Impediments to Peace in Afghanistan - By : General Mirza Aslam Beg

imageGeneral Mirza Aslam Beg

Ex. Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan
Email: friendsfoundation@live.co.uk

The Heart of Asia Conference, held at Beijing late last year, gave the hope
that the post 1990 mindset, which tormented the Afghan nation in the past,
may not be repeated when the 2015 draw down came to an end. But that
was not to be. The Americans and the proxy government at Kabul once again
are conspiring to deny to the Afghans, the right to determine their future,
who are the winners of the grim struggle for freedom against the two super
powers of the world, in a short period of thirty five years. The post 1990
mindset thus, is the name of the geo-political wooded headiness the March
of folly - Barbara Tuchman, of the civilized world, which is keeping peace
hostage in Afghanistan. The main elements of this mindset are not difficult to
identify:

The Afghans are fighting for the freedom of their homeland for the last thirty
five years. Their struggle for freedom is as sacrosanct as those of Mao of
China; Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Fiedel Castro of Cuba. Yet the
Afghan struggle for freedom has been dubbed as terrorism, which distorts the
very meaning of human values of freedom, peace and security. Unfortunately,
Pakistan has also joined this club, by calling Afghan Taliban terrorists, for their
recent attack on the Afghan parliament.

The Taliban cannot compromise on their struggle for freedom. In 2003, in

reply to my suggestions, Mullah Omar said We have decided to fight to win
our freedom, and win we will, Insha Allah. Our traditions and national ethos
do not permit us to follow the occupation forces agenda for Afghanistan.
When we are free we will decide our future acceptable to all the Afghans.
Taliban, therefore will not agree to talk to the government at Kabul; to the
Americans, Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan or any one else. Their message is
loud and clear You are defeated. Exit now, and leave it to us to decide our
future.

The civilized world is allergic to an Islamic government at Kabul. Even political

Islam is not acceptable. Even the moderate Muslim countries like Egypt,
Pakistan and Turkey, want to see them as secular, which is a dangerous trend
and has helped extremist elements to rise such as the Daesh in Syria and
Iraq, Takfiris, Salfists and Jehadis in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia; Al-Shabab in
Somalia; Bokoharam in Nigeria, the Houthis and Daesh in Yemen, while the
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has consolidated its gains in the North-west
of Afghanistan and is providing sanctuaries and support bases to the Afghan
Taliban. The Daesh, is thus fast expanding its tentacles, threatening far-off
places in Europe and mainland America. And the situation appears to be
hopeless because the world at large has no definite plan to contain and curb
the surging tide of terrorism.

Afghanistan is the test case where the jehadi movement against foreign
occupation, developed into a full-fledged resistance movement, launched
mainly by the Pakhtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and remains undefeated,
under the leadership of Mullah Omar. It can deliver and can provide the base
for peace in the region. Whereas our present dealings with the Talibans is
faulty, attempting to establish a Unity Government in Kabul, led by the
Northern Alliance, who collaborated with the enemy - the Soviets and the
Americans, hurting Afghans sensibility and their love for freedom. If this
course is adopted, a dangerous phase of internecine conflict will engulf
Afghanistan, with new pockets of terrorism emerging under the name of
Daesh, Islamic movement for Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan Freedom Movement,
while the Taliban resistance will demolish Kabul government, brick by brick,
creating a worst kind of polycentrism, threatening the regional countries,
such as Pakistan, Central Asia and North-west China. Pakistan will be the
worst affected, because its army will be sucked into this conflict to guard the
1700 Kms of the borders with Afghanistan; to maintain control over the FATA
territory, and to secure the disturbed areas of Balochistan to Swat. A very
dangerous situation indeed, which must be avoided at all cost.

However, there is an option to ensure peace and stability in the region, with
Afghanistan serving as the base to initiate action against expanding global
terrorism. As the first step, we have to reconcile with the idea that, an Islamic
Revolutionary Afghanistan (IRA), would pose threat to regional peace and
stability. On the contrary, similar to the Islamic Revolutionary Iran (IRI),
Afghanistan would also be a factor of peace and stability in the region, under
the same logic, America now has decided to court Iran, after a long period of
hostility. In fact, the threat of Daesh and other such terrorist elements can be
contained and curbed by the Muslim countries alone, as it happened some

fourteen hundred years back, when Caliph Ali (KW) defeated the Kharjis the
Daesh of our time in the battle of Nehrwan. Countries like Pakistan, Iran,
Turkey and Afghanistan (under Taliban), could deliver. Think of it, because,
that is the only way out.

The Afghans are a very gracious people. Pakistan, joined Americas war on
Afghanistan in 2001, but the Afghans never called us their enemy. Pakistan
destroyed their support bases in FATA area, but the Afghans did not complain
and quietly shifted their support bases to the North-east of Afghanistan. It is
therefore obligatory for Pakistan to pay back to the Afghans for their empathy
for Pakistan, their remarkable sense of sacrifice, for their love for freedom,
their traditions and national ethos, their quintessential values of a proud
nation something the Pakistani nation has to learn to respect.