[Guardian Unlimited, U.K.]
Kommersant, Russia
Russians Shouldn't
Be Happy About America's Afghan Misfortune
"It
would be worthwhile acknowledging that for virtually the first time in history,
the West has decided to do the dirty work for us. … Perhaps if it weren’t for
NATO and the U.S. with their wild project in Afghanistan, it would be us having
to take on the pacification of this volatile country."
By Sergey Markedonov
Translated By Igor
Medvedev
October 19, 2009
Russia - Kommersant - Original Article
(Russian)
In contemplating the
situation in Afghanistan, it's hard to escape the feeling of a geopolitical trap.
In the eight years of NATO activity (in fact, a largely U.S.-British operation)
in this country, none of the key issues on the Afghan agenda has been resolved.
Moreover, in every respect there has been a clearly negative dynamic. Taliban
terrorist activity has not declined. Drug trafficking, despite all the measures
that have been taken, is measured by numbers with lots of zeros. In Afghanistan
today, the practice of making "local agreements" is being actively practiced
in areas where the weak and ephemeral central government has no influence. In
turn, local leaders swear their "loyalty" to an Afghan government
with painfully little legitimacy, and which is perceived by Afghanistan's
multi-ethnic majority as a foreign entity with strong ties to the West.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
Thus the initial plan to "democratize
Afghanistan" has failed, along with the plan to "stabilize" the
region. The notion expressed a few years ago by American political scientist
Frederick Starr - of a "Great Central Asia" with a magnetic democratic
Afghanistan at its heart, today looks like an unscientific fantasy. But should
we be happy over the misfortune of our "sworn friend" the U.S. - particularly
against the background of the current reset of bilateral relations?
However far away it may now seem, Afghanistan's impact on Russia's political situation remains high.
First, there is the drug trade. Second, Afghanistan shares a border with three
Central Asian countries that are members of the Commonwealth
of Independent States. Given the danger of a "transfer of Afghan fire"
onto the territory of post-Soviet Central Asia - as occurred in 1991-1992 in
Tajikistan - one cannot exclude the emergence of a powerful Islamist front near
Russia's border.
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'PAKISTAN AND THE
TALIBAN'
[Hoje Macau, Macau]
Another thing we could do is
leave Afghanistan to the mercy of fate; but this will not do. As was said, the Afghanistan conflict
has already impinged on Russia along the Tajik-Afghan border. The Collective
Security Treaty signed in Tashkent in 1992 was largely a reaction
to this "export of Afghanistan." Let us ask ourselves a
non-rhetorical question: in case of a total failure on the part of the
Americans and British, could the Collective
Security Treaty really shield us against a new Afghan "export"?
Meanwhile, it would be worthwhile acknowledging that for virtually the first
time in history - the West has decided to do the dirty work for us.
In the past, Russia and the
Soviet Union went out their way to see the "Miracle of the Marne"
in East Prussia a [First World War battle fought between in September 1914] -
and then in East Europe [WWII], it had to "minimize" the failure in
the Ardennes [The author seems to refer to Russian pressure on the Eastern
Front, which aided the allies in the Battle of the Bulge].
Today, the West is ready to share our security concerns in Central Asia. And
who knows? Perhaps if it weren’t for NATO and the U.S. with their wild project
in Afghanistan, it would be us having to take on the pacification of this
volatile country.
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Times of India, India:
In Afghanistan, the
Need to 'Soldier On'
Guardian Unlimited, U.K.:
Fraud Probe Slashes
Karzai Vote;
Stage Set for Runoff
The Nation, Pakistan:
'America Goes Too Far'
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
America Reveals Dark Side of the Human Intellect
The Australian, Australia:
Before 9-11, Docs
Show Split in al-Qaeda
Over Attack on U.S.
Asia Times, Hong Kong:
China Maps
End to the Afghanistan War
The Telegraph, U.K.:
Obama Reported
'Furious' at McChrystal
Speech
Gazeta, Russia:
U.S. and Russia Share Responsibility for 'Afghan Anthill'
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
Americans Will Pay Dearly For 'Flirting' with Afghan War
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
This Time, the Americans Have Gone Too Far!
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
It's Obama's Afghanistan Now
Der Spiegel, Germany:
Editorial Roundup: U.S.
'Schadenfreude'
Over Afghan Air Strike
Der Spiegel, Germany:
Germany Pledges
Full Probe as Pressure Mounts
CLICK HERE FOR RUSSIAN VERSION
[Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US October 19, 10:49pm]
