Minefields, real and diplomatic
As Blake noted yesterday, Pakistan’s government is touting a new plan to mine its porous border with Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai dismisses the notion as an empty gesture at fighting the Taliban, and he may be right. It’s far easier for Pakistan to talk about minefields and border fences than to actually crack down on known Taliban operatives ...
As Blake noted yesterday, Pakistan's government is touting a new plan to mine its porous border with Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai dismisses the notion as an empty gesture at fighting the Taliban, and he may be right.
It's far easier for Pakistan to talk about minefields and border fences than to actually crack down on known Taliban operatives in places like Waziristan. But it's a clever gesture on Musharraf's part. Why? Because Karzai has to reject the idea. The Durand Line that forms the border between the two countries cuts right through Pashtun tribal areas. Endorsing a plan to mine the border would mean accepting the border, something Afghanistan has never done.
And so the bickering between Musharaff and Karzai continues. Bush may have to invite them for another White House dinner soon.
It’s far easier for Pakistan to talk about minefields and border fences than to actually crack down on known Taliban operatives in places like Waziristan. But it’s a clever gesture on Musharraf’s part. Why? Because Karzai has to reject the idea. The Durand Line that forms the border between the two countries cuts right through Pashtun tribal areas. Endorsing a plan to mine the border would mean accepting the border, something Afghanistan has never done.
And so the bickering between Musharaff and Karzai continues. Bush may have to invite them for another White House dinner soon.
David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist
More from Foreign Policy
Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.
So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.
Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.
Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
