Recently, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official, wrote an article “A Right Royal Mess,” in the Newsweek magazine (Dec 09 and 16, 2011) abhorrently accusing Pakistan Army supporting Afghan Taliban and working against the American agenda. Indirectly, he tried to justify the Salala attack by NATO forces, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. He started his piece blaming both Pakistan and the USA for mutual deceit and lying to each other. However, to the surprise of every reader, he dramatically shifted his argument proving that the lack of trust from the US was coming from Pakistan’s duplicity.
He writes, “America’s relationship with Pakistan is crashing. Decades of mistrust and duplicity on both sides are coming to the surface. Pakistan Army has an agenda that is at odds with the America’s.” In the next paragraph, again violently attacking Pakistan Army he writes, “It tries to hide its hand, but regularly its troops along the border shelter the Taliban and even provide artillery support. It allegedly harbours their leaders, including, Mullah Omar in Quetta. It gives training and advice to those who kill Americans.” These prejudiced ideas and opinion of Mr Riedel reverberate till the end.
The fact of the matter is it that it is totally a biased article lacking any substance of truth. He deliberately missed the historical facts when, where and how the US had deceived Pakistan in the last six decades of its bilateral relationship. The story of the American deceit goes back to mid 1960s when Pakistan needed American help against its war with India but received none. It was at a time when Pakistan was part of SEATO and CENTO pacts. In 1971, the Indians succeeded in breaking Pakistan into two parts, here again the so-called 7th fleet failed to rescue the unity of Pakistan.
The story of deceit goes on; in early 1980s, Pakistan Army, particularly the ISI, played a major role in defeating the USSR in Afghanistan. Here again Pakistan was abandoned soon after the Russians left our troubled neighbour. It was slapped with stringent sanctions under the notorious Pressler Amendment; the draconian legislation that blocked all kinds of military and economic assistance to Pakistan, so much so that a fleet of F-16’s delivery to Pakistan Air Force was also cancelled for which Pakistan had already made the required payments. In early 1990s, the US aid programme was wound up.
In 1998, India conducted nuclear tests creating a wide imbalance in the fragile South Asian region. It was a sheer hegemonic act clearly threatening the peace and stability of the region. Pakistan with a history of three full-fledged wars with India was left with no other choice but to respond. The Americans instead of supporting Pakistan or at least remaining neutral pressurised it not to respond to the Indians aggression. To cut the story short, Pakistan went ahead with its response and was slapped with military and economic sanctions.
The 9/11 events brought the Americans’ love back to Pakistan. It became closest and the biggest ally in the so-called War on Terror. The love does not stop here; it was given a non-NATO member status along with military and economic aid. But we must remember that there is no concept of passionate love between the states. And the Americans never offer a free launch. They got everything on a single telephone call made to the former president and army chief General Musharraf, who agreed to every American demand including access to air bases, air space, land links for the NATO supply, and intelligence and military cooperation. The worst part of the whole blind deal was when the CIA and its contractors were given free hand to move wherever they wished. The result was the killing of two Pakistanis by CIA contractor (agent) Rymond Davis early this year in Lahore, hundreds of drone attacks in FATA areas killing a lot more civilians than the terrorists, and finally the OBL Abbottabad operation. Pakistan considers the Marines’ secrete midnight mission a mother of all deceits by the US. In fact, it was like stabbing Pakistan in the back.
The story of deceit still goes on and Pakistan is punished for being a frontline state in the international war on terror. During the last 10 years of American war on terror, Pakistan has sacrificed its 35,000 innocent citizens including 4,000 brave soldiers. An already ailing economy has suffered badly with 80 billion dollars of losses. Hardly a place was left in the country which remained safe. Not only this, Pakistan intelligence agencies arrested hundreds of Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders from different parts of the country and its tribal areas and handed them over to the US. But the Americans were still not happy with us. Instead of appreciating Pakistan and its people, we were accused of siding with the terrorists. The US former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen before his departure as American Armed Forces’ head bluntly blamed Pakistan Army and ISI for supporting the Haqqani Network. He accused that the attacks on the NATO forces and its installations in Afghanistan were planned by Pakistan. What to talk of trust in the face of such an irresponsible statement!
The recent attack by NATO forces on Pakistani troops in Momand Agency is being considered as the last nail in the coffin of Pakistan’s trust on the US. We wish if Mr Bruce Reidel might have mentioned all these facts before lambasting Pakistan and its Army for being a source of all distrust. Pakistan hopes that the Salala attack would teach some kind of lesson to the American leadership in the White House, State Department, Pentagon, CIA and at the Capitol Hill. This is the right time for the US to stop bullying around and lying to Pakistan. It is also hoped that NATO commanders in Afghanistan and at the CENTCOM will show some kind of integrity and professionalism in accepting the responsibility of violating Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty in Momand Agency and killing Pakistani soldiers. If it failed to do so, the distrust and doubts will only widen in the coming days.
The writer hosts a primetime TV
talk show. He can be contacted at waheed_hussain@hotmail.com