South Asia is a more sensitive region of the world, has been centralized by U.S in its foreign policy. To consider it, the recent developments have become a part of it with all concerns to Afghanistan. The long course of eight years of U.S presence in Afghanistan is indicated that he has nothing been achieved except deficit in trust and criticism from all over the world. In this regard, U.S has spent last year only to defend its position and building of trust in the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan. U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s visit in last year to South Asian countries; Pakistan and India for the same purpose in making people-to-people contacts which was duly neglected by U.S since 9/11.
Although the major interests of U.S are laid in Afghanistan, but considering Pakistan and India more strategically important at this time. U.S realized that the growing tension between India and Pakistan must be eased in order to achieve his goals and interests in the region. However, Pak-Indo relations are not easy to normalize permanently whenever both the countries would not come to compromise and take solid decisions in respect to each others.
Besides, since US occupied Afghanistan it has failed to act decisively against Taliban, Islamic extremists and Drug Mafia. The major reason of his failure was there in Afghanistan not only two enemies; U.S and Taliban were confronted rather than it was battlefield of various interests of the countries like India, Iran, China, Russia and Pakistan. Such as India has been routing unrest in Balochistan, province of Pakistan through Afghanistan. In order to eliminate Taliban, U.S ultimately focused only on Taliban and Al-Queda but neglected this serious factor which has obviously promoted instigation of various types of conflicts in the region.
All along relevance with South Asia, Barack Obama initiated a new Pak-Afghan-U.S strategy in his speech on December 1, 2009. The main factors which he discussed in his speech that Pakistani people are being more affected by terrorism, sofar he emphasized the need to cooperate Pakistan on humanitarian grounds alongwith military assistance. He also answered many of the queries regarding U.S presence in Afghanistan and reasons of its failure.
Later on, following up of new strategy, U.S launched operation Moshtarak on February 13, 2010 in Helmand province of Afghanistan with coalition of Afghan forces and ISAF. Once again controversies are taking place in the decision matters of U.S toward South Asia; in spite of President Barrack Obama announced in his speech that the process of withdrawal of U.S troops from Afghanistan would be started in 2011, on other side U.S launched operation to act decisively eliminate Taliban. Once operations will start, it would take more than 2-3 years to end. In real sense, the Afghan society would once again be captured in the hands of war lords, if U.S leaves Afghanistan without maintaining of peace.
Simultaneously, Afghan government is strictly engaged to negotiate with Taliban, as most of the people believe that Taliban cannot be defeated by U.S coalition forces. It may provide chance for Taliban concerning future of their better settlement. As U.S announced to go to an end in Afghanistan, Karazai’s Government has incentive to get influence in society, and aim to bring Afghan Talibans in Political umbrella, holding secret talks with Tablian’s leadership.
There are two opposite procedures being proceeded in Afghanistan to strive peace; one from U.S to launch operation, now ready to launch one another operation in Kandar whereas on other side, Karazai Government’s priority to persuade militants to abandon the fight against coalition forces. This type of immaturity is portraying the uncertainties about future of Afghanistan and also showing mishandling of U.S administration of Afghan factor. It also displays the lack of coordination between the U.S administration and Afghan Government in Afghan policy-decision matters.
In response to all of the efforts, the militants gave their message to coalition forces in the form of attack on U.S base Bagram on May 19, 2010 that they would not ready to negotiate or even surrender. The U.S administration once again in shock, it was a time of to be launched the operations in other provinces of Afghanistan, were quite indispensable but resultantly their focus has turned towards Pakistan to ‘do more’ in the war against terrorism to start operation in North Wazirstan.
The ball once again has been thrown in the court of Pakistan. However, Pakistan’s standing position is relatively more complex both economically and politically. The circumstances will not allow Pakistan’s military to start one another operation though its economy is near to collapse.
To examine the case of Pakistan, in the past few years Pak-US relations were cool down when U.S signed civil nuclear deal with India in 2005 apart from Pakistan. In response to it, Pakistan strongly criticized this type of act of U.S. After cold period, Pakistan’s confidence once again reinstated when Mr. Barack Obama took over the charge of President Office of U.S.
Last year of 2009, Pakistan has launched two such type of military offensives on large-scale against terrorism and extremism in Swat Valley and South Wazirstan. The U.S recognized the need of Pakistan in the war of terror after his historical victories of war against militants. More consciously, Pakistan as U.S ally must be secured from Eastern borders, is based on long-term association with U.S and directly linked with long-life security of Afghanistan.
In conclusion, the outcomes of eight years of U.S in Afghanistan are leading to failure to manage the South Asian Affairs. Considerably, to defend its position U.S intensified new type of relations with South Asian countries, asserting that the long growing tension between India and Pakistan would suffer Afghan factor, hence concluded that it must be eased down. In the way of practice to build trust with regular interaction to broaden and deepen the relationships, U.S high military and diplomatic officials visited Islamabad in recent months. In Washington, there is now an intense debate how to cool down the Pak-Indo relations to get success in the region. Hence, at this time, need of best approach to be followed to resolve the issues, however the ongoing efforts to ease down the tension are temporarily solution, critically it has no sustainability and reliability.
The author “Nasir Shoaib Shah” is Pakistan-based Master Degree holder of International Relations. He can be reached at “nasirshah2010@yahoo.com“
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