The world media, key politicians and the people of the world especially people of American and West are failing to assess the war in terror and the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan in a meaningful and objective manner. I will like to share some of the key aspect of that:
1). Afghan Army and Security forces
The world failed to fix clear cut plans for training and equiping afghan army. The problem is clear cut, if Afhan forces are not able to fight and win internal insurgency, then British and Americans will have to do it. And if West and America fights Taliban then they increase their exposure, casualities thus allienating local populace and becoming an occupying force. The economic cost of developing adequate afghan army is less than maintaing foreign troops in Afghanistan.
So the questions should be:
1). What is the numeric strength of Afghan forces needed for maintaing internal security, and how these forces should be trained and equiped?
2). Who is going to train and and equip Afghan forces and in how much time ?
3). Why the world , and Americans/British in specific have failed to assess and meet the requirements of Afghan forces in seven years ?
The politicians who have handled the war in Afghanistan should be held accountable for failing to develop Afghan army. No development in afghanistan can happen unless Afghanistan has internal peace which is not possible without developing afghan army.
2). Fighting Al-Qaeda and Support for Balochistan Liberation Army, and other Al-Qaeda groups
American forces have failed to control Al-Qaeda sanctuaries in Afghanistan, and they have also failed to deploy sufficient troops in border areas of Afghanistan with Pakistan where Al-Qaeda is believed to be operating. Infact, western troops in afghanistan have simply tried to control afghanistan and only put minimal effort into hunting for Al-Qaeda. The operations of foreign troops in Afghanistan should be audited to verify what exactly these troops tried to do, and what they achieved other than loss of innoncent lives.
On the other hand, evidence is mounting that Indians, Isrealis and many interest groups in America and Europe are finding money, equipment and training for groups involved in fighting against Pakistan state in Balochistan and FATA areas. Infact, whole mercenery armies have been hired, where soldiers are paid their salaries in american dollars.
The western media is chosing to ignore the whole situation selectively and people are failing to ask questions as who is funding and arming balochistan liberation army, Pakistani taliban led by Bailullah Mehsud, and why afghan army and people are involved in fighting in Bajaur and many other border areas of Pakistan. But these are the questions which must be investigated and asked openely.
The question that should now be asked in America and West should be :
1). Assessment of operations and deployement of American troops targeted at Al-Qeada and not at Internal Afghan Security ?
2). Who is training and equiping Balochinstan Liberation army, Tehrik Taliban Pakistan, Swat Taliban, and Afghan Taliban ?
3). Why have American forces failed to deploy in appropriate manner to counter Al-Qaeda along Pak-Afghan border?
4). Audit of civilian and militant casualities inside Afghanistan and also in Pakistan in air strikes ?
4). Why have American forces failed to fence and/or mine Pak-Afghan border to prevent movement of insurgents and terrorists ?
It is widely believed that Al-Qaeda is just another Bush excuse similar to Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and the real objective is de-nuclearize Pakistan, establish permananent bases in Afghanistan to gain access to central Asia, and to counter chinese influence by strenghtening india through dis-integeration of Pakistan. Now, if any of these plans start taking shape, then it would mean loss of millions of lives so the world should be vigilant and pro-active inorder to stop this kind of unilaterilism.
