Afghanistan: pizza and Pashakal

By I M Mohsin

 

The caption was prompted by a relevant quote from MSNBC. Being deployed in Helmand under Operation Khanjar, L/C Charlie Duggan Jr, 21, of Baldwinsville, NY exclaimed: "It's like when you open up the oven when you're cooking a pizza and you want to see if it's done. You get that blast of hot air. That's how it feels the whole time," Pashakal stands for the monstrous summer month sawan as it called in Urdu. The remark of L/C reflects what the US army is up against even if the enemy holds back the fire. It is not difficult to imagine the predicament of those who are on tenterhooks in a country which is, generally, accepted as a "graveyard of empires." Such deployment is not supported by the national draft. It attracts the needy to join up in the hope of earning some benefits.

 

Despite the claims of the new commander with regard to trying to "win the hearts and minds" of the locals, the US forces start with many handicaps in the usage of "soft power." The MSNBC site cited above also translates Khanjar as "Strike of the Sword," which is wrong besides being offensive. It means a dagger in this area. Language always makes a great bridge if one is to ingratiate some foreign element. It can't be expected that a marine from Idaho or Texas would start speaking Pashtu or Dari in no time. However, knowing the Afghan culture would be as helpful as is the overloading of such forces with hellfire fighting-equipment backed by top air power. Such ignorance leads the forces, generally, to end up as 'Georgy Porgie' of the famous nursery rhyme who "kissed the girls and made them cry."

 

A recent incident wherein they gifted footballs to the people which carried the kalima whereby it induced an issue rather than amity carries an object lesson. The attitude reflects a "couldn't care-less" approach which can be fatal for public relations. It should be brought home to the soldiers that the Afghan/Pashtun is, generally, religious, traditional and committed to fight on what he views as 'occupation'. Accordingly he keeps attacking for long periods. Peter Preston of Guardian pinpoints: "And the bloodiest delusion of the lot is to think that small surges in Helmand can win anything but more blood." This is also the known history which obliged Sir Oalf Caroe to insist that the Afghan "wars start only after they have ended." Peace has always come through negotiated settlement and rarely through an abject surrender before the foreign power.

 

Mark Twain had observed: "An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before."

 

In the case of Afghanistan both the nations seem to be fumbling. US, so far, due, generally, to the 'arrogance of power', while its 'partner' appears to be doing so in the name of 'special relationship' which, at times, is given some coded name. Lately as the new 'surge' a la Iraq is being utilised against the South, UK is crying hoarse about the threats of terrorism staring at her. Tragically, the UK appears to be caving in to local pressures to freely violate its hoary traditions of Rule of Law. This is projected by the unlawful detention and torture of Muslims on the 'suspicion' of an aberration. The Muslim youth feels sidelined in the society and despondency, rather than religion, appears to provoke a hostile reaction which gets debited to the current bugbear.

 

The new operation launched by the US in the South claims to be based on a new strategy designated as Tactical Patience. Prima facie it demands forbearance by the troops in dealing with the rank and file Afghan. However, the first week has been pretty demoralising for the troops in terms of losses suffered by them. As against artless statements of the first two days indicating that the 'terrorists' had fled away, the combat appears to be widespread. This is the standard practice in all wars where there is a desperate asymmetry of power between the parties. Afghans have, generally, fought with many handicaps but that is off-set by their resolve and topography. Historically they avoid much fighting in the miserable summer months and hit back with a renewed verve in Autumn/Winter. The "surge" of US troops may have evoked such a fearless backlash.

 

It is becoming clear that the neo-cons, either due to their obsessions or bad faith, misled George W, the raw, to fight against history. Obama is far too sharp not to have realised what is hurting the US. However, the known lobbies are also arraigned against a change. This is being inflamed by the presidential election due in Kabul. If history holds, the Pashtuns will not duck attacking as per their proverb, "The heavens will remain as they are, but the foreign rulers will be gone." A Stratfor article predicts support for the war warning, like it is in UK, if casualties mount. Balint Szlanko writing in WPR describes the perils of "like getting around between coalition camps." Only superior firepower and air force, which the 'insurgents' can't dream of, are keeping the US deaths low. The US forces stay with a siege mentality as does their surrogate in Kabul. While the latter has better climate to count on, the former are being singed by the 'oven'.

 

President Obama appears to be the only American politician, with his savoir-faire personality, who can help the US out of the Afghan bog. He has had the courage to announce a probe in to the 'massacre' of over two thousand Taliban fighters who surrendered to US/Dostum in 2001. The media highlighted then that it was a war crime which was hushed up by all concerned. Obama told CNN: "I think that, you know, there are responsibilities that all nations have, even in war." This is a poison for the neo-cons but it will win workable goodwill in the Muslim world etc. Traditions about murder, Muslim as well as the Afghan specially, demand "a tooth for tooth" formula. It can be forgiven by the aggrieved party as per an understanding. When the Taliban were ousted from power, they had become pretty unpopular because of their harsh governance. However, poor state-institutions, insecurity, corruption etc made them look like a better option for the Pashtuns. Due to the atrocious killings in random attacks, so many of today's fighters against US are the products of those arbitrary sins.

 

9/11 tragedy remains an enigma in AfPak. US should share evidence, generally, with the affected countries to win their support. Such a step would bolster US goodwill even in Afghanistan. If the proof is convincing, it may even help in reaching a settlement which would be mutually beneficial to the parties. Obama knows that firepower alone can't win as more than seven years of war have proved. Lord Minto wrote in 1879 about the FATA area, and it applies more so to Afghanistan: "A friendly native is one who only shoots you at night, whereas a hostile one shoots in the daytime as well." Alphonse Karr had said: "The more the things change, the more they remain the same." The Afghans/Pashtuns are proving him right.

 

The writer is a former secretary interior