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Prof. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah Pakistan and Afghanistan in the context of 9/11 – Current Situation I. Introduction gion. The present study is an attempt to evalu- ate the events following the American invasion Following the unfortunate events of 9/11 which of Afghanistan and the rise and popularity of the changed the world scenario for the Americans, Taliban in the Pashtoon-dominated areas inside the Bush administration invaded Afghanistan. Afghanistan and the tribal region of Pakistan. Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda organisation Moreover, the blame game from the two neigh- were blamed for masterminding the destruction bouring countries and its impact would also be in the United States by hitting the World Trade analysed. In Pakistan, after the revival of parlia- Centre and Pentagon, which not only resulted in mentary democracy, the change in attitude and huge losses in men and money but was also a behaviour regarding Afghanistan would be dis- serious blow to American prestige in the world. cussed in a more systematic way. President Bush vowed to eliminate terrorists and dismantle their networks, then operating from Many people believed that the President of Afghanistan. He demanded from the world com- Afghanistan Hamid Karzai is simply following the munity to support the U.S. against the global net- American dictates in Afghanistan. But some re- work of terrorism. He made it clear that there cent statements of the Afghan presidents speak were only two kinds of people in the world: those otherwise. He is annoyed at the rising number of who were with the U.S. and those who were not. civilian deaths during the American raids on the To justify the American invasion of Afghanistan, suspected Taliban positions and has demanded the U.S. administration demanded from the Tal- a complete halt to it. He is demanding from the iban regime, then ruling Afghanistan, to expel bin Americans and their NATO allies to provide a Laden and other militants from Afghanistan but time line for their troop’s withdrawal from they did not comply using unconvincing pretexts. Afghanistan. What has caused Karzai to change his mind and some other related issues would Within a couple of months, following 9/11, also be analysed. Afghanistan was invaded by the U.S. and its al- lies and the Talibans were ousted from power. Finally, the local responses to the presence of Despite massive American bombardment, ac- “occupational” forces in the region would also be cording to some reports, bin Laden and some of given proper attention, reaching some conclu- his close associates managed to sneak into the sion which might help in bringing back peace and tribal areas of Pakistan and since then they are normalcy to the region which is otherwise noto- busy resisting the NATO and American forces rious for being a hot spot for major insurgency present in the region. Now the region has been and terrorist’s sanctuaries. thrown into war and chaos. The insurgency is es- calating and despite the tall claims of Americans II. USA under attack that they are winning the war on terror, this is simply an eye wash because the NATO and In his speech on the evening of the fateful 9/11 American troops are suffering heavy losses in events, President of the United States George Afghanistan. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are W. Bush had made it clear that his country would directly victims of war on terror and they are pay- ‘make no distinction between the terrorists who ing the price in shape of huge casualties, both in committed these acts and those who harbour men and money. them’. 1 The following day he ‘adopted the lan- guage of war’ and declared that in the war on ter- Presently, more than seventy thousand Ameri- ror, you are either ‘for us or against us’. 2 This can and NATO troops are in Afghanistan. In ad- was the beginning of the war that would engulf dition, Pakistan has deployed more than hundred the Middle East and South Asia. The scapegoat thousands troops in the tribal areas, adjacent to was Afghanistan. The world community con- the Pak-Afghan border, to stop the infiltration of demned the terrorists’ attacks on the U.S., the Taliban and their supporters into Afghanistan. terming it as an act of terrorism and expressed But they are not successful yet. No significant solidarity with the American people. However, achievement is in sight. Interestingly, both Pak- the U.S. demand to handover Osama bin Laden istan and Afghanistan are blaming each other of and to dismantle the al Qaeda camps in not doing sufficient to curb the militancy in the re- Afghanistan were met with a blunt refusal by the 1 Ian Markham Ian Markham and Ibrahim M. Abu Rabi (eds.), 11 September Religious Perspectives on the Causes and Consequences (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2002), p. 12. 