Russia of course was in Afghanistan before from 1979 to 1989. The Soviet Union lost about 15,000 troops but Afghan fighters and civilians together lost about one million during that time. Before the U.S. led invasion Russia backed the Northern Alliance which the U.S. also helped. Russia's NATO envoy said: We've been in Afghanistan, we didn't like it.
Nevertheless NATO officials say they are negotiating a vastly stepped up involvement by Russia and hope that a formal agreement will be signed at a meeting in Lisbon Nov. 19. President Medvedev announced that he has accepted the NATO invitation to attend the Lisbon summit. Medvedev is also scheduled to meet U.S. president Obama at the meeting. Other items on the agenda include Iran, European security, and missile defenses.
NATO is hoping to deal with Russia shortly after it settles a long-term partnership with Afghanistan involving a Status of Forces Agreement that will cover the post war era. NOTE: What post war era! There does not seem to be any definite time line for any post war era. Ironically NATO is managing to cooperate with Russia even as NATO itself (or the US?) is consolidating its military presence in Central Asia. Links between NATO and Russia seem to be growing. This linkage may cause concern in Iran, China, and some of the former Soviet Republics.
The deal includes a supply of Russian helicopters and Russian crews to train Afghan pilots. Russians will also train the Afghan military and expansion of transit and supply routes via Russian territory. The Russians are already allowing such transit. NOTE: One wonders how Afghans and particularly jihadists will react to the return of the Russian military to Afghanistan. The Russians are asking for more casualties. How will Russian citizens react? I wonder too who is to pay for all this. Somehow I doubt that the Russians themselves will foot the bill for all this.
NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said"The [Lisbon] summit can mark a new start in the relationship between NATO and Russia. We will hopefully agree on a broad range of areas in which we can develop practical cooperation on Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics...Russia is strongly interested in increased cooperation ... Last December when I visited Moscow I suggested that Russia provide helicopters for the Afghan army. Since then Russia has reflected on that and there are now bilateral talks between Russia and the United States. I would not exclude that we will facilitate that process within the NATO-Russian Council." Note that there are talks between Russia and the UNITED STATES re the helicopters. Perhaps this indicates who will be footing the bill. Russia is said to be insisting on a "commercial deal".
Karzai has been keeping his distance from Russia but lately his relations with the west have soured. But if Karzai warms to an embrace by the Russian bear he is likely to get a cool reception from the Afghan people. The helicopter gunships in particular are etched into the memory of Afghans. Karzai could be regarded next not just as a puppet of one foreign power the U.S. but Russia as well!
The entry of the Russians will surely make ethnic division in Afghanistan even worse than they already are. The Taliban are mostly Pashtuns whereas the Russians got involved in Afghanistan through the Tajiks and Uzbeks and other minorities. Russia has acted uniltareally sidestepping the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. NATO views these groups with disdain and now Russia is following suit. Perhaps this is all reflective of the split personality of Russia which alternatively tilts west and then becomes nationalist. Russia is just asking for conflict with some powers such as China through this move.
The gainers in all of this seem to be NATO and the U.S. Just at at time when other allies are withdrawing from Afghanistan Russia jumps in to fill the breech. Just when supply routes through Pakistan are threatened Russ lends a hand.. Russia center of the former Evil Empire says Yes to NATO military presence in Afghanistan into the indefinite future. For more extensive coverage see thttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asi
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
3rd-World-News Blog ~
http://third-world-news.blogspot.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment