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SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2011 13:59 INAM UL REHMAN
In his keynote address, the former ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mr Rajiv Skiri, said: The foreign backed war has turned Afghanistan into a global epicentre of terrorism and leader in exporting drugs to the world. In an International Conference conducted by the Kashmir University where Central Asian and Indian experts thronged the room, Mr Skiri in his monograph said India is victim of that terrorism.
As India presents itself the victim of terrorism it is important to understand how the Indian State is so or if it is really so? What Mr Skiri forgot to tell the audience was who backed the invasion of Afghanistan in the last quarter of 20th century? The erstwhile USSR invasion of Afghanistan had full support of India. The Afghans didnt attack or invade any country. The factory of holy warriors that got churned out in AfghanistanIndia must take principal responsibility for that. Indians backed thuggish communist governments in Kabul in order to squeeze Pakistan. The Indian State thought that by helping USSR it would gain strategic position in Kabul. Convinced that Soviets would not leave Afghanistan, in the summer of 86 the Indian State, emboldened by the support of USSR, decided to launch offensive against Pakistan. According to Ghost War author, Steve Coll, Pakistanis were certain that attacks inside their land in 1980s were orchestrated with the help of Indian and USSR spy agencies to destabilise Pakistan. The Pakistani State found itself pitted against a superpower on one side and powerful enemy on the back. The Indian Army launched operation Brasstacks considered the biggest land army manoeuvre by any State since the end of World War II (Arming without Aiming: Indias Military Modernization by Stephen P. Cohen and Sunil Dasgupta). The operation was halted only after Pakistan threatened to use nukes against the conventional strength of Indian army. In its hubris, India and USSR were trying to tear apart Pakistan in order to strengthen the Afghanistan occupation.
Much to the horror of India, the then USSR President, Mikhail Gorbachev, set a pull out date of Russian forces from Afghanistan. Since then India has been clamouring that it is a victim of terrorism. Terrorists are not born in space. You left them the ground and ideology. They were hail and hearty in their own backyard. You backed Soviets in 80s. In the new millennium, you repeated your folly. As US prepared to invade Afghanistan in 2001 and asked Pakistan to help it, otherwise, they would be bombed to stone ages, Indian State enthusiastically offered their services and land for lunching war on Afghans. India helped the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. India also helped insurgent groups like LTTE in Sri Lanka and later the same insurgent group was responsible for taking the life of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. India is now beseeching USA to stay put in Afghanistan when the world opinion is against it. India has the dubious distinction of ditching its friendsChina, Iran and Iraq, LTTE are few examples. India has not yet realised the folly of supporting an invading power. Instead, they blame Afghans and Pakistan for importing terror to Indian State.
Ambassador Skiri further opined in the University auditorium that Pakistan has to work with India to stabilise the Afghan region. Pakistan, said the former Ambassador to Kazakhstan, has neither economy to stabilise Afghanistan nor has it got trust of Afghanistan. India has many things that can help to stabilise Afghanistan. However, the fact is that Indias past record of brokering peace is dismal. In 1987, the then PM of India, Rajiv Gandhi, signed Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accordand send its army to Lanka. The operation turned into disaster and came to be known as Indias Vietnam (Arming without Aiming). Even India could not broker peace in the Hindu Nepal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is not paying any heed to Indias requests and threats. Pakistan has already shown that it has its own independent policy and follows that. President Barack Obamas visit to India didnt ruffle any feather in Pakistan. Pakistan understands the game well. US wanted to harp on Pakistani insecurity to pressurise ISI to cooperate more on Afghan front. They refused. Secretary of State Hillary Clintons visit to Afghanistan and stern language had no impact on Pakistani State. The present US installed President of Afghanistans recent visit to India has no significance for Pakistan. Rather it would use this opportunity to fan more anger toward Indian designs that corroborates occupation.
The original U.S. military objective, wrote Robert D. Blackwill, the former US Ambassador to India (20012003), in his essay Plan B in Afghanistan for the January issue 2011 of Foreign Affairs magazine, in Afghanistan was to destroy al Qaeda, not to fight the Afghan Taliban, and that goal has largely been accomplished. It was the killing of bin Laden that US public believed that the objective has been achieved. The US public is now getting impatient for pull out. They dont want their sons to be killed in a war which they cannot win. Now getting back their soldiers safely is the arduous task. The Afghans have history of slaying retreating occupying forces. Afghans will try to strike fear in the retreating occupations forces. In the late 80s when Soviets pulled forces from Afghanistan US had to convince Pakistan to rein in Afghans for not slaughtering the enemy in their retreat (Ghost War). Today USA is facing the same challenge that Afghans should not decimate its flanks. The US wants to have a safe passage for its troops from the Afghan quagmire.
Afghans have always dispensed foreign intervention. The mighty British imperialism couldnt bring them under their banner. Soviets disintegrated. Why is it that Pakistan always finds right partners at right times while Indians are always left groping with decaying powers? How many friends India has? Can it even count five friends! The answer will be no.
