Carrot and stick approach
Apportioning blame on Pakistan for US' failure in Afghanistan is an attempt to simplify the complex ground situation
PHOTO: AFP
As the US administration under President Donald Trump is all set to announce its much-awaited strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, what is noticeable is the anti-Pakistan narrative getting traction in the Capitol Hill.
While the review is still underway, developments of the last few weeks suggest consensus is emerging in Washington that Pakistan is the main obstacle in the way of turning the tide against the Afghan Taliban. Last Friday, an amendment has been proposed to the US National Defense Authorisation Act 2018, seeking ‘carrot and stick’ policy to persuade Pakistan to break its alleged nexus with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. The amendment was moved by Senator John McCain, the head of Senate’s Arms Services Committee, whose such initiatives often get approval of Congress.
The proposed amendment calls for “pursuing an integrated civil-military strategy by imposing graduated diplomatic, military and economic costs on Pakistan as long as it continues to provide support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani network.” This comes on the heels of Pentagon’s decision to withhold $50m in military reimbursements after the US Defence Secretary refused to certify that Pakistan had taken sufficient action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.
Apportioning blame on Pakistan for the US failure in Afghanistan is an attempt to over-simplify the complex ground situation. Fact remains that the US and its allies have failed to win the battle against the Taliban. Today, insurgents hold sway in over 50 per cent of Afghanistan while the writ of Ghani administration is dwindling even in Kabul. This situation demands an honest appraisal. Truth must be told to the ordinary Americans and larger global audience that the real problem lies in Afghanistan and hence, Pakistan cannot be made a scapegoat. It is time that instead of hurling threats, the Trump administration had opened candid discussions with Pakistan. The White House, Pentagon and Congress need to listen to Pakistan’s grievances on bilateral misgivings and its strategic anxieties, as history shows us that the US’s ‘coercive approach’ seldom achieved the desired results in Pakistan’s case.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2017.
While the review is still underway, developments of the last few weeks suggest consensus is emerging in Washington that Pakistan is the main obstacle in the way of turning the tide against the Afghan Taliban. Last Friday, an amendment has been proposed to the US National Defense Authorisation Act 2018, seeking ‘carrot and stick’ policy to persuade Pakistan to break its alleged nexus with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. The amendment was moved by Senator John McCain, the head of Senate’s Arms Services Committee, whose such initiatives often get approval of Congress.
The proposed amendment calls for “pursuing an integrated civil-military strategy by imposing graduated diplomatic, military and economic costs on Pakistan as long as it continues to provide support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani network.” This comes on the heels of Pentagon’s decision to withhold $50m in military reimbursements after the US Defence Secretary refused to certify that Pakistan had taken sufficient action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.
Apportioning blame on Pakistan for the US failure in Afghanistan is an attempt to over-simplify the complex ground situation. Fact remains that the US and its allies have failed to win the battle against the Taliban. Today, insurgents hold sway in over 50 per cent of Afghanistan while the writ of Ghani administration is dwindling even in Kabul. This situation demands an honest appraisal. Truth must be told to the ordinary Americans and larger global audience that the real problem lies in Afghanistan and hence, Pakistan cannot be made a scapegoat. It is time that instead of hurling threats, the Trump administration had opened candid discussions with Pakistan. The White House, Pentagon and Congress need to listen to Pakistan’s grievances on bilateral misgivings and its strategic anxieties, as history shows us that the US’s ‘coercive approach’ seldom achieved the desired results in Pakistan’s case.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2017.