SPEAKING FREELY Why is USA targeting Pakistan?
By Yasmeen Ali
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have
their say.
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Pakistan has taken hits in recent reports, being depicted as supporting terror.
But this may be the United States' false tiger and not Pakistan's doing. The
result of such discord could mean a fundamental change to South Asian diplomacy
and relations.
The US has often resorted to presenting a diatribe against their supposed ally
Pakistan. Repeatedly, the US has accused Pakistan of playing a double game,
maneuvering, going behind the US's back to serve self interests.
The most recent has been quite hard hitting with Admiral Mike
Mullen, the outgoing chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, accusing the
Haqqani network of being a veritable arm of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
and being responsible for not only the attack on US Embassy on Kabul but also
the murder of Burhannudin Rabbani, the former Afghan president tasked with
negotiating with the insurgents.
However, the US tends to forget that the interests of Pakistan and the US may
diverge in the interests of each's national security.
The US has expected Pakistan to risk its own national security at the expense
of US's. Pakistan has done this repeatedly. Allowing drone attacks, causing the
deaths of thousands of innocent lives, and according to the Economic Times,
suffered a loss of US$68 billion since becoming an ally to the US in the "war
of terror". In return, Pakistan has received $15-17 billion, a figure which
includes reimbursements of $8.2 billion through the Coalition Support Fund.
These funds are not assistance but a payback of debts incurred according to the
Economic Survey 2010-11. However, in all this period of being allies against
"war on terror", not once has the US endangered its own national security or
economy, for Pakistan.
Englehart quotes Ben Farmer of British Telegraph that the Barack Obama
administration is negotiating a "pact" with the Afghan government, to leave
American "trainers", thousands of them, as well as special operations forces,
and US Air Force elements settled in Afghanistan air bases that the Pentagon
has built until 2024.
The US is now fighting a war Obama promised to end in his election campaign and
to bring the boys home. A promise that was not only never kept but things have
gone from bad to worse with the escalating war and regional issues.
With elections in the US approaching, he needs to give a reason why he failed
to deliver on this most important promise. Replacing al-Qaeda with the Haqqanis
and the supposed involvement and complicity of the ISI with the Haqqanis is the
card to be played.
The only way out of this quagmire of accusations, counter-accusations, lies and
deceit is an early withdrawal of American and North Atlantic Treaty
Organization forces from Afghanistan and an end to this war. Cooler, smarter
heads in Washington must rule and drive home the point, as the problem is the
occupying forces, not Pakistan.
Yasmeen Ali is a lawyer and university professor based in Lahore. She can
be reached at yasmeen.a.9@gmail.com
(Copyright 2011 Yasmeen Ali.)
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have
their say.
Please click hereif you are interested in contributing.
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