Northern Alliance is not a silver bullet: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 26. The Bush administration is sensitive to the political compulsions of Islamabad, vis-a-vis the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan; and the point being made here is that any reference to the Northern Alliance is strictly in the context of ``terrorism.''

On Tuesday, when asked if the Northern Alliance would be encouraged to occupy more areas in Afghanistan, restricting the space of the Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden, the White House spokesman, Mr. Ari Fleischer, said, ``the U.S. welcomes the efforts of the Northern Alliance and anybody else to put an end to those who sponsor terrorism and to fight those who sponsor terrorism.''

In the context of Pakistan's concerns over any outside effort to ``instal'' a regime in Kabul, the administration has been quite careful on defining the post-Osama phase. Militarily, it is keen on propping up the Northern Alliance and has welcomed the Russian offer of equipping these forces as well.

At the same time, Washington is aware of the operational limitations and the concerns voiced over the Northern Alliance, especially those pertaining to drug- trafficking. The Pentagon is said to be weighing the options. ``It is a little like a billiard table trying to figure out exactly how it might happen,'' the Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, said.

A State Department official said the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, was correct when he expressed concern over the imposition of a Government in Kabul from outside, especially one that was hostile to the interests of Islamabad. There are no easy answers to Afghanistan and there is the realisation that backing the Northern Alliance has its share of problems. ``The Northern Alliance is not a silver bullet,'' has been the refrain in official quarters. Even within the political establishment, there are definite qualms about backing it, given the Alliance's historically close ties with the Russians. Both Washington and Moscow will be viewing each other with suspicion in this business.

On the one hand, the State Department acknowledges that the administration officials have been in ``close contact'' with the leadership of the Alliance and on the other, there is the standard response of what the political landscape in Afghanistan should look like - a ``broad-based government''; and a regime that has little patience for terrorism or gives any quarter to extremist outfits.

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