It’s Time US should accept the Harsh Realities   

By

Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

Pakistani Army Chief General Kayani’s brief and succinct response to the long list of allegations by Admiral Mullen, Pentagon, CIA and US State Department is considered enough for the consumption of all those having misperceptions about Pakistan. This brief response has a message for the US and rest of the world. The message is loud and clear that, US officials are indeed misleading the US people and world at large. It is exactly like they misled the US masses, EU, Arab monarchs and global community before invading Iraq in 2003. CIA led Neoconservatives then projected Saddam Hussain led Iraq as a state having large quantity of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), which is very dangerous for the world peace. However, later events proved that accusation as wrong and misleading. The invaders could not discover any WMD.  It was also proved that, US objectives were different and that indeed it was war for the Iraqi hydrocarbons.

US invasion in Afghanistan in 2001 was part of a similar strategic agenda.  However, after a decade of its brutalities in Afghanistan, US learnt that, Afghan masses have become more hostile and the super power has no acceptance in that country despite spending billions of dollars, the taxpayer’s money. In these long years, US military commanders have been misleading the White House, EU and American masses that they are winning this war. Upon completion of first decade, they found that even US Embassy and ISAF Headquarters at Kabul, a high security zone is not safe from the insurgents. After this they have no excuses to be presented before the American legislatures, US public and its NATO allies for the heavy expenditures and wrong tales they have been narrating to the people beside the wastage of thousands of lives.

 In order to justify its own shortcomings and ill planning and to minimize the effects, U.S military commanders like Admiral Mike Mullen started looking here and there for a scapegoat. Together with envisioned military commanders, the US strategic thinkers could find Pakistan, as the best suited to be a scapegoat to apportion the blame for this most likely US failure in Afghanistan. After all Pakistan is the only country, which has scarified its 35,000, people including 5000 security forces personnel, during ten long years of combating the menace of terrorism. It rightly deserve US bully for siding with it, on a single phone call and acted as a frontline state to bear the brunt of terrorists entered into its porous frontiers along Afghanistan after US invasion in October 2001.  Today at the global level, Pakistan is the only country that has suffered most during the campaign of combating the terrorism in all the fields viz; military, social, economical and above all on account of internal instability.

Thus, General Kayani’s rejection of Admiral Mullen accusations by saying that, these statements are “very unfortunate and not based on fact”, should serve as an eye opener for the Americans and Europeans alike and indeed for the forty-eight countries collation in Afghanistan.  They should now recognize their military marshals, who rather bringing a victory have brought for them a total military failure, indeed, a shame at the hands of ill equipped Afghan insurgents. Declaring Haqqani network as a veritable arm of ISI by admiral Mullen is too low and a tactic of saving his own skin. He indeed is retiring in a few days and has lot of regrets that under his command US Military could have brought victory in Afghanistan. By accusing Pak Army and ISI, he indeed condenses his frustration. But, he is not all alone; it is a group of failed leaders. They include, Defense Secretary Leon Penatta, CIA head General Petraeus and of course Admiral Mullen, beside many others who initially planned the campaign and those who already retired from services. Now, they all are repenting and accusing Pakistan for their failure and presenting Pakistan as the responsible for their failure, as if Pakistan was controlling them and their strategies were made by GHQ Rawalpindi. Now, they cannot befool the world and their own people. It is high time that, this group of failed commanders should present the real picture of their failure before the US law makers and people of USA and other collation partners. These officials must also stop the blame game and work with Pakistan for a peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has always emphasized US to negotiate with the insurgent groups in Afghanistan and opt for a political solution to bring stability in Afghanistan. The military operations, night raids and drone attacks may not bring stability in this war-ravaged country. These operations would further fuel the anti-Americanism and number of militants would keep multiplying. Political solution indeed, is the only way forward in Afghanistan. Such an option would enable U.S and its NATO allies to have an honourable exit from Afghan war zone.

Politically negotiated solution will also enable Afghan groups to have a consensus Government at Kabul, having representation from all factions and ethnic groups. In this way, Afghanistan would not plunge into a civil war, a curse; it experienced during the decade 1990s. Unfortunately, so far U.S fails to buy this idea. The super only believes in power politics, and thought that, perhaps its superior war munitions and well-trained armed forces would bring a victory for it. This did not happen even after a decade of ruthless killing of innocent Afghans by US forces. The only thing US could earn after ten years, a probable defeat at the hands of Afghan insurgents and likely economic collapse back home. 

This is yet another reality that, under the prevalent security environment in South West Asia, the interest driven Pak-US relationship is passing through a very crucial stage in their entire bilateral history. Criticality of this relationship can be well imagined from the fact that, for the first time U.S has threatened Pakistan with a military action against it in North Waziristan Agency, from where according to US, Haqqanis are operating in Afghanistan. Owing to its geopolitical location, Pakistan has served US objectives throughout in its history without a meaningful gain for itself. Rather the unequal alliance has embarrassed Pakistan in most of the time, causing worst internal destabilization of its history, economic collapse and violation of sovereignty by its senior partner. The distrust between these two unequal partners arose during the last one decade mainly owing to the diverging interests is further deepening with each passing day.

The countless accusations and non-recognition of Pakistani role and its contributions against terrorism by US has further betrayed Pakistan. For the U.S, there is a need to understand the Pakistani viewpoint, its domestic and external compulsions, respect its sovereignty, and take into consideration its national interests. Pakistan definitely would not host any foreign network to operate from its soil against any other country. However, for a better future relationship, stability in Afghanistan, it is mandatory that, both sides should reconcile and resort to engage in a constructive negotiation process, while avoiding making public statements and accusations.

The writer is an analyst of IR.