An op-ed piece from Joe Biden in the New York Times.
The next president will have to rally America and the world to “fight them over there unless we want to fight them over here.” The “over there” is not, as President Bush has claimed, Iraq, but rather the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
That is where those who attacked us on 9/11 came from, where the attacks in Europe since originated and where Al Qaeda is regrouping. It is the real central front in the war on terrorism.
Afghanistan is slipping toward failure. The Taliban is back, violence is up, drug production is booming and the Afghans are losing faith in their government. All the legs of our strategy — security, counternarcotics efforts, reconstruction and governance — have gone wobbly.
If we should have had a surge anywhere, it is Afghanistan. And instead of eradicating poppy crops, which forces many farmers to turn to the Taliban, we should go after drug kingpins.
We also need to make good on President Bush’s pledge for a Marshall Plan for Afghanistan. In six years, we have spent on Afghanistan’s reconstruction only what we spend every three weeks on military operations in Iraq.
Afghanistan’s fate is directly tied to Pakistan’s future and America’s security. When President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan concluded that we were not serious about finishing the job in Afghanistan, he began to cut deals with extremists in his own country.
As a result, the border area remains a freeway of fundamentalism: the Taliban and Al Qaeda find sanctuary in Pakistan, while Pakistani suicide bombers wreak havoc in Afghanistan.
The recent Pakistani elections gave the moderate majority its voice back and gives the United States an opportunity to move from a Musharraf policy to a Pakistan policy. To demonstrate to its people that we care about their needs, not just our own, we must triple assistance for schools, roads and clinics, sustain it for a decade, and demand accountability for the military aid we provide.
If Afghanistan fails or Pakistan falls to fundamentalism, America will suffer a terrible setback. The candidates should tell Americans how they will handle what may be the next president’s most difficult challenge.
Joe Biden is a Democratic senator from Delaware.
Courtesy: New York Times
Related posts:
- World Safer Place Because of Bush - Asif Zardari
- Afghanistan Surrenders to Warlords
- How To Squeeze Jihadi Culture Out of Pakistan - Vali Nasr
- Re-Orienting Pakistan - Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi
- Craig Cohen Online at the Washington Post
- Afghan Paper - US Inaction Against Pakistan Emboldens Insurgents
- Battle of Bajaur: A Critical Test for Pakistan’s Daunted Military - NY Times
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Comments ( 3 )
Political Humor opined on Sep 29 08 at 11:58 amGreat information! Thanks for writing this. It is an honor to participate in the discussion.
Babar opined on Sep 29 08 at 11:19 pmBiden gets it. I remember Charlie Wilson saying the same thing in the 1990s but no one in the US listened to him at that time. The US media tries to convey to the public that US has already “paid” more than enough to Pakistan.
Khalid opined on Sep 30 08 at 12:19 amI think that the Obama - Biden ticket is much better for Pakistan. Biden is a strong supporter of Pakistan, being that he co-sponsored a massive foreign aid package for the country. While Obama has a little foreign policy experience, Biden brings a strong background and understanding to the ticket making it the best for Pakistan.
God forbid McCain - Palin winning in November. McCain doesn’t look strong enough to make it through his first term, but Palin really concerns the world. She doesn’t have any understanding of foreign policy, nor does she bring any real qualities to the diplomatic table.
in terms of Pakistan being “paid” enough, I think we all need to remind the American people and government that it was Pakistan that was abandoned after the Soviet - Afghan conflict. We were left holding the bag on the Afghan refugees, the drug and weaponized culture that every Pakistani suffers with today. Not discounting or forgetting the results of the Taliban and their many affiliates on Pakistani domestic policy, education and national growth.
There isn’t enough money in the world to “pay” for those sacrifices.
