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Sunday, October 4, 2009

Eight years on, Nato still seeks strategy to counter Taliban

100,000 US and Nato troops stationed in Afghanistan

Eight years after the fall of the Taliban, Nato is struggling to define a strategy to counter a spreading insurgency in Afghanistan, as a mounting coalition death toll saps public support.President Barack Obama, voted in to the White House last year after pledging to make Afghanistan one of his top priorities, quickly urged his military top brass to find new ways of enabling US troops to come home. One was repeating the successful surge in Iraq and sending thousands more US troops, but for a country posing different challenges and a very different enemy, terrain and mission. In general, there are two schools of thought in Washington. There are those who favour massive deployment to protect the population, a reduction in air strikes that have killed large numbers of civilians, training the embryonic Afghan police and army, and the emergence of an effective government. Others back limited deployment and concentration on eliminating al-Qaeda, conscious that tens of thousands of extra soldiers would reinforce the idea of an army of occupation and sow discontent among Afghans. With General David McKiernan sacked in May and replaced by General Stanley McChrystal as head of foreign forces in Afghanistan, some see the new strategy as just the old one, only with greater resources. ‘You're going to need to convince me that the new strategy is really new,’ one former high-ranking European military officer in Kabul said recently. ‘At the moment, we don't see much of a difference on the ground, apart from the fact that there's more of everything — more men, more equipment, more money,’ he added. Last month, McChrystal submitted his wish-list for the coming months: a reported 40,000 extra troops, which according to one US military official would be deployed in the north and west, where Taliban attacks are increasing. The US contingent would then pass the 100,000 mark compared with just a few thousand at its lowest point, as attention switched to Iraq. There are currently 100,000 US and Nato troops from about 40 member countries stationed in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the US Army is looking to counter the increasing threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which, according to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, account for three-quarters of coalition fatalities. Washington last week announced it was to supply new armoured vehicles capable of better resisting the bombs, which are often placed on roadsides and have killed around two soldiers a day recently. The all-terrain vehicles are said to have the same level of protection as those used by US soldiers in Iraq. The new model is also lighter and designed to adapt better to the rugged, mountainous terrain in Afghanistan. Obama warned earlier this year that defeating al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and preventing their return would be a long haul. The west's worst-case scenario is that nothing changes and that ultimately Afghanistan becomes what it was for the Soviet Union, the British, the Mongols and even Alexander the Great — easy to conquer but difficult to keep.

Allegations of abuse

A VIDEO on the Web that appears to show Pakistani soldiers beating men detained for interrogation is cause for concern. Even though the video’s authenticity is not yet clear, it brings to the fore apprehensions about human rights abuses during counter-insurgency operations.Rights groups have earlier accused the Pakistan Army of using fear and suppression tactics that are reminiscent of those used by the Taliban. In August, for example, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that it had received “credible reports of numerous extrajudicial killings and reprisals carried out by security forces” in Swat since the area was retaken from Taliban control.It is true that the army faces daunting challenges: the militant groups are amorphous, while their sympathisers are virtually indistinguishable from ordinary citizens. The soldiers, meanwhile, are new to and perhaps not fully trained for unconventional or guerrilla warfare. Much depends on the army’s ability to tap into local knowledge and penetrate terrorist outfits. Nevertheless, ways must be found of ensuring that officers and soldiers deal with detainees in a legally and morally defensible manner. The operation against myriad terrorist and militant outfits is far from over; indeed, the theatre of war is likely to expand to South Waziristan.The country simply cannot afford for its security forces to gather a reputation for vengeance and brutality, for that may endanger public support for the operations. A change in public opinion could swing the battle in the militants’ favour. Army spokesperson Maj Gen Ather Abbas has said that the army is conducting an inquiry into the abuse alleged in the video. This must be suitably thorough, and the findings must be made public. Meanwhile, codes need to be devised and strictly adhered to in terms of the treatment of detainees. Given that the army and government are supporting the raising of tribal lashkars to bolster the fight against the militants, brutality on part of the security forces may encourage civilians to function similarly.

Pakistan army interrogate....... de way.....look