Obama’s concerns

WHILE he has approved the sending of three more brigades to Afghanistan — with an even larger ‘surge’ being talked about —President Barack Obama made it clear in a TV interview that nothing should be done that could destabilise Pakistan, “which has nuclear weapons”. The sources and forces that have destabilised this country and have the potential to do greater harm to Pakistan’s security are the rejuvenated remnants of the Mujahideen armed and funded by America for the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan. Today, the Taliban are perhaps better armed and better funded than they were when Ziaul Haq’s Pakistan acted as a conduit for the CIA’s overt and covert aid to what then were perceived as freedom fighters. Since the American attack on Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban have been the biggest source of instability for this country. At least 100,000 Pakistani troops are battling the Taliban, who have killed more civilians than soldiers and bombed civilian targets as much as they have attacked military installations. For tackling this major — though not the only — source of instability, Pakistan needs help from the international community, especially America.Part of the American aid flowing into Pakistan since 9/11 has come in the form of military hardware, including electronic gadgetry to monitor the militants’ movements. There has also been a belated realisation that reliance on force alone cannot end the insurgency, and there must be greater efforts to improve the quality of life for the tribesmen. The Biden-Lugar bill, whose revival is being sought, seeks to give Pakistan $1.5bn over a decade and puts emphasis on the socio-economic side of America’s aid policy.There are other sources of instability which are of our own making — like the mess in Balochistan, the absence of economic development commensurate with Pakistan’s potential, and the neglect of the social sector. However, what the Obama administration should note is the concern which its drone attacks in Fata are causing. The change in the White House has made no difference to Washington’s Fata policy, and drones often miss the target and cause collateral damage. While Obama’s concerns about Pakistan’s stability need to be welcomed, his administration — like the previous one — has yet to realise the negative consequences of American attacks in Fata. These violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty create sympathy for the militants, strengthen the pro-Taliban lobby in the country and serve to destabilise Pakistan by undermining the democratic government.