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http://frontierpost.com.pk/editorials.asp?id=2&date1=1/11/2002 [When friends fall out. The following reflects Islambad's opinion rather than my own, but is insightful in many ways nevertheless.] The Frontier Post (Pakistan) January 11, 2002 Americans to stay? Soothsayers are proving terribly right. They had said the Americans were coming to Afghanistan to stay. They had the experiences of Bosnia, Kosovo and the Gulf War in mind. The Americans are continuing their military presence in Bosnia and Kosovo despite the crises that prompted it having long dissipated. And even as the Gulf War that drew their military intervention ended more than a decade ago, they keep holding on to their bases in Saudi Arabia, citing an untenable Iraqi threat to its neighbouring Arab states. The soothsayers were saying once the Americans land at a place, they squat there and keep spreading themselves by constantly shifting the goalposts.This now seems about to happen in this region. As the Americans are inflicting finishing strokes on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda apparatus in Afghanistan, credible reports have begun appearing in the media that they are planning a long-term presence in the region. They are reportedly building an airbase in Kyrghyzstan to accommodate up to 3,000 troops, warplanes and support aircraft, and upgrading bases in Uzbekistan and Pakistan where their forces are stationed. Inside Afghanistan, the recent reinforcement of the 1,500 marines by the 101st Airborne Division�s troops at Kandahar airport is also being viewed as a pointer to a long US presence there, as such regular army troops are deployed to hold territories for months, if not years. This American presence in and around Afghanistan is being promoted on the pretext that Afghanistan�s interim government needs help to maintain security and root out remnants of the Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. No doubt, Hamid Karzai�s is a wobbly administration, badly hamstrung in imposing its control over governors and warlords. This explains the Kandahar governor�s refusal to hand over to Washington the three senior Taliban ministers who surrendered to him and whom he has released under his general amnesty for the Afghan Taliban. But none of these things can become a valid justification for any long-term presence. The real US motives are easily discernible. These are to establish a strong presence in this strategically important region, rich in oil and gas resources, for promoting its strategic, political and commercial interests. For these very reasons, this American move has all the potential to throw the region into intense major powers� rivalry and embroil it in painful frictions, tensions and conflicts. Iran, Russia and China in particular would not brook any such US presence in their neighbourhood. The Russians have already come out strongly against it. This American presence would also potentially hurt badly the as-yet fragile international anti-terrorism coalition, and may even spell its demise. The Americans should not be oblivious either of the public anger their presence could touch off, leading to germination of terrorist propensities among fanatical elements. After all, rabid extremist outfits like Al-Qaeda drew their sustenance largely from the Arab public anger at the continued US military presence in Saudi Arabia. It is for the Americans to ponder over the negative impact their military presence could have on them. As for us, we cannot afford to reap their ill-considered move�s bad harvest. We have burnt our fingers once by hosting their military presence in the 1960s. That incurred us Soviet anger. But the Americans returned the compliment by abandoning us when India invaded us in 1965. For their betrayals in our most critical times, despite our pandering to their wishes blindly in their hour of need, they have left our people completely disillusioned with them, a sense now being sharpened phenomenally due to their tilt towards India which is poised to thrust war on us. The government should remain cognizant of this public mood. In no event should it allow a long-term American presence on our soil that could also incur us the displeasure of our tested friends like China. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
