For a while there was some doubt as to whether the United States
would have to exercise the so-called ‘zero option’ in Afghanistan, and
pull out in 2014 without leaving any residual support forces there. Such
a scenario would have been disastrous since it would have led to the
pull-out of the NATO forces followed by the loss of billions of dollars
of funding for the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan
government. The poorly trained Afghan forces would have found the going
difficult against the Taliban since they lack vital air assets, or
heavy weaponry.
But now, after some hard-nosed bargaining, it seems that the US and
the Afghans have a deal. On Saturday evening, after nearly 24 hours of
intense negotiations, US Secretary of State John Kerry and President
Hamid Karzai announced that they had reached an agreement on the key
elements of the deal that would enable US forces to stay. However, the
deal-breaking issue of providing immunity for prosecution under Afghan
law for the US troops remains to be fully resolved. This was the issue
which the US was unable to resolve in Iraq and led to the complete
pull-out of US forces from Iraq in 2011. The fudge here is that
according to Karzai, the ‘Afghan people’ will decide i.e. through a Loya
Jirga or traditional popular assembly. It is unlikely that an assembly
convened by the government will reject the bilateral pact that is being
proposed by the government. Thereafter it would go to the Afghan
parliament. It is important for Mr Karzai to show that he is an
independent actor, and the Americans are playing along with him.
The American withdrawal of 2014 has set the proverbial cats among the
pigeons. On one hand, we are witnessing a surge of Chinese interest in
Central Asia, determined to establish a definitive Chinese presence,
before the US consolidates itself in Afghanistan and resumes its push
into Central Asia. Likewise, China appears to be revising its Pakistan
relationship, trying to move the partnership away from its India
fixation and orienting it towards the Persian Gulf and Central Asia.
Fresh from its success in Syria, Russia is, too, seeking to regain
its momentum in Central Asia. But more than Afghanistan, it is the
possible thaw in US-Iran relations which could upend geopolitical
calculations in the region. Indeed, by adopting a minimalist posture in
Afghanistan, the US could actually free up its resources to intervene
more effectively in the Gulf and Central Asia.
As for India,
it is dependent on the US/NATO security umbrella to operate within
Afghanistan. As long as it focuses on development projects, there is
little problem. Indeed, New Delhi is being asked to step up its
assistance to the Afghans, but is somewhat chary as of now. Even now we
do not know just what will be the contours of the US posture in the
area. No matter how you look at it, it will require a great deal of
Pakistani cooperation and so there will be lines that the US will not
like to cross in relation to Islamabad.
In Central Asia,
Chinese resources and diplomacy has outclassed New Delhi. In September,
an Indian claim for a stake in the giant Kashagan oilfield was given to a
Chinese company by the Kazakhstan government. There is so much you can
do based on history, while India invests in millions, China does in
billions. Today’s geopolitics require today’s commitments, and that is
something New Delhi is loath to provide. Even so, India is not giving up
the contest without a fight. Last year India launched its ‘Connect
Central Asia’ policy which features a number of policy initiatives,
including high level visits by Indian leaders, including Vice President
Hamid Ansari and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. Besides oil
and gas, India has interest in importing uranium from both Kazakhstan
and Uzbekistan. And beyond natural resources, the effort is to focus on
education, IT, pharmaceuticals and medical tourism.
We must
be clear that we do not have the ability to be a principal player in
Central Asia or Afghanistan. We should then cut our coat according to
the cloth available and evolve a policy that will further our interests
which, without doubt, are the opposite of what China and Pakistan will
be seeking. In the past, Russia has been our strategic ally in the
region. The Russians are making a bid to re-establish ties in the
region, but they are also being outbid by China when it comes to natural
resources. The Russians remain the main security providers and have
taken over the use of the Ayni airbase from India in Turkmenistan. New
Delhi retains use of the Farkhor base in Tajikstan courtesy the Tajiks
and the Russians.
The US will remain a player through
Afghanistan and, possibly, Uzbekistan, which has pulled-out of the
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation and is cosying up to
Washington. To remain a player, New Delhi needs to put its money where
its mouth is and develop the North South Transit Corridor (NSTC) linking
the Iranian port of Chah Bahar with Afghan and Central Asian
destinations. That will be the only way in which we can change things.
That, of course, brings us to our relations with Iran. The US, Russia,
Iran, are all friendly actors. Clearly, the possibilities are endless,
but the big point is to do things, rather than talk about doing them.
Mid Day October 15, 2013
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
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