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January 22 History repeats itselfHistory repeats itself
“All Taliban are I.S.I. Taliban, ... It is not possible to go to Afghanistan without the help of the I.S.I. Everyone says this.” Father of suicide bomber, quoted in New York Times, CARLOTTA GALL January 21, 2007
History appears to be repeating itself again. And yet nobody seems to be doing anything about it. It has taken 10 years for highranking American diplomats to become critical of Pakistan and its involvement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
When between 1996 and 2001 Ahmad Shah Massoud highlighted repeatedly just this connection to the western leaders, but his warnings and premonitions fell on deaf ears or provoked strong denials. Left without assistance and particularly abandoned by the Bush administration taking power in May 2001, he was unable to fight the forces supported financially and otherwise by Pakistan. If supported with western money and weapons, the forces of the Northern Alliances could have defeated the Taliban internally hence avoiding US military involvment.
Yet despite this incredible imbalance in funds and military supplies Massoud, his forces and allies resisted until the "liberation of Afghanistan" by the US began. This after chance after chance had been missed to contain Al Qaida and the Taliban five years prior to 9/11. Not only were those chances missed by passive inaction, by contrast - due to economical and strategic considerations the Taliban regime was - if not actively suppported - tolerated and dealt with diplomatically by the Americans.
And still, now in 2007, that critiscim of meanwhile very obvious anti-Afghanistan operations from Pakistani side, does not seem to resonate with US political circles, not to mention lead to any necessary consequential action.
Does it take the failure of the Afghan state and failed development efforts in Afghanistan in order for the western powers to realise the true Pakistani intentions?
In order to deepen their influence on the border regions of Pakistan the ISI is supporting militant islamist activity there, supporting suicide missions into Afghanistan to destablise the goverment there. This serves but one purpose: to dispell rising re-grouping efforts by the Pushtun tribes on both side of the Durrand line. Pakistan wants to prevent a Pashtunistan movement by all means as this would be the beginning of a disintegration of its territory. The Taliban has been working against tribal customs as they consider them un-islamic hence forming a useful tool for Islamabad to fight the unruly Pashtuns.
These are intricate issues which the west has refused to deal with for too long but has to urgently recognise in order to reveal Pakistan's true political face and take action accordingly. January 09 Kabul Diaries - 9th Jan 2007Back to Kabul
After spending two weeks in Singapore for holidays I arrived back to Kabul yesterday, 8th Jan.
Another year past, the last one raced by.
I spent the last two weeks shopping, eating and attending a wedding. Singapore has churned out more malls and more entertainment centres in only three months - amazing.
What a contrast of modernisation and sophisticated lifestyle compared to Afghanistan. It couldn't be any greater.
And yet, the glizzy shops and food outlets somehow lose their attraction fast - there is a soul lacking somehow.
Of course, the conveniences are great, life in its daily routine is effortless.
And yet, something drags me back into the unorganised.
Is it the realisation that life is not satisfiable with material goods, that instead the hunger of the soul needs to be satified in order to reach true happiness?
Is it the numbness of mind one often encouters in rich countries - people too focused on their "sorry little lifes" that they forget the larger tragedies going on in the world?
Why do I want to come back to electricity shortage, winter-frozen water pipes and wood-oven heated housing if I can have all-year-round 32C warm weather, shop-till-you-drop sparetime any time?
Truth is, I can't put it into words properly, but it is somewhere inbetween this:
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