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Wed, Mar 26th 2008, 13:07

Ilyas M. Mohsin, PPP, Platinum Contributor (296)

Richard Holbrooke, former US ambassador to the UN, has remained one of the saner purveyors of sound advice about Afghanistan/ Iraq. Being knowledgeable and liberal, he has tended to emphasise the role of diplomacy/ reconciliation as against indiscriminate use of force by the American forces. Such tendencies dictated by the US Administration’ policies have created a Vietnam in Iraq; while Afghanistan presents an equally depressing disposition.
True to his practical wisdom gained in his successful career, he has given yet again profound guidance to his people/ Administration about Pakistan. Now that Feb 18 national elections have wrecked the make-believe status quo, Holbrooke wants the US to support the return of democracy to Pakistan. For the past 8 years, Musharraf ruled with the help of some carpetbaggers and the US. This has made the extremists spread their tentacles as the people turned against the ‘US’ man’. As Pakistanis are suffering due to bomb-blasts etc, they had/have considerable resentment against their ruler who is perceived as using the Pak army on the demands of ‘his masters’. No wonder the army is taking serious casualties in addition to loss of civilian lives in widespread mayhem.
As Pakistan’ security situation grows worse, the US is losing much of its goodwill in the country despite the fact that most people are liberal Muslims. The Feb 18 elections confirmed this situation as the religious parties got wiped out at the polls while the largest party, the liberal PPP, won the biggest number of seats in the National Assembly. Being well-versed in the art of conflict resolution and fostering good relations at the international level, his recipe for winning over Pakistan is “Over decades, Washington has usually sent mixed signals to Pakistan. This time the message should be clear and consistent: democracy, reconciliation, the military out of politics, a new policy for the tribal areas -- and more democracy.” Hope his compatriots are listening to salvage their image/ credibility in the Near East.
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Thu, Jul 3rd 2008, 15:54

Ilyas M. Mohsin, PPP, Platinum Contributor (296)

Unfortunately very few appear interested in this very important subject.
The following report from BBC of July 1 may provoke some consideration:-

" Page last updated at 12:10 GMT, Tuesday, 1 July 2008 13:10 UK
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Foreign forces' worst Afghan toll

Coalition troops are increasingly falling victim to roadside bombs
The month of June has been the deadliest for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 fall of the Taleban, official figures show.

Correspondents say it was also the second month in a row in which casualties exceeded those in Iraq.

Military statements throughout June show that at least 45 foreign troops died as a result of war or accidents.

They were serving either with the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) or the US-led coalition.


'Resurgent militia'

More than 40% of the 122 foreign soldiers who have died in Afghanistan during 2008 were killed in June, according to official figures collated by the independent website icasualties.org.

Most were killed by roadside bombs hitting their convoys or patrols.

Isaf spokesman Gen Carlos Branco said that the high casualty figures should be seen in the context of a higher number of international troops fighting the Taleban.


The coalition says that it killing large numbers of insurgents

"Isaf has much more soldiers now than in the past and is now going to places where it was not going before," Gen Branco told the AFP news agency.

The icasualties website says that 31 soldiers - including 29 Americans - were killed in Iraq in June although there are twice as many troops there as in Afghanistan.

Correspondents say that the Afghan casualty figures reflect a series of headline-grabbing insurgent attacks by the Taleban which underscores their growing strength.

In June the insurgents staged a mass jailbreak that freed about 900 prisoners in Kandahar, before occupying a strategically important valley on the outskirts of the city.

Relief efforts

Last week, a Pentagon report predicted that a resurgent Taleban was likely to step up the scope of its attacks during 2008.

In a report on security in Afghanistan, it warned the Islamist guerrillas had "coalesced into a resilient insurgency" and were likely to "maintain or even increase the scope and pace of their terrorist attacks".


The Taleban are proving to be a formidable enemy

The month of June also saw the international community meet in Paris to pledge about $20bn (£10bn) to rebuild Afghanistan - while at the same time demanding that more efforts are made to to stamp out corruption and co-ordinate relief efforts.

US Regional Commander Maj Gen Jeffrey Schloesser said in the same month that attacks by Taleban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan had increased by 40% compared with the same period last year.

Maj Gen Schloesser said insurgents were choosing targets to disrupt economic development.

Correspondents say that the higher casualty levels in Afghanistan compared with Iraq reflect falling levels of violence in Iraq as much as they do rising violence in Afghanistan".