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Karzai makes mockery of trilateral summit by attacking Pakistan

A.Rafay

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Annoys UK; says Helmand security was better before British troops were deployed; blames Pakistan for creating instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan

LONDON: Despite the high sounding joint statement issued after the trilateral talks in London, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was busy attacking Pakistan albeit indirectly in interviews given before the summit as well as in private conversations even after the summit.

In the most high profile interview to The Guardian and ITV, Karzai - whose decade long rule in Afghanistan has become a byword for corruption, nepotism and lawlessness - suggested Pakistan was preventing the Taliban from entering into peace talks with his government, even though the fact is that the Taliban leadership has long made it clear they would not talk to a puppet regime.

Karzai, who was installed by the western countries after the 9/11 attacks, is of Pashtun extraction but he is widely hated by Pashtuns, who form more than 65 percent of the Afghan population and who form the bedrock of Taliban support, who have successfully exploited the fact that he has the backing of the Nato countries for Afghanistan’s occupation but more than that Pashtuns blame Karzai for the deaths of tens of thousands of poor Afghans, mainly Pashtuns.

Although, Karzai gushed about “brother” Pakistan standing next to British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Asif Ali Zardari but his words sounded hollow and devoid of any substance because only a few hours earlier Karzai took several swipes at Pakistan during his interview with the Guardian and ITN.

Clearly desperate to hide his own failure and anxious to shift the blame to anyone else but himself, Karzai held Pakistan responsible for creating trouble in his war-ravaged country.

He made a mockery of claims of better relations between Kabul and Islamabad when he referred to “external elements involved in creating instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan.” “There will not be peace in Afghanistan by having an agreement only between us and the Afghan Taliban. Peace will only come when the external elements involved in creating instability and fighting, or lawlessness in Afghanistan, are involved in talks,” he said.

At another point in the interview, Karzai blamed “external forces acting in the name of the Taliban” for impeding the peace process. It is widely understood that Karzai was pointing the finger at Pakistan.

Karzai also annoyed the British military by saying that Helmand situation and security was better before British troops were deployed there in 2006. He added that the drawdown of Western troops appeared to have been because Western leaders had realised that “they were fighting in the wrong place.”

He said that he expected the departure of British troops to lead to a reduction in violence. His comments have deeply upset British military commanders who have lobbied hard in recent years to keep troops in Afghanistan despite austerity cuts, in the hope of securing some areas and bringing peace.

At several places in the interview, Karzai blamed everyone else but himself for the civil-war like situation in his country, where he has failed to deliver the promised peace and stability. In fact, under him, a large swathe of the country is under Taliban control and his leadership has been so weak that there is little doubt left in anyone’s mind that Taliban will make a comeback once the Nato troops leave the country. He said: “It’s the external factors that will determine the extent of progress and stability or the lack of it.”

Karzai, who until recently has been a strong advocate for the prolonged stay of western troops, surprisingly said that withdrawal of occupation troops will be “good for us because after all its our country, and we have to protect it and provide for it. Given the help, we’ll be happier and better able to do it.” But whether Karzai will have any role in future Afghanistan is anyone’s guess as it looks certain that he will be dumped by his masters in not too distant future because of his failure to deliver on the promises he made.

When asked that Taliban want to see him dead and will not hold reconciliation talks with him, Karzai claimed that “thousands of Taliban and Taliban leaders” are “in contact with us” but again remembered to take a swipe by suggesting that the name of Taliban is being used by “external” elements and statements denouncing him are “not factually Taliban statements.”

He claimed that violence will reduce when foreign troops leave as Afghan Taliban will have a grievance removed but “from the external forces acting in the name of the Taliban, we will have to wait and see.”

Karzai also complained in the interview that Pakistan was denying Afghanistan a “platform to stand on, for a strategic partnership between Afghanistan and Pakistan to take place.”

“So Pakistan indeed should, or must, find it absolutely necessary for survival, to begin to address the question of extremism and terrorism and to begin to improve relations with Afghanistan, as two sovereign, good neighbourly countries,” said Karzai.

Karzai makes mockery of trilateral summit by attacking Pakistan - thenews.com.pk
 
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Friends:

Karzai complains that Pakistan preventing the Taliban from talking to his government, Mr. Mujahid, the Taliban Spokesman, complains that people are talking to everybody but the Talib -- What's going on?? - Note how all sides are hedging bets - while blaming Pakistan (deservedly, for what could not be achieved in Peshawar 30 years ago, will not be achieved in London or in Doha) :


Has reconciliation been advanced?
Najmuddin A Shaikh



THE trilateral summit hosted in London by Prime Minister David Cameron, judging by the joint statement his office released, has been an outstanding success.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed on the urgency of the Afghan peace process and “committed themselves to take all necessary measures to achieve the goal of a peace settlement over the next six months”. The Taliban have been called upon to open an office in Doha to “enter into dialogue” with the Afghan government which has also set up a base in Doha. Lastly, both countries “reaffirmed their commitments” to signing a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) to encourage closer ties.

