As the temperature went down in the mountain resort town, allegations, promises and sympathy dominated a session on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Aspen security forum.
In a session moderated by Steve Kroft from the CBS TV Network’s show 60 Minutes, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman, addressing the audience via teleconference, said that drone strikes test Pak-US relations.
When quizzed about Dr Shakil Afridi’s imprisonment, she said his actions had endangered the lives of health workers in Pakistan, and put polio vaccination at risk for thousands of children.
However, she admitted that Dr Afridi was unaware of the fact that he was part of the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, however, expressed outrage at Dr Afridi’s incarceration.
The debate moved from counterterrorism cooperation to the future of Afghanistan. Afghan Ambassador to the US Eklil Hakimi told the audience that the opposition forces in Afghanistan receive “money, training and equipment” from the other side of the Durand Line.
Quoting Admiral Mullen’s statement on the Haqqani Network being a ‘veritable arm of the ISI’, Ambassador Hakimi said he hoped Pakistan would take concrete steps to prevent the Taliban from using its soil for carrying out attacks.
Ambassador Sherry highlighted Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, saying that over 200 high-value targets had been handed over to the US. “Where is the strategic sympathy for Pakistan which has lost 42,000 lives in the last 12 years?” she asked.
In response to another question, the top Pakistani diplomat said there were sanctuaries for militants on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. Pakistani Taliban have hideouts in the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan.
Special Assistant to the US President for Afghanistan and Pakistan Gen Doug Lute replied back saying that “we can hardly compare the relatively small and recent presence of the Pakistani Taliban in Kunar and Nuristan with the long history of relationship between certain elements of the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban.”
Furthermore, when asked about action against militants in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Gen Lute said it was up to Pakistan to play the part on its side of the border.
Regarding the reconciliation process, Gen Lute said the Afghan Taliban had to renounce violence and follow the Afghan constitution. He added that the US would continue to maintain a diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of forces in 2014.
A key point that all participants agreed on was that the stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan were interlinked.
On a concluding note, Gen Lute said, “There is no stability in Afghanistan that doesn’t involve Pakistan and there is no stability in Pakistan that doesn’t involve Afghanistan.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2012.
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to know more about afghanistan's historical anti pakistan role do google (afghanistan never again by ahmed raza) since the creation of pakistan the motto of afghans is death to pakistan and this is got going to change anyway afghans have more hate for pakitanis than our arch rival india this is the fact pakistanis have to accept it.
@Shafiq Nasery: when was afghanistan a established state in last 200 years? that pakistan have destabilized her today? it was afghanistan who backstabbed pakistan by opposing new born muslim pakistan's membership in UN in late 40s. during indo pak wars afghanistan always stood with non muslim india and never helped muslim state pakistan.60 to 90 thousand volunteer pakistani youth were killed by the red army guns who went to defend afghanistan in the 80s. will you name those terrorists or martyred? if pakistan is the enemy of afghans then is it the part of afghan tradition to take refuge in a enemy land?1.5 million afghan were killed in 80s civil war who killed them? answer is very simple afghans took rubles and dollars to kill own brothers and it very easy to blame pakistan for all the failure. it was afghans who chose the fundamentalist type acid attackers gulbedin,siyaf,molvi younis and ahmad shah masood as leaders. now to remove the guilt it is always easy for afghans to blame pakistan or iran. you afghan have forgot the hospitality of pakistanis when there was no place for you people in your own country and came to save your lives in pakistan.what a pride nation afghan is? if you afghan have hate for pakistan and pakistan is your enemy than why live in the enemy land? is this is you call great afghan GHAIRAT?
@Sharjeel Ali: What exactly is the " civilized nations", if you are talking about Americans, then look into what they have to done to the native Indian population, British, look into Africa and sub- continent, France, look into Algerian and Africa, Germany , go ask the Jews and others, I could go on and on about your civilized nations.
Ambassador Sherry Rehman said, " that drone strikes test Pak-US relations", I don't know why she even saying that , it is common knowledge that her government is involved up to their necks and allow the drones attacks into Pakistan territories. It is simple if the Pakistani government thinks it's violation of their territory then they should shoot it down. Pakistan Air Force could do that any time but this government is hoodwinking Pakistanis as well as the international community.Who could forget the statement of ex PM Gilani to American ambassador in Islamabad. we are sick of these lies.
General Lute added "that the US would continue to maintain a diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of forces in 2014." Yes, diplomatic presence is OK but military presence will cause more bloodshed for Americans as well the Afghans. Not only Taliban but others forces in the neighborhood will make life miserable for the American military presence in Afghanistan, they should learn the lesson from Russian involvement in Afghanistan, every one knows that their presence is to exploiter Afghan and Central Asia's natural resources. American satraps and quislings are not going to survive after 2014 pull out.
@Cautious: "@Maria. Illegal Mexican’s aren”t heavily armed and capable of blowing up a chain link fence. " Further, they don't come up to blow the Americans to kingdom come!
