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Posted by admin in Pakistan-A Polaris of Earth on October 23rd, 2014
This US agenda for Pakistan prepared by the neo-cons after 9/11 was similar to that applied throughout the broader Middle East Central Asian region. US strategy, supported by covert intelligence operations, consisted in triggering ethnic and religious strife, abetting and financing secessionist movements while also weakening the institutions of the central government. The broader objective was to fracture the Nation State and redraw the borders of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan under Gen Musharraf was induced in September 2001 to become coalition partner and frontline State to fight the US dictated Global War on Terror. By the time Musharraf was deposed, Pakistan had been sufficiently bled in the war and the TTP under Baitullah Mehsud had captured 18 administrative units in the northwest. His successor Gen Ashfaq Kayani managed to recapture 17 units in 2009 and 2010. It resulted in overstretching of 150,000 troops employed in Swat, Malakand and FATA, besides battle fatigue and wear and tear of equipment. He considered it prudent to let alone the last bastion of the militants in North Waziristan (NW) since it housed friendly groups of Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Haqqani network.
While he kept pending the operation, the US and its strategic allies kept applying pressure by holding back aid, intensifying drone strikes and the covert war. Inflow of funds and arms from Afghanistan to the militants and hesitancy on Pakistan’s part allowed disarrayed TTP and its affiliates to regroup in NW, marry up with additional groups including foreign groups, and spread its terror tentacles all over Pakistan. Hafiz Gul Bahadur could do nothing to restrain Hakimullah Mehsud and later Fazlullah operating from Kunar.
Change of government in May 2013 opened vistas for peace talks with militants but acts of terrorism continued. Gen Kayani handed over the baton to Gen Raheel Sharif in November at a time when peace talks had run into difficulties. Incident of beheading of 23 captive FC soldiers by the men of Umar Khalid Khurasani in Mohmand Agency on February 18, 2014 and airing the video distressed him. It became difficult for Gen Raheel to see his men dying in acts of terror and the government insisting to give peace a chance without reciprocity from militants. He was constrained to hit back by launching selective surgical airstrikes against known hideouts. These strikes helped in dividing TTP in South Waziristan (SW) where Khalid Mehsud alias Sajna group rebelled and clashed with Sheharyar Mehsud group. Infighting weakened TTP and created better situation for striking it. Peace talks made no headway because the TTP refused to honor ceasefire, continued hitting military targets and made unreasonable demands of asking the Army to vacate SW and free militants before holding direct talks.
Matters came to a pass when the militants struck Jinnah airport in Karachi on June 8 and threatened to carryout similar attacks. The government and military leadership backed by all political parties and religious groups agreed to launch the much delayed operation in NW. Operation Zarb-e-Azb launched on June 15 preceded by airstrikes is delivering decisive results and is aimed at ridding the country of terror forever. Major towns of Miranshah and Mir Ali and 90% of territory have been cleared. Over 1000 terrorists have been killed, suicide jackets and IED making factories, ammunition and explosive dumps and hideouts destroyed and command & control centre dismantled. Many have surrendered. In anticipation to the much feared blowback in urban centres, the Army teams carried out hundreds of intelligence based raids against known hideouts in other parts of FATA and also nabbed terrorists in cities, thus preventing many attacks. Apart from dealing with terrorists, the Army is mindful of one million IDPs and is doing all it can take to make their stay in camps easy and to keep them motivated.
In spite of the fact that the ISAF-ANA combine has lost all battles against Taliban in Afghanistan and Pak Army has won all against array of militant groups supported by foreign powers, the US is still not satisfied and wants it to do more. On its part, it has taken no step to dismantle Fazlullah’s safe havens in Kunar and Nuristan from where his men are carrying out cross border terrorism. While deeply concerned over the threat posed by the IS in Syria-Iraq, it is still instigating India to deal with terror groups in Pakistan. Encouraged by Obama-Modi’s Pakistan focussed joint statement in Washington last month; Indian leaders are hurling threatening statements to vitiate the atmosphere.
Indian military calculatedly heated up the LoC in Kashmir and Working boundary in Sialkot sector on October 1 and has been resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing/shelling, killing/injuring dozens of civilians and forcing large numbers to migrate to safer areas. Pak Army is responding to the aggression befittingly. Gen Raheel stated on 18th October that “let there be no doubt that any aggression against our beloved country will get a befitting response and no sacrifice will be too great in this sacred cause.” He added that lasting peace in the region could only come through with a fair and just resolution in accordance with the will of Kashmiri people as enshrined in UN Resolutions.
Indian bouts of belligerence in various forms are a routine matter and are designed to keep Pakistan overawed and its attention deflected from Kashmir. Rather than resolving the core issue of Kashmir which is the main bone of contention between the two archrivals, India keeps harping upon terrorism. Composite dialogue is a farce to keep Kashmir issue on the back burner for good. Nothing good can be expected from bigoted and Hindutva loving Modi regime. India’s mindset can be gauged from the recent article written by Dr. Amarjit Singh in Indian Defence Review, June 2014 Edition. In his view, Pakistan has no right to exist and is a thorn in the flesh of India. In his desire to obliterate Pakistan, he suggests fragmenting it by absorbing whole of Kashmir into Indian Union, making Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab independent but under Indian control; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-FATA merged with southern/eastern Afghanistan and formed into Pakhtunistan, and northern Afghanistan comprising non-Pashtuns to shape into a separate country.
He is confident that the West will not shed tears on the demise of troublesome Pakistan. Finding the environment conducive, he forcefully urges the Indian leadership to knock out Pakistan when it is dizzy and imbalanced. His map and thoughts are similar to Lt Col Ralph Peters. Self-opinionated Amarjit doesn’t have the moral courage to say that it is India which has given tens of thousands of cuts to Pakistan from 1947 onwards and made it bleed profusely and that it is Pakistan which is the biggest victim of terrorism and India is an old hand in promoting terrorism in the region. But he is not the only one entertaining such devious thoughts.
The entire lot of Brahmin elite (2.8%) yearns to dismember Pakistan and for this purpose RAW has been employed in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi to do the needful as it had done in 1971. MI-6, CIA, Mossad and Afghan agencies are providing full assistance for the achievement of common objectives of destabilizing, denuclearizing, secularizing, balkanizing Pakistan and making it a Satellite State of India. Efforts are in hand to isolate Pakistan by spoiling Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran relations and also delinking it from China. A subtle propaganda has been unleashed to depict China’s investment in Pakistan as harmful. Pak-China planned joint venture of constructing ‘Economic Corridor’ and development of Gawadar are giving night mares to the US and India and schemes are being hatched how to stop these projects. Unstable political conditions and establishment of interim government of technocrats or national government as suggested by some suit the conspirators to accomplish their nefarious objectives. Unproductive sit-ins without a roadmap are slowing down development works and foreign investments.
While India is continuously building up its naval power in the Indian Ocean, the US is trying to contain China by roping in Indian Ocean Littoral States within an ‘Indo-Pacific’ framework. Besides boosting economy, science and technology, China must step up its efforts to protect its energy security interests by securing Sea Lines of Communications in Indian Ocean by deploying bigger naval force and developing Gawadar into a deep seaport and a strong naval base. Only then it can hope to make profitable use of the planned ‘Energy Corridor’ linking Kashgar with Gawadar. Development of Gawadar seaport must be expedited to allow Chinese exporters to export goods to the markets in Africa. At the same time, greater understanding between Pak-China economic managers, foreign policy handlers, military and intelligence officials should be developed to accrue mutually beneficial gains in all the fields. Further fortification of Pak-China strategic relationship will help in thwarting Indo-US policy of encirclement.
Internally what is urgently required in these critical times to frustrate the designs of enemies of Pakistan is political stability, unity between all political/religious parties/groups, harmonious civil-military relations and cooperation between State institutions.
The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran/defence analyst/columnist/author of five books and Director Measac Research Centre. asifharoonraja@gmail.com
Posted by admin in India Backstabbing US, India Destroying Quietly US Economy, India Destroys US Economy, INDIA EXPOSED, INDIA FRAUD, INDIA IMAGE SPIN MASTERS on January 4th, 2014
During his visit to India in 2010, US President Barrack Obama signed multiple agreements with New Delhi in various fields such as $10 billion in trade deals and creation of more than 50,000 US jobs besides the measures, America would take regarding removal of Indian space and defence companies from a restricted “entities list”, and supported Indian demand for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council including membership of four key global nuclear non-proliferation regimes. Owing to these agreements, India has also been purchasing C-17 and F35 aircrafts along with latest defence-related arms and equipments from Washington. In February, 2011, America had pressurised the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) to sign an accord of specific safeguards with India. It permits New Delhi a broad atomic cooperation, while superseding the IAEA regarding transfer of nuclear equipments and technologies. These arrangements also entail enrichment and reprocessing items under the so-called cover of IAEA. In this regard, Washington also contacted the Nuclear Suppliers Group in order to grant a waiver to India for starting civil nuclear trade on larger scale. Setting aside the Indian irresponsible record of non-proliferation, defence agreement signed between the US and India on July 20, 2011 as part of the deal about civil nuclear technology, agreed upon by the two countries in 2008 has raised new alarms on global and regional level. But, in that respect, the then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged India to be more assertive in Asia, saying that as American ally, the country should play more of a leadership role. On the other hand, while showing US paradoxical approach towards Pakistan, Ms. Hillary remarked, “New Delhi could also help promote trade links in violence-wracked South Asia, which would bring prosperity and peace to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan…Pakistan must do more to tackle terror groups operating from its territory being used for attacks that destabilise Afghanistan or India.” The United States seems determined to keep around 10,000 troops and some military bases in Afghanistan permanently after the withdrawal of NATO forces in 2014. Besides, US has also planned to maintain Indian role in Afghanistan to complete its hidden agenda. In this connection, the former US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said on October 26, 2012 that India has vital role to play in Afghanistan and it will be helpful for peace and stability in the region, adding, “Our new defence policy hinges upon this strategy.” In fact, by concealing its double game with India, under the pretext of strategic partnership— by boasting Indian defence and its role in Afghanistan, America wants to fulfill multiple designs so as to counterbalance China, control the energy resources of Central Asia, and to weaken Pakistan, Beijing, Iran and Russia.
