Is The War In Afghanistan ‘Worth The Effort’?

At least it is for Vice President Joe Biden, he made the statement during his European trip. Biden’s goal is obviously to shore up support for the Afghan war in Europe, and especially in the UK. The VP stayed on message, without any major gaffe, and he reiterated the Obama administration rationale for the new strategy in the conflict.

VP Biden said:

“In terms of national interest of Great Britain, the US and Europe, the war in Afghanistan is worth the effort we are making and the sacrifice that is being felt. This unfortunately is the fighting season, the trees are up in the mountains again, people are able to infiltrate from the hills of Pakistan and in Helmand province, where the Taliban had a free rein for number of years. We are engaging them now. This is the place- between Afghanistan and Pakistan- from which the attacks of 9/11, and all those attacks in Europe that come from Al Qaeda have flowed from. It is a place that, if it doesn’t get straightened out will continue to wreak havoc on Europe and the United States. The existence of the terror groups, along the Afghan-Pakistan border, combined with the drug trade – supplying 90 percent of the world heroin- mean that the war in Afghanistan must succeed.”

Vice President Biden gave praise to British troops calling them ” Among the best trained and bravest warriors in the world.” However, with the casualties in Afghanistan mounting, it is unlikely that VP Biden’s public relation offensive to convince Europeans of the war  necessity will make much of an impact.

On another diplomatic front, US Special Envoy, Richard Holbrooke, is in Pakistan for a few days before heading to Afghanistan. The Pakistani government is asking the US for an increase in military support and collaboration. The Pakistanis are also expressing concerns about the impact of the new US offensive in Afghanistan in terms of a flow of Taliban fighters moving into Pakistan.

The US drone attacks remain a major point of contention between the US  & Pakistan, Pakistan’s PM Yousuf Gilani told Richard Holbrooke yesterday that:

“Continued drone attacks in Federally administrated tribal areas have proved counterproductive.” Pakistan opposes the drone strikes saying that they violate its territorial sovereignty & deepen resentment among the population.

PM Gilani added: “The drone attacks- around 50 of them of which have killed more than 500 people- have seriously impeded Pakistan’s efforts towards rooting out militancy and terrorism.”

Richard Holbrooke’s trip to Pakistan is focused on economic and security issues, but also on the two million civilians displaced from the Swat Valley.