EDITORIAL : THE DAILY OUTLOOK, AFGANISTAN

               

 

Naïve Views, Unrealistic Policies

For more than a week, Bin Laden story has topped the world news events, analyses, and politics. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, President Karzai, soon after Obama's announcement, expressed happiness on his death and called upon Taliban fighters to learn their lessons from Osama's death. However, the victorious call didn't last long here. Taliban fighters promptly launched a two-day huge operation in the heart of southern Kandahar targeting governor's office and the intelligence headquarters. The operation put Afghan security officials highly at stake but, as part of their populist justification skills, they said the operation indicated that Taliban were struggling to survive their last stages in the fight against Afghan and international forces.

Kandahar is seen as key to U.S.-led efforts to end the decade-long Taliban insurgency and hand Afghan forces responsibility for national security across the troubled country by 2014. Only few days ago, nearly 500 Taliban prisoners escaped from Kandahar's prison through a huge tunnel. On the same day as their enormous maneuver ended in the restive south, they killed at least six Afghan police in the central Ghazni Province. Taliban have said the attacks were part of their spring offensive called "The Badr Operation" which is aimed at recapturing some of the territories they lost months ago.

Afghan officials have hoped the killing of Bin Laden pave the way for negotiations with the Taliban. Karzai administration thought that death of the terrorist mastermind could help his peace initiative which is frequently offered to Taliban, a placating policy they have bluntly rebuffed.
Years after the process was launched under US leadership in Afghanistan, the Afghan government resorted into peaceful approach towards its armed dissidents. President Karzai has done his best to encourage Taliban to lay down arms and join the peace process.

However, the policy has proved counterproductive. Taliban have got enough chance to use Afghan villages and the tribal connection networks to recruit more mercenaries and spread fear of their return in areas under government control. International forces engaged here are, however, trapped in lack of coordination with the Afghan government, divergent policies of the NATO member countries on Afghanistan and the regional countries' uncooperative mood.

Having gone through the very hard experiences in war against terrorism, Afghan government has got no clear definition of her mission in the fight against terrorism and whom it is fighting with. Al Qaeda-backed Taliban, the stubborn extremist militants, are treated kindly by afghan president and his team. However, the peaceful Afghan nation knows enough of the Taliban essence. Derived from such naively optimistic views, Afghan government has so far practiced a bunch of unrealistic policies that has led only to the current deteriorating security and fading hopes of the nation.

Underestimation of bin Ladenism is a Mistake

Since months ago, everybody engaged in Afghanistan's issue have been talking about growing violence after winter meltdown due to commencement of spring-offensive assaults of militants. And recently such warnings doubled due to assassination of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

In meantime, insurgents also have never come short of power-maneuvering and approved holding deadly attacks on Afghan government and its foreign allies.
After approval of Osama's death by insurgents, they renewed warnings and called for revenge. But revenge seems to be nowhere other than Afghanistan where giant numbers of US armies along with Afghan security forces are carrying out operation to weaken insurgency and provide situation for military withdrawal. During past two days, Saturday and Sunday, Taliban militants clashed in Kandahar Province with Afghan security forces backed by foreign troops has left 25 people dead and 46 injured. The assault was recognized significant as, reportedly, more then 40 insurgents were involved which included recent Kandahar jail escapees. Initially, armed militants started firing on Kandahar's governor office and, later on, targeted police station and traffic police building.

The significant characteristic of the assault was the heavily usage of Al-Qaeda tactics—suicidal attacks. Eight suicidal attacks made during past two days along with several cars loaded with explosive devices, which were destroyed by Afghan forces before hitting targets.
Ostensibly, insurgents are trying to convey the message that however Osama bin Laden is dead but his Al-Qaedic teachings would not be graved. Viewing Osama as a key player behind terror activities and assuming him as the only mastermind behind his entire terror network activities, his death can be assumed as ideological HIV into the body of terrorism that will diminish its strength and eventually end its life. But the problem arises if bin Ladenism is strong enough to regenerate and create "bin Landens". This is something should be noticed by international community in order not to change today's festivity into sorrow and regret of tomorrow.

Though the concept of spread of bin Ladenism is currently pushed into marginal issues because of Arabian democratic civil uprising, but states like Pakistan, Afghanistan and some weak states remain prey to global terrorist networks. The world should never forget that Al-Qaeda, according to credential reports, have had only 200 members in 2001, and with two hundred members it was potentially dangerous to threaten the global security. Counter-terror and counterinsurgency struggle should not be laid down and should be continued by any forms.

The Situation Could Spell an Irreversible Chaos

It may be strange for Afghan people to ask the government and international community to restore the security and peace in their country within a specific timeframe but they may have to come to a certain point to decide to ask the government and international forces when they will begin to feel secure in their neighborhood and areas.

It is important that they begin to take the control of their destiny and not let it be played in the hands of irresponsible and ineffective leadership. It is a decade now that Afghan people have been going through fires, explosions and all the other destructive and appallingly terrible cruelties. They have been exposed to a situation to let their blood be shed, their sons and daughters be killed, their wives be left alone and husbands be slaughtered. This situation still continues without any clear prospect for peace, stability and prosperity.

On Monday, May 09, 2011, eight people were killed when a suicide attacker rammed his explosives-packed motorcycle into a gate of a district headquarters building in eastern province of Laghman. According to reports, the dead included two policemen and six civilians, including three students. The incident also led to wounding several people, including some foreigners.

Afghan people must begin to call the leadership of the country to question as everything is becoming embarrassing. It is not affordable to continue to bear the ongoing situation of fear, bombing, fighting and explosions while there are more than 40 nations with their soldiers in action in the country to help the people have security, peace and development. It is not affordable to continue to suffer from violence that is exercised and launched by the "so-called brothers" who have everything but a human heart and human wisdom, and who stubbornly continue to hold onto their hard-line ideology, which recognizes and attaches no value to human as human being. If the current situation is not analyzed well and not reversed immediately, it will begin to spell an irreparable disaster for the country, plunging it into an irreversible chaos.