WASHINGTON – President Trump administration has now explicitly disclosedthat it is not interested in a political settlement of Afghanistan Problem.Its South Asia strategy gives US commanders in the region absoluteauthority and the resources they need to deal with the militants safeheavens in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The strategy that President Trump announced in August last year underlinesthe US determination to defeat Taliban in the battlefield in order to forcethem to accept the current set up in Kabul.
As a part of this strategy, the trump administration recently increaseddrone attacks at the alleged safe heavens in the Federally AdministeredTribal Areas of Pakistan. But so far the US administration never spoke ofauthorizing its field commanders to deal with the alleged safe heavensinside Pakistan.
The history of US invasion of third world countries shows that it had neverwon a war with its military might. It lost the Vietnam War despiteexpanding its use of massive air power against the North Vietnam, Kampucheaand Laos.
Increasing the periodicity of Drone attacks inside Afghanistan andPakistan will not enable the United States to defeat Taliban and by usingextensively the high tech heavy weapons.
The experience of the past 16 years amply confirms this bitter fact. Thesolution to Afghan issue can be achieved thorough sincere and meaningfuldialogue, the plausible option which the Trump administration seems to havetaken of the table.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 incident majorityof the Pakistani defense analysts were of the opinion that it wanted tokeep this region destabilized for long to deny the resources of Afghanistanand Central Asian States to rest of world.
The Trump administration South Asia strategy that gives more weight tomilitary option gives credence to the opinion of the analysts which theygave in 2001.
The military operation Zarb-i-Azab in the Federally Administered TribalAreas has wiped out the sanctuaries of militants there.
The incognito entry of militants from Afghanistan into Pakistan can beeffectively controlled by strict border management for which cooperationfrom US and Afghan forces are not forthcoming. Pakistan on its part iscarrying out the fencing of Pak-Afghan border and has also increased thenumber of check posts on the border.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to support border fencing whichis mutually beneficial. Daesh has also joined the Afghan war theater. Thisterrorist organization has also claimed the responsibility of one of therecent three deadliest terrorist attacks in Kabul.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has blamed the United States forbringing Daesh fighters in unmarked helicopters to Afghanistan. He has alsopointed an accusing finger on it for the supply of arms and finances tothis international terrorist group.
The military option will not produce the desired results and dialogueprocess must be initiated by involving all the stakeholders.