NATO's Afghan mission must not fail and Pakistan must ensure that aid from European countries is used to fight terrorists
Posted, December 16, 2009 @ 00:00
NATO's mission in Afghanistan will defeat the Taliban if there is sufficient political will and troops, Charles Tannock MEP, foreign affairs coordinator for the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, said today in a debate on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Dr Tannock, who is Vice-Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly said that we cannot allow that International Security Assistance Force to fail. He also warned that Pakistan is a catastrophe in the making and called on the parliament to ensure that no money intend for combating jihadis is spent on beefing up Pakistan's forces on the Indian border.
Dr Tannock said:
"We cannot afford to let the NATO ISAF mission in Afghanistan fail. With sufficient political will, the right military equipment and more troop numbers from all member states, NATO can defeat the Taliban.
"Pakistan is potentially a catastrophe in the making. – a nuclear-armed state plagued by islamist radicalisation, corruption and feeble leadership. Nevertheless we must help stabilise it and support it.
"Elements of the Pakistani ISA have long been suspected of granting tacit support to the Afghan Taliban and are only now reluctantly realising the domestic dangers of such an approach. The threat posed by Pakistan, particularly by harbouring terrorists, to India over Kashmir also poses a grave threat.
"If Pakistan is to continue to receive military aid from EU countries for counter insurgency against terrorist jihadis and economic assistance, it must give cast-iron guarantees that such aid will not be diverted to strengthening its forces on the Indian border."