This was the third such summit that the UK has hosted but this time it was different because the delegations of the three sides included not only the political leaders but also the military and intelligence chiefs of the three participants. It was different also because it had been preceded by an unprecedented visit of the Afghan defence minister to Pakistan in the course of which there had been Afghan acknowledgement of Pakistan’s positive role in advancing reconciliation exemplified by the release of 26 Taliban leaders from Pakistani custody and a number of hints that Afghanistan saw advantages in having its armed forces personnel trained in Pakistani training institutes.

On the face of it, one could say that even while the time frame appeared overly optimistic, both Afghanistan and Pakistan appeared determined to work together to build a better bilateral relationship and to advance reconciliation. If they were moving towards concluding a Strategic Partnership Agreement they would ensure that no officially sanctioned activity disturbed peace along the border. It could be hoped that an understanding between the Karzai administration and all centres of power in Pakistan would bring overwhelming pressure to bear on the Taliban and persuade them to abandon their stance of refusing to talk to the Karzai administration. Unfortunately, much as one would want this to happen the reality on the ground appears to be very different.

Consider the reality that the day after Afghan Defence Minister General Bismillah Khan finished his five-day visit to Pakistan, mortar shells from Afghanistan rained down on a Pakistani village near Angoor Adda, killing six people. This seemed to give lie to the agreement to better coordinate action against cross-border activity that was one of the principal subjects discussed during Gen Bismillah’s visit. Clearly, such coordination serves Afghanistan’s interest and it is difficult to understand why Afghan forces are seeking to undermine it.

Consider that on the day the trilateral summit commenced in London, 200 Pakistani trucks carrying perishable goods to Central Asian destinations were turned back or held at the Afghan border in retaliation for what the Afghans claimed was the unwarranted delay in clearing Afghan imports through Karachi port. This invited suggestions from Pakistani traders that Pakistan should stop Afghanistan’s overland trade with India and if the problem is not resolved soon, will invite calls for suspending all Afghan transit trade.

Pakistan’s overland trade with Central Asia is still at the nascent stage but is essential if Afghanistan is to be seen in Pakistan through an economic rather than a security prism. On the other hand, Afghanistan — despite the development of the transit trade through Iran — remains overwhelmingly dependent on Pakistan’s ports for its trade with the rest of the world. Allowing Pakistan to develop its trade with Central Asia, thus generating revenues for Afghanistan and creating an economic interdependence, is clearly in Afghanistan’s interest and it is therefore difficult to understand this move on the part of the Afghan customs’ authorities.

Both these developments could perhaps be ignored as no more than cussedness on the part of local officials or the effort of a minority of Afghans to sabotage an improvement of Pak-Afghan relations but what is much more important in the context of reconciliation is the Afghan government’s stance on the setting up of the Taliban office in Doha.

On the day that the summit concluded in London, the Washington Post carried an article which highlighted the frustration of the Obama administration with the Karzai administration’s insistence that the Qatar authorities permit the setting up of the Taliban office in Doha only after exchanging a memorandum of understanding with the Karzai administration. This memorandum would include assurances that the Taliban office would not be used for any “political purpose” other than direct negotiations with Afghanistan, that it would have a fixed time frame and be closed if talks do not take place, and that all Taliban negotiators would provide “documentation” proving they are legitimate representatives.

The article says that the Americans believed that Karzai’s reservations had been addressed during his visit to Washington and he had come around to accepting that the Taliban office would serve as the venue for talks with the Americans for the swap of the American soldier the Taliban were holding for five Taliban leaders detained in Guantanamo and simultaneously for the Taliban’s talks with the Afghan High Peace Council. The Obama administration had apparently informed Pakistan of this shortly after Presidents Karzai and Obama had jointly announced on Jan 11 that the Taliban would be allowed to set up an office in Qatar. Apparently Mr Karzai, on his return to Kabul, changed his mind fearing that the Americans will reach a “deal” with the Taliban from which his administration will be shut out.

