RUPEE NEWS: Recording History, Narrating Archives, Strategic Intellibrief Analysis: Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | новости рупии | 卢比新闻 | Rupi Nyheter | ルピーニュース | اخبار روپیہ

Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | новости рупии | 卢比新闻 | Roepienieuws | Rupi Nyheter | ルピーニュース | Notizie di Rupia | PAKISTAN LEDGER | پاکستاني کھاتا | RUPEE NEWS | January 13th, 2008 | Moin Ansari | معین آنصآرّی | اخبار روپیہ |

Mr. Hamid Karzai speaks many languages, Darri, Pushto, Urdu, Hindi and English, but he is most proficient in “Schmooze“. Analysts were perplexed when he all of a sudden made up his mind to Bharat (aka India) to “consolidate the friendships”. Mr. Hamid Karzai cannot go to the can without the permission of the US Embassy peon, so the world was wondering about the trip. Now that the message has been delivered, it is out in the open. Mr. Karzai scared out of his wits about losing his job and his head (whichever comes first) is not too crazy about Pakistan moving its forces to the Easter front. This was have an immensly hars impact on the war in Afghanistan. It would free up his enemies to take off his head in one quick swoop into Kabul. That would not end the war in Afghanistan but would be a huge psychological blow to NATO and ISAF which is already to broke to sustain a long term commitment in Kabul.

NEW DELHI, Jan 12: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has told India about the difficulty Kabul could face if Pakistan was distracted from its campaign against the Taliban because of tensions with New Delhi, sources close to his talks here with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday.

On Saturday, Mr Karzai met US Vice-President-elect Joe Biden in Kabul for talks on Afghanistan’s reconstruction and the fight against militants.

The security situation in Afghanistan — and the fight against Taliban insurgents there — is one of the incoming US administration’s foreign policy priorities. It is understood that Mr Karzai briefed Indian leaders about his talks with Mr Biden.

The Afghan president who arrived here on an overnight visit on Sunday expressed solidarity with the Indian people over the terror attacks in Mumbai in November and, together with Dr Singh, described terrorism as a threat to the entire humanity.
In a joint statement at the end of their talks, the two leaders urged Pakistan, though without naming it, to fulfil its international obligations to prevent terrorism in any manner. India urged not to distract Pakistan from anti-Taliban war By Jawed Naqvi. The Dawn

Mr. Karzai has also seen the writing on the wall. The US withdrawal is near and he wants to make sure that he has not burnt all the bridges with Afghanistan.

This blunt message to Delhi wrapped in “schmooze” does not cater well for the Delhi-Kabul relationship which is handing by a thin thread called Karzai. If that thread is broken the lifeline from Delhi to Kabul will suffer the same fate when Babrak Karmal was sent packing to Moscow. Delhi does not have too many friends in Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance has been divided and at odds with Karzai too and the Pakhtuns are not a Mukti Bahni. They hate Bharat with a vengence.

This trip will be remembered as wishing Bharat a fond farewell. Mumbai or no Mumbai, Delhi has already met its Maiwand in Afghanistan. Only the packing is left.

According to the joint statement, the leaders “called for the full compliance with bilateral, multilateral and international obligations of states to prevent terrorism in any manner originating from territories under their control since terrorism emanates from the sanctuaries and training camps and the sustenance and support received by the terrorist groups”.

They also reviewed their “robust, strategic partnership” and were satisfied at the progress in bilateral development and reconstruction projects in all parts of Afghanistan.

The sources said although India’s tone had mellowed in its approach to Pakistan its objective to press Islamabad to comply more faithfully with its commitments to fight terrorism had not changed.

This approach was reflected in the description used by a top Indian army officer to the situation on the India-Pakistan border on Monday.
“I see no war cloud in the Indo-Pak border regions,” General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army’s Central Command Lt-Gen J.K. Mohanty was quoted as saying in Bhubaneshwar.

He said India had always wanted friendly relations with its neighbours, but it was 200 per cent ready to deal with any situation if they crossed the limit.

When asked about the reported troop mobilisation by Pakistan after the Nov 26 strikes, Lt-Gen Mohanty said India was hardly bothered by the exercise.

In their talks, Dr Singh and Mr Karzai “reaffirmed the special relationship between India and Afghanistan, to build a strong, united and prosperous Afghanistan and to work towards peace, stability and development of the entire region”. India urged not to distract Pakistan from anti-Taliban war By Jawed Naqvi