The Hindu : U.S. must step up role in Kabul, say lawmakers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 09, 2002

International

International

U.S. must step up role in Kabul, say lawmakers

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington JULY 8. Top lawmakers, cutting across party lines, have urged the Bush administration to take a more active role in Afghanistan by providing expanded security to that country. This appeal comes in the aftermath of the assassination of one of the Afghan Vice-Presidents, Haji Abdul Qadir, and from the fear that what the United States "won" by way of a military victory may be "lost" in peace.

But the Republican administration is not too keen on increasing the military role of the United States in Afghanistan and prefers to train the Afghan forces rather than participating in the peacekeeping process.

"I fear that we may see this government (in Kabul) and our efforts unwind here if we don't make the appropriate investment of men and effort and resources," said Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"If we lose there, if this goes backward, this will be a huge defeat for us symbolically in that region, in the world, for our word, confidence in Americans all over the world. We cannot allow this to go down," Mr. Hagel said on Sunday.

The Democrats too had similar views. "My own view is we went to war, we won the war; let's not lose it now. And I think we need to take stronger security steps," the Democratic Senator, Evan Bayh, said. He felt that there was a real risk that the gains that the United States made during the war could be lost by an "insufficient peace".

Lawmakers returning from the July 4 holiday are expected to step up the pressure on the White House in the wake of Qadir's murder.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Bob Graham, said last week's events were "definitely a throwback to the old Afghanistan and a setback to the establishment of the new Afghanistan". And the Senate Majority leader, Tom Daschle, said the murder of the Afghan Vice-President highlighted the challenge that was still there. "We have a long way to go to accomplish our goals," Mr. Daschle maintained.

The White House is unmoved by the lawmakers' appeal. "The President thinks the best way to secure the Afghan country is through the training of the Afghan army.

There are plenty of international peacekeepers in Kabul," said the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer.

There are still about 7,000 U.S. troops, both infantry and special operations forces, stationed in Afghanistan to root out the Al-Qaeda.

American soldiers are also involved in the training of the Afghan army. Turkey leads a 19-nation 4,500 strong peacekeeping force, mostly drawn from Europe.

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