Holbrooke all praise for India

US special envoy Richard Holbrooke on Monday appreciated the good work India has done in Afghanistan.  Though New Delhi has not deployed troops in Afghanistan, it has contributed over $1.3 billion for reconstruction of the war ravaged country.

The fact that India is building roads, schools, fixing power transmission lines and constructing hospitals have won New Delhi much good will from the people of Afghanistan.

This is one reason why Pakistan’s ISI is keen to ensure that India’s role in that country is minimised. The Taliban attack on the Indian mission in Kabul was one way to frighten India into shrinking its presence in Afghanistan, he said.

The US special envoy met external affairs minister SM Krishna and national security advisor MK Narayanan and held talks with foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and Satti Lamba, PM’s envoy for Afghanistan.

“India is an important participant in search for peace and stability not only in South Asia but throughout the vast region that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Pacific,” Holbrooke said on Monday.

Holbrooke briefed Krishna on how Washington sees the situation evolving in Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan. The spread of Taliban in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) areas was the main subject of discussion with Pakistani leadership during his visit there last week.

Despite the action taken by Islamabad, Taliban is stepping up presence in the NWFP. Holbrooke’s visit comes ahead of a key international conference in London on January 28 to discuss Afghanistan.

The meeting has been called by Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown, perhaps to demonstrate to his domestic audience the need for UK to stay the course in Afghanistan.

There is growing public anger in both US and UK at what is appearing like a long drawn out war with little chance of success. Krishna is likely to attend the London conference.