Afghanistan wants India to broaden cooperation

Afghanistan today invited India to broaden its engagement in that country, including in enhancing the capabilities of its security forces, but made it clear that it would resist attempt by anybody to undermine the destiny of its people, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Afghan national security adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta candidly acknowledged that his country, which is struggling to end cross-border terrorism, would have to "seek cooperation and collaboration" of Pakistan Army which is a "very special institution" in Pakistan.

Spanta, who met prime minister Manmohan Singh and NSA Shivshankar Menon, appreciated India's gesture of undertaking a number of projects like construction of strategically important Zaranj-Delaram highway, Parliament building and an electricity transmission line.

Such projects, he said, are "future-oriented" for sustainable development of Afghanistan.

"We will like to see India engage in more in these fields because this is fundamental for future of Afghanistan," he told a select group of journalists, adding he had conveyed this to India during his meetings in New Delhi.

Asked whether Afghanistan would want India to train Afghan National Army, Spanta responded, "We would like to have broad and extended cooperation with India for stability and reconstruction and also enhancing Afghan security capabilities."

When referred to the recent meeting between president Hamid Karzai and Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the NSA said Afghanistan will have to talk to "Pakistani brothers to find a solution to terrorism. We will continue that till there is concrete result."

Questioned over the need to talk to the army chief when a civilian government was in place in Islamabad, Spanta said, "We all know Pakistan army has relevance, place in daily lives and politics of Pakistan. This is not reality of today, this is case of 60-65 years."

He said Afghan government has good relations with the civilian dispensation in Islamabad "but because the army is a very special institution in Pakistan, so our civilian leader President Karzai has to talk to this institution to seek cooperation and collaboration of Pakistan Army."

Though Spanta did not elaborate, Afghan government is aware that the army wields the real power in Pakistan and is responsible for terrorism in Afghanistan through its support to radical jehadi groups.

Afghanistan is clear that the nine-year-old war against terrorism would not succeed till the safe havens and sanctuaries in Pakistan are not targeted and has conveyed this to the US. Asked to comment on Kayani's recent remark about gaining strategic depth in Afghanistan, Spanta made it clear that his country would resist any attempts that hurt its sovereignty.

The Afghan national security adviser said if gaining strategic depth means enhancing economic, cultural and political cooperation, building friendly relations and creating united markets like in Europe, he would support it.

"But if it is to have dominance, to undermine destiny of other people, to undermine their national sovereignty, this is a kind of policy which Afghanistan will never accept."

He said Afghanistan stood ready for economic cooperation and two-way transit which would be beneficial for the country.

Asked about the involvement of jehadi groups in flood relief in Pakistan and whether it was a matter of concern, Spanta said, "if a government cannot organise support or offer better life to people", it would lead to "serious threat" wherein radical groups mobilise people.

"I hope the international community can help Pakistan to control damage," he said.

He said Afghanistan was sad over the destruction and devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan and had helped, despite its limited capabilities, by sending four helicopters and giving five million dollars in aid.

"But compared to generosity of Pakistan, this is nothing," he added.

Afghanistan is grappling with a serious situation as Taliban terrorism is showing revival despite the intense campaign against the radical outfit by the US-led international forces for the last nine years.

The Karzai government has been pressing the US to revise its strategy with regard to terrorism, warning that the problem cannot end until the sanctuaries in Pakistan are eliminated.

It has warned that the war on terror faces to danger of failure if the US-led forces only target the "symptom" of terrorism that shows in Afghanistan and ignores the "source" that exists in Pakistan.

The Afghan government says that the support to Taliban and al-Qaeda by state entities of Pakistan, which are using terrorism as a political tool, is undermining the reconstruction efforts and the US-led forces needed to recognise this "before it is too late".

Afghanistan feels that the war on terrorism was a regional phenomenon and ultimately the countries of the region, particularly the "victims" like India and Afghanistan, will have to cooperate closely to defeat it.

This is the only possibility to remove the common threat, Spanta is understood to have conveyed to the Indian side.