Afghans: The eventual sufferers
Courtesy:- Dr Raja Muhammad Khan
Three grisly incidents recently committed by US forces in Afghanistan indicate imperial mindsets of this occupying power. The first incident was urinating on the bodies of the Taliban by US soldiers. While committing this callous act, US soldiers appear to be amusing themselves and as if they have done something of pride, as video indicates. Another act was the burning the Holy Quran by US soldiers in a US Military Base in Afghanistan. By doing that U.S uniformed persons gave an impression that they wilfully disrespect the Muslim belief and their religion, in a country whose inhabitants are very strict followers of the religion. The third incident was killing of sixteen innocent civilians by a US Sergeant mercilessly and burning them too. Most of those targeted were women and children.
All these incidents were deliberate and contrary to US claims and logics, cannot be treated as isolated ones. Just as an example, it was a group of U.S marines, who urinated on the bodies, not a single individual. Someone out of those could have stopped occurring the incident. Nevertheless, all gave the impression as if they have done something worth appreciating, and as a mark of triumph. Burning of the Holy Quran at a US Base in Afghanistan was not an individual act. A military base after all is always well guarded and soldiers do not live in single rooms like peacetime in ones own cantonments. In the third incident, leaving the base and getting inside the houses to kill innocent cannot be an individual act. After all the exit and entrance of the base must have been guarded by a certain number of security personnel. Why did they allow him to leave the base in the dark hours of the morning, while being heavily armed and all alone? Can US afford its soldiers wandering individually in any part of Afghanistan even in broad day hours? More over, as President Karazai suspects, this killing cannot be one man’s job, therefore, let us be fair in accepting that. For the US and its marines, all these incidents might have been fun and mark of victory, but for the Afghans, all these events and many others are humiliations and loss of precious lives. How can they pull on with these daily happenings? After over a decade of the occupation, they were not expecting such a humiliating treatment, but a fair handling.
US policy makers appear to be in a strange miasma. Economic disaster back home compels the US to wrap-up as soon as possible through a strategy, “how to get out fast without appearing to get out fast.” This strategy was even focused in the meeting between President Obama and Prime MinisterDavid Cameron on March 14/15 in Washington. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has already signalled the likely US wrapping up by end of 2013. Nevertheless, such a scenario does not mean that, US would not leave its footprints in Afghanistan after 2013 or as agreed in Lisbon Summit of a drawdown by 2014. After all US has made lot of investment in the Afghanistan and must have a foresight to reap the fruits. Tussle betweenPentagon and White House over the drawdown plan is not new. While Obama Administration would like to reduce the overseas defence expenditures by ending military engagements, the Pentagon is sticking to the continuation of military engagement indefinitely. What to talk of 2014, the Pentagonwould like to continue even after that; a period from ‘transition to transformation’ 2015-2024). With these opposing poles, there are two more actors; the American masses and the US soldiers on Afghan soil. While majority of US masses sees the military engagement as non-productive, would thus like US soldiers to leave that country without anymore-economic expenditures and investments made there. The US soldiers themselves are tired and indeed sick-of the hostile environment in Afghanistan, are more than willing to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. Soldiers of US and other coalition partners are indeed compelled to stay in these environments, thus at time commit acts which embarrasses the super power and EU partners. According to a Guardian writer, Simon Tisdall, “in Afghanistan, it`s time to swallow pride and wise up, before it really is too late.” Even now, there is a time; US should buy this sincere advice.
Even after having analysed and acknowledged the difficulties on ground, the areas which NATO and U.S failed to invest, is the Afghan society andpolitical integration. So far, the billion of dollars NATO and US have spent are on making the military bases to secure their own forces and military equipment and establishing a shaky Afghan National Army and Police. Would this rickety and raw ANA and ANP be able to integrate the Afghan society, or bring the political harmony among the Afghan society? Whether deliberate or otherwise, this non-productive US investment is now harming its own long-term objectives in the region. Today, a common Afghan has no regard for the US and NATO forces. Except the US rewarded class, Afghan masses take US military presence as an occupying power, exploitative in nature and humiliating and degrading Afghan traditions and culture, besides driving wedges among various Afghan factions and ethnic groups.
While talking to Taliban, US did not take into confidence its own handpicked President Karazai. Now after these incidents, Karazai demanded US to vacate the villages and move the forces to bases. Indeed, as per British reporter Sandy Gall, “Mr Obama and his aides have done much to damage the relationship between the two countries and public morale on both sides.” These incidents and US arrogance over these have brought the Qatar dialogue between Taliban and US to a grinding halt.
The issue is not of the US failure in Afghanistan, but leaving it in a lurch. Afghans cannot afford another civil war and factional fighting. Therefore, it would be rather in the interests of either party if U.S recognises that its current policies have failed, thus should not persist on those. Rather, along with other partners, it “considers, for example, paying greater attention to the broad political goals enunciated by Afghan leaders, and not just by Karzai.” This all has to be done before, it is too late.
