Afghanistan News & Discussion

[SSridhar]

We have to wait and see how Operation Khanjar in Helmand province develops. It is good theory to provide alternate farming to poppy, which had not been the case so far. It would be one thing to unleash 'Sound, Fury and Awe' but quite another thing to capture, retain this province and destroy all the poppy fields. The US would have learnt from the bitter Somali experience and that's why they are sending an overwhelming force with firepower. But guerrilla warfare can be tricky especially in Afghanistan. By exerting pressure on the Pakistani Taliban and pressing them down with the PA, the US forces may be able to prevent large scale assistance from there but the recent lull in significant operations in FATA & Swat and the claim by the PA that the operation is almost over as the Taliban have been vanquished do not inspire confidence that the PA are indeed pinning the Taliban down in these areas.

[RayC]

An overview of the Taliban Movement and Helmand

The Soviet withdrawal spurred the various Mujahideen factions to jockey for power, leaving the land devastated and with Afghans fleeing to neighbouring countries as refugees. Impoverished, war weary and in abject poverty, they were ideal fodder for Saudis who funded liberally the Pakistani madrassas to propagate their brand of Islam – Salafism. The JUI, alongside educated these people in the Deobandi theology. All was under the careful supervision of the ISI. They were the Talibans. In Afghanistan, Ghazni and Kandahar were the two recruiting centres. The Durrainis were left out of the loop by the ISI.

In the meantime, with ISI assistance, the Tajik regime in Kabul was overthrown. The perception that the Pashtuns had been discriminated was sown. The Taliban projected itself as honest and just and thus was welcomed relief for most Afghans, who were tired of the strife and unpredictability of life and limb. The Taliban also instituted the Moral Police who brutally suppressed the people.

The Northern Alliance continued to oppose the Taliban, not only because of jockeying for supremacy, but also owing to sectarian difference.

The Taliban basically are the rural people from the Gilzai confederation and the Kakar tribe from Ghurgusht confederation. Mullah Omar is from the Hotaki tribe of Gilzai. They are the ultra conservatives. Likewise, the Deobandi Talibans went into competition to out Islam Islam and was radicalised.

Of the hundreds of factions that emerged the ISI recognised only seven. Three were Gilzais and none from the Durranis. The ethnic roots were important.

The Taliban initially were mullah dominated. Many a mujahideen commanders were assimilated in the Taliban like those from Hizb – I – Islami (Maulavi Khalis) and Harkat – I –Inqalabi – I – Islami (Islamic Unity Movement [Nabi Muhammadi]).
It is interesting to note that the Deobandi madrassa staffed by semi literate mullahs gave way to radical Islam funded by Saudi money!

The rivalry of the Gilzai and the Durranis make an interesting point. The Gilzais are concentraed in the South East – Orukzan, Zabol, Dai Kundi and Gadez Provinces and in Katawaz region in the Paktik province. The Gilzai Pashtuns control the area Kandahar, Helmand, Orukzan and Zabol and districts of Paktika, Paktya, Gardez, Wardak and Logar provinces.

It is important to note that most of the Taliban leaders are Hotakis and are loyal to Mullah Omar.

[abhishekm]

Ray sir

Just a general question- what are your views on the Iranian regime's views on the current Afghan situaton? Are they currently well disposed towards the Karzai regime? I believe that Iran and Ismail Khan (the warlord in Herat) are on very friendly terms. Also, are the Iranians and Indians backing the same side in the current conflict? Iran seems to be playing a very interesting game here...after all they supplied the NATO forces with intel during the initial phase of the operations in Afghanistan but got nothing in return...

Also to add on to your views earlier, the Durranis were apparently excluded by the Pakis since they constituted a major chunk of the KHAD and the Afghan army officer class during the Soviet occupation.

