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Reaching out to more moderate Taliban elements

Iqbal Latif - 3/24/2009

NYT reports that 'U.S. strategy against the Taliban now focuses on rooting extremists out, as in this patrol on Feb. 18 where villagers in Afghanistan's Shembal Valley were asked whether any fighters were nearby. President Barack Obama is weighing whether to modify that strategy to also reach out to more moderate Taliban elements.'

It is a fact that “Those who can win a war well rarely make good peace and those who could make good peace would never have won the war.” Obama knows the region well; he is not detached from the history. For a change, we have a President who is a good student of history with an extensive attention span. Regions where feuds carry on for thousands of years, a president with a stretched attention span is an asset .

Obama in private is handling the terrorism war with the same passion. His positions are at times ‘seemed more comparable to those of his predecessor’ than many of Mr. Obama’s more liberal supporters would like. He did not rule out the option of snatching terrorism suspects out of hostile countries. (In a conversation with Helene Cooper and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times aboard Air Force One on Friday)

Obama is quietly looking at an historical opportunity to break the impasse in Afghanistan. There is a possibility of a prospective break for moderate Taliban and Pushtu leaders to nominate their candidates as the successor of Hamid Karzai at the next presidential election. The establishment of a coalition involving Taliban-Pushtu bloc and official Kabul seems very much on cards. Such a transformation will bring instant results for some peace in the landlocked nation and may take the pressure off the north of Pakistan which has become a safe haven for militants. Peshawar historically has always been a summer capital for Amirs of Afghanistan.

The integration of these disenfranchised sympathetic Alqaeda marginal majorities into Afghanistan's official political system, set up by the veterans of Pansher Valley and Pushtu elite, will ensure and inflict a military defeat on Taliban, rout the main militant groups of the uncompromising opposition, and destroy rear structures of the Taliban movement along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This will lead to elimination of the "Fierce Mullahs" of Taliban's current military and political leaders.

Obama is now showing inclination to reach out to moderate Taliban. He cites that strategy's success in Iraq, where Sunnis turned on Al Qaeda. The concept of negotiations with moderate Taliban elements used to raise the tempers of the US strategists earlier, now it is nice to see that they are coming around to treat the cancer with an open mind. I wrote back in 2006 the need for negotiations with Pushtuns.. ‘History tells us that in case of war, a treaty would have to be made at the end of the war. One cannot go on a shooting spree of its civilian people who are dictated by a certain code; one needs to rope them in through their own code which they definitely respect. Time tells us that making honourable peace is harder than making war.

One of my articles in 2006 highlighted the need to put a broader alliance based on Pushtun and Pakhtunwali code to the hold of terror-infested Alqaeda. I thought to revisit this article as it is as pertinent today as it was then, rather more, as the recommendations of the article are now what possibly will bring some peace in the region. The mistakes and errors nations make cannot be repaired overnight; a nation that misses renaissance leaves education and opts for tribalism.*

Perhaps some argue differently and say that ‘the scourge of transnational terrorism cannot be stemmed if attempts are made to draw distinctions between good and bad terrorists, and between those who threaten their security and those who threaten ours. But, unfortunately, that is what the Obama administration is itching to do, first by drawing a specious distinction between al-Qaida and the Taliban, and then seeking to illusorily differentiate between "moderate" Taliban (the good terrorists) and those that rebuff deal-making (the bad terrorists).’

U.S.'s short-sighted policies and the lack of historical perspective of regions, unlike that of the British, have led to many a failure in the region. ‘Look at the track record and then decide who failed whom! It was always instant gratification, “get your objective and run” that was the root cause of 911. More voids and more short-sightedness will result in larger crises. We need to educate and bring this long lost tribe of humans back into the human fold that is our duty and that is the only way to make our world safer.’***

Ever since Cain and Abel, feuds between the powerful and the celebrated have exercised a dominant hold on the public mind. Nations with rich history unfortunately are involved in feuds that go back thousands of years. South Asia and Middle East are caught up in this cycle of bloody narrations. They continue to quarrel about scripture- based geography, history, writ of holy personalities; these ritual-based grudges have made most of these human disputes impossible to address. We are waiting for the prophets and promised ones who will hand salvation from the skies. Great Feuds in History sometimes end up at the point of self-destruction; no one can win the darker side of nations and the compulsions that drive them with single-minded fury to implode like, in recent contemporary history, the Nazi Germany. The job of a modern day ‘philosopher’ is to highlight the roadblock and points of inflection through facts and history. Let the leaders decide that the path of education and enlightenment sometimes does take time.

