Pakistan-Afghanistan-US Relations
0 comments | by Dr Shahid Qureshi
There seems to be no clear policy of Zardari regime as how to deal with the challenges concerning the US lead military occupation of Afghanistan and drone attacks on Pakistan. Pakistan suffered approximately $60 billion economic losses, deployed more than 147,800 troops conducting combat operations in the tribal areas along the Afghan border. The Pakistan armed forces has lost more than 3,200 soldiers, with another 6,400 injured. They sustain an average of 10 casualties each day, and approximately 30,000 Pakistani civilians killed by suicide bombers and terrorism. The so called democratic government left everything in the court of The Armed Forces to deal with, which has already paid very heavy price in terms of financial and human cost. This detachment of the Zardari regime is seen as if they are undermining, damaging and colluding with the enemies of the state of Pakistan. There should have been a review from the government which completely failed to protect the national interests of the state. There is no doubt that problems in Pakistan are due to the US policies and occupation of Afghanistan and not the other way around. US is in habit of blaming others for the failures of its policies as it was in the case of Vietnam i.e. blaming the neighbours, shifting the blame and not taking responsibility. I have discussed following issues on various occasions in the past years as how US policies affected Pakistan as well as the region:-
- US Plan ‘B’ in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan costing $7 Billion per month to US tax payers
- US harmed Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity
- US rule by Pakistani Agents
- Recruitment of US Agents in Pakistan
- US Policy of displacement and creating refugees
- US ignore Indian Army’s Genocide in Kashmir
- Mumbai Bombing: Keep Pakistan under Pressure (why US have not claimed compensation from Israel for the USS Liberty killings)
- Drone Attacks: Pakistan should go to International Criminal Court
- US military complexes prolonging War in Afghanistan
- US to commit suicide in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas (FATA)
- Indian Game in Afghanistan
- Conspiracy to constitutionally undo country
- US policy of Disposables Diplomacy
(1) US plan ‘B’ in Afghanistan. Any plan B in Afghanistan would make the exit
hard, even difficult for US and allies. Now they have one Qandahar ‘Pashtuns’ with plan B they will have three Qandahars of Uzbeks and Tajiks in Afghanistan. There is only one way to solve the problems in Afghanistan and that is way out of Afghanistan without defeated. Shifting the blame on Pakistan would make things worse for US and allies as it would be like ‘blaming the pope and living in Rome’. Afghan venture is costing too much to the US tax payers as following report confirms.
(2) Afghanistan costing $7 Billion per month to US tax payer. “U.S. expenditures on Afghanistan are now nearly $7 billion per month. This course would not make sense because U.S. interests in Afghanistan are not high enough to justify such an investment. The United States now deploys about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, yet according to the CIA; there are now only 50 to 100 al Qaeda fighters there. That is between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers and perhaps a billion dollars per terrorist each year -- far beyond any reasonable expenditure of U.S. resources given the stakes involved. The original U.S. military objective in Afghanistan was to destroy al Qaeda, not to fight the Afghan Taliban, and that goal has largely been accomplished”, according to ‘Foreign Affairs’ report January/February 2011, Plan B in Afghanistan - Why a De Facto Partition Is the Least Bad Option’ by Robert D. Blackwill
(3) US harmed Pakistan’s economy, sovereignty and integrity. Keeping in view the above spending in Afghanistan by the US, and its support to Pakistan proves that USA has abused Pakistani state, its infrastructures as well caused over thousands military deaths and over 30,000 civilian deaths. So called US friendship to Pakistan proved to be lethal, poisonous as well undermine the foundations of the country. There is no doubt Pakistan’s economy suffered approximately $60 billion losses by the US led fraudulent ‘War on Terror’ in Afghanistan because before the war Pakistan’s annual trade with Afghanistan was about $2 billion a year. But who is going to bell the cat and tell US that your trigger happy policy made Pakistan suffer economically as well as human losses to the Pakistani citizens. Over all Pakistan’s economy and people suffered losses approximately $60 billion in the past 10 years. The burden of over 2.5 million Afghan Refugees living in Pakistan for 30 years as result of first US led adventure against Soviets since 1979. On the basis of logic and probability US friendship with the State of Pakistan has proved to be fatal, harmful, damaging and one sided?
