Mohib for action against states using terror as policy tool

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): The Afghan Ambassador to the United States Hamdullah Mohib has called for “punitive actions” including sanctions, against countries that use Non-State Actors (NSA) as a foreign policy tool.

Noting that the absence of such a global response, or at least from the world is working with the United Nations Security Council to present before its members all facts and proofs about countries in its neighborhood that is sponsoring terrorism in his country.

In an exclusive interview to Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday, Mohib did not identify Pakistan by name when he sought punitive action against countries that use non-State actors to serve their foreign policy goals.

At the same time, he said Afghan leaders keep on asking their Pakistani counterparts what was that they gain from this.

“A question that we keep asking our Pakistani counterparts constantly, about what is that they gain from this? They obviously have some reasons behind, but not one that is clear to us. There isn’t one that would have a clear rationale. Terrorism is in no one’s interest, and anyone who believes or a country that believes that it may be using it as a tool for its foreign policy objectives, is making a mistake,” Mohib said.

“Because we have seen recently, in the number of attacks that have been carried out in Afghanistan across the country, shows that terrorists don’t have loyalty to anything other than its own agenda in terrorism. They target civilians, places of worship, and ordinary Afghans anywhere, where ever they can hit the target. Where ever they can bring havoc, so investing in terrorism can only result in bad outcomes for the investors,” said the top Afghan Ambassador to the United States.

Mohib said when countries began to use NSAs for the advancement of its policies, whatever that may be, whether foreign policies or trying to influence another nation, it breaks that world order.

“Hence, it’s important to deal with those kinds of activities with strength. There has to be some punitive actions taken, in sanctions, or perhaps the declaration of States as state sponsored (of terrorism). Calling them for what they are, is perhaps the beginning of trying to find a solution to this,” Mohib said.

“If one state is tolerated to use terrorism as a support to proxy non-state actors for its foreign policy, then what’s stopping, or what would be our moral standing to prevent other states from doing the same thing? It’s a very dangerous precedence,” he said.

According to the Ambassador, Afghanistan is working on presenting its evidence to the UN Security Council over the use of terrorism in Afghanistan and their linkages with countries. He however, did not give much details about it.

In recent weeks, there has been increasing call among lawmakers and think-tanks to take punitive action against Pakistan, which they allege, has not bene taking action against terrorist groups like the Haqqani network. The US Defense Secretary, James Mattis, last month, refused to give the necessary certification to Pakistan that it is taking action against the Haqqani network. As a result, the Pentagon blocked about USD350 million of Coalition Support Fund to Pakistan.

Last month Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, moved a legislative amendment to impose graduated diplomatic, military, and economic costs on Pakistan as long as it continues to provide support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

Larry Pressler, a former top American Senator, in a latest book has said that it is time to declare Pakistan a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

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