Talking Points: Afghanistan and Pakistan

AFGHANISTAN

Violence is increasing in Afghanistan:

- There were 0 suicide bombings in Afghanistan between 1983 and 2001. There were 160 in 2007, a steady increase

- There were 1,931 roadside bombings in 2006 and 2,615 in 2007

The Taliban is gaining strength:

- The Karzai government controls less than 1/3 of Afghanistan. The other two-thirds are either uncontrolled, in the hands of the Taliban or in the hands of warlords

- A June 2008 Taliban attack on a prison near Kandahar freed 1,200 prisoners, including between 350-400 Taliban fighters.

- At the end of June, NATO and Afghan forces launched a major offensive against Taliban forces in response to the Taliban’s seizure of at least 18 villages in Arghandab district.

Casualties are increasing:

- 556 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001

- 46 killed in June 2008 alone, the highest number of coalition deaths since the 2001 invasion

Troop levels, funding and staffing is inadequate:

- Adm. Micheal Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said additional forces will not be available to go to Afghanistan “unless or until the situation in Iraq allows us to do so.”

- $10.2 billion was pledged to Afghanistan over the next two years by the U.S. at an international donors conference in June, compared with the $10.3 billion spent in Iraq by the Department of Defense per month in Iraq in 2007.

- There are 36,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 150,000 in Iraq.

- $25 billion was pledged in aid to Afghanistan from 2002-2008 by international donors (prior to June conference). Only $15 billion was actually spent. The U.S. pledged $10.4 billion but only spent $5 billion.

- 77% or 334 units of Afghan police are rated as “not capable” by the Department of Defense

Afghanis:

- Unemployment is high (estimated around 40%), poverty is widespread (2/3 of population live on fewer than $2/day), literacy levels are inadequate (adult literacy is only 28%) and life expectancy is low (life expectancy is 43 years old, more than 20% of all Afghan children die before age 5)

PAKISTAN:

Economic Crisis:

- The miniscule and shrinking middle class makes about 20-30% of its counterpart in the United States.

- The annual GDP in Pakistan is under $3,000.

- Prices for many things are going up in Pakistan. The government recently withdrew food subsidies, so food prices rose over 30% for the month of June

- Pakistan rupee has hit record lows while food and basic living expenses have continued to rise

- Overall inflations has climbed to over 20%

- The stock market is plummeting as foreign investment is staying away.

Shortage of Electricity and Water:

- Power goes out several times a day for anywhere between 5-12 hours as part of a nationwide power load sharing.

- Maintenance of current power plants has been delinquent, resulting in many plants running well under 100% and new power plants were not built to accommodate the increasing electricity usage.

- Numerous sections of Karachi are getting by with no water at all. Residents of waterless areas go to nearby neighborhoods early in the morning to steal water.

Political Instability:

- The unstable political climate is scaring away investment and hurting the economy.

- The government has been unable to resolve the status of the judges Musharraf dismissed last November, when Benazir Bhutto was jailed and Musharraf claimed military rule.

- While Pakistan’s political parties squabble over the rule of the country, they are failing to address the needs of Pakistanis, making the people increasingly frustrated with the government.

Pakistani “peace agreements” with Taliban and Taliban-linked groups

- The objective of the agreements is to end terrorist strikes and insurgent violence in Pakistan, which experienced a dramatic upsurge in 2007

- In return for stopping insurgent and terrorist attacks, Pakistan has withdrawn its forces from territory controlled by the Pakistani Taliban, leaving camps and weapons in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the Taliban and halting all military operations against them.

- Islamabad denied responsibility for dealing with cross-border violence in Afghanistan, saying the Kabul government will have to handle the problem.

- Attacks in Afghanistan originating from Pakistan have doubled in recent months compared to last year.

Books from our Guests:

The Prosperity Agenda: What the World Wants from America – and What We Need in Return (by Brian Katulis and Nancy Soderberg, Wiley Publishers, July 2008)

Articles from our Guests:

“The Country Most Likely to Trigger 3 a.m. Calls” (by Brian Katulis – VIDEO, Center for American Progress, June 26, 2008)

“Like Sand Between their Fingers” (by Malou Innocent, CATO Institute, July 14, 2008)

“Disarming the World” (by Malou Innocent, CATO Institute, July 16, 2008)

“Alarm Bells in Afghanistan” (by Caroline Wadhams and Colin Cookman, Center for American Progress, July 4, 2008)

“Afghanistan Needs More Than Money” (by Caroline Wadhams and Colin Cookman, Center for American Progress, June 11, 2008)

“What to Do About the Terrorist Safe Haven in Pakistan” (Caroline Wadhams – VIDEO, Center for American Progress, May 5, 2008)

“Securing Pakistan’s Tribal Belt” (Report by Daniel Markey, Council on Foreign Relations, July 2008)

“Is Pakistan Appeasing the Taliban?” (by Sharad Joshi, Foreign Policy in Focus, June 13, 2008)

“The Real Crisis in Pakistan” (by Fouad Pervez, Foreign Policy in Focus, July 11, 2008)

“Pakistan’s New Tack on Fighting Terror” (by Ashley Tellis, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, May 9, 2008)

“Pakistan’s Record on Terrorism: Conflicted Goals, Compromised Performance” (by Ashley Tellis, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Spring 2008)

More Resources:

“Forgotten No Longer” (Center for American Progress, July 18, 2008)

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Afghanistan Page

British American Security Information Council’s Afghanistan Update, July 17, 2008

“Afghanistan: Invest in People” (report by Refugees International, July 10, 2008)

Related News:

“My Plan for Iraq” (by Barack Obama, Op-Ed in New York Times, July 14, 2008)

“‘Dozens of civilians’ killed in NATO strike in Afghanistan” (ABC News, July 17, 2008)

“Senior al-Qaida leader gives interview” (by Munir Ahmad, Associated Press, July 22, 2008)

“US air strike wiped out Afghan wedding party, inquiry finds” (by James Sturcke, Guardian, July 11, 2008)

“Civilian casualties fuel Afghan conflict” (by Jon Hemming, Analysis, Reuters, July 16, 2008)

“Pakistan’s intelligence role in Afghanistan” (by The Associated Press, July 7, 2008)

“Afghanistan might be tougher job than Iraq: Obama” (by Agence-France Presse, July 23, 2008)

“A Wake-Up Call From Afghanistan” (by Peter Slevin, Washington Post, July 23, 2008)

“Obama is saying the wrong things about Afghanistan” (by Juan Cole, Opinion, Salon, July 23, 2008)

“Afghanistan ‘urgent’, Obama says” (by Globe Wire Services, Boston Globe, July 23, 2008)

“Pakistan: Pro-Taliban militants prepare for fresh battle in north-west” (by Syed Saleem Shahzad, Adnkronos International –Italy- July 23, 2008)

“Pakistan troops kill 15 militants in northwest” (by Agence-France Presse, July 20, 2008):

“Pakistan winds up operation in northwest, says military” (by Agence-France Presse, July 23, 2008)