In October 2001 Afghanistan faced the first US military engagement in global war on terror, and now after 15 years of fighting, sadly enough, the Afghan government is still facing challenges to the very existence of the State structure itself, and there does not appear to be an end to difficult times. The Afghan Taliban have an effective presence in about a third of the provinces. Even the Islamic State (IS) has emerged in Afghanistan, especially in eastern provinces; recently, there were battles between IS and the Afghan army. Of grave concern to us in Pakistan is that a fragile government in Afghanistan adversely impacts law and order in Pakistan.
As war continues in Afghanistan, we in Pakistan are unnecessarily suffering for the past 35 years on account of wars waged by other countries, and there is little acknowledgement, empathy or understanding of the extent of suffering among a significant section of international community. There is even lesser appreciation for Pakistan for sheltering three million Afghan refugees; in an atmosphere of international donor fatigue the effort to shelter these refugees becomes a financially difficult proposition. The tragic part is that there are no indications as to the winding of war in Afghanistan. The US House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, which is currently holding a hearing on the future of Pakistan US ties, needs to take into account many of the facts of US engagement in this region.
In hindsight, America’s decision to resolve through military means the situation in Afghanistan apparently reflected a lack of understanding of issues and history of this region, and more significantly, the Afghan history. The US itself had suffered a debilitating terror attack on its soil in 2001, and had to defend itself against further attacks. However, alternates to a full military engagement should have been fully exhausted and explored, and consequences of war and suffering of Afghan citizens should have been a more immediate consideration. The war went wrong, and currently disengagement from Afghanistan looks rather difficult for US forces. A similar situation has emerged in Iraq, Syria and Libya, where the US is finding it difficult to disengage from these theatres.
All along these past 35 years, since 1979, the writ of the government in Pakistan was gradually eroded; successive governments appeared fairly indecisive on their own soil before non-state actors aiding the proxy war efforts in Afghanistan. In 2001 the only response expected from an unelected government in Pakistan was to allow the western alliance to use the passage through Pakistan of war material into Afghanistan. Pakistan and US governments did not weigh full consequences of these decisions. Under which law did we allow war material to travel through our soil into a neighbouring country when we had not declared war against that country?
The military solution failed to bring any peace and stability in Afghanistan. At the peak in 2011 there were 150,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops deployed in Afghanistan under the UN mandate. Fifty nations from NATO and partner countries had contributed troops in Afghanistan for ISAF. The majority of the troops and air force were from the US, numbering 100,000 in 2011. Besides the military operations there was an emphasis on reconstruction schemes in Afghanistan costing billions of dollars for “winning hearts and minds” of the Afghan people. Such reconstruction schemes have mostly failed and many such reconstruction schemes are subject of a probe by the US Special Inspector General on Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
In real terms, war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan will be more than five trillion dollars by 2020. This includes cost of military operation, the unavoidable cost of borrowing funds and cost of veterans’ pension and medical care. This cost is likely to increase with a larger commitment of US troops in Afghanistan, as recently announced by the US government.
Having spent such large amounts ISAF never remained in a wining situation. It was constantly engaged in fierce battles against an amorphous enemy, an enemy mostly never seen by the ISAF troops themselves. Many battles were won by US and NATO forces, but victory evaded the western coalition.
After 13 long years of full war, in December 2014, operational combat commitments of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan came to a drawdown. Certainly not a proud departure for NATO and allies, it had all the signs of an impending chaos, caused by the military debacle that the US and NATO would be leaving behind. Moreover, there had to be a justification for all the loss of human life and suffering. It is erroneously expected from the Afghan army, already low on funds and morale, to perform where the ISAF troops from 50 nations could not succeed in 13 years. Now the US has 9,800 military trainer and field advisors, and recently, the US has authorised a more active combat role for its troops alongside the Afghan army. This is an indication that the Taliban are stronger than ever before. There is an absolute need to reexamine and candidly identify reasons why the ISAF could not succeed. The US congress while debating the issue of friend or foe should also consider the sufferings of the people of Pakistan due to the war in Afghanistan during all these long years.
The war in Afghanistan was a tragedy for the countries involved, but more than ever for the people in this region. The war has resulted in large numbers among the population suffer from disorders generated by fear, stress and trauma. The pain and suffering of such a large population, that include women and children, must be recognised as it will impact the future generations. For a moment, imagine the mental pain of the helpless people living in war zones and suffer traumas. It is unfortunate that the extreme mental stresses suffered by the populations of this region are seldom discussed.
Pakistan has suffered a great deal in many ways since 2001. Pakistan’s economy has suffered a loss of $118 billion during these 15 years. In fact, the loss is much more than that taking into account how foreign investors avoided Pakistan due to its commitments in a fierce war in the neighbouring country. Then there is an adverse impact on the law and order situation due to terrorist activities, and the effect these terror activities have on the psyche of the population, leaving scars of trauma, insecurity and a mental pain.
There is a large number of questions as to the necessity Pakistan had for joining the global war on terror in 2001. Post-2001 Pakistan has suffered immensely, and unfortunately, there is little or no recognition of this suffering. Above all, as a Pakistani, I find it difficult to understand, I still look for explanations, and I find it hard to come to terms for the immense suffering due to a war that was never of our making.
The writer is a former member of the police service of Pakistan, and he can be reached at [email protected]