Pakistan Must Combat Terrorists

LAHORE: After the tragic incident of 9/11, terrorism became a global threat with the rise of extremists in the form of al Qaeda. The US, instantly, projected the Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda militant franchise as the architects behind the attacks on US soil. The immediate question rose how the al Qaeda threat could be truncated. The US policymakers found waging the war against Taliban the only solution to get rid of this menace. They did not keep in mind the long-term troubles of the war which are now surfacing in the form of weak Afghan government, struggling economy, massive increases in illegal narcotics production, corruption, growing attacks by insurgents and an increase in civilian casualties.

Coalition initially got the bigger successes in Afghanistan due to trained forces, advance technology and modern weaponry. After passing six years, Taliban has once again re-grouped and gained strength posing the direct threat to the security of the US and the West. Director of National Intelligence J Michael McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee last month that the Taliban has regrouped, gained strength, and now attacks Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Violence in Afghanistan will continue to rise this year, as Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have proved resilient and aggressive foes against coalition forces, according to a new Pentagon report issued to Congress on Friday.

Some observers think that the greatest challenge to long-term security in Afghanistan is the insurgent sanctuary in Pakistan´s tribal areas along the 1,500-mile-long border with Afghanistan.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have assembled in Pakistan, most of them in the area along the remote and mountainous frontier.

Some believe that re-grouping of Taliban in the border areas is the result of peace deals with militants of the new Pakistani Government. After similar agreements were signed in 2005 and 2006, cross-border operations by extremist groups against the US and NATO forces increased substantially. The new Pakistani government wants to create peace in its borderlands and considers the dialogues as better way to handle the Taliban.

The attacks of US drones on a border post that killed 11 soldiers added fuel to the fire between the worsening relations between Pakistan and the US that could undermine the two countries´ joint effort in the war on terror. Pakistan has lost about 1,000 soldiers fighting militants in border mountains that have never come under the control of any government.

It is critical for the US to recognise that the priority of the Pakistani government should be to first bring peace and stability within its own borders. If the new leadership is seen to place the interests of the United States before its own, it will experience the same legitimacy problems President Pervez Musharraf faced. This will weaken Pakistan's democratic transition, creating instability in the country and the region.

If negotiations fail because of militant uprisings, Pakistanis will support the use of force knowing all other channels were worn out. This will lead to greater public ownership of the fight against extremism, something the United States has called for.

Since making a comeback in 2006, the Taliban have briefly taken some district headquarters and villages in the south and east of Afghanistan, the militants´ stronghold.

The capture of the villages is part of the latest show of power by the militants in Afghanistan, which is suffering its worst spell of violence since 2001.

The flareup comes despite the presence of more than 60,000 foreign forces under the command of the US military and Nato, as well as about 150,000 Afghan forces.

The former American general in charge of Nato forces in Afghanistan Gen Dan McNeill said that the war against the Taliban was "under-resourced".

"This is an under-resourced war and it needs more manoeuvre units, it needs more flying machines, it needs more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance apparatus," he said.

Otherwise, the situation like 1989 could emerge, when the Taliban were in charge.

History reveals that Afghans never allowed any foreign power to rule them. This is the time to adopt better counterinsurgency strategies against them. Better resources, trained forces and advanced arms and intelligence can produce fruitful results.

Also the responsibility comes on Pakistan to fulfill its promises and combat the militants with full force and all available resources.