WAR IS NOT ABOUT ETHICS GOD IS NEITHER WITH US NOR WITH THEM THERE IS NOTHING INEVITABLE IN HISTORY USA MUST RECONSIDER ITS STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ OR ITS CULMINATING POINT MAY NOT BE FAR AWAY USA MUST RECONSIDER ITS STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ In the last seven years or so the USA at the strategic,operational and tactical level has became a laughing stock for the world.Starting from the premise that both USA's total failure or total success would not be good for world peace,one may state with confidence that the USA needs to seriously re-consider its strategy in both Iraq and Afghanistan and worldwide. The present situation is that th USA is making the major effort while its NATO allies less Britain are just pretending that they are also pushing the bogged down vehicle.This is true for both Iraq and Afghanistan.If this continues China and Russia will have the last laugh. Lets assume that 9/11 was the major historical development done by non US actors,whether a state actor/s or a non state actor/s , taking advantage of which the USA initiated a NEW PLAN BARBAROSSA or a NEW FINAL SOLUTION to deal with the multiple issues of energy resources,Islamic extremism and containing the rise of China and containing Russia's reassertion and regeneration. The US policy makers did not accurately assess the responses of their stated and non stated opponents.They failed to give due account to the important aspect that the enemy or other parties non state or state actors have an independent will.When the USA occupied Afghanistan ,Russia brilliantly adapted.Renewing and putting extra investment in their old Parchami and Mujahid allies in Afghanistan.Note that the Mujahids had been seriously penetrated and converted by 1985 as far as many sizeable groups were concerned.The Russians

2. LET THE DRAGONS FIGHT THE DRAGONS
BY
MAJOR AGHA H AMIN
SEPTEMBER 2008
Major Agha H Amin (retired)

3. About the Author
About the Author Agha H. Amin , Retired
Tank corps major who served in five
tank regiments and commanded an
independent tank squadron and served
in various staff , instructional and
research assignments. In his Pakistan
Army tenure he wrote three original
tactical papers on Reconnaissance
Troops Tactical handling,
Reconnaissance support group , and RFS
Concept. His writings were published in
Pakistan Armys prime journals , Pakistan
Army Journal and Citadel Journal of
Command and Staff College Quetta. His
recommendations regarding bifurcation
of officer corps into command and staff
cadre advanced in 1998 were later
accepted. In addition his
recommendation of grouping various
corps into army commands advanced in

4. an article published in Citadel Journal in
1998 were accepted in 2005 or so.
Wrote The Essential Clausewitz in 1993,
Sepoy Rebellion of 1857-59 in 1998 ,
Pakistan Army till 1965 in 1999
,Development of Taliban Factions in
Afghanistan and Pakistan (2010)
,Taliban War in Afghanistan (2009).
Served as Assistant Editor of Defence
Journal ,Executive Editor of globe and
Founder Editor of Journal of Afghanistan
Studies . An associate of the think tanks
ORBAT and Alexandrian Defense group.
Carried out various oil and gas and
power transmission line surveys in West
Asia. Editor in Chief of monthly
Intelligence Review and monthly Military
and Security Review. Heads the think
tank Centre for study of Intelligence
Operations established in early 2010.

5. SEPTEMBER 2008
WAR IS NOT ABOUT ETHICS
GOD IS NEITHER WITH US NOR WITH THEM

6. THERE IS NOTHING INEVITABLE IN HISTORY
USA MUST RECONSIDER ITS STRATEGY IN
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ OR ITS
CULMINATING POINT MAY NOT BE FAR
AWAY
USA MUST RECONSIDER ITS STRATEGY IN
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ
In the last seven years or so the USA at the
strategic,operational and tactical
level has became a laughing stock for the
world.Starting from the premise that both
USA's total failure or total success would not be
good for world peace,one may state
with confidence that the USA needs to seriously re-
consider its strategy in both Iraq and Afghanistan
and worldwide.
The present situation is that th USA is making the
major effort while its NATO allies less Britain are
just pretending that they are also pushing the bogged

