Pakistan Cannot Allow American Surge Along its Border: The Nation, Pakistan

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The Nation, Pakistan

Pakistan Cannot Allow American Surge Along its Border

"Pakistan's leadership must insist on being consulted before Washington makes a paradigm shift in its Afghan policy. … Islamabad now has the capacity and space to have an impact on U.S. decisions, since without our cooperation, the U.S. would suffer even greater losses. On this point there can be no doubt."

EDITORIAL

November 28, 2009

Pakistan - The Nation - Original Article (English)

In an address at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Obama lays out his plan for Afghanistan.

C-SPAN VIDEO: President Barack Obama announces his long awaited strategy on Afghanistan, calling for 30,000 additional U.S. troops, Dec. 1, 00:39:34

Prime Minister Gilani has voiced Pakistan's legitimate concern over the anticipated U.S. surge in Afghanistan, particularly with regard to a troop surge in Helmand Province that threatens to inundate Baluchistan with militants fleeing Helmand. Given the poor track record of the U.S. and NATO in sealing borders - some would call it a deliberately poor record - any expansion of America's presence in provinces of Afghanistan that border Pakistan pose an immediate threat to this country. On a broader level, the United States simply cannot make decisions that relate to Afghanistan without consulting Pakistan, given that there is a direct linkage between the two in terms of fallout.

Furthermore, Pakistan is a frontline state in this erroneous, U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, and it's Pakistan that also continues to pay the biggest price for it in terms of the destruction of civil society and the environment. The costs aren't simply the qualitative improvement in the threat posed to Pakistan by terrorists and militancy since September 11; there's also the continuing cost of Afghan refugees who are again fleeing in greater numbers. The United States and the Afghan government are in no mood to take back the Afghan refugees and the international community has been niggardly in helping shoulder the burden - effectively leaving Pakistan on its own.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

At a strategic level, Pakistan must be more assertive about protecting its interests. The leadership must take a firm stand on the issue of the surge and insist on being consulted before Washington makes a paradigm shift in its Afghan policy. Up until now, Pakistan has never been asked for its input on America's Afghan policy; we have simply been confronted with the consequences and have effectively been told to accept U.S. policy regardless of the costs to our nation. This must end and Pakistan now has the capacity and space to have an impact on U.S. decisions, since without our cooperation, the U.S. would suffer even greater losses. On this point there can be no doubt.

What makes this insistence on the part of Pakistan such a strategic imperative is the volatile situation not just in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, but in Baluchistan as well. With the government finally moving to rectify decades of neglect in this province, it cannot afford to have the situation destabilized by an American surge. Already, India is using Afghanistan to this end.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US