The NATO air strike that killed more than 90 Afghan civilians is despicable. Such acts, perhaps, committed with the intention to dismantle the terror infrastructure have proved counter-productive, and brought miseries on hapless civilians. This also points at the lack of coordination among various segments of the military strata, and poor intelligence input as well.
At a time when NATO forces are pondering over a new strategy to win the so-called war against terrorism, and making a coordinated effort to reach the locals, such incidents are quite unfortunate. The damage control can only be done if the foreign forces strictly follow a course of action designed to avoid such incidents in future, and that too in coordination with the local authorities.
Afghanistan is at the crossroads. The presence of foreign military forces has made it more instable, and pushed it at the verge of Balkanization. Moreover, counter-insurgency in the south has literally unnerved the US and NATO forces, who find it difficult to operate against the Taleban. And, last but not the least, a virtually ineffective government confined to the four walls of Kabul is acting as a detriment towards national cohesion, and unable to meet the challenges of the day. Regrettably the situation is alarming, and calls for immediate attention in order to not only defeat terrorism but also to breathe in confidence among the masses.
One wonders how such a daunting task can be met if foreign forces go berserk, and the government in Kabul continue to act as a pawn in the hands of warlords and drug-traffickers.
With presidential election results in limbo, and foreign troops groping in the dark, tough times lie ahead. The United States, which has around 100,000 troops in the battlefield, and is eager to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the enemy, needs to closely monitor the day-to-day affairs, and ensure that such incidents do not occur in future. The people of Afghanistan need to be won over, and that cannot be done under the shadows of bombers and drones.
The NATO’s military command in Afghanistan should not only investigate into Friday’s bombing, but also compensate.
(Courtesy Khaleej Times)
At a time when NATO forces are pondering over a new strategy to win the so-called war against terrorism, and making a coordinated effort to reach the locals, such incidents are quite unfortunate. The damage control can only be done if the foreign forces strictly follow a course of action designed to avoid such incidents in future, and that too in coordination with the local authorities.
Afghanistan is at the crossroads. The presence of foreign military forces has made it more instable, and pushed it at the verge of Balkanization. Moreover, counter-insurgency in the south has literally unnerved the US and NATO forces, who find it difficult to operate against the Taleban. And, last but not the least, a virtually ineffective government confined to the four walls of Kabul is acting as a detriment towards national cohesion, and unable to meet the challenges of the day. Regrettably the situation is alarming, and calls for immediate attention in order to not only defeat terrorism but also to breathe in confidence among the masses.
One wonders how such a daunting task can be met if foreign forces go berserk, and the government in Kabul continue to act as a pawn in the hands of warlords and drug-traffickers.
With presidential election results in limbo, and foreign troops groping in the dark, tough times lie ahead. The United States, which has around 100,000 troops in the battlefield, and is eager to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the enemy, needs to closely monitor the day-to-day affairs, and ensure that such incidents do not occur in future. The people of Afghanistan need to be won over, and that cannot be done under the shadows of bombers and drones.
The NATO’s military command in Afghanistan should not only investigate into Friday’s bombing, but also compensate.
(Courtesy Khaleej Times)
