WASHINGTON – Robin L Raphel, is a retired ambassador who until recently wasa senior adviser to the US Sate Department’s special representative onAfghanistan and Pakistan.
A former ambassador to Tunisia, Raphel had also served under former USpresident George W Bush as coordinator for reconstruction in Iraq.
Raphel has spent decades shaping American policy towards Pakistan. She hasspent years helping to disburse billions of rupees in civilian aid toPakistan and conducting tough diplomatic work to smooth the frequentlyfraught US-Pakistan relationship.
She made her first trip to the South Asia region in 1971 to work as ateacher in Iran.
Renowned for her enduring affection for Pakistan, she continues tochallenge Washington policymakers and lawmakers who have becomedisenchanted with what they believe as Islamabad’s “duplicity in the waragainst terrorism”.
A seasoned diplomat Raphel understands in order for diplomacy to beeffective it is imperative to understand the perspective of both entities.
American officials accuse Pakistan of maintaining influence and supportingthe Taliban, including the group’s most ascendant faction, the Haqqaninetwork, which is viewed as one of Afghanistan’s most experienced andsophisticated insurgent organisations.
The Trump Administration announced in January it was suspending militaryaid to Pakistan until the country took more action against terroristorganizations that have targeted Americans.
Raphel continued: “It is hard for the Pakistanis to deal with the Haqqaniissue because they fear blowback and they have cultural ties. We want veryspecific action on the Haqqanis. The Americans are no longer interested inexcuses or in complications. They just want it to be dealt with.”
Raphel noted the core interests of the US in working within Pakistaninclude “preventing the area from being a safe haven for terrorists,nuclear weapons containment, and regional stability”.
Pakistan, she explained, seeks a strong relationship with the US,recognition for its role in the war on terror, a balance in the U.S. SouthAsia policy and a guarantee they will remain in Afghanistan.
As first assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, Raphelprioritised resolution of the Kashmir problem to reduce tensions betweenPakistan and India as one the central policy positions during her tenure.Her characterisation of Kashmir as “disputed territory” was a first in theannals of US diplomacy. This made her popular in Pakistan but deeplyunpopular within India.
Responding to a question as to whether the US administration is aware ofPakistan’s concern about India’s rising influence in the region, she said:“How could they not be. Pakistanis say it all the time. However, thePakistanis should have been explicit earlier in their relationship with theUS.”
She believes “Pakistan’s ambiguity reduced the productivity of theUS-Pakistan relationship. “I think like everyone else, Pakistan exaggeratesIndia’s role but then the US also down plays it.”
Raphel thinks Pakistan needs to help US policymakers to better understandits perspective. “Pakistanis think the Americans don’t know what they aredoing in Pakistan and they don’t know what the end game is, and that too,to a certain extent is true.”
Speaking about those in Washington that believe Pakistan’s “subterfugeimpedes the peace process in Afghanistan”, she explained: “Pakistan doesnot want the Taliban in charge in Kabul but they worry about the break up –they worry about India and Russian support for the alliance – they worryabout that -as much as they deny it. But it’s not because they wantsomething different to what the US wants. When people say the Pakistanisare trying to destabilise Afghanistan I disagree.”
She added, “I don’t know if the US will remain indefinitely. But there areseveral issues in play: given the growing concern of the global roles ofRussia and China. “I think our military guys think why have we spent over$45 billion in Afghanistan?” She does not think the US will completelywithdraw because “there is the same concern as to what are Iran, China,India and Russia up to”. She envisions the US to retain some bases inAfghanistan; is of the opinion this would not be an adverse move adding,“ironically the Pakistanis do not want us to leave.”
Recently, Raphel was an observer at a conference held by Pugwash, a NobelPrize-winning science group dedicated to promoting peace. The meeting sawparticipation between representatives by the Taliban and Afghan government.A statement at the time from the Taliban called them a “researchconference” while Afghan officials described them as “scientificdiscussions”.
However, Raphel emphasised, “They were not peace talks.” She described themas “an informal exchange between the two sides, a platform to speak,similar to a track two, a safe meeting ground.” In her view thecommunication between the parties “helped people better understand what theother person was thinking”. The meetings lasted over two days.