[RayC]

Ray sir

Just a general question- what are your views on the Iranian regime's views on the current Afghan situaton? Are they currently well disposed towards the Karzai regime? I believe that Iran and Ismail Khan (the warlord in Herat) are on very friendly terms. Also, are the Iranians and Indians backing the same side in the current conflict? Iran seems to be playing a very interesting game here...after all they supplied the NATO forces with intel during the initial phase of the operations in Afghanistan but got nothing in return...

Also to add on to your views earlier, the Durranis were apparently excluded by the Pakis since they constituted a major chunk of the KHAD and the Afghan army officer class during the Soviet occupation.

Ismail Khan, IIRC, had to flee to Iran and thereafter the Taliban took over Herat.

India would always back the Northern Alliance since the Taliban is backed by Pakistan.

[shyamd]

x post - Sorry NRao

IOL: Afghan insurgents have adapted their strategy to that of NATO and are superior when it comes to initiating combat,” claims a French army intelligence officer, who wished to remain unnamed. According to the officer, the Taliban will continue to prefer attacking coalition forces in small groups headed by “a double command,” in other words by a military chief and ideological officer. The aim is to immobilize the coalition by constantly harassing it, forcing troops to remain within the confines of forward operational bases and thus leaving them cut off from the population.

Heavily armed but slow to react and poorly informed, coalition units risk being forced to observe a careful modus Vivendi around their bases, venturing beyond the confines only to flush out insurgents for air strikes and U.S. special forces.

[arunsrinivasan]

Russia to allow US arms shipments to Afghanistan

Russia said Friday it will allow the United States to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, a long-sought move that bolsters U.S. military operations but potentially gives the Kremlin leverage over critical American supplies.

The announcement by a top Kremlin aide came ahead of President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow next week, when the deal is expected to be signed during a summit aimed at improving the nations' strained relations.

Russia's concession on arms shipments also came as the Obama administration is shifting the U.S. military's focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, where a massive American offensive is currently under way in Taliban-controlled areas of Helmand province.

Russia has been allowing the United States to ship non-lethal supplies across its territory for operations in Afghanistan, and Kremlin officials had suggested further cooperation was likely.

[SSridhar]

Taliban vow to use guerrilla tactics

The Taliban Movement fighting the foreign troops in Afghanistan said Friday that it had not started directly countering the British and US operations underway in Helmand province but was using guerrilla tactics.

About 4,000 US Marines were deployed in Taliban strongholds in south of the province Thursday while hundreds of British soldiers are continuing an operation launched in Lashkar Gah two weeks ago.

The military has said that two British soldiers were killed in a bomb blast Wednesday and a Marine in hostile fire on Thursday.“We are trying not to engage with them too soon because there are a lot of them. They would use air force and in that case there will be civilian casualties,” Ahmadi said. “So far we did not start face to face fight with them but we are conducting our own guerrilla clashes, especially in Nawa and Garmsir,” he said.

Ahmadi also dismissed the operations saying they would fail “like the ones they had before”.

[Jamal K. Malik]

5 Indian firms in shortlist to exploit Afghan iron ore mine
Little deferant news

[Gerard]

pakis making use of all that Canadian and US aid ....

One Canadian soldier dead, five injured in roadside bomb blast

2 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Taliban Attack

[Gerard]

And British aid too...

Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

[Gerard]

2 more US troops killed in southern Afghanistan

A U.S. military spokesman says 2 more U.S. troops have been killed in a blast in southern Afghanistan, bringing to six the number of Americans killed Monday.

[svinayak]

[svinayak]

Der Tagesspiegel, Germany

The Eight-Years War
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/komm ... 41,2837563

By Michael Schmidt
Translated By Ron Argentati
2 July 2009
Edited by Katy Burtner
Germany - Der Tagesspiegel - Original Article (German)

A military victory in Afghanistan is impossible – but a military defeat could come in many different ways. A troop withdrawal is the wrong way to go because it would have dramatic consequences for NATO’s credibility.