@Maria. Illegal Mexican's aren''t heavily armed and capable of blowing up a chain link fence. Further -- why should the USA or NATO pay for your fence?
not only the pakistan but the whole region is being destabilized after the vast majority of afghans made migration to pakistan and iran to launch the holy war against the red army. the rise of fundamentalism is the product of afghan war and pakistani society is the main victim of it. unfortunately afghan are the worst enemy of pakistan.afghan never realised own mistakes they always wrongly blamed 1st pakistan,2nd iran 3rd soviet union. afghanistan will always the bad news for neighbouring countries.when was afghanistan a established country?that pakistan have destabilized her today? the best way to deal with afghanistan is to made return of all afghan from pakistan seal all the border with afghanistan. we have to accept that past 35 years of our sacrifices supporting and helping of afghan could not win the minds and hearts of afghans then what more to offer to make afghan happy?
@Iftikhar-ur-Rehman: um. No it doesn't. It just... Doesn't. It's hard to even counter it because you went off the deep end into some crazy world of your imagination where unrelated things magically become related at will.
Its quite brave of Sherry Rehman to put up such a strong front despite all the troubles and complexities of the relationship, specially since she is apparently one of the few voices defending Pakistan in Washington. She is certainly doing her job ten times better than Mr. Hussain Haqqani.
@S K Afridi: Until Pakistanis don't stop back stabbing its neighbors there wont be any problem created for the state of Pakistan and i do agree that Pakistan needs some better leaders even we afghans we need better leaders. but that doesn't mean that we will forget the truth that Pakistan is desperately trying to destabilize Afghanistan.
@CHAIRMAN MAO: Its thanks to these Farangis that you are still around !
Pakistan had no problem or enmity with any of the Taliban factions. We got involved with TTP because in our quest to help US, we prevented TTP from going into Afghanistan and fight against US / NATO. Today the US forces in Afghanistan are having easy time because Pakistan has taken all factions of TTP of their back. In stead of helping Pakistan, the US and NATO has provided sanctuaries to the fugitive Taliban from Pakistan. Our hands are already full because TTP is still fighting against our forces as a strong entity, courtesy support from RAW and Afghan Intelligence. Under such environment, why should Pakistan get involved with the Taliban in North Waziristan which in any case is beyond its capabilities. US itself is making hectic efforts for opening negotiations with Taliban but in case of Pakistan it wants our troops to keep on fighting with all factions of Taliban. Due to this US war on terror our economy has been destroyed and we have paid a very heavy price in blood. What did we get in return? An unending demand of "Do more" from US, an anti Pakistan set up in Kabul to stir up trouble in Baluchistan and KPK and overwhelming Indian influence in Afghanistan to serve as a perpetual source of heat to keep the anti Pakistan pot boiling. US has no right to demand from Pakistan to take action against Haqqani network because till this day US has done nothing to enhance the capacity and capabilities of Pakistan Army to fight such a difficult war. On the contrary it has bestowed all such favours on India including the unique Nuclear Deal. I wish our leaders pick up the courage to confront the Americans with these stark realities.
@ Maria: like President karzai said erecting wall on the Afghan-pak border will only divide tribes, and will not be helpful in terrorists coming down to afghanistan. terrorism will find its way even will jump over the fence or dig under it but the main thing is how to eliminate this threat from its roots. which we all know where the roots are. lets forget that we are afghan or pakistani lets think of a human who wants to live safe in secure on both sides of the durrand line. what should we do to make that happen.
Special Assistant to the US President for Afghanistan and Pakistan Gen Doug Lute replied back saying that “we can hardly compare the relatively small and recent presence of the Pakistani Taliban in Kunar and Nuristan with the long history of relationship between certain elements of the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban.” THIS SHOWS USA'S INVOLVEMENT IN SUPPORTING TTP BASED KUNAR AND NURISTAN!!! THEY TELL US TO FINISH OF HAQQANI NETWORK BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING THE SAME TO TTP
Sherry Rahman seems an intelligent, even brilliant diplomat--something that sadly cannot be said about most of her peers who occupy similar positions in her country. I hope the "new Pakistan" she talks about will move forward with other civilized nations of the rest of the world instead of keep trying to align itself with obstructionist forces that are struck in the 14th century.
There are diverse and divergent voices from Pakistan. The urbane,articulate voices that charm from the foreign ministry sometimes seem a naive smokescreen for what is reallly going on. The reality of policy is opaque and has no real link with what is said.
The blame game is on and escape goat is Pakistan. Easy solution to Afghan failures.
I think that ISAF and NATO should help erect a fence or wall on the Pakistan Afghanistan border before they slowly withdraw. If the US can erect a barrier to keep put illegal Mexicans, why can they not understand the need to build a similar wall so that Pakistan can keep out Afghanis? No country has suffered as much due to the problems in Afghanistan and that nation will be continue to be used as a base for Indian aggression against Pakistan.