Indian Defence Review

Conclusion

The mission of NATO-ISAF in Afghanistan is a test of its political will and military capabilities. A “new” NATO has been created, able to go beyond the European theatre and combat new threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Afghanistan is NATO’s first “out-of-area” mission beyond Europe. Its purpose is the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. The mission is a difficult one because it must take place while combat operations against Taliban insurgents continue.

UN Security Council resolutions govern NATO’s responsibilities. The NATO-led ISAF faces formidable obstacles: shoring up a weak government in Kabul; using military capabilities in a distant country with rugged terrain; and rebuilding a country devastated by war and troubled by a resilient narcotics trade. NATO’s mission statement lays out the essential elements of the task of stabilising and rebuilding the country: train the Afghan army, police, and judiciary; support the government in counter-narcotics efforts; develop a market infrastructure; and suppress the Taliban.

One British Member of Parliament asked his German colleagues, “If the situation was reversed and German soldiers were in imminent danger, how would you feel if the British commander responded to a German request for urgent assistance with the answer, “˜Sorry, we cant come across the line to help you.

The mujahideen’s war against the Soviets in Afghanistan shaped the current Pakistani army-particularly its intelligence apparatus, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It created the jihadi force in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. In turn, the Pakistani army and ISI are now heavily influenced by their Afghan clients’ values and are now extremely unreliable from the US viewpoint. Adding to the complexity of the situation is the desire of the military to continue to hold the reins of power in Pakistan. How long they can walk this tightrope and the Pakistani army remains a cohesive, non-Islamist force, is uncertain.

Although the allies agree on ISAF’s mission, they differ on how to accomplish it. Some do not want their forces to engage in combat operations. None wants to engage directly in destruction of poppy fields in countering the drug trade. Supporting the Afghan government in this task – largely through training the police – is difficult. In the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal and criticism of US practices at Guantanamo, insisting on close observation of international law in dealing with prisoners is also an issue.

Most observers predict that ISAF’s efforts to stabilise Afghanistan will require five years or more. An exit strategy has multiple components: suppressing the Taliban; rebuilding the economy; and cajoling Afghan leaders to put aside tribal and regional disputes and improve governance. Above all is the jihadi or Taliban angle. In an environment where ethnic identity transcends national identity there is a need to tread carefully but decisively. In this equation, Pakistan represents both – an opportunity and a challenge.

Notes

1. Dawn, 10 January 2008
2. International Crisis Group; Afghanistan’s Endangered Compact, Asia Briefing n. 59, 29 January 2007
3. The Pashtun people are considered the largest tribal grouping in the world. They are understood to be descendants of Qais Abdur Rashid, the first Pashtun who traveled to Mecca and Madina and met the Prophet during the early days of Islam. Qais Abdur Rashid died leaving three sons: Sarban, Baitan and Ghourghusht. From these three sons, as well as Karlan (adopted son), we get the majority of Pashtun tribes known today.
4. Husain Haqqani, ´The Wind Blows Another Way at the Durand Line´ The Indian Express, 15 March 2006. See: the article on the Carnegie Endowment’s website at: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=18267&prog=zgp&proj=zsa,zus
5. See the official website of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas at: http://www.fata.gov.pk/index.php?link=2
6. The Durand Line is the poorly demarcated 2,640 kilometre border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is named after Sir Mortimer Durand, the foreign secretary of the British Indian government. After reaching a virtual stalemate in two wars against the Afghans, the British forced the Amir of Afghanistan, Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, in 1893 to come to an agreement under duress to demarcate the border between Afghanistan and what was then British India. The treaty also granted Abdur Rahman Khan an annual salary from Britain along with shipments of weaponry.
7. Pashtuns constitute 42% of Afghanistan’s population of 29,928,987 (2005). This totals 12,570,000. Pashtuns constitute 15.42% of Pakistan’s population of 162,400,000. (2005). This totals 25,042,080. Total Pashtun Population: 37,612,000
8. Bernt Glatzer; The Pashtun Tribal System; from Chapter 10 in: In G. Pfeffer & D. K. Behera (eds.): Concept of Tribal Society (Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies, Vol 5). New Delhi: Concept Publishers, 2002, pp 265-282.
9. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20702&Cr=afghan&Cr1=
10. Paul Gallis; NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance; CRS Report for Congress; Updated July 16, 2007
11. See CRS Report RL32686, Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy, by Christopher Blanchard; Pankaj Mishra, “The Real Afghanistan,” New York Review of Books, March 10, 2005, p. 44-48.
12. See “India’s Experiences in Licensing Poppy Cultivation for the Production of Essential Medicines; Lessons for Afghanistan by Romesh Bhattacharji, June 2007. Available at http://www.senliscouncil.net/documents/india_case_stud