India
In his keynote address, the former ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mr Rajiv Skiri, said: The foreign backed war has turned Afghanistan into a global epicentre of terrorism and leader in exporting drugs to the world. In an International Conference conducted by the Kashmir University where Central Asian and Indian experts thronged the room, Mr Skiri in his monograph said India is victim of that terrorism.
As India presents itself the victim of terrorism it is important to understand how the Indian State is so or if it is really so? What Mr Skiri forgot to tell the audience was who backed the invasion of Afghanistan in the last quarter of 20th century? The erstwhile USSR invasion of Afghanistan had full support of India. The Afghans didnt attack or invade any country. The factory of holy warriors that got churned out in AfghanistanIndia must take principal responsibility for that. Indians backed thuggish communist governments in Kabul in order to squeeze Pakistan. The Indian State thought that by helping USSR it would gain strategic position in Kabul. Convinced that Soviets would not leave Afghanistan, in the summer of 86 the Indian State, emboldened by the support of USSR, decided to launch offensive against Pakistan. According to Ghost War author, Steve Coll, Pakistanis were certain that attacks inside their land in 1980s were orchestrated with the help of Indian and USSR spy agencies to destabilise Pakistan. The Pakistani State found itself pitted against a superpower on one side and powerful enemy on the back. The Indian Army launched operation Brasstacks considered the biggest land army manoeuvre by any State since the end of World War II (Arming without Aiming: Indias Military Modernization by Stephen P. Cohen and Sunil Dasgupta). The operation was halted only after Pakistan threatened to use nukes against the conventional strength of Indian army. In its hubris, India and USSR were trying to tear apart Pakistan in order to strengthen the Afghanistan occupation.
Much to the horror of India, the then USSR President, Mikhail Gorbachev, set a pull out date of Russian forces from Afghanistan. Since then India has been clamouring that it is a victim of terrorism. Terrorists are not born in space. You left them the ground and ideology. They were hail and hearty in their own backyard. You backed Soviets in 80s. In the new millennium, you repeated your folly. As US prepared to invade Afghanistan in 2001 and asked Pakistan to help it, otherwise, they would be bombed to stone ages, Indian State enthusiastically offered their services and land for lunching war on Afghans. India helped the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. India also helped insurgent groups like LTTE in Sri Lanka and later the same insurgent group was responsible for taking the life of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. India is now beseeching USA to stay put in Afghanistan when the world opinion is against it. India has the dubious distinction of ditching its friendsChina, Iran and Iraq, LTTE are few examples. India has not yet realised the folly of supporting an invading power. Instead, they blame Afghans and Pakistan for importing terror to Indian State.
Ambassador Skiri further opined in the University auditorium that Pakistan has to work with India to stabilise the Afghan region. Pakistan, said the former Ambassador to Kazakhstan, has neither economy to stabilise Afghanistan nor has it got trust of Afghanistan. India has many things that can help to stabilise Afghanistan. However, the fact is that Indias past record of brokering peace is dismal. In 1987, the then PM of India, Rajiv Gandhi, signed Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accordand send its army to Lanka. The operation turned into disaster and came to be known as Indias Vietnam (Arming without Aiming). Even India could not broker peace in the Hindu Nepal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is not paying any heed to Indias requests and threats. Pakistan has already shown that it has its own independent policy and follows that. President Barack Obamas visit to India didnt ruffle any feather in Pakistan. Pakistan understands the game well. US wanted to harp on Pakistani insecurity to pressurise ISI to cooperate more on Afghan front. They refused. Secretary of State Hillary Clintons visit to Afghanistan and stern language had no impact on Pakistani State. The present US installed President of Afghanistans recent visit to India has no significance for Pakistan. Rather it would use this opportunity to fan more anger toward Indian designs that corroborates occupation.
The original U.S. military objective, wrote Robert D. Blackwill, the former US Ambassador to India (20012003), in his essay Plan B in Afghanistan for the January issue 2011 of Foreign Affairs magazine, in Afghanistan was to destroy al Qaeda, not to fight the Afghan Taliban, and that goal has largely been accomplished. It was the killing of bin Laden that US public believed that the objective has been achieved. The US public is now getting impatient for pull out. They dont want their sons to be killed in a war which they cannot win. Now getting back their soldiers safely is the arduous task. The Afghans have history of slaying retreating occupying forces. Afghans will try to strike fear in the retreating occupations forces. In the late 80s when Soviets pulled forces from Afghanistan US had to convince Pakistan to rein in Afghans for not slaughtering the enemy in their retreat (Ghost War). Today USA is facing the same challenge that Afghans should not decimate its flanks. The US wants to have a safe passage for its troops from the Afghan quagmire.
Afghans have always dispensed foreign intervention. The mighty British imperialism couldnt bring them under their banner. Soviets disintegrated. Why is it that Pakistan always finds right partners at right times while Indians are always left groping with decaying powers? How many friends India has? Can it even count five friends! The answer will be no.
India
