War in Afghanistan and strategy to defeat terrorists

Comments on David Miliband “Taliban can be beaten”, 29/07/2009, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25849657-5013479,00.html

It is important to recognize the extreme complexity of ethnic, religious, historical and geographical situations of what is Afghanistan. It appears that from this complexity and from many historical lessons and / or experiences that at some stage national reconciliations will have to be given a prominent role in resolving the conflict in Afghanistan.

Foreign troops, mainly Western NATO troops, must have a workable definition of fighting and defeating terrorists and a clear and effective strategy to do it.

While it was understandable that the war the NATO troops engaged in Afghanistan to overthrow the former Taliban regime in power of Afghanistan, because it had harbored Al Qaeda, the main international terrorist group that was responsible for some major terrorist attacks worldwide including the 9/11. But even within that regime it was unlikely to be all the same and there could be different groups with different views, aims and objectives.

It is unlikely to be a correct policy to destroy all the people who may support Taliban, or some elements of the Taliban, like the Pashtuns. That may potentially be “ethnic cleansing”, or close to it.

For some time, the current Afghanistan government/president has called for reconciliations with the Taliban people, asking for dialogue with them. If the Western countries still refuse to accept or accommodate what the Afghanistans are asking, one would really wonder what the west what to do in Afghanistan.

The west must stabilize Afghanistan and contain potential threats from some elements within Afghanistan for international security. We must let Afghanistan people govern Afghanistan and work with them to achieve our objectives.

The Western forces have caused damages to the Taliban, but also paid a significant price. Even the military reality requires a strategic rethink of how to achieve peace and stability, as opposed to emotional revenge for the sake of ill defined military victory.

Unless we totally and thoroughly isolate the most extreme elements of extreme organisations that may pose terrorism, it will be extremely difficult to defeat terrorists and we will pay heavy prices for the wrong strataeies and tactics aiming at achieving our very objective.