Alqaeda is a fanatic organisation; Taliban militants are their effective tool, this link between the sons of the soils and Alqaeda has to be wrecked. The Chinese proverb that says, "It is good to strike the serpent's head with your enemy's hand" works perfectly well in this strategy. A sovereign nation of ‘traditional Pushtun’ may provide that opportunity; the puppets presently have failed in Kabul.

In the Iraq's troubled Diyala and Anbar Provinces, in a report in 2006 Washington Post had written of Anbar, U.S. military was no longer able to defeat a bloody insurgency in western Iraq or counter al-Qaeda's rising popularity there. The report was based on a classified Marine Corps intelligence. The bitter Sunni were natural allies of Alqaeda based on the doctrine of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Iraq's Sunni minority was "embroiled in a daily fight for survival," fearful of "pogroms" by the Shiite majority and was increasingly dependent on al-Qaeda in Iraq. Once that link was detached, we saw totally different results in Iraq. The surge was helped with the capable usage of diplomacy and politics. Obama's Afghan surge will be associated with political overtures that may result in a moderate Talibani President. For such a strategy to work, the examples are many, but look at the Greeks: when they were attacked by the Persians at Thermopylae, the Greek city-states put aside their differences and fought the common enemy. Other historical examples include Christendom uniting against the Muslim conquests, the Muslim world uniting against the Crusades, or the Allies of World War II uniting against the Axis powers.

Pushtun is a complete nation, there is definitely an element of ‘moderate Taliban’ who wants to grow poppy and live behind the veil of anonymity that the passes, like Khyber, ensured them. We cannot bomb a nation out of existence, yes we should smoke Alqaeda out of holes but not a whole Pushtun nation. If we can live with the Saudi conservative ‘Wahabism,’ we can live with the ‘Pushtunwali’ code which is an authentic tradition, like the Justinian code or Hammurabi code. Unfortunately wafts of free will and liberty bypassed the region, the people remained encapsulated with the 'code,' however, liberals should be happy to safeguard it as a relic of stone age human practices.

A detailed historical analysis is required to study the background of the great schism in the North of the South Asian region; it dates back to times gone by and customary anarchy and chaos that is an integral part of the northern culture. The passes like Khyber and Bolan in the North are route of the invaders and traders and a gateway to the Indian subcontinent. The keepers of these passes are fiercely tribal Pushtuns who have not acceded to any authority and do not believe in any conventional governance. I will invite my readers to read the background of the events that has led to this internal strife and war and why Osama bin Laden finds this area as a safe haven for his nefarious activities.

Pakhtoonwali is an unwritten democratic, socio-political culture, law and ideology of the Pakhtoon society inherited from their forefathers and carried on to the present generation. It is a dominant force of Pakhtoon culture and identity. Pakhtoonwali as a complement of the Pakhtoon society, for its perfection and reform, has undergone various legal, political, economic and cultural changes in rules and regulations and has developed into an accepted comprehensive constitution.’

It appears very heart-rending to see that US drones and Pakistani warships continue to pound militant positions in the North of the country with little accomplishment. They have unquestionably made operations of Alqaeda/Taliban nexus in the tribal areas very difficult, yet it is important to realize that not every Pushtun is a member of Alqaeda like not every Sunni tribesman was a member of Alqaeda in Iraq.

It is a disservice to analyse and broad paint history through our own tinted rosy visions. Condemning Pakistan for all the evils of the region is not accurate. Much as Pakistan was responsible for a lot of ‘Jihads,’ the biggest Jihad of the 80’s was the creation of none other than the USA to settle old scores with the Russians. The Cold War with the Russians was won by destroying the invincibility of the Red Army and breaking the resolve of the ‘Politburo’ to reach the warm waters of the Gulf. President Leonid Brezhnev’s dream suffered the same fate as the nightmares of ‘Peter the great.’

To understand the roots of extremism in Afghanistan/Pakistan, one needs to look at the lawless land in the 'North' which forms the core of political Islam and radicalism of today. These are the lands in the `North´ of the country; these are the places where the hornets' nest of terrorists lie; these are the places where humanity would have to join hands to bring them to civilised society. It is not that Pakistan has created this region; it is actually a fact that Pakistan has been bequeathed with this area as a result of partition. Even the British never had control over this region. It is a region where war never wins. To get peace, you need collective bargaining with the tribals.

