WHOSE WAR IS IT, ANYWAYS?
November 18, 2009 by Raja Mujtaba · 6 Comments
HOW AMERICA CAN SEE THE DESTRUCTION OF IT’S MOST TRUSTED ALLY?
By Sohail Parwaz
During last year for quite some time the talk was in the air that American President Barrack Hussein Obama was resolute to send some more troops to Afghanistan. The presidential orders were issued, as soon as the New Year arrived and through these orders additional American troops something like seventeen thousand were allocated for their new duties in the most troubled waters of the world, a country known as Afghanistan. However this fresh pumping in of the troops was delayed quicker than its implementation, for an indefinite period because the Americans and the Europeans strongly believed (and they still believe) that merely the force is not an ultimate solution to deal with the militants in Afghanistan and the terrorists nesting in the trans-frontier adjacent tribal localities of Pakistan. This new American thinking is totally divergent to the mawkish Bush administration’s policies for Afghanistan and the other countries of the region and this could only be expected from bamboozled Barrack Hussein Obama, the Gorbachev of the West, who got Nobel Prize for Peace, for the achievements not known to him until now.
Another reason which fetched embarrassment to the American designs was their irrational demand from Pakistan, as a frontline partner to them in the war on terror, to ‘do more’ without realising the latter’s limitations. Americans probably didn’t remember that no government alone can take the decisions of the global significance without having the consent of their bureaucracy, establishment and above all the people. They chose to keep General Musharraf as their friend and partner and ignored Pakistani nation, the result was there. This war, despite Pakistan’s sincerest efforts, didn’t reveal the results desired by the Americans. Pakistan consistently appealed to the world community not to push Pakistan against the wall. A time came when a notable section of the western media also realised the grievance about their biased attitude, hence started vouching the Paki point.
If in all honesty, one looks back at the performance of Coalition Forces in the war on terror vis-à-vis Pakistan’s role during last seven years then any truthful conscience would find Pakistan’s performance, sacrifices and contribution alone, much more than the total output of the former. Hence one finds Pakistani president Zardari justified in saying that the western world should announce their achievements in the GWOT during the last seven years, which I fear they have very less.
The aim is not to put a feather in Pakistan’s cap for its role in this most hectic, lethal and bloody war but to make the world aware that Pakistan by itself is not in a position to deliver the goods, nevertheless the latter is delivering that to the best of its ability. Moreover, frankly speaking, primarily this was never our war, why Pakistan should have stuck its neck in a war that was not bothering us? This question would always remain to be answered and may get some by the neck. Subsequently when we played wrong cards we were trapped through a good pincer move planned by the Zionist dominated US and NATO forces along with India and Israel that were always there to drag us into it. Our failure to read the situation got us into a war that was never ours.
The world at no point should forget that Pakistan is rendering these sacrifices to make world more peaceful. The smart and (some of them newlywed) young officers and the soldiers of Pakistan army are laying their lives not for any monetary benefits or gains. Our enemy is trying its best to turn every peaceful city and town into hell while the forces are furiously fighting every gunfight as the last gunfight at the OK Corral and their every stand is as firm and pitched as the last stand at Papago Wells. Why they are doing this all? Not merely for their own self. They are laying their precious lives to make this world more peaceful and secure for the generations to come. Sane are botched and unable to understand that why one must always be prompted every now and then that this is not Pakistan’s war only.
As mentioned earlier that the main reason for the failure of the Western policy about the GWOT is the Euro-American discrimination while dealing with Pakistan. Some odd voice about not leaving Pakistan alone in this crucial time and the hour of need is hardly audible. The world must avoid treating Pakistan as a scapegoat. Pakistanis love peace, like any other citizen of the world does, but not at the cost of their humiliation and thanklessness. It really hurts them when they come across the irresponsible and humiliating write ups on every available media forgetting what they are doing and inanely asking them to ‘do more’.
The latest example is of Kerry-Lugar Bill through which Pakistan is granted an aid of 7.5 billion dollars for next five years – exactly comes to 1.5 billion dollar a year – which is nothing more than peanuts. The point to remember is that this aid is for the civil sector and not for the military ventures. Another query is that is this the amount which the Americans are spending directly for their own forces to fight the same war (unsuccessfully) at the multiple theatres around the world? Let’s not put out of our mind that neither anyone is giving this aid as a charity to Pakistan nor it is some kind of a favour. Every day with one odd suicide-bomber, are also blown off a score of innocent passer-bys and peaceful citizens. Do they give their lives for this petty aid? I am sure that fair folks would like this aid to commensurate Pakistan’s war. This double jeopardy here in Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan ensures safety, security and peace to their world mates in the US and Europe. Hence it is vital to get one thing down in our mind that this war is as good of the Americans and Europeans as it is of the Pakistanis.
There is yet another flaw in the American policies and that’s regarding their discriminatory attitude towards Pakistan as compared to their love lost for the Indians. The worrisome issue is the Indian ingress in Afghanistan, which is steadily increasing day by day. I would not hesitate in saying again that the Indians are working on a three-fold agenda – the Great Game-II, dismemberment of Pakistan and total influence in Afghanistan. The total influence in Afghanistan is a multi-purpose Indian objective, which is supporting the ‘Elimination Agenda’ as well as the ‘Great Game Nostalgia’. Since making that big a ‘hop’ is not possible for the Indians, hence the obliteration of the rest of Pakistan on the lines of the devastation of East Pakistan is considered obligatory by the Indian think tanks, who are foreseeing India as an active participant of the Great Game-II. It is a fact that the number of Indian consulates in Afghanistan is irrational if compared to the size of a ‘frying pan’ like Afghanistan.
