Just the new bottle, same old wine
Obama is beginning his second term with nominations that indicate the type of foreign and military policies he is going to pursue in the years ahead. The nominations of John Kerry as Secretary of State followed by that of Chuck Hagel as Defence Secretary and John Brennon as CIA Director underscore a significant break from the policies of the first tenure. With the Iraq war over and US troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Obama needs a team for an era of what Washington Post describes as “ downsized but enduring conflict” able to “wield power through the targeted use of sanctions, special operations forces and drone strikes”. All the three nominees share Obama’s basic view that favours multilateral alliances and a reliance on intelligence and lethal technology, using the option of war as a last resort.
The appointment of Chuck Hagel will draw a strong opposition from the Republicans, not on account of any objection to his professional qualifications but because of the GOP’s peculiar predilection for Israel’s concerns. Hagel had the rare courage to speak about the intimidating Jewish lobby in Washington for which many Republicans are going to give him a tough time during hearings connected with his nomination. Hagel also advocates negotiations with Iran and wants Israel to engage with Hamas. The appointment would be welcomed by many in the Middle East. Beginning his second tenure, Obama can now afford not to cater to the extremist views of the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington.
More important for Pakistan is the nomination of John Brennan as CIA Director. Brennan is as strong in his views as Hagel but unlike the later enjoys wide bipartisan support in Congress. Brennan oversaw the escalation of drone strikes in Pakistan in 2010 and later on in Yemen. The only opposition he faces is from human rights groups. There is little hope of the drone attacks coming to an end despite protests from Pakistan. The Obama regime, which is keen to save the lives of American soldiers, is going to employ the drones as a weapon of choice. The best policy for Islamabad under the circumstances would be to itself initiate an operation against those using Pakistan’s territory as a launching pad against the US and Afghan troops. After all, these groups too violate Pakistan’s sovereignty by using the country’s soil against its wishes.
Pakistan’s relations with the US are in the process of improvement. While the country needs to strengthen ties with Beijing and cultivate friendship with Russia, it cannot afford to fall victim to any illusions. Pakistan and the US share important concerns which can best be addressed through mutual cooperation.