Backlash

David Cameron should be unfazed by Pakistani reaction to his remarks and the cancellation of a visit by the ISI. A robust foreign policy is based on telling it as we see it and following British national interests which are clearly defined. We see a stable and economically powerful India as a better partner than the never ending upheaval of Pakistan, run by a tension between democracy, Islamic nationalism, military hegemony, the Taliban and the CIA.

That said there is a role for Pakistan which is pivotal to the future of Afghanistan. There is no future for the NATO military project, as results on the ground show. Last night I watched a BBC news item about a current British offensive to clear Taliban activity from an area. Once a small advance had been made the BBC reporter went in to interview local shopkeepers. They wanted the war to end so that they could get on with their lives. When asked who they supported, the Kabul government or the Taliban, the unanimous answer was the Taliban. The war is clearly lost.

The only way forward is for negotiations with the Taliban, recognising Pakistan’s pivotal role as the immediate Regional Power. An accommodation between the Taliban and Pakistan will be the foundation of peace which can produce stability, albeit in a somewhat medieval model to Western eyes. Economic aid and a big push by business to develop the natural resources of the stabilised region will bring its own momentum towards social advancement. The best that can be done for Kazai is a safe passage to Miami. He has his chance and he blew it. We owe him nothing but his life.

Arabs say of Britain that it is best to be her enemy, because she buys her enemies but sells her friends. A straight, open and realistic foreign policy will help to dispel a perception with a ring of truth. It is also necessary for the government to recognise that its own people now know for sure that these futile wars have left our streets less, not more, safe. All around the game is up.