom movement now has reached a point where the occupation forces are suffering from failure of nerves, inducting more troops only to reinforce their defeat. The irony is that the occupation forces, which stand defeated, are trying to lay down the conditions for peace, which is the privilege of the Taliban, who have emerged as winners. It would, therefore be proper to focus on Afghanistan, the people, their culture, their national ethos, their sense of honour and value system, which lend resilience to the cause of freedom. The occupation forces must accept the reality that they have failed to read the complex tribal and societal relationship of the Afghans. They must not repeat the mistakes of 1990 and 2001, of denying the fruits of victory to the Afghans, i.e., to share power and form a government. There will be no peace, if any other course is adopted. Taliban are now strong enough to snatch away their freedom, which they have won with such a great sacrifice.
The people know the predicament of the occupation forces and the tenuousness of the routes of supply to Afghanistan. The attack on the NATO supply convey near Islamabad and the turmoil in Kyrgyzstan to disrupt the daily supply of over forty five thousand liters of oil daily from the Manas air base, is meant to check-mate the occupation forces. Who is responsible for these acts? Certainly, not the Taliban from Afghanistan or the American haters of Pakistan! Not difficult to make a fair guess!!
The Americans and the allies have to take a bold decision in Afghanistan, same as years earlier, wisdom demanded that timely intervention in Bosnia was necessary to check the spread of jehadism in Europe. In Afghanistan, the Americans themselves have become part of the problem, yet it is not too late to intercede now.
~~~The momentous decision, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, now have to jointly take, is a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the war ravaged Afghanistan. The occupation forces have no option but to exit, creating a power vacuum, which they will try to fill with the proxy power, like India. This must be prevented at all cost, as our joint responsibility, ensuring that:
■Afghanistan returns to their people, to let them govern the country as it suits them.
■Help the Afghans, establish peace, as the prelude to regional stability.
■Demand from the Americans, their allies and the Russians, to pay for the war damages to the Afghans.
■Join the world community to rebuild Afghanistan’s basic infrastructures for speedier economic recovery.
Congrats to, Obama. Quite a foreign policy accomplishment. Alienating ally Israel, starting a new “non war” in Libya, interfering in civil wars in only US cooperative-with-intel nations, and siding against Honduras and their Constitutional ouster of a rogue despot President. Quite the portfolio thus far. Who woulda thunk one novice, inexperienced guy with too much power to handle could chalk up such a list of failures in such a short time?
Now, as icing on the cake, this POTUS has not only left our remaining troops more vunerable by prematurely seizing their “back up” for his politically expedient withdrawal/bugging out during what will be a tough re’election campaign, *and* abandoning the mission prior to any modicum of success… he’s now driven them into the open arms of an overt enemy – Iran – simultaneously….
All for election campaign “bragging rights”?
One has to wonder… US failure and retreat is a positive talking point? Indeed it is, to the historically challenged brain dead. With the dubious record of this POTUS – including the economy is tanking with no end in sight, and a war weary, uninvolved citizenry – any short term “fix” can look inviting…
… that is until they see the expansion of Iranian influence in the region.
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.