Mountain overwatch in Afghanistan - Pakistan boarder
The head of Britain's armed forces says the US airstrikes on Pakistan-Afghanistan border cannot bring peace to the violence-ridden area.“Insurgency (in Afghanistan and Pakistan) cannot be defeated by conventional military means. It can only be dealt with, in the long term, through politics,” Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup told The Sunday Times.
His remarks come while the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said Washington would continue drone attacks on Pakistan's tribal zones in the fight against Taliban insurgents.
Both George W. Bush and the new US President Barack Obama had made it clear that Washington "will go after al-Qaeda wherever al-Qaeda is and we will continue to pursue them."
Stirrup also suggested that we
aknesses in Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government were causing difficulties for the 8,300 British troops battling Taliban insurgents in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
"The weakness of governance in Afghanistan worries me considerably," Stirrup said. "But governance is not just about what goes on in Kabul. We have to look at the wider picture."
"The Taliban movement is on both sides of the border.
It makes no distinction between one side or the other," he added.
Stirrup concluded that the only way to bring peace to Afghanistan was through finding a political solution to 'the growing insurgency' in Pakistan.
Source: The Sunday Times.
His remarks come while the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said Washington would continue drone attacks on Pakistan's tribal zones in the fight against Taliban insurgents.
Both George W. Bush and the new US President Barack Obama had made it clear that Washington "will go after al-Qaeda wherever al-Qaeda is and we will continue to pursue them."
Stirrup also suggested that we
aknesses in Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government were causing difficulties for the 8,300 British troops battling Taliban insurgents in the southern Afghan province of Helmand."The weakness of governance in Afghanistan worries me considerably," Stirrup said. "But governance is not just about what goes on in Kabul. We have to look at the wider picture."
"The Taliban movement is on both sides of the border.
It makes no distinction between one side or the other," he added.
Stirrup concluded that the only way to bring peace to Afghanistan was through finding a political solution to 'the growing insurgency' in Pakistan.
Source: The Sunday Times.
I'm afraid you're right.
ReplyDeleteMilitary solution of the Bush military variety will fail.
The Western military powers, i.e., NATO, most particularly the US that are involved in Afghanistan are getting it all wrong.
The general belief is that we are in Afghanistan because we want to quash terrorism. But as I've often said in my posts and elsewhere in other blogs, quashing terrorism in Afghanistan is NOT and SHOULD NOT BE the aim -- it is only a subsidiary aim!
What Bush doctrine believers (US military) are failing to grasp is that our aim is to help Afghanistan achieve some sort of democratic rule whereby it can police its own state and become a member of the world community. This implies much more than a military action by NATO.
Unless NATO leaders can convey that message effectively, then we will lose in Afghanistan and the Taleban will win.
HILLBLOGGER ,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the comments. As usual you are always welcome.
Actually the articles were written by somebody else.
However I agreed with his point of view. I could have written the same. But, off course there will be some variations.
History had taught us that military option is not the everlasting solution. Only peace will last forever.
My only hope is US President Barack Obama would not make the same mistakes.
The consequences would be a catastrophe in long run either for Americans and the rest of the world. Global warming is catching up.