OBAMA’S NEW AFGHAN STRATEGY
Revealed in a speaking at cadets school west bank in Nov 2009, announcing 30,000 ($ 30 billion cost a year) more personnel and withdrawal from mid 2011, Strategy to
“Disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda” contains three points
1. Military efforts for making US transition and Afghan Security to capable counter terrorism
2. Civilian efforts for negotiation and political stability
3. Strategic partnership with Pakistan
Obama argues the opponents as:
1. Afghan is another Vietnam: now more then 42 nations altogether, afghan people want to get rid of Al Qaeda
2. Same troops level should be kept: troops for making transition easy and training Afghan security
3. Providing deadline: forces, afghan Gov’t and allies would know
NATO CHALLENGES IN AFGHANISTAN
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) took control from ISAF (international Security Assistance Force) in 2003. Has more then 30,000 troops in Afghanistan and USA’s troops are 67,000. USA announced more 30,000 in Nov 2009
1. NATO insufficiency of troops
• Germany and France is told by NATO Sec. Gen to increase number of troops
2. Inability in security reforms and reconstruction project
• Under Bonn Peace Agreement in 2001, Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police created. Number of each 70,000 each and would be 134,000 by 2011
• Italy has the responsibility for judiciary reforms
• Japan has to work on demilitarization
3. Crises of Leadership in Afghanistan
• Huge corruption under Karzai Government
• Karzai control is limited to west and north Afghanistan only
• Lack of ethnical participation in Karzai government; especially Pakhtuns
4. NATO finds it difficult to combat Al Qaeda’s new tactics like Suicide bombings
• Prevention from Suicide bombing is very difficult task.
• Taliban playing Guerilla war
5. Insurgency is being financed by drug money
• Afghanistan produces 90% of heroin
• British is given responsibility to combat with drug problem
• Karzai government banned drug cultivation but failed, without alternate strategy for poor formers.
6. Pakistan’s tribal region as safe heavens for terrorist
• Back and Forth insurgency
• Migrants from Afghanistan makes it difficult to stop extremists coming from Afghanistan
• Karzai government did not help in setting up check post on both sides of Durand Line as it thinks it would be like recognizing the Durand line
7. Insurgency in Pakistan’s tribal areas
• Drone attacks
• Red Mosque Operation
8. How NATO is perceived by people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran and political concerns of China, Russia and India• Pakistani people perceive the operation as US led operation for getting control of Muslim country
• Afghan always resisted foreign intervention
SOLVING AFGHANISTAN CRISES
• Political resolution of the conflict
• Expanding and training Afghan security forces
• Deployment of troops from neutral Muslim Countries