German troops shouldn’t stay in Afghanistan one day longer than absolutely necessary. So says Dr. Peter Ramsauer, head of the CSU faction of the Christian Democrats. Much of what he said came straight from the heart: no one has ever thought any differently. But the decisive and still debatable question remains of how do we define “absolutely necessary?” And necessary for what?

Ever since parliament approved an expansion of military operations in Afghanistan on Thursday, the calls for an exit strategy have again become louder. The war in the Hindu Kush has already become the most costly multinational military and civilian assistance program in history. Eight years after the defeat of the Taliban, 50 nations, 1,000 aid organizations and 70,000 troops have been engaged in reconstructing Afghanistan. More than 200 billion Euros (currently about $290 billion) has been spent, but despite all this, no end is yet in sight.

One can assign two goals in retrospect to the war against the Taliban. First: to eradicate a stronghold of terrorism – a goal that has been at least partially attained. And second, to ensure that security and stability remain after the international military forces and civil assistance workers leave the country. That’s a state of affairs that still remains elusive.

But the order of the day is to remain in Afghanistan, restore balance, take stock and determine what’s lacking – and then start working energetically to solve the problems: a Taliban getting stronger by the day, the booming narcotics trade, a central government in Kabul that’s not taken seriously by the tribal warlords, the lack of international coordination, the innumerable promises made and never kept, such as the training of a police force. The European Union proposal to send 400 trainers was laughable from the outset, but they didn’t even send that many.

No, to withdraw now would result not only in complete chaos, it could result in a return to the nation’s status as a terrorist training ground. It would also make the military sacrifices made there meaningless and in vain. Iraq, where the Americans are currently withdrawing from the urban areas, should also not serve as a model. The conditions in Afghanistan are far too different for that. In Iraq, there was no terrorist activity, no narcotics trade and the terrain isn’t the same. Afghanistan has to go its own way.

There is no way to win the war in Afghanistan militarily, but there are many ways to lose it, and all of them would have dramatic repercussions for NATO’s credibility. If the strongest military alliance in the world can’t win against a few Taliban using homemade booby traps, it would have serious consequences for its deterrent capability. NATO’s threat – whoever attacks one of us, attacks us all – wouldn’t impress very many aggressors. It’s questionable whether that would make the world a safer place.

[RajeshA]

Debating India's stand on military aid to Afghanistan by C. Raja Mohan: Indian Express

At the moment, India's military involvement in Afghanistan is limited to small humanitarian projects and a bit of English language training. Why is India's contribution to Afghan security so low? If countries so far from Afghanistan-like Canada and Australia-have deployed troops there, what is holding back Delhi, such an important neighbour and economic partner of Kabul?

One set of factors relate to Islamabad's neuralgia on Delhi's involvement in Afghanistan. Pakistan, which thinks Afghanistan should be its exclusive sphere of influence, would prefer to have zero Indian presence across its western borders.

Second, with Pakistan making a big deal out of Delhi's rather limited security cooperation with Kabul, Washington has over the last few years cautioned India against raising its profile in Afghanistan beyond economic reconstruction. Even the Bush Administration, which was so friendly to India, was not enthusiastic about seeing the extension of Indo-Pak rivalry into Afghanistan.

America's presence in Afghanistan is temporary. Also it takes too much cognizance of Pakistani sensitivities. Why do Pakistani sensitivities have to play any role at all in Indian Foreign Policy, especially as regardless of our restraint in Afghanistan, Pakistan still keeps on pointing accusing fingers at India.

As things stand now, one day America is going to leave Afghanistan and give the keys to Islamabad and the 'good' Taliban. India needs to put in place a different credible alternative.

India, Russia and Iran should get together and devise a different strategy, of supporting the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras, Turkmen, Aimaks, Pamiris, Baluchis, and Durrani Pushtuns. The support has to be sustained and in all fields, like infrastructural development, education, military training, but also defense equipment. We all also needs to support Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police in every way possible.
C. Raja Mohan defers too much of our strategic interests to USA.

