WASHINGTON: The United States should not disengage from Afghanistan as it did in the 1990s, which had disastrous consequences for the entire region, warns a US Senate report released on Monday.

The report also described Washington’s government-to-government ties with Pakistan as a “worthwhile arrangement” and urged the US administration to maintain its relations with both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The report also emphasised the need to ensure the continuation of this policy by merging the office of the special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan with the US State Department.

“In the 1990s, US disengagement from Afghanistan proved disastrous for the country, the region and the international community,” the report states.

“Today, the US must avoid making the mistakes of the past and take steps to ensure the strength and sustainability of US assistance spending, diplomatic posture, and regionals as strategy.”

The report notes that the long-term sustainability of the Afghan economy can only be ensured by its “enhanced integration with the region”.

To achieve this target, the report reminds the administration to continue its Silk Route initiative for increasing inter-regional cooperation.

The report examines the development challenges that remain in Afghanistan following the recent political transition and offers a series of recommendations for US assistance approach and civilian presence.

“American lives were lost, vast resources were spent in defence of Afghanistan, and we have an obligation to ensure these gains are not reversed,” said Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, while releasing the report.

“The new Afghan government also has an obligation to address corruption and use US taxpayer resources responsibly,” the report added.

The report, prepared by the committee’s Democratic majority staff, offers to continue economic and military support to Afghanistan but also make it clear that this support will not be unconditional.

HUMAN RIGHTS: It reminds both Afghan and US governments that the spending must be linked to human rights reforms and a curb of widespread corruption in Afghanistan.

The report is designed to be a road map for future US engagement with Afghanistan.

The report points out that US support for the Afghan National Security Forces will be contingent on respect for human rights. The US State Department’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor must be actively engaged at every step in the process of determining the suitability of security assistance recipients. Economic Support Fund assistance for Afghanistan should include at least $10 million of grants to Afghan organisations for conducting oversight of the security sector.

Given the scale of assistance and concerns about robust oversight, this report also recommends an interagency review mechanism to address reported rights abuses.

The report urges the State Department and USAID to produce plans for the sustainability of assistance programs in Afghanistan, without which Congress cannot make fully informed funding decisions.

‘If there is not a clear plan for how program activities – especially infrastructure projects – can eventually be sustained “by Afghans, USAID should not implement them,” the report warns.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2014