More alarming is the opening of the Indian consulates close to Pakistan’s borders. It would be too farfetched to think that these consulates have any legitimate requirement for performing diplomatic activities. Usually the functions of the consulate of any country are confined to looking after commerce, taking care of its nationals residing in that country, and, handling the issues of visas. But these Indian consulates are distinctively active in sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Pakistan and stoking unrest in Balochistan and FATA.
During the last couple of years, India has set up a number of camps in Afghanistan to train
Afghans and desperate Pakistanis, disguised as Taliban but actually as mutineers to destabilise Pakistan. The Indian training camps located inside Afghanistan at the Afghan military base of Qushila Jadid, north of Kabul; near Gereshk in Southern Helmand Province; in the Panjshir Valley, northeast of Kabul; and at Khahak and Hassan Killies in western Nimroz province are very well looked after by these Indian consulates. Establishing of Indian Bases in Central Asia has no logic for a country that can’t feed or shelter its millions of poor.
Afghans and desperate Pakistanis, disguised as Taliban but actually as mutineers to destabilise Pakistan. The Indian training camps located inside Afghanistan at the Afghan military base of Qushila Jadid, north of Kabul; near Gereshk in Southern Helmand Province; in the Panjshir Valley, northeast of Kabul; and at Khahak and Hassan Killies in western Nimroz province are very well looked after by these Indian consulates. Establishing of Indian Bases in Central Asia has no logic for a country that can’t feed or shelter its millions of poor.People here in Pakistan frustratingly ask one question that who is the frontline ally of the West in the ongoing war on terror? If it is Pakistan then why the Americans must have a needless romance with the Indians? If the Americans are genuinely keen to win this war on terror and to see the ‘Uncircumcised Taliban’ licking the dust then they must rein the Indians and that’s the bottom-line. So besides fully supporting Pakistan in this war, the world must strap those rouge powers that are adding fuel to the fire and practically funding and giving arms to the alien terrorists present anywhere in Pakistan.
It is high time that the world should remember that to win this war it should not count the obligation as a favour and should stand beside Pakistan devotedly to face and fight it, if they are serious to win it or else some other solitary survivor is likely to fall back on a stumbling pony.
Sohail Parwaz is an accomplished writer who writes regularly for Opinion Maker.
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I was just sitting with my friend at starbucks few hours ago and this is exactly what i was telling him. I know some pakistanis and indians personally and i must say that Pakistanis are a great nation. And i feel extremly guilty for cornering them and being so ignorant. I told my Paki colleague about how sorry i am on behalf of American nation.
India has been truly playing as a filthy lizard who joins hands with Russia in order to take revenge from our old ally Pakistan and afterwards weaken our strength eventually, i wonder what our ignorant government has in its mind.
We have no clue about how millions of them are loosing their precious lives everyday. May God has mercy on their souls ! Amen !
Pray, for end to ALL WARS! PRAY, to the great Author of all Good, for restoring of justice, mercy and healing; for return to calm, merciful,
freindly hearts in every person on earth. No more hate, harm or cruelty forever. Let’s work to forgive, forget-anger and help heal all the injuries caused by those who spread hate so they, can make-money from our pains.
I PRAY TO JESUS, WHO SAID WHILE HANGING ON THE CROSS;
“fORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DO NO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.”
Joe Spenner
I reciprocate Joe’s feelings and sentiments. Nevertheless, I am surprised that how come my comments in response to your comments, posted yesterday are not visible today? Quite asonishing! I didnt say something wrong.
Very thought provking piece. It is high time for the Americans not to betray their sincere and trusted allies who stand by them during the hard times. They must do away with their selfish and business relation nature because that wont pay.
Excellent work by the writer.
Thanks Xiang. I am grateful.
A well-balanced article of Mr Sohail Parwaz, which encompasses the current political turmoil and international crisis, prevailing in Afghanistan , exposing US flawed policies in the region–What’s been very clear from what President Obama as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense have been saying is this: Even though they haven’t used the term “losing,” they do say there is a “stalemate” or “we’re not winning.” That is an acknowledgement that you are losing. What’s changed, if anything, is that Americans now understand the stakes in Afghanistan are awfully big. And while the president’s speeches have made the war somewhat more popular, at this moment, many polls show more Americans fail to support the war than support it. So, is it still a popular war? Probably not. Obama announced a set of concepts, and they’re good concepts and many other people support them. It’s important to know that he was in some ways rushed into making decisions because you have to act now if you’re going to deal with the 2009 military season in Afghanistan this summer and fall. Out of what he announced, one of the key points had nothing to do with troop training, it was a new focus on diplomacy, particularly regarding Pakistan. Pakistan, if not the key element in the war, is certainly equal to Afghanistan in importance. It will take a combination of diplomacy, aid, and U.S. pressure to bring Pakistan into the war. And what he described for Afghanistan was a policy where there had to be real pressure put on the Afghan government to do its share.