To an outside observer Mr Karzai’s stance is unreasonable. He himself had proposed to the Americans that the five Guantanamo prisoners identified by the Taliban be released to facilitate reconciliation. The Taliban had made it clear that such a release would give them confidence that the Americans were serious and had apparently indicated in preliminary contacts that this would enable them to publicly renounce ties with Al Qaeda. Such an agreement can be reached only in talks between America and the Taliban.

Mr Karzai does fear, as his public statements have shown, that the Qatar venue may be used for Taliban talks with other parties in Afghanistan. Such fears were probably fuelled by the Qatari prime minister’s statement on Jan 15 that the opening of the Taliban office would “facilitate dialogue between the Taliban and other political parties in Afghanistan.” He has the right to demand that the Taliban talk only to his High Peace Council while ensuring that the loyal opposition is represented in the council’s team.

The big question with regard to the London summit therefore is whether Mr Karzai has accepted the need to have the Taliban office in Doha and whether his demand to be the sole Afghan interlocutor with the Taliban has been accepted.

The writer is a former foreign secretary.
 
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Still a way better option compared to Pakistan supported Taliban rule.

Pakistan has supported and will work with Kharazai too if he doesn't stab in our back at every opportunity.

May be he does it to keep his NA (Never Available Northern Alliance) goons happy or

May be he wants to get some extra eggs from India.



I mean what stops Kharish-Zada Kharazai to accept the international border between the two countries,'
allow the use of citizenship papers to be used at border crossing
and have a pro-Pakistan stance?


What?

Is it too much to ask?
 
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When are they going to have elections in that country, for how long has he been in office? It's been several years.
 
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Pakistan has supported and will work with Kharazai too if he doesn't stab in our back at every opportunity.

May be he does it to keep his NA (Never Available Northern Alliance) goons happy or

May be he wants to get some extra eggs from India.



I mean what stops Kharish-Zada Kharazai to accept the international border between the two countries,'
allow the use of citizenship papers to be used at border crossing
and have a pro-Pakistan stance?


What?

Is it too much to ask?
If only Pakistan stops supporting the groups that constantly try to murder him and rule his country. Groups like Quetta shura and Taliban are constant reminders why Afghanistan could never have a stable relationship with Pakistan
 
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When are they going to have elections in that country, for how long has he been in office? It's been several years.

It has been eleven years since he is president and he still has nearly two years left before he quits in election 2014.
 
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If only Pakistan stops supporting the groups that constantly try to murder him and rule his country. Groups like Quetta shura and Taliban are constant reminders why Afghanistan could never have a stable relationship with Pakistan

Or Afghanistan's childish behavior is the reason why Afghanistan won't stable relations with Pakistan.
 
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I mean what stops Kharish-Zada Kharazai to accept the international border between the two countries, allow the use of citizenship papers to be used at border crossing and have a pro-Pakistan stance?
Pro Pakistan stance? Why is that? And at the same time Pakistan wants him to have an anti-India stance? You can't have the cake and eat it too.

Since 2014 is nearing, the Pakistan Army's desperation of having a pliable Taliban led dispensation in Afghanistan is clear as day, without which it would not be possible for it to achieve the aim of 'strategic depth' against India. That's what this conflict is all about!
 
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^^

OH I expected a little better response from you my dear.

Everyone is nervous about 2014 and everyone is desperate when it comes Afghanistan. Why to pick on us poor folks?
 
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As crazy as it seems..I rank Karzai and Zardari very highly as politicians..wily and cunning as fox they are.
 
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Jayron,

Know the history.

Every Afghan has tried to murder every other Afghan.

It doesn't mean that Kharazai has to behave like a bad boy with Pakistan.

If he does it, he will suffer in the long run.


It is the same if Pak government behaves $tupidly with India

or Indian government behaves $tupidly with China

Size does matter.

And no one should try to pick a fight with someone who provides you lifeline for your food and also 10 times bigger than you.


peace
 
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^^

OH I expected a little better response from you my dear.

Everyone is nervous about 2014 and everyone is desperate when it comes Afghanistan. Why to pick on us poor folks?

Dear FaujHistorian. This was not with the aim of picking on you! But please put your hand on your heart and ask yourself if what I have written is untrue? You surely know that Pakistan (PA) is supporting the Haqqani group to form a 'friendly' government in Afghanistan? Why is that? 'Strategic Depth' is the bottom line. Which means:

> To ensure your Western borders are secure.
> To provide for 'space' in case of a conflict with India considering your lack of depth.
> To control and be the center of gravity for Afghanistan's mineral wealth and energy.
> A fulcrum for trade routes to and from the Central Asian republics.

That's what this whole issue is about. Otherwise Pakistan would have no interest in Afghanistan.
 
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