Pakistan/Afghanistan are caught between modernism and medievalism, between LUMS and Deoband/Wahabism. To comment on events and happenings in Afghanistan dissociated with the established cultural norms of ‘Pashtunwali,’ the politics of ‘The Great Game between The Raj,’ and Peter the Great, and the fall of the USSR designed and orchestrated by the Americans with the help of Pakistani ISI, is brutalisation of record. The material advantage of winning the Cold War without a ‘nuclear holocaust’ is all forgotten; once the Russians were defeated, the green-turbaned Jihadists were left in thousands to seek a new enemy of the faith. Unfortunately, they found in the absence of freedom in ‘Hijaz’ the only enemy as the supporter of the House of Saud, the USA. History with noticeable gaps is intellectual criminality; some engage in it intentionally, others due to lack of perspective. ****

The war in Afghanistan, since the last three decades, has had direct consequences on the tribal areas under the so-called control of Pakistan. These areas share a porous 450-mile border with Afghanistan; efforts since 911 have been made to prevent this area from becoming a safe haven for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters where they could take respite and recuperate. It is unprecedented in tribal history where such a complicated issue was amicably resolved within a few weeks’ period, keeping within the tribal traditions and customs.

Let’s revisit the First Anglo-Afghan War. British commanders General Elphinstone and McNaghten tried to negotiate with Mohammad Akbar, but at a meeting McNaghten was killed. On January 1, 1842 following some unusual thinking by Elphinstone, an agreement was reached that provided for the safe exodus of the British garrison and its dependents from Afghanistan. Five days later, the retreat began, and as they struggled through the snowbound passes, the British were attacked by Ghilzai warriors. The British column of more than 16,000-strong (consisting of about 4,500 military personnel, both British and Indian, along with as many as 12,000 camp followers) was massacred in the 30 miles of treacherous gorges and passes lying between Kabul and Gandomak. Lady Butler's famous painting of Dr William Brydon, reportedly the sole survivor, gasping his way to the British outpost in Jalalabad, helped make Afghanistan's reputation as a graveyard for foreign armies and became one of the great epics of the Empire. Pakistan Army has lost nearly 500 men since the war started to assert the control in Waziristan. The First Afghan War provided the clear lesson to the British authorities that while it may be relatively straightforward to invade Afghanistan it is wholly impracticable to occupy the country or attempt to impose a government not welcomed by the inhabitants. The only result will be failure and great expense in treasure and lives.

If one does not understand the history of the tribal areas, he would never be able to understand the characteristics of this concord held under the auspices of Loya Jirga. Tribal areas are governed by ‘Pashtunwali's.’ Pashtunwali's most basic teachings are rooted in Mosaic Law. It is known that Prophet Muhammed named the Pushtans, after the main part of a boat i.e. batan; their history spans over five thousand years. Pakhtoonwali is basically conservative but radical, apparently dictatorial while naturally democratic centuries old, but still a young phenomenon in the Pakhtoon culture and socio-economic structure. Pakhtoonwali has been able to maintain a powerful dialectical balance of the Pakhtoon society. The present agreement takes into account thousand of years of an imprinted constitution over the hearts of men of valour. Pakhtoonwali qualifications of Khpelwaki (self authority), Sialy (Equality), Jirga (Assemble), Roogha (reconciliation or compromise), Badal (revenge), Barabary (equivalence), Teega/Nerkh (Law), Arbakai (messengers) Aziz/Azizwale (clan, clanship), Nang (competence), Gairat (enthusiasm), Ooga Warkawel (giving lift to persons in need), Pannah Warkawel (Offering asylum), Ashar (shared co-operative work), Zhemana (Commitment), Melater (patrons), Chagha (Call for action), Soola (truce) and other.

History tells us that in case of war, a treaty would have to be made at the end of the war. One cannot go on a shooting spree of its civilian people who are dictated by a certain code; one needs to rope them in through their own code which they definitely respect. Time tells us that making honourable peace is harder than making war. Pakhtoonwali is an unwritten democratic, socio-political culture, law and ideology of the Pakhtoon society inherited from their forefathers and carried on to the present generation. It is a dominant force of Pakhtoon culture and identity. Pakhtoonwali as a complement of the Pakhtoon society, for its perfection and reform, has undergone various legal, political, economic and cultural changes in rules and regulations and has developed into an accepted comprehensive constitution.

Tribal leaders from the treacherous mountainous areas along the border with Afghanistan have an unambiguous message since ages ago: “Don’t interfere with us.” Alexander the Great was turned back, and for the last hundred of years, until December, no soldiers, not even Pakistanis since 1947, were allowed in. This is an unwritten code controlling, guiding and balancing, to a large extent, the form, character and discipline of the Pushtun way of life. It is the name of the traditional customary law, which has been adopted by Pushtuns from time immemorial.

