LONDON, Oct 28: Disagreeing with his Tory colleague Lord Ashdown’s assertion that the war in Afghanistan is already lost, Conservative leader Liam Fox in his Commentary (Afghanistan must not be lost) in the Sunday Telegraph has called upon the Muslim world to contribute to the war effort as, according to him, the conflict and reconstruction in Afghanistan was not simply a Nato issue but one for the whole international order.

He said the Muslim world in general and countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular were under serious threat from Al Qaeda.

“Of course, Pakistan has been facing the brunt of the fighting against Al Qaeda along the Durand-Line, but other Muslim contributions have been all too limited.

With the exception of an Egyptian field hospital at Bagram Air Base, a few dozen Special Operations Forces from the UAE, and a handful of Jordanian engineers during the early days of the conflict, Arab participation has been almost non-existent in Afghanistan

“We cannot allow ourselves to be out-manoeuvred by a fanatical but politically astute enemy. Osama wants to force us into a position where he can claim that he is the leader of the Muslim world against an aggressive Western-dominated world.

He and his supporters openly advocate a return to the caliphate, which is why he uses the historic language of the crusades, of infidels against Muslims.

“It is essential that we win not only the military conflict in Afghanistan, but the wider political and intellectual battle in the Muslim world.

“….the security of many moderate Muslim countries is just as threatened by a resurgent Al Qaeda as is the security of the West, or of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

We need to use every diplomatic channel and political opportunity to coax them to do more.”