(4) US rule by Pakistani Agents. US must connect with the people of Pakistan and abandon policy of ‘rule by assets’ because it is not long standing and credible. The Indianised elements in the US administration are misleading the country on the instigations of some lobbies and made US and its friends in Pakistan a symbol of ‘shame and treachery’. The State of Pakistan does not owe anything to the US because United States has taken full advantage of every dollar spent and profited from this love hate relationship. Some corrupt Pakistanis might have become rich but State of Pakistan has suffered with the treacherous policies adopted and accepted by these individuals ‘assets’. They see US as ‘us’ and not United States. So how can it be a dialogue when people negotiating are considered as US assets? Pakistan - U.S. relations should base on mutual respect and equality.
Hussain Haqqani Pakistani ambassador to US should be arrested for issuing visas to ‘private mercenaries’ with special powers given to him by President Zardari. He issues visas without security clearance from the Pakistani agencies while his wife Farah Isphani minding President Zardari in Islamabad. Hussain Haqqani reportedly issued 10,521 visas from July to November 2009 to the Americans. He issued approximately 500 Pakistani visas in 24 hours using special powers given by President Zardari.
(5) Recruitment of US Agents in Pakistan. Ironically Pakistani governments and the establishment have always facilitated the US policies? US enjoy this advantage because it has an elaborate plan to ensure its grip on the governing infrastructure of Pakistan. Amongst a number of ostensibly innocent ways to ensure this control, two are quite prominent. One is the 'International Visitor Programme and the other is Fulbright Scholarship. Under visit programme, US attracts important / influential members of Pakistani society i.e. politicians, civil/military bureaucrats, journalist, intellectuals etc by offering a visit to US under privileged arrangements. During these visits, required people are spotted and later on engaged to work for both short and long term US interests in Pakistan. It does not end here, later on; these people are also assisted and supported to progress in their fields to reach targeted positions of high value from where they can provide required service to their masters. Every year short listing of the potential individuals is done by the existing sources in respected fields that are duly supervised by US embassy. A complete profile of the short listed individuals is made with special emphasis on strong / weak areas. These areas of the individuals are exploited during their visits / tours to US and they are motivated or forced to work for US interests. Lucrative postings of the armed forces for UN peace missions can be a good networking start for future assets.
According to reports, ‘since FATA has become an important area for US, five Pakistanis from FATA were selected to go to US where they stayed for almost a month. Baluchistan carries a similar position for US, so no wonder US regularly sends short listed Baluch nationalists on these visits. US efforts on Pakistani politicians of the mainstream parties never stop. Currently, more than a dozen sitting MNAs (Members of National Assembly) of leading political parties are on a trip to US. It is interesting to note that most of these MNAs are members of Parliament's Standing Committee for Defence, which indicates that US wants to develop source to keep a closer eye on Pakistan's defence infrastructure including the nuclear asset.
In 43 years from 1964 to 2007, total numbers of Pakistanis visited USA was 710 but the numbers shot up in 2007-2008 when 207, Pakistanis have visited US under Fulbright scholarship? These sponsored visits to US cover almost all important fields of Pakistani society which include Armed Forces / civil bureaucracy (both senior and junior levels) religious scholars, politicians, businessmen, media personnel and students”. The beneficiaries of this US patronage, work for their master on long term bases and reach place of strategic value. All the way through, heavy financial rewards and full protection is guaranteed to these individuals in case they are in trouble. One can simply recall a number of journalists, politicians and bureaucrats, who were caught for their wrongdoings but went scot free to the utter surprise of every one. It was known later that US government exerted pressure for such releases. It would be wise if USA and others connect with the people of Pakistan then recruiting, investing and protecting small ‘chiefs or thieves’.
(6) US Policy of displacement and creating refugees. US policies around the world and especially in Pakistan created refugees and internally displaced people in SWAT and FATA to further destabilize the country. Millions of people in Pakistan are waiting to be fully rehabilitated; 2.5 million Afghan refugees are burden on the economy on Pakistan as well as social problems. They can’t go back US and NATO have occupied Afghanistan and fighting an unwinnable war. All this is happening as part of US design and not mere co incidents i.e. keep turmoil in the country.
