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Cooperation Key to Success Along Afghan Border
American Forces Press Service ^
| Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller, USA
Posted on 07/13/2009 11:38:19 AM PDT by SandRat
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 13, 2009 Since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, Pakistan and Afghanistan not only have shared a border, but also a common threat.
U.S. Army Capt. Michael Harrison, speaks with Pakistani army Capt. Fahad at Nawa Pass in Afghanistans Kunar province, July 5, 2009. Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. military members met to discuss continued cooperation and information sharing along the mountainous pass. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. |
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Using early breakdowns in communication along that border to their advantage, insurgents often would attack in one country, only to flee into the other with little or no resistance.
To prevent this, both countries, along with members of NATOs International Security Assistance Force, established regular border meetings, such as one held at Nawa Pass here July 5.
Taking place on the Afghan side of the border, the high mountain pass separating Afghanistans Kunar province and Pakistans federally administered tribal areas is far removed from the metropolitan capitals of Islamabad and Kabul. Here, the three parties sit across from each other outside, talking of family, shared culture and, most importantly, security.
We are fighting the same enemy, said Pakistani army Capt. Fahad. They attack on one side and flee to the other.
Thats why we need to work together to stop them. said U.S. Army Capt. Michael Harrison, commander of 10th Mountain Divisions A Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment.
Separated by only a waist-high barbed wire fence, the area around the Nawa Pass historically was a safe haven for insurgents and smugglers. The area now serves as a crucial example of how cooperation among the three parties can lead to success along the border.
The place is really a measuring stick of the success of what can happen when you have each side sharing security, sharing intelligence, and really understanding what the other is doing, Harrison said.
The success in security has allowed success in development, with the completion of a road improvement project funded by the provinces provincial reconstruction team. The project has opened the remote region to the rest of the province, Harrison said.
The ability to do road construction is a direct result of that increased security, he noted.
Although Harrison admits not every border pass has reached the same level of cooperation as the two checkpoints along the Nawa Pass, he said there has been progress.
Overall theyve been very receptive, he said. Weve seen a great improvement over the past six months weve been here, and if we continue to have leaders like we do in the Nawa Pass, well continue to improve.
(Army Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller serves in the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; border; cooperation; frwn
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07/13/2009 11:38:20 AM PDT
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SandRat
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posted on
07/13/2009 11:38:51 AM PDT
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SandRat
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