Expanding the war theatre from Afghanistan to Pakistan
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WASHINGTON - President Trump administration has now explicitly disclosed that it is not interested in a political settlement of Afghanistan Problem. Its South Asia strategy gives US commanders in the region absolute authority and the resources they need to deal with the militants safe heavens in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The strategy that President Trump announced in August last year underlines the US determination to defeat Taliban in the battlefield in order to force them to accept the current set up in Kabul.
As a part of this strategy, the trump administration recently increased drone attacks at the alleged safe heavens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. But so far the US administration never spoke of authorizing its field commanders to deal with the alleged safe heavens inside Pakistan.
The history of US invasion of third world countries shows that it had never won a war with its military might. It lost the Vietnam War despite expanding its use of massive air power against the North Vietnam, Kampuchea and Laos.
Increasing the periodicity of Drone attacks inside Afghanistan and Pakistan will not enable the United States to defeat Taliban and by using extensively the high tech heavy weapons.
The experience of the past 16 years amply confirms this bitter fact. The solution to Afghan issue can be achieved thorough sincere and meaningful dialogue, the plausible option which the Trump administration seems to have taken of the table.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 incident majority of the Pakistani defense analysts were of the opinion that it wanted to keep this region destabilized for long to deny the resources of Afghanistan and Central Asian States to rest of world.
The Trump administration South Asia strategy that gives more weight to military option gives credence to the opinion of the analysts which they gave in 2001.
The military operation Zarb-i-Azab in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas has wiped out the sanctuaries of militants there.
The incognito entry of militants from Afghanistan into Pakistan can be effectively controlled by strict border management for which cooperation from US and Afghan forces are not forthcoming. Pakistan on its part is carrying out the fencing of Pak-Afghan border and has also increased the number of check posts on the border.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan to support border fencing which is mutually beneficial. Daesh has also joined the Afghan war theater. This terrorist organization has also claimed the responsibility of one of the recent three deadliest terrorist attacks in Kabul.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has blamed the United States for bringing Daesh fighters in unmarked helicopters to Afghanistan. He has also pointed an accusing finger on it for the supply of arms and finances to this international terrorist group.
The military option will not produce the desired results and dialogue process must be initiated by involving all the stakeholders.
