Hewad.com - Afghanistan


<<Home
A US-Afghan pact Date: 13 Sep 2011 Ajmal Shams The proposed Afghan-US strategic partnership has been a subject of serious political debate in Afghanistan and abroad. The partnership is considered to be the most important aspect of Afghan-US relationship. Inside Afghanistan, most opinions on the subject have come from freelance journalists, with some on government payroll, and political analysts with limited knowledge of international relations. Uncertainty surrounds the element of what kind of partnership will emerge from negotiations between Kabul and Washington. The final decision on whether Afghanistan adopts this agreement lies with the Consultative Loya Jirga to be convened in the next couple of months. The government of President Hamid Karzai has conveyed its key demands to the United States after refusing to accept the US-drafted version, looking to extract as much as it can from Washington. Some of the preconditions set forth by the Afghan government for a permanent settlement to the Afghan conflict and for peace and security beyond the promised American withdrawal are genuine US respect for the independence of Afghanistan, an assurance that the Americans will not use Afghan soil for military operations against other countries, training of Afghan forces and supply of advanced weapons to them. There are several probable scenarios that can emerge. A long-term strategic treaty between the two countries is one alternative. If concluded, the pact will bind the parties to certain political, security and economic obligations with far-reaching economic prospects for Afghanistan and strategic leverage for the US. However, the US seems to be pushing for a broad agreement that may not carry the same force as a comprehensive treaty. It is more likely the two sides will end up agreeing on something in-between. What this strategic partnership will mean for our neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, Iran and China, remains a key challenge. Beyond our immediate neighbourhood, concerns have been expressed by Russia, and even India. The main concern is that the agreement might lead to permanent US military bases in Afghanistan. The US has repeatedly denied this and has tried to mitigate such concerns by arguing that it would instead seek the presence of coalition forces beyond 2014 to remain on joint bases with Afghans for combating insurgency and training purposes. From Afghan side the message is clear: no launch of operations into other nations from Afghan soil. In addition, the US must share the task of convincing our neighbours that the partnership is not going to be a security threat to them. One should bear in mind that not everyone will necessarily be happy at the end of the day as such partnerships come at some cost to one or both parties when their benefits outweigh their costs. Afghanistan has a long list of lessons learned in the not-so-distant past. Memories are still fresh in the post-communist era when the international community virtually abandoned Afghanistan and let it vulnerable to foreign interference, especially its neighbours. Those years of internecine fighting among various groups of Mujahideen are some of the worst in our entire history. It was in the aftermath of that full-fledged anarchy that the Taliban emerged. To forestall the return of that kind of chaos, Afghans need to have a long-term strategic agreement with the US. Such a partnership is not only beneficial to Afghanistan but also essential for its sustainable security, territorial integrity and economic growth. Therefore, from Afghanistan’s stand-point, it is no longer a matter of choice but that of necessity in the supreme national interest. An unstable, weak and politically fragile state like Afghanistan has no option but to adopt such a partnership for its very survival as one nation. Afghanistan is not oblivious to the fact that in order to maintain security within its borders, it needs to be at peace with its neighbours. An Afghan-US strategic partnership would therefore become more of an agent of stability in the region than a cause of discord and fear among nations. © Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Contact: Webmaster Interested in any special article? Please contact wembaster for permission!

Ajmal Shams

The proposed Afghan-US strategic partnership has been a subject of serious political debate in Afghanistan and abroad. The partnership is considered to be the most important aspect of Afghan-US relationship. Inside Afghanistan, most opinions on the subject have come from freelance journalists, with some on government payroll, and political analysts with limited knowledge of international relations.

Uncertainty surrounds the element of what kind of partnership will emerge from negotiations between Kabul and Washington. The final decision on whether Afghanistan adopts this agreement lies with the Consultative Loya Jirga to be convened in the next couple of months.

The government of President Hamid Karzai has conveyed its key demands to the United States after refusing to accept the US-drafted version, looking to extract as much as it can from Washington. Some of the preconditions set forth by the Afghan government for a permanent settlement to the Afghan conflict and for peace and security beyond the promised American withdrawal are genuine US respect for the independence of Afghanistan, an assurance that the Americans will not use Afghan soil for military operations against other countries, training of Afghan forces and supply of advanced weapons to them.

There are several probable scenarios that can emerge. A long-term strategic treaty between the two countries is one alternative. If concluded, the pact will bind the parties to certain political, security and economic obligations with far-reaching economic prospects for Afghanistan and strategic leverage for the US. However, the US seems to be pushing for a broad agreement that may not carry the same force as a comprehensive treaty. It is more likely the two sides will end up agreeing on something in-between.

What this strategic partnership will mean for our neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, Iran and China, remains a key challenge. Beyond our immediate neighbourhood, concerns have been expressed by Russia, and even India. The main concern is that the agreement might lead to permanent US military bases in Afghanistan.

The US has repeatedly denied this and has tried to mitigate such concerns by arguing that it would instead seek the presence of coalition forces beyond 2014 to remain on joint bases with Afghans for combating insurgency and training purposes. From Afghan side the message is clear: no launch of operations into other nations from Afghan soil. In addition, the US must share the task of convincing our neighbours that the partnership is not going to be a security threat to them.

One should bear in mind that not everyone will necessarily be happy at the end of the day as such partnerships come at some cost to one or both parties when their benefits outweigh their costs.

Afghanistan has a long list of lessons learned in the not-so-distant past. Memories are still fresh in the post-communist era when the international community virtually abandoned Afghanistan and let it vulnerable to foreign interference, especially its neighbours. Those years of internecine fighting among various groups of Mujahideen are some of the worst in our entire history. It was in the aftermath of that full-fledged anarchy that the Taliban emerged.

To forestall the return of that kind of chaos, Afghans need to have a long-term strategic agreement with the US. Such a partnership is not only beneficial to Afghanistan but also essential for its sustainable security, territorial integrity and economic growth. Therefore, from Afghanistan’s stand-point, it is no longer a matter of choice but that of necessity in the supreme national interest. An unstable, weak and politically fragile state like Afghanistan has no option but to adopt such a partnership for its very survival as one nation.

Afghanistan is not oblivious to the fact that in order to maintain security within its borders, it needs to be at peace with its neighbours. An Afghan-US strategic partnership would therefore become more of an agent of stability in the region than a cause of discord and fear among nations.

A US-Afghan pact

Date: 13 Sep 2011