[KLNMurthy]

In spirit and conscience, Afghanistan needs a Gandhi

quote:
On July 7, 2008, two senior Indian diplomats — V Venkat Rao and Brig RD Mehta — were brutally killed in a suicide attack outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The attack was horrendous and their death a grave shock. Hours after the news broke, Afghans whom both had considered ‘friends’, were out playing football. It had been a ‘busy’ day. And it was time to make new friends.

That, unfortunately, is the lesser-known reality of Afghanistan — that life means nothing to Afghans and when people, who came to help, die, there is no time to mourn, but rather it’s time to close the chapter. Unmoved, unfazed, back to business. Just like that.

[Gerard]

Taliban launch operation ‘Iron Net’ against US Marines

[NRao]

Debating India's stand on military aid to Afghanistan by C. Raja Mohan: Indian Express

The other side of the coin is the removal of Pakistan and china from SL/BD/Myanmar.

[Philip]

More mayhem in Afghanistan as a Taliban bomb plot backfires and British troops in danger of "defetaing themselves",says their new commander!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 673228.ece

Huge truck bomb kills 12 schoolchildren as 'spectacular' attack by Taleban goes awry

(British) Troops in Afghanistan could "defeat themselves" ,says new commander.

Tom Coghlan
As their new overall commander, General Stanley McChrystal is careful to praise the dedication and performance of the British Forces in Helmand, but he does not shy away from pointing out Britain’s strategic failures.

“British Forces have done great work in [Helmand] for a number of years,” the new commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan said in his interview with The Times. “But we have never had the density of forces that would allow us to go into more than fairly limited areas and change the dynamic by actually staying.”

It is the arrival of 20,000 American troops — about 12,000 of whom are due to go to the southern provinces — that he believes will halt the slide in Helmand, allowing US and British Forces working in tandem finally to hold the ground they take and, he believes, build lasting Afghan government structures.

“I can never predict in actual time and loss of life [how long the war will last]. But as we have focused our strategy now on doing comprehensive counter-insurgency operations . . . that allow us to make it stick. If we are successful here then what British Forces are doing will be enduring.”

British troops put at higher Afghanistan risk
MoD rebuffs call for more Afghan helicopters

The general, 54, paid a visit to British headquarters in the Helmand district of Nad-e-Ali this week. “I went and talked to the organisation [the Welsh Guards] and their resolve is what I expected, but incredibly impressive,” he said. “The way they have been doing those operations has been with the professionalism that has been my experience since 9/11 with a number of different British units. They are doing very well.

“These are areas that the Taleban has burrowed into for a long time so to change the dynamic really requires that you go and root them out.”

General McChrystal arrived in Afghanistan last month after several years commanding special forces in Iraq. He is determined to end the costly bombing errors that he believes have threatened the entire success of the Afghan campaign.

Last Thursday, when he sent 4,000 US Marines on Operation Khanjar, a thrust into Taleban strongholds in Helmand, he wrote a stark tactical directive. “The Taleban cannot defeat us militarily, but we can defeat ourselves,” it said. “We will not win based on the number of Taleban we kill, but instead on our ability to separate insurgents from the centre of gravity — the people. Following this intent requires a cultural shift within our forces.”

The Times has learnt that since the directive came into force the proportion of gunfights that resulted in calls for close air support has dropped from 35 per cent of all engagements to 17 per cent. Seven dead British soldiers in one week, and a significantly large number of wounded personnel, will be testing General McChrystal’s claim that he has to put his men at increased risk now to save lives later.

The soldier from 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, who died in a helicopter crash in neighbouring Zabul province on Monday was named as Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 27, from Maidstone, Kent.

