There could be differences over the style of governance but ruling party leadership and military leadership seem to be on the same page so far as security, stability and sovereignty of the country is concerned.
President Asif Ali Zardari’s statements regarding respect of state institutions, his stance on stopping drone attacks and Kashmir are encouraging. This is reflective of a change from his earlier position when to appease America he had said that there was no threat from India; Pakistan would not resort to first-use of nukes and had expressed his gratitude on passage of the Kerry-Lugar law with ignominious conditions. Addressing PPP workers at Governor’s House in Lahore, Zardari said a clash among state institutions would not only be detrimental for the government but also for democracy. The president described the water crisis as the “biggest challenges” facing the country, and said efforts for the liberation of Jammu and Kashmir were not just aimed at acquiring land, they rather went “far beyond this”. This is all very encouraging but he has yet to declare that he will not tolerate corruption from any member of his party; and once he does it he will improve his image. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi have also picked up the courage to tell the Americans that they cannot have their own way and continue insulting and bullying Pakistan. The government has realized that armed forces have given tremendous sacrifices during operation in SWAT, Malakand and now in South Waziristan, but Americans’ demands are increasing. Now they want the army to conduct operation in North Waziristan. They have already started talking about Quetta Shura and would ask Pakistan to start operation there as well. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the American envoy had been told in no uncertain terms that continuing or escalating drone attacks and ground operations inside Pakistan by US forces would hurt mutual ties. He protested on the enhanced discriminatory security measures at US and European airports against Pakistanis, which he thought tantamount to racial profiling. He is absolutely right because America has done nothing to address the security concerns of Pakistan, as India is fully entrenched in Afghanistan and continues using its consulates to destabilize Pakistan. Realizing Pakistan’s strategic location and importance, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on the floor of the parliament that America cannot win the war in Afghanistan without Pakistan’s support. In his meeting with Holbrook, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani grilled him on the issue of delayed Coalition Support Fund payments - the figure of which is well over $ 2 billion. On the contentious issue of delayed visas for American officials and others, the prime minister promised quick redress but he would not cave into pressure and let Americans go around armed with prohibited-bore arms and move around in vehicles without number plates or with fake number-plates. They should realize that Pakistan is not colony. Holbrooke in effort to calm Pakistanis disclosed about US aid for the energy sector, which would amount to $ 4 billion over four years, starting with the $ 16.5 million aid for Tarbela’s power generation enhancement. But Pakistani leadership seems to have made up its mind that for the sake of aid, Pakistan’s sovereignty would not be bartered away. The prime minister and foreign minister are bitter because despite Pakistan’s loss of $35 billion in cost, in loss of production and revenue, and destruction caused by the terrorists, Americans continue with the litany of doing more. Though Admiral Mike Mullen and the NATO Stanley McChrystal in their recent statements had acknowledged the fact of India’s undue influence in Afghanistan but they could not persuade their government to take practical measures to address Pakistan’s concerns. Recently there were conjectures that the US could expand drone attacks beyond the Tribal Areas and Special Forces raids in Pakistan against Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but Pakistan made it clear that it will embitter the relations between the US and Pakistan. In 2005 also America had created a task force and with the help of Special Forces the CIA had planned to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive, who was purported to be in Pakistan side of the border. Later the plan was dropped, as the US realized that Pakistan may withdraw from the war on terror and things will spin out of control. The US military leadership and CIA know full well that Pakistan’s armed forces have the capacity and capability to meet the challenges posed by the terrorists and could deal with the shenanigans of the CIA. They do know that Pakistan army has been fighting without the protective gear and night-vision goggles, which reportedly were given after the military operation was launched in South Waziristan. Historian Mack Moyer in his book titled ‘Triumph Forsaken e: The Vietnam War 1954-65’ opined that to win the war it was necessary to go all out. He wrote: “An all-out war would have meant a massive bombing campaign, mining Hanoi’s port and sending troops in the Laos and Cambodia to cut off the North’s all-important sanctuaries and re-supply routs, the Ho Chi Minh Trail”. However, Lyndon Johnson’s advisors were reluctant and fearful in part of dragging China and Russia into a larger war. Today, President Obama seems to be convinced that America and its allies are losing the war in Afghanistan, which is why he has planned an exit strategy. With additional boots in Afghanistan, they would do their best for turnaround and in case they fail they are likely make Pakistan a scapegoat to cover up their failures. One should recall 1970s, when America was losing war in Vietnam and its leadership was forced by American public and the world to withdraw from Vietnam. The US then started propaganda against Cambodia and Laos for providing sanctuaries to Viet Cong guerrillas. They bombed Cambodia flat and also destroyed infrastructure of Laos and reportedly dropped napalm bombs and used chemical weapons. Today, Afghanistan war has become a very unpopular war and there is a pressure from American public to withdraw from Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the majority Pushtuns were pushed against the wall and the result was that after eight years the US, NATO and Afghan forces could not control more than 30 per cent of Afghanistan, whereas 70 per cent of Afghanistan is still beyond the writ of Kabul. Though during the last surge of 21000 troops the US had increased its forces bringing the coalition total to 110,000 yet they failed to rein in the Taliban. Some analysts are of the view that American troops would try to take control of a few big cities, build military bases their and increase Afghan army’s strength. Then the US would say that it has secured Afghanistan and it is ready to withdraw from Afghanistan. In fact, it would be better for the US and its allied forces to quit Afghanistan right now because ultimately people of Afghanistan have to decide about their destiny, as the US and its allies have not only failed to protect life and property of the citizens but also could not make any headway in the nation-building process. In September 2009 as many as 56 bipartisan members of US Congress moved a bill seeking an exit-strategy from Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari’s statements regarding respect of state institutions, his stance on stopping drone attacks and Kashmir are encouraging. This is reflective of a change from his earlier position when to appease America he had said that there was no threat from India; Pakistan would not resort to first-use of nukes and had expressed his gratitude on passage of the Kerry-Lugar law with ignominious conditions. Addressing PPP workers at Governor’s House in Lahore, Zardari said a clash among state institutions would not only be detrimental for the government but also for democracy. The president described the water crisis as the “biggest challenges” facing the country, and said efforts for the liberation of Jammu and Kashmir were not just aimed at acquiring land, they rather went “far beyond this”. This is all very encouraging but he has yet to declare that he will not tolerate corruption from any member of his party; and once he does it he will improve his image. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi have also picked up the courage to tell the Americans that they cannot have their own way and continue insulting and bullying Pakistan. The government has realized that armed forces have given tremendous sacrifices during operation in SWAT, Malakand and now in South Waziristan, but Americans’ demands are increasing. Now they want the army to conduct operation in North Waziristan. They have already started talking about Quetta Shura and would ask Pakistan to start operation there as well. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the American envoy had been told in no uncertain terms that continuing or escalating drone attacks and ground operations inside Pakistan by US forces would hurt mutual ties. He protested on the enhanced discriminatory security measures at US and European airports against Pakistanis, which he thought tantamount to racial profiling. He is absolutely right because America has done nothing to address the security concerns of Pakistan, as India is fully entrenched in Afghanistan and continues using its consulates to destabilize Pakistan. Realizing Pakistan’s strategic location and importance, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on the floor of the parliament that America cannot win the war in Afghanistan without Pakistan’s support. In his meeting with Holbrook, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani grilled him on the issue of delayed Coalition Support Fund payments - the figure of which is well over $ 2 billion. On the contentious issue of delayed visas for American officials and others, the prime minister promised quick redress but he would not cave into pressure and let Americans go around armed with prohibited-bore arms and move around in vehicles without number plates or with fake number-plates. They should realize that Pakistan is not colony. Holbrooke in effort to calm Pakistanis disclosed about US aid for the energy sector, which would amount to $ 4 billion over four years, starting with the $ 16.5 million aid for Tarbela’s power generation enhancement. But Pakistani leadership seems to have made up its mind that for the sake of aid, Pakistan’s sovereignty would not be bartered away. The prime minister and foreign minister are bitter because despite Pakistan’s loss of $35 billion in cost, in loss of production and revenue, and destruction caused by the terrorists, Americans continue with the litany of doing more. Though Admiral Mike Mullen and the NATO Stanley McChrystal in their recent statements had acknowledged the fact of India’s undue influence in Afghanistan but they could not persuade their government to take practical measures to address Pakistan’s concerns. Recently there were conjectures that the US could expand drone attacks beyond the Tribal Areas and Special Forces raids in Pakistan against Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but Pakistan made it clear that it will embitter the relations between the US and Pakistan. In 2005 also America had created a task force and with the help of Special Forces the CIA had planned to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive, who was purported to be in Pakistan side of the border. Later the plan was dropped, as the US realized that Pakistan may withdraw from the war on terror and things will spin out of control. The US military leadership and CIA know full well that Pakistan’s armed forces have the capacity and capability to meet the challenges posed by the terrorists and could deal with the shenanigans of the CIA. They do know that Pakistan army has been fighting without the protective gear and night-vision goggles, which reportedly were given after the military operation was launched in South Waziristan. Historian Mack Moyer in his book titled ‘Triumph Forsaken e: The Vietnam War 1954-65’ opined that to win the war it was necessary to go all out. He wrote: “An all-out war would have meant a massive bombing campaign, mining Hanoi’s port and sending troops in the Laos and Cambodia to cut off the North’s all-important sanctuaries and re-supply routs, the Ho Chi Minh Trail”. However, Lyndon Johnson’s advisors were reluctant and fearful in part of dragging China and Russia into a larger war. Today, President Obama seems to be convinced that America and its allies are losing the war in Afghanistan, which is why he has planned an exit strategy. With additional boots in Afghanistan, they would do their best for turnaround and in case they fail they are likely make Pakistan a scapegoat to cover up their failures. One should recall 1970s, when America was losing war in Vietnam and its leadership was forced by American public and the world to withdraw from Vietnam. The US then started propaganda against Cambodia and Laos for providing sanctuaries to Viet Cong guerrillas. They bombed Cambodia flat and also destroyed infrastructure of Laos and reportedly dropped napalm bombs and used chemical weapons. Today, Afghanistan war has become a very unpopular war and there is a pressure from American public to withdraw from Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the majority Pushtuns were pushed against the wall and the result was that after eight years the US, NATO and Afghan forces could not control more than 30 per cent of Afghanistan, whereas 70 per cent of Afghanistan is still beyond the writ of Kabul. Though during the last surge of 21000 troops the US had increased its forces bringing the coalition total to 110,000 yet they failed to rein in the Taliban. Some analysts are of the view that American troops would try to take control of a few big cities, build military bases their and increase Afghan army’s strength. Then the US would say that it has secured Afghanistan and it is ready to withdraw from Afghanistan. In fact, it would be better for the US and its allied forces to quit Afghanistan right now because ultimately people of Afghanistan have to decide about their destiny, as the US and its allies have not only failed to protect life and property of the citizens but also could not make any headway in the nation-building process. In September 2009 as many as 56 bipartisan members of US Congress moved a bill seeking an exit-strategy from Afghanistan.
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