2 Ibid. 14 ORIENT I / 2009 Pakistan and Afghanistan in the context of 9/11 – Current Situation Talibans who took refuge in traditional Afghan and also thwarted the possible Indian machina- hospitality. They informed the U.S. that according tions. It was sheer national self interest that to their traditions they were duty bound to pro- made them to support the U.S. and its allies in vide asylum to any one who demanded it. Since war against terror. 5 they had provided bin Laden refuge in Afghanistan many years back, it was not possi- With the broad support of its allies, the U.S. ble, according to them, to force Osama bin launched a massive offensive on 7 October 2001 Laden and his supporters to leave Afghanistan. against the Taliban regime. The bombing raids on Afghanistan were worst witnessed since the However, if he chooses to abandon Afghanistan World War II. They were followed by a major on his own, they would not stop him from doing ground assault, leading to the ouster of the Tal- that. The Americans solicited Pakistan’s support iban and victory for the Allied forces. Kabul fell at that particular juncture. It was probably by without any major resistance and later it was re- sheer chance that General Mahmud Ahmad, the vealed that the Pakistani intelligence agencies chief of the Inter-Sevices Intelligence (ISI) was had played a major role in it. Mullah Omar, the in Washington as a guest of the Pentagon. While Taliban leader, was last seen riding a motorbike the attacks were occurring he was taking his and leaving Kandahar to the mercy of the Allied breakfast with the chairmen of the Senate and Forces. Till date no one knows exactly the House Intelligence committees, Senator Bob whereabouts of Mullah Omar but conjecture is Graham (D) and Representative Porter Goss that he is hiding somewhere in the tribal areas (R), the latter a prominent CIA official. The next bordering Afghanistan. It is said that in Decem- day, General Ahmad and Maleeha Lodhi, Pak- ber 2001 when the U.S. forces started the istan’s Ambassador in Washington, were sum- ground assault, bin Laden and his associates of moned to the State Department to receive the al Qaeda, including his most trusted friend ‘notorious ultimatum’ from Richard Armitage, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian militant, es- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. Later, General caped towards the Pakistani border. They were Musharraf revealed in his memoirs, that the ulti- last seen alive in the caves of Tora Bora in Spin matum was blunt: “That either you are with us or Ghar (White Mountain), at an elevation of about against us and that we’ll bomb you into the Stone 15,000 feet (4,500 metres) where many of the Age if you resist.” 3 The next day, both were sum- Taliban and al Qaeda had taken refuge. The area moned again and Armitage handed the ISI boss became the target for the U.S. carpet bombing. a seven-point list of the U.S. requirements from For four continuous days it was bombed by the Pakistan in the coming war on terror in the re- U.S., using the latest laser technology. Pakistani gion. General Ahmad immediately informed the forces were posted on the other side of the bor- State Department of its acceptance of the U.S. der to arrest the fleeing Taliban and they suc- demands. 4 ceeded in capturing several hundred. The It was a crucial moment for the Pakistani author- Afghan forces were supposed to do the same but ities to decide because they were Afghanistan’s they failed miserably. neighbours and the U.S. needed their full sup- There was poor coordination between the two port in the planned war against terror. The Pak- sides and this resulted in the escape of Osama istani establishment was in a fix. If they did not bin Laden and his close associates who sneaked agree to the U.S. demand there were chances into Pakistan’s tribal areas. Interestingly, while al- that the U.S. administration would approach Zawahiri has been seen addressing his co-reli- India for the same purpose. The Hindu extrem- gionists many times, bin Laden never surfaced ists, then ruling India, would have happily taken once after the Tora Bora bombing by giving rise advantage of the situation to provide the required to speculations that he was killed in Tora Bora support in return for a chance to establish basis but al Qaeda leaders are using his name to mobilise for operations against Talibans, and if necessary, Islamic militants against the U.S. and its Allies. against Pakistan. So the military establishment in Pakistan made a quick decision.

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