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Of militancy, operations, and reconciliation
June 24, 2011
US coming hard on Pakistan in alleging soft corner for certain Pakistani extremists, must be reminded of its own funding that promoted militancy in the region that too blended with religion in order to use them shield against the former USSR. That realization of American funding that created Taliban is equally alive in the Americans’ mind as the Secretary State herself confessed in one of her recent statements. Therefore, if the creation of Taliban was a sin, the US was equally involved in it with Pakistan. And now if the US could have soft-corner for the Taliban in Afghanistan how could it blame Pakistani law enforcement have talking terms with the Pakistani Taliban.
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The US by now is evidently rushing for so-called reconciliation with Taliban in Afghanistan. But it has been mounting bizarre pressure on Pakistan, at the same time, to carry out an operation against alleged militants of North Waziristan.
This explicit dual face of the American neo-imperialism is somewhat compulsion for a typical success story in their so-called Af-Pak policy. After elimination of Osama Ben Laden, President Barak Obama needs to make its fruits more visible to the American public to seek another term in office. The American sentiment is bound to build up in favour of Obama’s second term if he succeeds in launching even just a portrayal of reconciliation process with Taliban in Afghanistan and forcing a North Waziristan operation in Pakistan.
This would bring the American drama in Afghanistan to a desired end leaving strong military bases back to tackle China and other irritants in the region as against the apprehensions of it becoming yet another Vietnam. Not only China, Pakistan and Iran, but also even India despite being nuclear partner with US would tend to resist long-term American military presence in Afghanistan after the end of the international forces’ mission there. That is why the US is pressurizing Pakistan parallel to a reconciliation process gaining momentum in Afghanistan to carry out a military operation against North Waziristan.
Operation against North Waziristan wherein the army was already having a heavy deployment means forging yet another war against fellow Pakistanis. Tribal leaders that have been so far cooperating with the law enforcement in expulsion of foreign extremists and also in warding off militants’ infiltration from Afghanistan would become vulnerable as their survival would force them to side with militants. Declaring all tribes in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan as enemies by launching yet another operation in North Waziristan would mean nothing less than a suicide mission. That is why perhaps, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had declared over a year ago that army was not in a position to open up any new front.
Of late, especially after the OBL incident in Abottabad and consequent joint sitting of the Parliament as well as its unanimous resolution, the army has left it to the Parliament to decide whether or not to carry out any operation in North Waziristan. That has rendered the situation a little bit beyond the American influence that forced Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to say that ties with Pakistan were challenging.
These are in that sense one of the difficult times of the American maneuvers’ abroad. The US cannot go beyond a certain limit in pressing Pakistan for North Waziristan Operation as it was fully aware of Islamabad’s critical role in so-called peace process in Afghanistan.
In the wake of Pakistan’s reluctance the US has intensified drone attacks in the tribal areas, chiefly to flare up the sentiment of the locals against America and in turn against the incumbent government and the army.
Pushing Pakistan into a difficult situation by provoking if not stalling Pakistani tribes against the government and the army would not go in the interest of US as well in the longer run.
The government of Pakistan having full backing of both the Parliament and the army must be proactive in the tricky situation at the beginning of a fake transition in Afghanistan. Proactive diplomacy and skillful negotiations were required to secure Pakistan’s national interests.
The US must be told that the Taliban in Pakistan equally deserve the right to reconciliation as do the ones in Afghanistan. Therefore, to advise to move military against hardliners in Pakistan hardly makes sense while opening a reconciliation process with militants across the border.
There are also reports that US at the head of the ISAF was providing certain militants safe exit to Pakistan. Although the US has vehemently denied these allegations but recent incidents of militants’ attacks in efforts to infiltrate into Pakistan give weight to the suspicions.
Pakistani leadership both civil and military must not compromise Pakistan’s interests at this critical juncture when the US was reshaping its presence in Afghanistan with a long-term strategic planning. Even the right of the Pakistani Taliban’s to have a chance to reconcile with the political process must not be forgone or even compromised. The Pakistani leadership needs to capitalize on Islamabad’s essential position in Afghan peace process and US double standards must be resisted.
It is not the issue of choosing between the enemy and ally of the US but that of securing the national interests to the extent of possibility. The leadership must recognize the country’s strengths and the sole supper power of the world should be asked to understand these. While focusing on our strengths and seeking recognition to our sacrifices we should not be apologist on our weaknesses that need to be addressed internally.
US coming hard on Pakistan in alleging soft corner for certain Pakistani extremists, must be reminded of its own funding that promoted militancy in the region that too blended with religion in order to use them shield against the former USSR. That realization of American funding that created Taliban is equally alive in the Americans’ mind as the Secretary State herself confessed in one of her recent statements. Therefore, if the creation of Taliban was a sin, the US was equally involved in it with Pakistan. And now if the US could have soft-corner for the Taliban in Afghanistan how could it blame Pakistani law enforcement have talking terms with the Pakistani Taliban.
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