<Ike, what do you make of the Northern Alliance's recent public warnings to the British and other foreign troops ?
I am beginning to sense a power play on their part that I believe will end badly for all involved !>
I think big man jockeying for power. When it comes to power even to be exercised on powerless people of Afghanistan every warlord gets a kind of tingling in his head.
Power and marking territory are traits of our animal nature, like lion that does that by pissing on larger areas so that other lions are well aware of his territory.
Much as we dislike it we all at one given time are corrupted with the desire to control our little territories that we hold dear and protect them. Moderates, extremist and nicest of human beings do trip on small things. Here, we are talking about people who have not seen anything but incessant war as an easiest way to survive rather the only way ofl ife. These are hollow howls of tame wolves positioning for their hefty returns and booties to continue rule with ironclad ruthlessness. The pre bargaining challenges for the negotiating table will include some difficult moments. Much as everyone would like to say that nation building is not an issue here, every major war in the last century has seen politicians acting as surgeons with scalpels and marking new territories with whims that have left sore hot points to tackle with.
Afghanistan needs that little more effort to put it on course of avoiding the recreation of a place where warlords may roam free and once against the dream of creation of a new decadent 1400 old system may not be attempted again.
With progress comes the responsibility, we like to take the advantages of development and shy away form responsibility, events of 11th Sept have opened new vistas as to the collective consciousness of mankind, it has one hand driven a cold dagger in the very heart of our ambitious claims of global integration but on the other it has quickened that goal too. The prospects of division and unity working togehter in tandem.
The demise of League of Nation and lessons learned from it led to formation of UN, that is far more better equipped in this toothless world to implement the resolutions, notwithstanding sometime in vain, but with obligation comes the disappointments too.
War is a combination of such obligations and disappointments, we have become a fast world, we need instant gratification in our stock markets, in our daily lives, the faster pace of the world events have grown on us, until we don’t see we don’t believe. Last 42 days of bombing did not have much coverage as the war was secretly fought; the Americans as well as Talebin hid the damages with equal fervour. For the only sake of avoiding negative publicity and avoiding morale and confidence collapse respectively. When fall of Kabul came it came like a pleasant relief although anyone watching it closely could see it coming, after al these heavy bombs were falling somewhere, if one misguided one could have take an ugly toll the interesting thing I my mind use to be why Talebin are unable to talk about the ones falling on targets. One could imagine that hiding pain and taking losses were their strategy that collapsed once the push came in, the fronts had become too porous and NA could just drive in. The bombs have no mercy on any man, the invincibility of Talebin proved to be of no consequence.
Wars and disputes have their own politics, this one is amongst people who are genetically pro- gun, most of their individual disputes run over centuries, revenge and grudge that runs through their hearts becomes the real personification of their transactions.
For me in this complex backdrop that faces the allies I would be very unsure of finding quick solutions with the Northern Alliance. They have tall ambitions and they have huge backers too, but if people of Afghanistan will have say they stand no chance to rule Afghanistan. The populace of Afghanistan the Pushtuns will have in all probability a Southern Alliance soon, I see that federation of Afghanistan will be an issue here. I expect UN to land a lot of forces and that will help defuse the NA. A broad based government is in offing; the very reason that NA is on the fringe despite of taking of Kabul is an indication that this time around power brokers and power negotiators have due considerations of the sensitivities of the area well in sight. These guys can demand anything but will not get any due preferences, the object that Afghanistan should ever become a political vacuum and huge expanse of land with no firm government ripe for a take over like that of Osama is the objective. Our area is far too sensitive, sitting at the confluence of 2.5 bn people we cannot ill afford too much of serious disputes in our areas. The fall of nations have huge consequences in terms of human life. I will reiterate the fact that this is only geographical configuration where four declared nuclear power sit with their own ambitions and agenda, from Tibet to Kashmir, there is no scarcity of issue of pride and self determination that each nation defines differently. Add on to it the Chechnya’s and volatile situation in Iran where revolution is failing as extremists try to bring Khatami down, I see that this is not the last time we are busy talking about this area, Saudi Arabian situation post Osama also may be quite fluid too.
All in all a peaceful all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan will herald a new day for mankind as such, a failure will be a failure for all of us. This is unfortunately such a integrated world that lie we share our atmosphere, we have share little burden of giving right governance to the people, considering that history demands that as a result of colonialism may justify the expectations in the southern hemisphere, more so our economic prosperity is so much dependent on that peace premiums that we all tend to forget and take it as granted. Distance from hot spots and close integration of our individual economic fortunes with such distanced lands misery shocks many to the extent of unbelief but such is the reality of the 21st century cyber world. Although our pleasures are not the same our pains are common. This is new realism that I live with and have comfortably adjusted, it as not uneasy for me, coming form that area but I can understand this huge challenge which will be difficult for some one living thousand of miles away. I can totally recognize the position ‘what the heck this none of my business!!’
Difficult interesting time that we live in. As I always keep repeating world is but one country mankind its citizen, welcome to new federation, who will be our Captain Picard??ggg
Iqbal Latif
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