In the
recent past, three gruesome incidents committed by US forces in Afghanistan
indicate its imperial mindset. The first incident was urinating on the bodies
of the Taliban by US soldiers. While committing this callous act, US soldiers
appear to be amusing themselves and as if they have done something of pride, as
video indicates. Another act was the burning the Holy Quran by US soldiers in a
US Military Base in Afghanistan. By doing that U.S uniformed persons gave an
impression that they wilfully disrespect the Muslim belief and their religion,
in a country whose inhabitants are very strict followers of the religion. The
third incident was killing of sixteen innocent civilians by a US Sergeant
mercilessly and burning them too. Most of those targeted were women and
children.
These
incidents were deliberate, thus cannot be treated as isolated ones, as US media
and officials portray. Just as an example, it was a group of U.S marines, who
urinated on the bodies, not a single individual. Someone out of those could
have stopped occurring the incident. Nevertheless, all gave the impression as
if they have done something worth appreciating, and as a mark of triumph.
Burning of the Holy Quran at a US Base in Afghanistan was not an individual
act. A military base after all is always well guarded and soldiers do not live
in single rooms like peacetime in ones own cantonments.
In the
third incident, leaving the base and getting inside the houses to kill innocent
cannot be an individual act. After all the exit and entrance of the base must
have been guarded by a certain number of security personnel. Why did they allow
him to leave the base in the dark hours of the morning, while being heavily
armed and all alone? Can US afford its soldiers wandering individually in any
part of Afghanistan even in broad day hours? More over, as President Karazai
suspects, this killing cannot be one man’s job, therefore, let us be fair in
accepting that. For the US and its marines, all these incidents might have been
fun and mark of victory, but for the Afghans, all these events and many others
are humiliations and loss of precious lives. How can they pull on with these
daily happenings? After over a decade of the occupation, they were not
expecting such a humiliating treatment, but a fair handling.
Probably,
US policy makers are in a strange miasma. Economic disaster back home compels
the US to wrap-up as soon as possible through a strategy, “how to get out fast
without appearing to get out fast.” This strategy was even focused in the
meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron on March 14/15
in Washington. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has already signalled the likely
US wrapping up by end of 2013. Even the American and European analysts feels
that, “As they watch these moves, Afghans, the Taliban and neighbours such as
Pakistan can reasonably conclude that the United States, rather than trying to
win the war, is racing to implement an exit strategy in which the interests of
Afghans and their government are slighted.”
Nevertheless,
such a scenario does not mean that, US would not leave its footprints in
Afghanistan after 2013 or as agreed in Lisbon Summit of a drawdown by 2014.
After all US has made lot of investment in the Afghanistan and must have a
foresight to reap the fruits. Tussle between Pentagon and White House over the
drawdown plan is not new. While Obama Administration would like to reduce the
overseas defence expenditures by ending military engagements, the Pentagon is
sticking to the continuation of military engagement indefinitely. What to talk
of 2014, the Pentagon would like to continue even after that; a period from
‘transition to transformation’ 2015-2024). With these opposing poles, there are
two more actors; the American masses and the US soldiers on Afghan soil. While
majority of US masses sees the military engagement as non-productive, would
thus like US soldiers to leave that country without anymore-economic
expenditures and investments made there. The US soldiers themselves are tired
and indeed sick-of the hostile environment in Afghanistan, are more than willing
to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. Soldiers of US and other coalition
partners are indeed compelled to stay in these environments, thus at time
commit acts which embarrasses the super power and EU partners. According to a
Guardian writer, Simon Tisdall, “in Afghanistan, it`s time to swallow pride and
wise up, before it really is too late.” Even now, there is a time; US should
buy this sincere advice.
Even
after having analysed and acknowledged the difficulties on ground, the areas
which NATO and U.S failed to invest, is the Afghan society and political
integration. So far, the billion of dollars NATO and US have spent are on
making the military bases to secure their own forces and military equipment and
establishing a shaky Afghan National Army and Police. Would this rickety and
raw ANA and ANP be able to integrate the Afghan society, or bring the political
harmony among the Afghan society? Whether deliberate or otherwise, this
non-productive US investment is now harming its own long-term objectives in the
region. Today, a common Afghan has no regard for the US and NATO forces. Except
the US rewarded class, Afghan masses take US military presence as an occupying
power, exploitative in nature and humiliating and degrading Afghan traditions
and culture, besides driving wedges among various Afghan factions and ethnic
groups.
While
talking to Taliban, US did not take into confidence its own handpicked
President Karazai. Now after these incidents, Karazai demanded US to vacate the
villages and move the forces to bases. Indeed, as per British reporter Sandy
Gall, “Mr Obama and his aides have done much to damage the relationship between
the two countries and public morale on both sides.” These incidents and US
arrogance over these have brought the Qatar dialogue between Taliban and US to
a grinding halt.
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