Look at Afghanistan. What do you see? Other than desolate mountains, grinding poverty and senseless killings, there is not much else. Recall the famous short story of Tagore called Kabuliwala. Those of us who have seen the cinematic version hold vivid memories of the money-lender from Kabul incarcerated in a hot and humid jail in Bengal, caught up in a conspiracy which he cannot comprehend.
The old man befriends the jailer's tiny daughter who reminds him of his own offspring of the same age. He dreams of a placid life in the company of his own daughter in Afghanistan.
But unfortunately the reality is stark and painful, living out his jail term in a far-off land. By the time he gets out into the real world, the jailer's daughter is getting married. He brings a small gift of almonds and nuts for her but she cannot recall him. He goes away hurt and lost, the eternal father figure, sturdy, loving and proud.
The tale reminds us that Afghans are simple people but extraordinarily proud. They never bow before anyone or any power and refuse to be humiliated.
So why are these proud people now subject to another bout of national and international humiliation? Why do they remain targets of death and destruction? Throughout history they showed their mettle before invaders and proved them wrong. Be it the British or the Russians and now the Americans.
A look at the map of Afghanistan and a little knowledge of the region will make things clear. The real reason for military involvement of the West now, especially USA, is largely hidden.
Afghanistan sits next to the Middle East. The countries there are rich in oil and natural gas. Afghanistan itself has little of these resources. However, it borders Iran and Turkmenistan. Iran has the second largest gas reserves in the world, while Turkmenistan has the third largest. So what has that to do with Afghanistan?
Till 1991, Turkmenistan was a part of the Soviet Union, so all gas from there was piped only north through Soviet pipelines. The Russians are now working on another new pipeline to funnel Turkmenistan gas to their territory to the north. The Chinese in the meantime have contracted with Turkmenistan to take natural gas out towards them.
But the US is unhappy. It wants a share of this vital resource too. It is pushing for multiple oil and gas export routes. The US already has envoys working on Euro-Asian energy diplomacy.
Now this competition for pipeline routes and energy resources is the major cause for the struggle for power and control in the region. Pipelines it is said, like railways in the past, connect trading partners and have a bearing on the regional balance of power.
Afghanistan stands astride the path of this geo-political struggle. It has unknowingly, like our Kabuliwala, been caught up in the bigger chess move for power and dominance in the region.
Recall the statement of Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State in 2007: "One of our goals is to stabilise Afghanistan and to link South and Central Asia, so that energy can flow to the South."
The American pipeline is called TAPI as it involves four countries, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Asian Development Bank is aware of and has participated in many planning meetings. The actual work may begin next year.
Iran in the meantime is also looking at building another pipeline to sell gas to Pakistan and India. This alternative pipeline to the one from Turkmenistan will rival the one sponsored by the USA. It will give Iran a geo-strategic leverage in the region. This pipeline will pierce Afghanistan and move from west to east to reach Pakistan. The US is reluctant to see the Iranian pipeline become a reality.
Amidst all this the US president, because of political pressure at home, had to announce phased withdrawal of US troops now stationed in Afghanistan. This will mean leaving much of the oversight of routing these pipelines in Afghan hands.
Add to this, the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Militants from across the Afghan border in Pakistan swoop down into Afghanistan and create security problems. The US is already quite unpopular as it uses unmanned drone aircraft to take out these militants with missiles. Many innocent people who are not militants also die due to collateral damage. This angers the Pakistanis as well as the people residing along the eastern Afghan border adjoining Pakistan.
The recent bombing of the US embassy in Kabul as well as incidents of violence and death are suspected by the US as the work of an extremist group called the Haqqani network based in Pakistan. It thinks that the network has connections with Pakistan's security and intelligence units.
The US is therefore angry. There are now serious moves within US Congress and in the US administration to find out the exact nature of this connection. The US is also reported to be contemplating to take unilateral military action against the perpetrators inside Pakistan.
Last week the Pakistan government, alarmed by the developing situation, conferred with all political parties to show a semblance of unity against any US designs.
The pipeline diplomacy will become anfractuous and the US may lose out if the militants rule the roost in Afghanistan and western Pakistan.
But do not forget that inside Afghanistan there are other elements besides the Taliban who also do not support the US plans. They are mainly from the Pashtun tribes. The recent assassination of the former president of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was mediating peace between the government of Karzai and the Taliban, was to sabotage the talks and to show the US that any of their plans could be easily derailed. These elements are also aligned politically and militarily with tribes living in the northwest of Pakistan and in the Waziristan part of that country.
However, just as there are supporters for Pakistan operating inside Afghanistan there are people and tribes who largely look with favour on the interest of India. They are elements within the Uzbeks and the Tajiks living in Afghanistan. Once they belonged to the "Northern Alliance." They would not oppose the proposed Turkmenistan gas pipeline if it becomes a reality.
he jockeying for position in Afghanistan is however a cause of great concern for the government in Kabul. It needs the US to further its own internal security interest and support development work. But it is not ready to give in to any foreign interest, be it Pakistan or India or Iran or even the USA, which will jeopardise the sovereignty of Afghanistan in the long run.
So Afghans who dream dreams need to continue to pay the price a little longer to make them come true. The country is indeed a thick book, if you know how to read it.
The writer is a former Ambassador and Chairman of the Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies.
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