So far the US general’s fighting philosophy is unwavering. “One thing I would want the British public to know is that there are multiple ways to do this and one of them is to use overwhelming firepower,” he said. “We could use artillery and airpower and that would do tremendous damage to the infrastructure and cause a tremendous number of civilian casualties — and in so doing we would probably seal the fact that we would lose the fight over time, because we would convince the Afghan people that no matter what we said, we are not much concerned about their wellbeing.”

He added: “Even if all our good intentions say we are here to save them it goes back to the old cliché of ‘we destroyed the village to save it’. If you own the village you feel differently about that. If we operate in a way that creates damage or that actually, God forbid, kills innocents, it is pretty hard to see how the population could do anything but associate our arrival with something that hurts them.”

During the summer of 2007, British and other Western forces operating in Helmand called in an average of 22 tonnes of bombs per month — almost half the bombs that fell on Afghanistan at that time. Some of that dependency on air power would appear to have come from the under-resourcing of the British mission. “If you go back to 2006 you had Helmand [Task Force] come in. Although it was a fairly robust force in the equipment it was given, it was given tasks wider than its numbers allowed it to do.”

[Gerard]

Third UK soldier dies in Afghanistan

A third British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, hours after the deaths of two soldiers in Helmand, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The death takes the number killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 179 - the same number as killed in the Iraq war.

The soldier, from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, died in the country's south. His next of kin have been informed.

Ten British soldiers have now died in Afghanistan this month, including the two in separate attacks on Thursday.

[Gerard]

Afghanistan: a war we cannot win

[sum]

6 Indians reported to be killed in a Taliban attack on a construction co in A'tan. Even a video showing the attack/killings seems to have been released to the media.

[pgbhat]

6 Indians reported to be killed in a Taliban attack on a construction co in A'tan. Even a video showing the attack/killings seems to have been released to the media.

Govt rubbishes Pak media report on Taliban attack on Indians

"We checked up and found that this report is untrue,"a source in the ministry said.

[Philip]

"This Bloody War".

A bloody day for Britain,as within 24 hrs. 8 British soldiers (15 in a week) laid down their lives for a lost cause.The Brit.For.Sec. David Milliband has stoutly defended the British role in the Afghan War,but public anger is rapidly mounting at such casualties.now more than Iraq and seemingly a war without end.A British force that is undermanned,underarmed,ill-equipped with inadequate numbers of helos and armoured vehicles able to withstand Taliban IEDs,is taking a heavy toll.Part of the blame must be laid at Gordon Brown's feet,as he was the Chancellor for a decade+,who reduced defence spending across the board and adequate material support for British troops in the war.The reason for western intervention in Afghanistan is that if they do not defeat the Taliban and allow the country to fall once more into Islamist hands,then events like 9/11 will take place again,so fighting the enemy abroad is better than fighting him at home.This a purely military approach and does little to understand the causes for Islamist terror,much of which is due to the foreign policies of the US,Iraq and now Afghanistan being the best recruitment agency for Islamist terror.

Britain should now re-examine its role in the war,as the war is a legacy of Bush and his adventurism in the aftermath of 9/11 who threw out the Taliban from the country only to allow it to regroup and rearm itself in Pakistan and take command yet again.Though NATO forces are part of a US led coalition,the enormous size of the country,the ability of the Taliban to use Pakistan as a safe haven-with the active support of pro-Islamist elements in the Paki establishment and ISI,and the population and numbers that the taliban can draw upon when compared with western forces,indicates that as many British militayr experts have been saying,there is no way that they can win the war.The Karzai govt. is weak and riddled with corruption and the US,for its own geo-strategic reasons,has so far refusd to coo-perate with Russia and the neighbouring Central Asian states who have a greater stake in the region.Russia has just allowed the US to use its territory as a logistic route into Afghanistan.The US has such lust for rent boy Pak,is determined to prevent India from engaging in a more positive manner for fear of antagonising Pak.In fact,thanks to the US's asinine policies in the region,the Pakistani state is now in turmoil,with the local branch of the Taliban making a concerted effort to wrest the state from the tentacles of the paki military and its motley mob of disgraced corrupt politicians.

