Iqbal.. I've followed your writings, off and on, for a number of years now..
But that has got to be one of the most lucid and explanative essays I've ever seen you put before us.
And I'm greatly comforted to know that this agreement was ironed out with prior notification to the NATO coalition.
Now, as civilian Governor of the province, Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai has said, “United States, Britain, France, Germany and Afghanistan were all on board and the entire game plan was discussed with them.” All stakeholders had been consulted before a grand tribal jirga started negotiating with the militants in July this year on the peace deal with militants in North Waziristan. “I held three meetings with the US ambassador to discuss the plan. I also met the French and German ambassadors in this connection in June,” Aurakzai said. “If it (the peace deal) succeeds, it can be extended to Afghanistan,” he added. He said that President Pervez Musharraf had discussed the peace deal with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his two-day visit to Kabul a few days ago. “There was a very good response from the Afghan president,” he added. He said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan would benefit from the peace deal and rejected outright that key Al Qaeda leaders would also avail the offer of stay if they abandoned terrorism. “Osama has not been given amnesty and all those who are associated with Al Qaeda will be dealt with.”
So maybe this isn't quite as bad as I initially perceived it to be, if it means that there's an opportunity to decrease the Taliban influence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Thanks again for your tremendous insight, especially with regard to the Loya jirga..
Hawk |