7. down vehicle.This is true for both Iraq and
Afghanistan.If this continues China and Russia will
have the last laugh.
Lets assume that 9/11 was the major historical
development done by non US actors,whether a state
actor/s or a non state actor/s , taking advantage of
which the USA initiated a NEW PLAN
BARBAROSSA or a NEW FINAL SOLUTION to
deal with the multiple issues of energy
resources,Islamic extremism and containing the rise
of China and containing Russia's reassertion and
regeneration.
The US policy makers did not accurately assess the
responses of their stated and non stated
opponents.They failed to give due account to the
important aspect that the enemy or other parties non
state or state actors have an independent will.When
the USA occupied Afghanistan ,Russia brilliantly
adapted.Renewing and putting extra investment in
their old Parchami and Mujahid allies in
Afghanistan.Note that the Mujahids had been
seriously penetrated and converted by 1985 as far as
many sizeable groups were concerned.The Russians

8. contained US influence in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
and countered it in Kirgizistan with a rival Soviet
base.The Iranians did not budge or blink.US forces
in Iraq and Afghanistan presented a golden target for
Islamists in getting a really swift short cut to
paradise.The USA did not make use of the smaller
ethnicities like Baloch or Kurd.They continued to
rely on the multi ethnic larger states and were
decieved and robbed of many billion US dollars.Iraq
was not pacified and its situation to date is unstable
and unpredictable.Iran was strengthened in the
process with a Shia regime in Iraq.Another Shia
regime in Syria,unchallenged and dealt with by the
USA and the Hezbollah in Lebanon.In short the
USA landed into a long term strategic stalemate.A
sitting duck target which can be attacked by guerrila
forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.Its a matter of time
that the anti US forces acquire SAM missiles.And
once this happens the USA would have to rely on
greater troop levels which would be costly and
financially very very draining.
In case of Pakistan the USA again failed to achieve
any of its objectives.If there were any.Pakistan was
not denuclearised.Its non state actors were not

9. pacified.And above all the team which the USA had
handpicked in Pakistan failed to deliver.China
remains healthy and growing.Russia is now riposting
the USA in Georgia and Ukraine and covertly at
many places.In short in seven years of war and with
heavy expenses the USA achieved little.Afghanistan
was not reconstructed but the seeds of its
Balkanistaion firmly planted.All US money went to
US contractors or smaller contractors from
Turkey,Lebanon,South Korea and Afghanistan.
Instead of shifting troops to Afghanistan or enlarge
the war to Iran or Pakistan the USA needs to re-think
its entire strategy.
Some key features of a new strategy may be :--
1-Withdraw from both Iraq and Afghanistan while
retaining bases in the Gulf/Pakistan/Saudi Arabia.
2-Instead of fighting the Al Qaeda or Taliban
directly,let them give a chance to once again become
state actors and present both Russia and China a
serious threat.
3-Retain international goodwill by acting as a power
which stands for peace.

10. 4-Make the regional actors do the job of making the
world a safer place.These include
Russia,China,India,Iran,Saudi Arabia,Iraq,UAE etc.
5-Concentrate on the USA mainland and on
intelligence assets rather than actual physical
combat.
6-Create new client states dependent wholly on US
support in the region.
7-Cease wasting a cent in states like
Afghanistan,Pakistan and Iraq.Afghanistan will be
managed by Russia,China,India,Iran and Pakistan
who will countercheck each other and the area
would have a permanent stalemate with no
victors.Simlarly India and Pakistan will balance each
other.Indians fear Pakistani nuclear devices more
than USA and its Quixotic to think that Pakistani
nuclear devices would ever be used against USA.
The most important feature of the new strategy
would be withdrawal from both Iraq and
Afghanistan.This would immediately lead to a new
power struggle with Iraq and Afghanistans
neighbour also involved deeply rather than being
silent spectators as now.Any Taliban victory in
Afghanistan and any Al Qaeda victory or a Shia

11. victory in Iraq would restart the old Arab Iran
struggle in Iraq.Fat oil rich Arab states would be
spending all the money instead of the USA.In
Afghanistan also any Taliban resurgence would
force Russia ,China,India and Iran to step in and the
Taliban would still be contained without a single US
cent wasted.
The best strategy to make others fight and if fight ,
fight with minimum expense ! Do the American
decision makers have grey matter ! Thats the billion
dollar question !