Security adviser heads for Pakistan

Australia is so concerned about security issues in Pakistan it is sending National
Security Adviser Duncan Lewis to the deeply troubled nation in the coming days.

Asked for his thoughts on the Afghan war that has spread into Pakistan, Mr Lewis was
frank.
"It makes me very worried," he told students during a lecture at the University of
Canberra.
"I am very worried about where and how we are progressing with the Afghan issue,
it's too early at this stage to say what kind of impact the current strategy is
having.
"I'll be visiting Pakistan very, very shortly."
Following a surge of some 30,000 US troops ordered by President Barack Obama last
year, there is now a major offensive underway in the Helmand province.
It was revealed on Saturday the offensive is the start of a plan that will see
allied forces attack the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar later this year.
Mr Lewis went on to suggest the aims of the US and NATO in the Afghan campaign,
which has now been running for more than eight years, possibly needed to be
reconsidered.
"I guess our aspirations need to be properly calibrated," he said.
"Certainly many considered Afghanistan to be a place where you could achieve a lot
more than perhaps we will be able to."
The history books show many attempts by invading forces to take control of
Afghanistan, in modern times none have claimed any sort of victory.
Mr Lewis pointed to the many troubles of the so-called soft war - the development of
aid programs, building schools, providing jobs to young men that may otherwise join
the well paying Taliban.
"In the province of Oruzgan where we are currently operating Australian troops the
director of education ... is illiterate.
"Now that's a fairly low base to be coming from when you're trying to have a
developmental program."
While the problems of Afghanistan are troubling, Mr Lewis described Pakistan as "all
together a more enormous problem in terms of its potential impact".
"There are issues around the security of the state of Pakistan."
The nuclear armed Islamic state is hounded by al-Qaeda and its affiliates and
civilians are routinely killed in bombings.
"I think there has been a period of denial, in some respects, about the potential
impact of internal strife, the operations in the Swat Valley in the last couple of
months are a very good example of that."