By
Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Abstract: No
doubt, recent events in Afghanistan, the reactionary and
tyrannical rule of Taleban and the use of the country by Al-Qaeda
organization for the training of terrorists required a revisit
by the United States that had abandoned this country immediately
after the Soviet invading and occupying forces were forced to
retreat. The visit has sweet and sour repercussions for the
Afghans, but may have wonderful results for the US giant oil
companies such as UNOCAL. Some political observers suggest a
link between the choice of President Bush of Dr. Zalmay
Khalilzad an Afghan born former UNOCAL advisor as special
representative of the United States to Afghanistan, to the US
desire to see the Turkmen pipeline project implemented. As for
as Afghanistan is concerned, Khalilzad could be the best person
for the job as he not only knows the country and its needs, but
has had a part in the restructuring of the efforts for finding
of a solution to the Afghan problem. The revisit will also give
political dividend to the US in that it would find a foothold
and a friendly government in the hub of South Central Asia where
important countries such as Iran, Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizistan, and China are
located.
Almost immediately after the expulsion of
the Soviet invading and occupying forces from Afghanistan and
the beginning of the end of not only the cold war but of the
communist regime in the Soviet Union, the United Sates and the
West withdrew their active political interest from Afghanistan.
There was no reward for the achievement of one of the free
world’s objectives, namely the toppling down of the communist
system in Russia to the Afghan nation that made it all possible
through their sacrifices. Even the strategic importance of this
land was ignored as and when the Soviet threat of expansion in
the region was removed. Political observers who knew
Afghanistan well did much to elaborate on the continued
strategic importance of this country. They warned the world
that while the geopolitical position of Afghanistan was now
changed and there was little military interest for it to be used
against the United States military rival in the region, other
issues such as narcotics and terrorism kept this country’s
strategic importance alive. But notwithstanding these warnings,
the United States seemed to have ignored Afghanistan.
But events in Afghanistan started to create
concern to the international community. Opium started to be
used as one of the main sources of financing of factional war by
warlords in their war for power. The imported Arab fighters who
were brought in with full cognizance of both the CIA and the
Pakistani Inter-service Intelligence colluded first with the
so-called Mujahideen governments and later with Taleban, another
creation of the Pakistani ISI. They began establishing and
operating of military training facilities for groups that later
became known as extremists and terrorists. Even then, the West
evaded any active role in helping the Afghan nation rid itself
of the aforementioned scourges.
But then, a positive outcome of the end of
the cold war, namely freedom of the former Central Asian Soviet
Republics and especially the oil and gas rich Turkmenistan
attracted the attention of the US capitalistic corporations.
The idea of exporting of Turkmen Oil from Daulatabad oil fields
in southeastern Turkmenistan via Afghanistan to Pakistan and on
to India came about and huge corporations such as the UNOCAL
started negotiating joint investment for the extension of the 2
billion-Dollar pipeline with a 48 inch diameter through western
Afghanistan to Pakistan. To materialize this profitable
project, economically worthwhile for all concerned, negotiations
took place between UNOCAL and the Taleban administration. Even
a Taleban team was invited to visit the US and conduct
negotiations on the extension of the pipeline. This column
carried a commentary on the event on that time.
Zalmay Khalilzad, special adviser to
President Bush who has just been named special envoy of the
United States to Afghanistan and who had served as adviser to
UNOCAL favored recognition of Taleban most probably in a bid to
get their agreement and guarantees for the pipeline project.
However, he had to shift his policy soon after the missile
attack on Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan ordered by
President Clinton. Soon after that attack UNOCAL too, shelved
the project. But a project of the economic dimensions of the
vast oil fields of Turkmenistan could not remain shelved
forever. Some observers have noted that Dr. Khalilzad’s
appointment shows the interest of the Bush administration in the
project of the pipeline and thus his choice of this former
adviser to UNOCAl.
Terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on
New York and Washington, DC triggered new interest in
Afghanistan. Suddenly this country had to be revisited,
militarily and otherwise.
This visit however has had sweet and sour
repercussions to the Afghan nation. The new interest by the
United States in Afghanistan resulted in the toppling down of
the tyrannical regime of Taleban and ridding Afghanistan from
their ignorant and reactionary rule. It provided Afghans a
chance to work out a mechanism for choosing of a government of
their own choice. How this mechanism would work is still a big
question, but there is no question about the opportunity that is
provided the Afghan nation to take measured steps for
reorganizing and repairing of their political and economic
infrastructure. How will they come out of the historical test
is any ones guess. But a ray of hope has been provided for the
future of the country.
On the other hand, bombardment of terrorist
training camps and Taleban and Al-Qaeda bases has had many
thousands of collateral casualties including physical
destruction. Continuation of the air attacks on Afghanistan,
which was initially supported by many international circles, is
slowly giving rise to an erosion of the support. Only last
week, first the Vice President of South Africa and later the
former president of that country and the noble peace prize
winner Nelson Mandela that enjoys worldwide trust expressed
concern over bombing of Afghan targets. Nelson Mandela had
earlier expressed unconditional support to President Bush on his
military action in Afghanistan.
But the revisiting of this country has had
wonderful rewards for the United States. A foothold in Central
South Asia, in the middle of a politically and economically
interesting region is an advantage the United States would draw
as a result of its revisiting of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is
the center of an extremely important region that includes
important countries such as Iran, Pakistan, India, China, and
the newly independent former Soviet Republics of Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. A friendly Afghanistan
would be a great asset to the United States in this important
region.
Afghanistan will also be important because
there is a need for controlling its capacity to produce opium.
This objective could be achieved more easily with a friendly
government in place. Once the terrorist networks are demolished
in Afghanistan, and an economically feasible country is put on
track, Afghanistan could enjoy once again its international
importance and could serve as a hub of international trade,
commerce and communication. Its own natural resources could be
tapped to benefit the country itself and the region as a whole.
It could serve as a better friend to the US than Iran. It could
be used to balance relations with India and Pakistan. It could
also be used to monitor regional political interests of China.
It could once again be referred to as a country on the
crossroads of civilizations and a conduit of commerce and a link
between the vast countries of Central Asia and the sub-continent
of India. Its airports could provide shortened routes to
international aviation. And the beauty of its rugged terrain,
high rocky mountains and deep gorges with fast running rivers
and streams and a variety of climates could re-attract world
tourists rather than terrorists. 1/4/02