Sequel to Wikileaks

By

Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan

The recent revelations of the Wikileaks have literally shaken the global leadership to their entirety. They would have never expected that the rest of the world would know whatever they shared with even with their most confidential people. The revelations also opened the secrets of many strong governments including US and Britain. A considerable number of documents of the leaks are regarding the Muslim world. It appears that lot of efforts has undergone to create a deeper fissure among the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and some other significant Muslim countries have been the focus of the Wikileaks.

By virtue of being the guardian of the Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia has a special place and respect in the Muslim world. Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has played a significant role towards the unity of the Muslim Ummah. In 2003, once United States was all set to invade Iraq, and asked Saudi Arabia for the use of its air bases against Iraq, the Kingdom strictly refused to provide this facility. This act annoyed United States and it moved out its forces and the Headquarters of Centcom from Saudi Arabia to Qatar. Again, in 2006/7, once US was preparing to strike Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, Saudi Arabia resisted that and refused US for the use of Saudi soil for such an act against a brotherly Muslim country. It was through the efforts of Saudi King Abdullah that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was especially invited in the GCC and was assured that no GCC country would support US for attacking Iran. It was for the first time that head of a non-GCC member (Iran) attended the moot and given a red carpet reception.

In its most recent revelations, the Wikileaks has accused the Kingdom for provoking the United States for launching an attack on Iran for the destruction of its nuclear programme. A number of other leaks have been labelled with the Saudi Arabia, which may cause a fissure among the brotherly Muslim countries. Osama al-Naqli, the spokesperson of the Saudi Foreign Ministry has totally negated the contents of the leaks. He even said that, these reports “do not concern us, therefore, we cannot comment on them.” In a way, Saudi Government has rejected the Wikileaks and condemned this act of accusations. The Wikileaks tried to create many misperceptions between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia too. This network indeed has caused a lot of misperceptions and discomfitures at the level of intra-state and inter-state. As far as Pak-Saudi relationship is concerned, both countries have enjoyed exemplary relationship in their bi-lateral history. In the wording of former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Sultan, “It’s probably one of the closest relationships in the world between any two countries.”  Like Saudi Arabia Pakistan has also condemned the leaks and rejected its leaked documents.

While tracing the history, this deadly network was launched in 2006. It is a Sweden based international organization without any officially notified headquarters. While maintaining the confidentiality of the source, this organization have been publishing many anonymous reports through its website run by ‘The Sunshine Press’. Mr. Julian Assange, an Australian journalist and internet activists is the director and editor in chief of the Wikileaks, however, it is founded by a mix of journalists, mathematicians and technologists from all over the globe. It is funded through the media organizations and world major news papers like; the Los Angeles Times, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and a number of other western media channels. The life history of the Mr. Assange, the editor in Chief of the Wikileaks is full of controversies. Before the current assignment in the wikileaks, he has been a hacker and a computer programmer. According to the investigation of ‘the New Yorker,’ Assange had a suspicious life.

Like its previous leaks, the current documents also alleged Pakistani military establishment and ISI for having a liaison with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and therefore play a double game. So much so that linkages of some of the former ISI officials like General (retired) Hamid Gul, are also being related to the ISI and Pakistani establishment. Attacks on the US and NATO logistic conveys are also being attributed to Pakistan and ISI. The compilers and the writers even forgotten that Pakistani security forces and police is providing the security to all the logistics conveys of the NATO and US.  It is because of Pakistani efforts and sacrifices of its soldiers that NATO and US are still in Afghanistan. Had Pakistan been assisting Afghan Taliban, NATO and U.S would have been evicted long-ago from Afghanistan. Impartial media and analysts believe that bulk of the material of the Wikileaks is either based on sheer misperceptions or else compiled by sources of RAW, Mossad and even CIA.

Apart from creating, the misperceptions between Pakistan and Muslim world especially Saudi Arabia, Wikileaks has tried create fissure between tiers of leadership in Pakistan. The Foreign Office of Pakistan, Director General Inter Services Public Relations and even the Presidential spokesperson, have rejected all these leaks. DG ISPR categorically said on December 4, 2010, that Pakistan Army is committed to work within the laid down limits of the Constitution of Pakistan and that Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, “holds all national leaders in esteem.”  DG ISPR clarified that, “The Amy has a demonstrated policy of supporting the political process within the confines of the constitution of Pakistan.” Indeed, the western media and at times their official have been trying to create misperceptions between the Civil and Military leadership of the country. The DCC meeting and informal meeting between Army Chief and the President is a clear indication that there exist no misunderstanding between Army and civil leadership.

What all has came out of the latest revelations of the Wikileaks is that; United States and its officials have been found highly unreliable and provocative. Their only interest is their country and its future. To attain its aims and objectives, US can go to any extent, may be harming its closest partners like Britain and Saudi Arabia.   As far as Pakistani interests are concerned, U.S has never supported those. It never desired that Pakistan to attain economic self-sufficiency.  Similarly, it has not been a reliable military partner. It provided military hardware to Pakistani Armed Forces once U.S required for its own assistance and thereafter stopped their supply and spare parts too. For years, U.S has been after the nuclear programme of Pakistan. Even during the current leaks of the Wikileaks, a document disclosed that, “United States was secretly making efforts to push Pakistan to accept help in removing highly enriched uranium from one of Islamabad's nuclear facilities.  American officials feared the material could be diverted for use in illicit nuclear weapons.” Pakistan officials however, did not allow U.S experts for such an excess.

The need of the hour is that information on the confidential matters should be disseminated on need to know basis and national interests must remain supreme over personnel. Internally, let us reorient our loyalties with Pakistan only. Moreover, being an ideological country, Pakistan must come forward and make efforts for the unity of Muslim world as it has been doing traditionally. The recent leaks of the Kikileaks should be taken as a lesson for the future unity of Muslim world as well as within Pakistan.

The writer is an analyst of international relations. Email: drmk_edu@yahoo.com