Trying to capture Osama bin Laden and the Taliban is a necessary punishment, but not the solution.
This was the sentiment expressed by Oleg Grinevsky, the former Soviet Union ambassador to Sweden, at a panel discussion entitled "Soviet-Afghan War: Lesson for Today" Friday at Oxley Hall.
"If we eliminate them, it will not change the situation," Grinevsky said. "The terrorist network is an international enterprise which is well-developed."
"If we get lucky, one of the bombs might fall on Osama bin Laden's bunker," said Alam Payind, director of the Middle East Studies Center and panel member. However, if the U.S. continues to use carpet bombs, the number of innocent people killed will rise, he said.
Grinevsky said Afghanistan has endured wars before, including Soviet-Afghan war from 1978 to 1979. However, the Soviet-Afghan war is different than the war the U.S. faces today.
The Soviet Union knew its enemy, he said. For the war the United States is waging, there are many faces to the enemies who are scattered all over the world.
There are 60 terrorist organizations around the world, including some in the United States and Europe.
"The real war against terrorism is not in Afghanistan. The real war hasn't started yet," Grinevsky said. "That is why we are just in the first stage of preparation, which is dealing with Afghanistan."
Payind said Pakistan is the only country which would have all the intelligence about Afghanistan. Therefore, it would benefit the United States to have Pakistan's full cooperation. However, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence might not fully cooperate with the United States.
John Palmer, professor emeritus of Law, asked the panelists what they thought about the current policy the United States is engaging with the war.
After the terrorist attacks, the public opinion was looking for something immediate, which is what they received, Payind said. However, because the Taliban would never hand over bin Laden to the United States, the best policy could be using a third-party.
An example of the third-party policy would be when the two hijackers, harbored by Libya, were tried in the world court in Hague, Netherlands, instead of the United States or Ireland.
"In the case of bin Laden, the third-party option was not given a chance," Payind said.
He said he hopes what happened in Iraq will not occur in Afghanistan. The United States wanted Saddam Hussein killed, he is still alive and the people are the one's suffering.
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