Round Table
No Substitute for Political Agreement – Amb. Larocco
Date: December 19, 2012
December 19 2012, ISLAMABAD – There is no substitute for a political agreement in Afghanistan, and military action alone is not enough to bring an end to the conflict, said James Larocco, director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington and a former ambassador, at a roundtable discussion at the Jinnah Institute in Islamabad on Wednesday. “Militaries don’t solve the problems. Essentially you have to address political issues, and you have to address economic issues. Without addressing those two, militaries accomplish nothing,” said Amb. Larocco, adding that other countries in the region, especially Pakistan, need to be comfortable and feel secure with the political and economic arrangements in Afghanistan. The Jinnah Institute discussion was attended by senior journalists, researchers, former and current Pakistani officials and members of civil society. The roundtable focused on the state of Afghanistan, U.S.-Pakistan relations and the way forward on resolving the issues that have plagued them. Participants agreed that greater people-to-people contacts were necessary for strengthening the relationship, so that both countries better understand each other. Raza Rumi, director of policy and programmes at the Jinnah Institute, stressed the need for improving ties not just between governments and militaries, but also between institutions and people.