Sharpening the focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan, new US President Barack Obama today said the two countries were the “central front” in the US war on terrorism. he described the “deteriorating” situation in the region as “truly an international challenge of the highest order”.
Moving quickly to reshape the country’s security policy, Obama also named former UN Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who helped write the peace deal that ended Bosnia’s 1992-95 war, as special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Warning that the terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan were grave threat to the global security, Obama said the two countries would be tackled as a single problem under a wider strategy.
“This is the central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism,” Obama said reiterating that the Afghan-Pak problem could not be resolved in isolation.
There has to be regional approach to it, he argued.
Addressing the officials of the State Department after announcing Holbrooke’s appointment, Obama said: “There, as in the Middle East, we must understand that we cannot deal with our problems in isolation.”
Obama said his administration was committed to refocussing attention and resources on Afghanistan and Pakistan and to spending those resources wisely. “That’s why we are pursuing a careful review of our policy,” he said.
Terming it as an international challenge of the highest order, he said: “There is no answer in Afghanistan that does not confront the Al-Qaeda and Taliban bases along the border, and there will be no lasting peace unless we expand spheres of opportunity for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
However, Obama said the situation cannot be resolved so quickly in the region.
“The American people and the international community must understand that the situation is perilous and progress will take time. Violence is dramatically up in Afghanistan. A deadly insurgency is deep-rooted. The opium trade is far and away the largest in the world,” Obama observed.
Putting Pakistan on notice, the new Obama administration had on the very first day cautioned Islamabad that it would be held accountable for the security in the border regions of Afghanistan and its performance in the war on terror would be linked to the US non-military financial aid.
“(President Barack) Obama and (Vice-President Joe) Biden will increase non-military aid to Pakistan and hold them accountable for security in the border region with Afghanistan,” the White House said in its foreign policy agenda document released January 20.
As a candidate, Obama accused his predecessor of taking his “eye off the ball” by invading Iraq. He has vowed to send more combat troops to Afghanistan and reiterated he would place a higher priority on the region.
Obama said Holbrooke “will help lead our effort to forge and implement a strategic and sustainable approach to this critical region”.
He said violence was up sharply in Afghanistan and that “Al-Qaeda and the Taliban strike from bases embedded in rugged tribal terrain along the Pakistani border.”
“And while we have yet to see another attack on our soil since 9/11, Al-Qaeda terrorists remain at large and remain plotting,” he added.
Following Obama’s remarks, Defence Minister A K Antony said in New Delhi: “We expect cooperation from world communities to get speedy results. Apart from solidarity or sympathy, what India needs is results and we are awaiting them.”
