Library in Kabul

Donald Trump mocks Narendra Modi. The news has stirred up a flurry of questions and an avalanche of reactions. What did the US President really say and why did he say it? What happened to the famous romance between the two leaders? Will it affect India-US ties? Is there more to it than meets the eye or is it just a passing remark intended as a joke?

First, here is what Trump said. He was addressing reporters in the White House during a 90-minute question-and-answer-interactions at the beginning of the New Year.

While talking in the context of his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in a phased manner, the US President said; "Modi constantly tells me he built a library in Afghanistan. You know what that is? That's like five hours of the time we spend. And we're supposed to say, 'Oh, thank you for the library'. I don't know who's using it in Afghanistan".

Personal level peculiarities apart, there are some very grave implications of the US President's remarks. Many geo-strategic analysts are viewing it as Washington's growing frustration with the situation in Afghanistan where US troops have been engaged for far too long in the fight against Taliban. Trump himself, and even Obama before him, have been under pressure to scale down US military presence in the war-torn country but have been unable to do so because of what they see as lack of full cooperation from Pakistan and India.

Ideally, the American government would like to pass on the responsibility of tackling the Taliban to the regional powers. As a frontline State, Pakistan is seen as a necessary ally or an unavoidable evil in the so-called War against Terror, but Washington is well aware that Islamabad cannot be trusted fully—not only because the Pak military has too many fish to fry in the region but also because of China's strong influence.

On the other hand, India is regarded as the better choice to be handed over the task of attempting to curb terrorism and maintain peace in the mountainous landlocked country. But successive Indian governments have resolutely refused to get militarily involved in Kabul and Kandahar, despite the deep empathy and centuries-old abiding friendship between the peoples of Afghanistan and India.

India has always shown great enthusiasm and genuine desire to play a big role in Afghanistan's economic development and provided support for social, educational and cultural projects and programmes. But when it comes to soldiers and guns, New Delhi has shied away except in terms of providing military training and supplies.

Nothing can be more frustrating for the United States. America desperately wants to extricate itself from a war it entered in 2001 with the sole aim of countering the then Soviet Union. But there is no way out—even though the US has realised that its original motives for launching what it called 'Operation Enduring Freedom' have become unachievable and largely irrelevant.

Handing over the baton to Pakistan is not feasible—the country is impoverished and Pakistan's rulers have proved utterly unreliable. India is refusing to be pressurised.

To add fuel to Washington's fury, India's present Prime Minister, supposedly a strong leader heading a stable government which the United States has elevated to the level of a strategic partner, constantly talks about building libraries in Kabul.

From Trump's perspective, Afghanistan needs weapons of war to be used against the Taliban forces which are capturing more territory with each passing day. Schools and hospitals and roads can be—and are—instantly destroyed in terror attacks within a day. America needs Indian soldiers to confront the Taliban and to die valiantly in the face of sniper bullets and suicide attacks. The body bags airlifted out of Kabul should not contain American GIs but Indian jawans.

[contributed]

Frontier
Vol. 51, No.33, Feb 17 - 23, 2019