Three grisly incidents recently committed by US forces in Afghanistan indicate imperial mindsets of this occupying power. The first incident was urinating on the bodies of the Taliban by US soldiers. While committing this callous act, US soldiers appear to be amusing themselves and as if they have done something of pride, as video indicates. Another act was the burning the Holy Quran by US soldiers in a US Military Base in Afghanistan. By doing that U.S uniformed persons gave an impression that they wilfully disrespect the Muslim belief and their religion, in a country whose inhabitants are very strict followers of the religion. The third incident was killing of sixteen innocent civilians by a US Sergeant mercilessly and burning them too. Most of those targeted were women and children.
All these incidents were deliberate and contrary to US claims and logics, cannot be treated as isolated ones. Just as an example, it was a group of U.S marines, who urinated on the bodies, not a single individual. Someone out of those could have stopped occurring the incident. Nevertheless, all gave the impression as if they have done something worth appreciating, and as a mark of triumph. Burning of the Holy Quran at a US Base in Afghanistan was not an individual act. A military base after all is always well guarded and soldiers do not live in single rooms like peacetime in ones own cantonments. In the third incident, leaving the base and getting inside the houses to kill innocent cannot be an individual act. After all the exit and entrance of the base must have been guarded by a certain number of security personnel. Why did they allow him to leave the base in the dark hours of the morning, while being heavily armed and all alone? Can US afford its soldiers wandering individually in any part of Afghanistan even in broad day hours? More over, as President Karazai suspects, this killing cannot be one man’s job, therefore, let us be fair in accepting that. For the US and its marines, all these incidents might have been fun and mark of victory, but for the Afghans, all these events and many others are humiliations and loss of precious lives. How can they pull on with these daily happenings? After over a decade of the occupation, they were not expecting such a humiliating treatment, but a fair handling.
US policy makers appear to be in a strange miasma. Economic disaster back home compels the US to wrap-up as soon as possible through a strategy, “how to get out fast without appearing to get out fast.” This strategy was even focused in the meeting between President Obama and Prime MinisterDavid Cameron on March 14/15 in Washington. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has already signalled the likely US wrapping up by end of 2013. Nevertheless, such a scenario does not mean that, US would not leave its footprints in Afghanistan after 2013 or as agreed in Lisbon Summit of a drawdown by 2014. After all US has made lot of investment in the Afghanistan and must have a foresight to reap the fruits. Tussle betweenPentagon and White House over the drawdown plan is not new. While Obama Administration would like to reduce the overseas defence expenditures by ending military engagements, the Pentagon is sticking to the continuation of military engagement indefinitely. What to talk of 2014, the Pentagonwould like to continue even after that; a period from ‘transition to transformation’ 2015-2024). With these opposing poles, there are two more actors; the American masses and the US soldiers on Afghan soil. While majority of US masses sees the military engagement as non-productive, would thus like US soldiers to leave that country without anymore-economic expenditures and investments made there. The US soldiers themselves are tired and indeed sick-of the hostile environment in Afghanistan, are more than willing to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. Soldiers of US and other coalition partners are indeed compelled to stay in these environments, thus at time commit acts which embarrasses the super power and EU partners. According to a Guardian writer, Simon Tisdall, “in Afghanistan, it`s time to swallow pride and wise up, before it really is too late.” Even now, there is a time; US should buy this sincere advice.
Even after having analysed and acknowledged the difficulties on ground, the areas which NATO and U.S failed to invest, is the Afghan society andpolitical integration. So far, the billion of dollars NATO and US have spent are on making the military bases to secure their own forces and military equipment and establishing a shaky Afghan National Army and Police. Would this rickety and raw ANA and ANP be able to integrate the Afghan society, or bring the political harmony among the Afghan society? Whether deliberate or otherwise, this non-productive US investment is now harming its own long-term objectives in the region. Today, a common Afghan has no regard for the US and NATO forces. Except the US rewarded class, Afghan masses take US military presence as an occupying power, exploitative in nature and humiliating and degrading Afghan traditions and culture, besides driving wedges among various Afghan factions and ethnic groups.
While talking to Taliban, US did not take into confidence its own handpicked President Karazai. Now after these incidents, Karazai demanded US to vacate the villages and move the forces to bases. Indeed, as per British reporter Sandy Gall, “Mr Obama and his aides have done much to damage the relationship between the two countries and public morale on both sides.” These incidents and US arrogance over these have brought the Qatar dialogue between Taliban and US to a grinding halt.
The issue is not of the US failure in Afghanistan, but leaving it in a lurch. Afghans cannot afford another civil war and factional fighting. Therefore, it would be rather in the interests of either party if U.S recognises that its current policies have failed, thus should not persist on those. Rather, along with other partners, it “considers, for example, paying greater attention to the broad political goals enunciated by Afghan leaders, and not just by Karzai.” This all has to be done before, it is too late.
Comments
Post a Comment