(7) US ignore Indian Army’s Genocide in Kashmir. US have forgotten about the sufferings and miseries of the people in Indian occupied Kashmir. US has ignored 92685 killings, 115877 arrests, 15665 home demolitions, by Indian Security Forces, and 22675 widows and 107218 orphans? Kashmir is not a matter of land dispute or real estate. If Indians solve this long standing issue both countries can live like US and Canada. India should not worry too much about over inflated trickle down affect as historically links among the people are much stronger and will further improve. It will leave lot of money to spend on poverty elevation in both countries. US have forgotten about the sufferings and miseries of the people in Indian occupied Kashmir. US has ignored 92685 killings, 115877 arrests, 15665 home demolitions, by Indian Security Forces, and 22675 widows and 107218 orphans? Kashmir is not a matter of land dispute or real estate. If Indians solve this long standing issue both countries can live like US and Canada. India should not worry too much about over inflated trickle down affect as historically links among the people are much stronger and will further improve. It will leave lot of money to spend on poverty elevation in both countries.
(8) Drone Attacks: Pakistan should go to International Criminal Court. US has no mandate from the UN to attack inside Pakistani territory therefore these attacks are illegal under international law and a case against US could be filed in the International Criminal Court (ICC). US drone attacks have killed over 2000 people in about 196 drone attacks. Pakistani courts should also prosecute the local collaborators who drop ‘Sims’ at the drone targets. In 1996, the United States and Iran reached "an agreement in full and final settlement of all disputes, differences, claims, counterclaims" relating to the incident at the International Court of Justice. As part of the settlement, the United States agreed to pay US$61.8 million, an average of $213,103.45 per passenger, in compensation to the families of the Iranian victims. However, the United States has never admitted responsibility, nor apologized to Iran. Iran Air Flight 655, also known as IR655, was a civilian airliner shot down by US missiles on 3rd July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, toward the end of the Iran–Iraq War. The aircraft, an Airbus A300B2 operated by Iran Air as IR655, was flying from Bandar Abbas, Iran, to Dubai, UAE, when it was destroyed by the U.S. Navy's guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, killing all 290 passengers and crew aboard, including 66 children.
(9) Mumbai Bombing: Keep Pakistan under Pressure (why US have not claimed compensation from Israel for the USS Liberty killings). A small minority of greedy bankers and pawn brokers have hijacked USA and causing harm to its interests. These greedy people want to profit from deaths, misery and destruction by blackmail be it claiming compensation from Libya for plane crash in Lockerbie or now filing a lawsuit against Pakistani security agencies in US for Mumbai Bombings without any proof or evidence. Though many people in the Indian security circles believe it was Indo-US joint operation to put pressure on Pakistan.
US should avoid planned prophecies because one wonders how and why US - Israeli prophecies proved to be so true about everything happening according to the script. One was US Secretary Gates to conclude that al-Qaeda is attempting to spark a war between India and Pakistan. Mr. Gates while praising India for not attacking Pakistan immediately following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, warned India could not be expected to show such restraint if another attack happened. Al-Qaeda is a trump card which can be used against any one, anytime and anywhere. Indians were intelligent not to start war with Pakistan after Mumbai Terrorist attacks and might have realised ‘the game’ behind the attacks? Though there are millions naked and hungry Indians walking about and looking for toilets, yet its government managed to spend $billions to buy arms after the attacks. Indian media was quite active in exposing the role of a US citizen David William Hedley. The Mumbai attacks were blamed on the Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) a small group operated in the Indian occupied Kashmir which denied involvement but then a Srinagar special branch official was arrested for providing mobile SIM cards to the alleged attackers. Mumbai attacks were too big for their shoes though some ‘useful idiots’ might have been lured into. According to a British defence think tank RUSI (Royal United Security Institute) expert, “around 100 people would require to do this kind of attack”. But fact of the matter is that its master mind David William Hedley is a US citizen from Pakistani father (an employee of Voice of America) and reportedly a Jewish mother. He was operating with the knowledge of the US security agencies. According to a senior security analyst and media reports, “Bizarrely David William Hedley was born in Washington USA to a Pakistani father and a Jewish American mother travelling in and out of India without any problem. Indian investigators, suspect that he remained on the payroll of the US security services — possibly working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
US backed Zardari Regime is undermining Pakistan:
