A missed opportunity to win hearts, minds

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows in defense of President Obama’s decision to send 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan.

Clinton and Gates did well in linking the troop surge to the overall war on global terrorism, and explaining the importance of Afghanistan’s well-being to neighboring Pakistan’s stability.

If only they had gone beyond the military and political aspects of the mission and talked about winning the hearts and minds of the people of the region.

The timing would have been ideal, given last week’s bombing-grenade attack on a Rawalpindi mosque that left at least 40 people dead, including several senior Pakistani army officers, and 80 injured. There were two other bombings Monday.

The Associated Press reported that on Sunday, police commandos killed one militant and arrested five others in a raid near Peshawar, the gateway city to the Taliban-controlled areas of Pakistan. The detained are suspected of involvement in recent bombings and other attacks not only in Peshawar but in Islamabad and its sister city of Rawalpindi, a Pakistani official said.

But the day before, pine coffins were ceremonially placed on an army soccer field as government officials gathered to mourn the victims, including the wives and children of army officers.

Unfortunately, such terrorist bombings and other attacks have become commonplace in Pakistan, and that has affected the lives of the people. All the talk about the war on global terrorism, with Pakistan as America’s top ally, and the need to keep Taliban extremists from retaking Afghanistan means nothing to them.

They are under siege from Islamic extremists who are determined to turn the nuclear-armed nation into a theocracy. And as the death toll of the innocents rises, support for the United States and its allies, and even for the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, will diminish.

Ties to Washington

Zardari, who is commander in chief of the armed forces, is at odds with the military leadership because he has established close civilian ties with Washington and has sought to improve relations with India, Pakistan’s longtime rival.

Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates missed a great opportunity to deliver a strong message to the Pakistani people that America’s commitment to the region goes beyond the destruction of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Had they announced an aid package for those affected by the attacks on the mosque and other locations, the news would have spread like wild fire.

The presence of American aid workers, Army Corps of Engineer types and medical personnel would have resonated. Indeed, various Islamic extremist groups have been known to show up at the site of terrorist attacks, offering a helping hand.

The Obama administration must know that success in the war on global terrorism will not come with military might alone. If the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan believe that America and its allies view them as expendable, they will offer their allegiance to Islamic extremist groups.

President Obama must get his administration to develop a ready-response strategy aimed at easing the pain and suffering of the civilian populations.