"We will use all means available" to stop Pakistan: Hamid Karzai



Indrani Bagchi
New delhi, November 14, 2012
With the thinning down of NATO forces in Afghanistan a reality, Hamid Karzai, said they would use “all means available” to deter Pakistan from using terrorism against them.
“We will use all means available” to convince Pakistan to abandon support to terrorism, said Afghan president, Hamid Karzai in an exclusive conversation with TOI. Karzai said, “terrorism and extremism is now causing Pakistan more danger than Afghanistan or in India. It is from this new situation, that I have changed my approach to Pakistan. I am much more conciliatory than the situation demands.”
As if in response, Pakistan on Wednesday, agreed to release several Afghan Taliban leaders to begin a “reconciliation” process with the Afghan government.
What will be the roles of the US and India in Afghanistan post 2014? Karzai said “India has a massive role in Afghanistan to educate and train Afghans and set up institutions.” India and Afghanistan, he said would be stepping up security cooperation “in all areas, to defeat extremism and terrorism.”
The US, he said, would keep some airbases after 2014. But he said the bulk of the corruption in Afghanistan’s government was due to the US. “We want an Afghan government with less corruption, specially the corruption that emanates from American system into ours. Corruption is their money, their contracts.” Endemic corruption is an abiding complaint by the US against Afghanistan. But Karzai maintains the US is to blame on the corruption issue.
With NATO forces heading for the exits in 2014, the future of Afghanistan is an international concern. “The transition is very good for us in Afghanistan,” Karzai said, adding there should be no doubt that a new president would be elected and he would step down.
But his greatest challenge is from across the border __ the Taliban supported by Pakistan and given safe haven, who threaten not only Karzai personally, but could be a way to regain Pakistan’s stranglehold on Kabul, in its eternal quest for strategic depth against India. Karzai said, “Very soon there should be a realisation in Pakistan that this is hurting them. I hope there will be very soon some activity in curbing this terrorism, removing it.”
On Monday, Karzai sent the new chairman of the High Peace Council to Pakistan to persuade them to allow Taliban leaders to enter the reconciliation talks. Pakistan, who had famously captured Mullah Abdul Ghani baradar, believed to be close to Mullah Omar, just before the talks. Although there is no sign that Pakistan could relent, its decision to release Afghan Taliban leaders could be a first step.
Karzai told TOI, “So far we have only seen words (from Pakistan). We need to see action.”
With three key partnerships sewn up __India, US and China __ Karzai believes he has a better than ever chance of stabilizing Afghanistan after 2014. Very critical of the western media, he accused the US of pushing an agenda to divide Afghanistan. “Even if they intend to do that __ the Americans, Europeans and some of our neighbours, they will fail.” Criticizing the US ambassador’s endorsement of the Durand Line, Karzai said, “His statement did not serve America well.”
“Afghan people have never accepted the Durand Line. No Afghan government has authority to do a deal on it.” Pakistan’s greatest fear is the attrition of territory to Pashtun nationalists, and one of the drivers of its demand for strategic depth.
(for full text of interview, go to www.timesofindia.com)
End

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