During his speech at West Point on Tuesday night, US President Barack Obama emphasised a principle to obtain success in Afghanistan.
“We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country,” Obama said. “But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.”
Pakistan is crucial for the United States because al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the north-western region of Pakistan near the Afghan border have become a threat to the military and government of both countries. A US counterterrorism official said that the Afghan Taliban has expanded and strengthened its unit, while militants in Pakistan are not ceasing to plan a strike against American interests.
“They’ve suffered some major losses, but no one should think for a second that they’re down and out for good,” the official commented. “They remain intent on harming the United States and our allies, including Pakistan, so keeping up the pressure on them is critical. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
According to Pervez Hoodbhoy, an Islamabad-based political analyst, a Taliban win in Afghanistan will result in a disaster.
“That is because the local Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, are the ideological brothers of the Afghan Taliban, and they will gain enormous strength if the Taliban in Afghanistan sweep across the country,” Hoodbhoy explained.
The situation has compelled Obama from the beginning to strengthen the cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan and create a strategy with an aim to provide economic assistance, assist security against the militants, and to improve government performance in Pakistan.
