Washington: The Obama administration on Wednesday clarified that its support to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai`s proposal of reconciliation with the Taliban is not unconditional.
"I think there`s broad agreement that reconciliation is a potential tool and a valuable one in bringing an end to the ongoing conflict. But our support for that concept is not unconditional, and it will have to be applied in particular ways," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs PJ Crowley told reporters.
"In any kind of negotiation, what is the level of the commitment and what are the ramifications, not only for Afghanistan but for the global fight against political extremism?" Crowley said.
"In any kind of discussion on these issues, there will be conditions. What precisely are these senior officials willing to do? Are they going to be public and demonstrative in their suggestion that they and their potential followers should renounce violence? If they are willing to join into the political process, what do they bring into the process?" he asked.
"If they bring the kind of divisive views that split Afghanistan in the `90s and set about to specifically exclude full rights for women or other ethnic groups in Afghanistan, then perhaps that will be something that has to be evaluated as part of this process. So a lot will depend on the particulars as we go through this," he said, adding reconciling with those who are part of the insurgency can work.
It did work in Iraq. It can work in Afghanistan, he noted.
He termed "nonsense" the growing perception that the US is approving of talks with the Taliban as it has realised that it can`t win in Afghanistan.
"That`s nonsense. Anyone who has studied the history of insurgencies and counterinsurgencies will see that ultimately, while military action is important and can be decisive, by itself, it is generally not sufficient to end an insurgency," he argued.
"I think it`s not a valid criticism. We are committed to Afghanistan for the long term. We are not getting out of Afghanistan. As the (US) President has laid out, a strategy will evolve over time to increase its reliance on the civilian side of the strategy as we continue to build up the capabilities of the Afghan national security forces," he said.
"But the US is not going anywhere. We have troops there now. In future years, as outlined by the President, we will progressively have fewer troops and more civilians.”
“That`s also precisely what`s happening in Iraq as we enter into 2010 and, following the election in Iraq, we will begin a determined shift from a strategy based largely on military action to a strategy based on more civilian actions," he said.
"So we are following precisely the strategy that the President outlined last March and then last month, and this involves multiple tenets - military action, political action, and development to overcome the insurgency in Afghanistan," he said.
Noting that Taliban is a multi-headed organisation, Crowley said the US is concentrating on trying to erode the support that they have in certain parts of Afghanistan and in certain parts of the tribal areas.
"If we can diminish their military capabilities, then we with the additional military resources we are bringing into Afghanistan, we hope to turn the tide so that the leaders of the insurgency feel some pressure," he said.
Referring to the history of Afghanistan, he said there are plenty of examples where different factions have changed sides multiple times during the history of the country`s conflict going back more than 20 years.
"So this is precisely having a political way out for certain leaders that we think are prepared and can play a constructive role in Afghanistan`s future. Certainly not everyone will be on that list. And certainly, by every indication, not everyone wants to be on that list," Crowley said.
"There`s no indication that certain leaders are prepared to give up the fight. If they`re not willing to give up the fight through a political process, then we are bringing into the country more significant military forces that will address their challenge a different way," he said.
PTI
