Alwaght- The British Empire had devised a strategy dubbed as “frozen conflict” in a bid to prevent countries and ethnic groups from gaining power as control them more easily. The strategy in fact sought making the most of the divisions and wars between two sides of a dispute. A frozen challenge between the sides of dispute helped the British to exploit it in the time of need for future objectives.
Now and after over a century, the strategy still fuels tensions across the world as superpowers are taking advantages. The US invasion of Afghanistan and then Iraq, the regional disputes of India and Pakistan on Kashmir, Indo-Chinese border struggles, and the establishment of the Israeli regime in the West Asia regions are very clear examples of rifts profitable to the global powers.
With about 4,000-kilometer common borders, China and India are engaged in deep-rooted territorial conflict that several times led to military encounters. With each of them having over 4 million troops ready for mission, Beijing and New Delhi have been engaged in a contentious neighborhood since the 1962 war. Very latest of the border disputes was a rift over the Doklam border triangle that links China, India, and the small Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. The Sikkim issue, like many disputes in the Himalaya Mountains, is a legacy of the divisive bordering policy of the British Empire in the 19th century. The Sikkim border marks a debate remaining to date since 1890 treaty between the British Empir, the then India's colonizer, and the Chinese ruler Dodman Qing.
The Kashmir dispute also led to drawing new borders more than half a century ago. The disputed border area was divided between India, China, and Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir was India’s share of the border redrawing. Gilgit-Baltistan of greater Kashmir was given to Pakistan. And Aksai Chin of Kashmir went under the Chinese rule.
The disputed area between the three countries is mountainous with the Karakoram mountain range. K2, the second highest mountain in the world, along with a series of other high mountains are located in the area. Once being one of the main areas of the Persian language influence, Kashmir in 19th century was scene to the Indian military deployment with backing from the imperial Britain. Later this heavy military presence provided a cause of border rifts between India and Pakistan, reaching its peak in a series of military confrontations between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The Palestinian cause is another area where the frozen conflict can be well exhibited. In early 19th century, Theodor Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian political activist founded Zionism as an organized movement. The movement launched a campaign to encourage the Jews from around the world to move to Palestine where they bought lands for settlement. Backed directly by Britain, the Zionists eventually formed the Israeli regime in 1949, the year the Second World War ended.
The American policy on Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks provided Tel Aviv with new security environment, with Zionists trying to turn the threats into opportunities in the new security climate. According to this approach, every huge threat brings about a huge opportunity. For example, the 2001 attacks on the US and the subsequent US offensive of Afghanistan created a new opportunity for Israeli regime.
The so-called fight against terrorism that was promoted as the main drive behind the US intervention in Afghanistan was an essential opportunity-building process for Washington and its allies.
As part of the policy of presence in areas close to the opponents, the Israeli regime sought to expand economic, trade, and agricultural relationship with Afghanistan starting since formation of the post-Taliban interim government led by Hamid Karzai who was later elected president of new government after transition period. Israeli firms have always been zealously spurred by the leaders to invest in Afghanistan.
Tel Aviv so far avoided overt meddling in the Afghanistan's political scene due to sensitivity of the Muslim world public opinion to any relation with Israeli regime, but other channels like the allied NATO presence helped Tel Aviv to see Afghanistan desirably militarized and unstable. Still, fear of popular backlash does not bar Tel Aviv from offering Afghanistan aids packages and agricultural system restoration in a bid to convince the Afghanistan politicians for diplomatic involvement.
By tracing the footprints of the Israeli regime in the Central Asian states, it can be concluded that Tel Aviv initially launches its penetration project through agricultural and economic deals, but gradually expands area of cooperation to security, intelligence, and military fields. The best example for such a presence in Central Asia and Caucasia is relationship with Azerbaijan republic where Israeli military and intelligence experts have massive presence.
But the Israeli presence in Afghanistan is not that shrouded with secrecy. Despite the US concerns that Tel Aviv should not publicize its presence in Afghanistan, the Israeli regime sent to Afghanistan a special unit dubbed Sayeret Matkal or Unit 262, tasked with field intelligence-gathering. The unit, formed in the 1960s as part of the Israeli Defense Forces, is comprised of Arab Jews from Asia and Africa, talking in various Arab accents. The Sayeret Matkal's duty was originally penetrating into the Arab societies and carrying out intelligence and destructive operations. Some of its members are disguised in Pakistani dresses for their Afghanistan mission. A number of the Sayeret Matkal agents have been reportedly trained to infiltrate and sabotage Pakistan's nuclear facilities based in Quetta city in southwest of the country.
Being considered illegitimate in the region and feeling insecure, Tel Aviv is heavily relied on its security and intelligence apparatus. Shin Bet at home and the Mossad abroad are both the Israeli intelligence arms serving regime's national security and foreign policy that makes Tel Aviv be deemed as an extraordinarily complicated and dreadful militarist regime.
Tel Aviv installs data-collecting and wiretapping radars and builds big spy centers in areas near Iran's east as well as Pakistan’s north. The same facilities are operating near the Afghanistan borders with China. And Russia is also a target to the Israeli intelligence watchfulness
Since 11 September 2011, Tel Aviv regime has adopted the “adjacent area policy” aimed at penetrating into neighboring countries of its enemies with Iran being its arch-foe.