It is framed on the principle of equality and retaliation and is deeply ingrained in the social structure of a Pushtun’s life and is highly esteemed and held sacrosanct by all persons irrespective of their financial or social status. This code requires as Pushtun to defend his motherland, to grant asylum to fugitives irrespective of their creed or caste to take revenge, mostly more and harsher than mere Qisas, to offer protection, even to his deadly enemy, and wipe out insult with insult. And above all, death to anyone who molests his woman. These values are embodied in Pakhtunwali, which literally means Nang-i-Pakhtun, the way of the Pakhtun. At the same time, these traits are true reflections of Islam but since Pushtuns claim their origin well before the advent of Islam, it can safely be surmised that the Pathan is a Muslim by virtue of his very blood. He is Muslim first and Muslim last. Pakhto to a Pathan is not only his language, but is also the embodiment of all human virtues. Pakhtoon society, by the virtue of Pakhtoonwali, went straight to the feudal social structure without experiencing an era of slavery.

On the 9th of November, 1989, the border separating Western from Eastern Germany was effectively opened. The fall of the Berlin Wall had begun with the building of the Wall in 1961.

The Cold War ended with the defeat of the Soviets in Kabul; the iron curtain that had descended over Europe lifted overnight. 1989: Soviet troops’ pullout of Afghanistan was an exit that marked a major humiliation of the Red Army's military power; about a million Afghans lost their lives as the Red Army tried to impose control and millions more fled abroad as refugees. Soviet deaths were estimated to be around 15,000. Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush Mountains became the death pass of the Soviets. It only took 10 years from the fateful decision of 24 December, 1979, when President Leonid Brezhnev sent in troops to support the struggling communist government. The victims of the uprisings against the Communist dictatorship in Berlin 1953, Budapest 1956 or Prague 1968 could not achieve what Afghan war achieved in helping to bring about the implosion of the Soviet state. Several times people in the Communist countries rose up against the Communist system, but they failed.

The material defeat of USSR was ascertained in the plains of Afghanistan through creation of global Jihadists Inc. It is only 30 years ago that today’s villains were yesteryear heroes laded with heavy armoury, and deadly stinger missiles. A lawless land inundated with arms and then, once the objectives were achieved, was left in haste for the whole mess to be settled by a state who had its own interest in shifting its strategic depth to as deep as Oxus, still struggling as a country after 58 years of independence in discovering its own identity. Nations are not made overnight; all artificial nations created post 1st and 2nd World Wars, from Yugoslavia to USSR, or the Ottomans, were dismembered and suffered balkanization. Pakistan, against all odds, has survived, and it is only due to one institution and that is the Pakistan Army – for them, like Romans, so far ‘discipline is an institution’ and they have assumed the status of guardians of the state. Between several linguistic and culturally estranged communities, the constitution that guarantees federalism is safeguarded by the might of this army. Take this army out, and we will have five separate states in what is known as Pakistan. They are earnestly making Pakistan a habit for a Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan and a Baluchi.

Warlords and drug barons reign supreme; leave them alone, and you hear constant bickering of Pakistan's inability to tackle the problem of warlords. If harmed like the recent Bugti incident, they become nationalist martyrs overnight. Pakistan Army is caught with an unenviable task of imposing a nationalistic rule over a populace which has a lot of inherent dissent. Only time will tell how successful they will be, but there is enough reason to think that the jury is still out, as states only survive on the basis of language, culture and commonalty of habits, ideology has rarely been a successful basis of a unified state. Definitely, the region we since 1947 call ‘Pakistan’ lends credence to itself as a state on the basis of its economic potential; the four provinces will benefit far more for being together than separated.

On a regional scale, with the assumption, that there is still code of honor amongst thieves. I consider such potential accords, if triumphant, can become the roadmap for settlements to the kind of insurgencies we are witnessing in Gaza and Lebanon. However, are the counter parties dictated by the thousand year’s code of Pashtunwali or honor to keep their words?? In absence of honor and trust, no peace shall ever be possible.

*http://www.globalpolitician.com/22121-terror-afghanistan

**http://iqballatif.newsvine.com/_news/2008/01/27/1258356-why-muslims-remained-backward-in-south-asia-the-root-cause-of-talebinzation

***http://iqballatif.newsvine.com/_news/2008/01/13/1223751-bastardization-of-history-blame-it-all-on-evil-pakistan-and-tyrant-mush-but-why

****http://iqballatif.newsvine.com/_news/2007/11/11/1088846-is-pakistan-and-mush-the-real-baddies-