But, US double game with India exposed on December 12, 2013 when Indian diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, the Indian Deputy Consul General in New York was arrested on charges of visa fraud and lying to US authorities on a visa application about how much she paid to her housekeeper (an Indian national). She was arrested right in front of her daughter’s Manhattan School, handcuffed and driven to Police Search Station for completion of investigation process. Page 1Indian government, media and general public felt the pain of collective shame and sense of culpability as their female diplomat was subjected to harsh search, generally meant for dangerous criminals and people of shady character. Her shrieking screams and strident assertions about ‘diplomatic immunity’ fell on deaf ears and she was made to bear the vulgar blow of humiliation, while undergoing awful process of cavity search. Indian media disclosed, “She was subjected to a humiliating strip search and kept in a cell with drug addicts.” She was released on $ 250,000/-bail, as she pleaded not guilty on all charges levelled against her—surrendering her passport and avowing to report to Police Station in New York on weekly basis. One simply feels sad with a sense of remorse and emotional empathy on her ordained disgrace on US soil where her diplomatic immunity has been rudely dilapidated. India has quickly reacted against such a treatment of their diplomat demanding an unconditional US apology. They have also asked the US to withdraw all cases against the diplomat, while undertaking retaliatory steps to withdraw concessions from US diplomats in India. As a protest in relation to the ill- treatment of the lady diplomat, Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde called her treatment unacceptable. He cancelled his meeting with the senior US Congressional delegation. Other parliamentarians including the governing Congress party Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi also refused to meet the delegation. While, Indian media projected ugly scenes of removing security barriers placed before US embassy in India, while Indian public, intellectuals, analysts and high officials expressed their anger and emotional outbursts towards US for maltreating their diplomat. However, diplomacy and maintenance of international relations suggest that civilized norms and refined customs be observed to maintain dignity and decorum entitled to other states and their diplomats. Unfortunately, the US, overwhelmed by power motives, have developed callous and cold-hearted attitude towards sensitivities of the Third World countries. Body search and cavity search of an Indian female diplomat by US authorities reflects its high-handedness. Indian bold assertions and emotional reaction appears to be justified, while the entire episode suggests to US to reexamine its deteriorating trends in diplomacy. US media and certain officials have branded Indian reaction as a revengeful tactics, without realizing that Indians are justified in their reaction to denounce violation of diplomatic immunity by US officials. Their demands for unconditional apology and withdrawal of case against their female diplomat are also legal and politically accurate. US should show greater sense of magnanimity and compassion by extending a word of apology to India and by withdrawing the case against Devyani Khobragade. This will help US improve its image and prestige. Meanwhile, her hastily-transfer to India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York has widely been reported as a bid to ensure her full immunity. Particularly, South Asian media should project that Washington must be aware of cultural esteem, attached to female honour in South Asia including India. Ms. Devyani Khobragade represents Indian educated middle class and her body or cavity search, handcuffing and investigation badly ripped off her personal dignity which certainly needs to be restored at all costs. Indian determination as expressed by Indian prime minister and foreign minister to get her back and restore her decorum seem praiseworthy. How far will the Indians go to restore the modesty of their female diplomat, get an unconditional apology from US and convince the latter to withdraw the case against Devyani, will also prove the audacity of Indian leadership. Regional media should also emphasize that diplomats posted abroad must respect the local laws and avoid indulging in any activity which may cause them embarrassment, shame and guilt. It appears as if Ms. Devyani Khobragade was not prudent enough to respect US laws which led to such a messy row between India and America. She was entrapped in a messy tangle which caused her trouble. But one feels pity on poor female diplomat. Surely, national interests will finally prevail to settle such an irritant between New Delhi and Washington. Notably, Indians are basically intriguing in nature and do not believe in forgiving or forgetting, especially when openly humiliated and publically disgraced. They keep the vendetta alive even after the resolution of any dispute, political row and diplomatic irritants. Their subjective grooming enables them to maintain calm while remembering the pain of the past ill- treatment. As Indian security removed barricades from the US embassy, the role of Indians seemed personified carrying emotional frenzy and belligerence to impress upon US to return their woman free of any case and also extend an apology in this respect. Nonetheless, after the maltreatment of its lady diplomat, the right hour has come that Ne Delhi must know that America which is playing double game with India, watches its own strategic interests, and is not going to prove a trustworthy friend on permanent basis. History proves that the US has always betrayed Pakistan and so it will do with the Indians. In this context, after using Islamabad in its previous Afghan war against the former Russia, Washington left Islamabad to face the fallout of that war. In the near future, along with Pakistan, Indians will face the fallout of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. So, instead of increasing its defence budget at the cost of poverty-stricken people, and pursuing war-like diplomacy against Pakistan by fulfilling American covert aims against China and Iran, India must better develop peaceful relations with these countries by resolving all disputes including Kashmir issue, which are essential for regional stability.
Amb.Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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