This bloody war: eight British soldiers killed in 24 hours

[Gerard]

Two U.S. soldiers killed, Afghan war heats up

[JE Menon]

One thing we have to remember: Almost certainly there would be no "war" in Afghanistan - and certainly much less loss of life, if there was no Pakistan - and more specifically no Pakistani military establishment. This is something the Coalition of the Wilting appears determined to learn the hard way.

On the other hand, it seems they may be starting to see the light.

[Gerard]

Gordon Brown issues demand for more Afghan troops in Helmand province

PM says Afghan soldiers must hold ground taken by British forces

[SSridhar]

AfPak Strategy and Pakistan - Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg

The declared objectives of United States have been very clearly enunciated by President Barack Obama: "A great power [USA] does not show strength by dominating or demonising other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over....Given our interdependence, any world order that tries to elevate one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. The pursuit of power is no longer a zero-sum game - progress must be shared." "We seek no bases, nor do we want to control these nations - Afghanistan and Pakistan. Instead, we want to work with international partners, including Russia to help Afghans and Pakistanis advance their own security and prosperity," were the president's words. Whereas, after the declaration of the AfPak strategy, very different trends have emerged and Pakistan now finds itself facing serious challenges to its security, such as:

• The war in Afghanistan has been reversed on Pakistan resulting into a running battle from Swat to Dir, to Waziristan and possibly Balochistan in the very near future.
• The occupation forces surge in Helmand province of Afghanistan is causing spillover effects on the ongoing operations in Pakistan.
• Israel is preparing to attack Iran, while USA and Saudi Arabia, will turn a blind eye. Thus Iran is under pressure, because like Pakistan, it refused to accept American demand for 'regime change'.
• Both USA and Russia, the "victims of the doomed war in Afghanistan" are trying to find some common areas of cooperation, within a comprehensive security paradigm, in the region, particularly South Asia.
• The Pakistani government, despite being a "Compliant State" is under pressure to concede more and allow the Americans to establish a "spy-network within the premises of Islamabad diplomatic enclave."

The occupation forces in Afghanistan are facing tough resistance, which is stronger, more organised and better armed than the resistance the Soviets faced, during the 80's. The resistance now calls itself by the name of 'Shadow Army' organised into several divisions, and each division consists of number of Lashkars. The Shadow Army comprises, the old mujahideen who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan; the Afghan Taliban, who were born and grew-up under the shadow of war; Veterans from Iraq; new volunteers from several countries of the world and the 005 Brigade of Al-Qaeda. It's a formidable force now, undertaking large size operations, inflicting heavy casualties on the occupation forces, who have suffered over 250 dead in a period of two months. How long the occupation forces will take to exit from Afghanistan, is the difficult choice, Exit they will. How and when, the next few months are crucial.

The "Spy-network being established within the premises of Islamabad Diplomatic Enclave" is reported to be a big complex spread over 100,000 sq yards of space, recently acquired from the Islamabad Capital Development Authority. Construction is going-on with a break-neck speed to accommodate different departments of the complex, including over 300x residential buildings for the officials alone. The facilities and the personnel belonging to CIA, FBI, the Marines as well as the Blackwater Security Consultants (BSC) will be housed there. {Is this the force that keeps an eye on Pak's nukes ?} BSC credentials are interesting!

The BSC now generally called 'Blackwater' was formed in 2001, with its headquarters in North Carolina (USA). Its mission is "to provide a wide range of very specialised international services, including risk management, intelligence gathering, vulnerability assessments and high-risk security related solutions." Blackwater maintained a highly visible presence in Iraq, employing Local Independent Contractors (LIC) as mercenaries, to deliver and no doubt, they will find enough mercenaries in Pakistan, to do the job.

It is reported that the Blackwater works directly under the control of the US vice president. The American scholar Seymour Hersh gives credit to Blackwater, for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafique Hariri and also points fingers at them for Benazir Bhutto's assassination. And during the years 2004-5, Blackwater carried out numerous brutal murders in Iraq, which compelled the American Congress, out of shame, to call them back. It were the Blackwater experts, who also trained our Frontier Constabulary in 2007 preparing them to carry out such 'heinous crimes', but they were sent back by the present government. They are again back in the Islamabad diplomatic enclave. It would not be wrong to say that they are the modern version of the assassins of Hassan Bin Sabbah of the past, equipped with the most lethal technology of the day.

The Blackwater is funded by an American millionaire, named Prince Eric, as well as by CIA and Mossad. One can imagine the lethality of this organisation, now working hand and glove with the vast Indian spy network, created in Afghanistan with the help of CIA, Mossad, MI-6 and BNG. Their target is not only Pakistan, but all the neighbours, particularly Iran and China. In China, the present upsurge in the Xinjiang province is the result of the activities of the forward spy base at Faizabad in Badakhshan, which I reported in my article published in our dailies, some two years back. As a result one can imagine how profusely our border regions with Afghanistan have been infested with foreign agents, assassins, saboteurs, terrorists and support groups, led by some Pakistanis, prospering on American dollars. And the new partnership, now developing between USA and Russia, will cause greater instability in South Asia in particular.

Our armed forces are doing a great job and we are proud of their spirit of sacrifice and dedication to the cause of the country. They will deliver, Insha Allah. They have established the writ of the government in Swat, Dir and Bajaur areas. They will contain and curb the dissidents in the FATA areas also, and once they have done that, the dissidence in the Balochistan province, will demand only "political dispensation." No doubt, we are living through very interesting times, posing serious challenges to the resilient Pakistani nation which, sure, is capable of putting up responses to defeat all machinations of our enemies within, as well as outside the country's borders.

Note: I dedicate this article to millions of Pakistani, now returning to their homes after so much of suffering and turmoil and to the men and officers of the Army, who laid down their lives, to make it possible.

[rkirankr]

AfPak Strategy and Pakistan - Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg

AOA ! A whole article by a paki jernail in which India is mentioned only once for all the troubles which pakis face.

[svinayak]

The "Spy-network being established within the premises of Islamabad Diplomatic Enclave" is reported to be a big complex spread over 100,000 sq yards of space, recently acquired from the Islamabad Capital Development Authority. Construction is going-on with a break-neck speed to accommodate different departments of the complex, including over 300x residential buildings for the officials alone. The facilities and the personnel belonging to CIA, FBI, the Marines as well as the Blackwater Security Consultants (BSC) will be housed there. {Is this the force that keeps an eye on Pak's nukes ?} BSC credentials are interesting!

The spy network to spy on India also. Earlier US had trained and given the task of spying on India to ISI. This has stopped after 911.

Now US has to create its own assets in Pakistan. Earlier they could depend on Pak

[rkirankr]

The "Spy-network being established within the premises of Islamabad Diplomatic Enclave" is reported to be a big complex spread over 100,000 sq yards of space, recently acquired from the Islamabad Capital Development Authority. Construction is going-on with a break-neck speed to accommodate different departments of the complex, including over 300x residential buildings for the officials alone. The facilities and the personnel belonging to CIA, FBI, the Marines as well as the Blackwater Security Consultants (BSC) will be housed there. {Is this the force that keeps an eye on Pak's nukes ?} BSC credentials are interesting!

The spy network to spy on India also. Earlier US had trained and given the task of spying on India to ISI. This has stopped after 911.

Now US has to create its own assets in Pakistan. Earlier they could depend on Pak

I did not write this

[ramana]

SSridhar, What interests is the TSP pursuing in Afghanistan by way of supporting the Taliban?

[svinayak]

I did not write this

I know.

[SSridhar]

SSridhar, What interests is the TSP pursuing in Afghanistan by way of supporting the Taliban?

Ramana, I see the following, not in any order of priority:

• The PA has created a fear psychosis, in order to establish a security-state paradigm so that it can have complete control, since the early 50s. That fear-psychosis is built on the fact that the arch enemy Bharat is irreconciled to Pakistan and is creating problems for it across the eastern front as well as the Durand Line with the help of a friendly Afghan regime. In order to defeat the enemy, Pakistan should have peace on its western front which can be achieved with a pliant Taliban.
• Pakistan's strategy is to put a lid on Pashtun nationalism so that Durand line can become a permanent boundary at some favourable time and till then, it doesn't want to see any problems either from the Afghan side or from NWFP.
• The Pakistan Army has latched on to the 'Strategic Depth' concept and is unwilling to let it go. Without a pliant Afghan government, that concept is a dud.
• Pakistan wants to control the trade routes to CAR countries and it doesn't want India to bypass Pakistan. That can't be achieved without Afghanistan being on its side.
• Pakistan wants to control the energy routes into India, both from Iran and from CAR countries. It truly wants to have the ability to choke the Indian economy. Musharraf said as much in circa 2002 or thereabouts. Afghanistan is crucial to the untapped energy potential of the CAR countries.
• Afghan tribes are a good first line of defence against India. Pakistan doesn't want to lose its influence over these tribes by allowing India a free access. The Taliban need to be nurtured thus.
• There may also be a genuine fear that Afghanistan may fragment as nobody, except the Taliban, has shown in recent years any capability to hold the country together. Pakistan may fear creeping Iranian influence in that case. The Sunni Deobandis, who dominate the scene, do not like that prospect.

[RajeshA]

Let us not forget the usefulness of Afghanistan as the mainstay of Pakistani economy.

• Pakistan has been able to milk the West for several decades simply due to it being the front-line for the danger emanating from Afghanistan, first the threat of a Communist march to the warm Indian Ocean Waters, and then Afghanistan as the world's IT assembly line.
• Partaking in the drug economy of Afghanistan.
• Using Afghanistan as a closed market for Pakistani products.

[Gerard]

The Afghan ship-container 'massacre'

Allegations that hundreds or even thousands of surrendering pro-Taliban prisoners were killed in 2001 while in the custody of US-backed warlord Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum have returned to the headlines after first being reported in 2002.

US President Barack Obama has said he is looking into the alleged atrocity, amid recent reports that the administration of George W Bush resisted efforts to investigate it fully.

[ramana]

I did not write this

I know.

Please don't do this even to illustrate your points. It just causes more posts. And if you knew then why did you do it?

[Philip]

British forces in the war are suffering heavy casualties,partly due to the results of Gordon Brown's decade of underfunding the British armed forces.In Afghanistan,the lack of helos for troop transports and rapid mobility has been exposed as the key factor resulting in deaths of Brit. troops,who unlike the Yanks,have to run the gauntlet of IED roadside attacks.PM Brown and Labour Party are now trying to run down the outspoken head of the British Army,Gen.Danatt who humiatingly had to take a ride in a US helo to meet his troops !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Labour ministers plan reputation trashing of Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt

[SSridhar]

Must win in Afghanistan by summer 2010: Robert Gates

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said US-led forces must gain ground against insurgents in Afghanistan by next summer to avoid a public perception the war is unwinnable . . .

"After the Iraq (war) experience, nobody is prepared to have a long slog where it is not apparent we are making headway," Gates said in an interview.

[Purush]

Photo slideshow of marines in AFG.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/2 ... lobal-home

more
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/0 ... t_one.html
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/0 ... t_two.html

[Rishi]

Interesting snippet in the Power Min's annual report:

PGCIL has completed a 220 KV transmission line in
Afghanistan from Kabul to Pul-e-Khumri and a substation
in Kabul to enable import of power from Uzbekistan. The
project has been funded by Government of India.