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The accusations have begun with fingers pointing to the usual suspects. Just who was responsible for the deadliest attack in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 is not yet known, but the suicide bomber's victims at the gates of the Indian embassy in Kabul go far beyond those caught in its deadly blast.
This was a brutal message to the people of Afghanistan, and the message is simple; no atrocity is too great and no suffering too much for those intent on inflicting carnage and mayhem. The attack obviously targeted India which has been the fourth largest international donor to Afghanistan since 2001, pledging more than $750 million in aid mostly for infrastructure and telecommunications work.
Not for the first time in its history, Afghanistan seems destined to be the battleground for other countries or interests. For too long, Nato and its allies were less than fully occupied with Afghan affairs. It was seen initially as an "easy war'' against the "Taliban rabble''. Iraq was the main theatre of operations, Afghanistan was treated as a sideshow. Complacent and undermanned, Nato is only now fully comprehending that Afghanistan is a zone where its reputation is at stake. But more important than any military alliance's reputation is the plight of the Afghan people. That must be the primary concern of Nato. Unless their existence in the countryside improves, and they are protected from insurgents, Nato can never win the battle for hearts and minds.
Afghanistan, like Iraq, can never be won solely by military means; there must be a political dimension that allows the wishes of the Afghan people to be expressed. But before this can come to fruition, security must be tightened. This is the bedrock. Once security is established, progress can commence. Nato can no longer be under any illusions.
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