Mullen’s parting shot
Was it Mike Mullen’s last hurrah? The admiral, who is set to retire this month, launched off into what was the most unequivocal public attack on Pakistan’s intelligence agencies in his career. In the world of today, soldier-statesmen are as adept, perhaps more, in diplomacy than in warcraft. You’ll find it hard to catch a Mullen or Petraeus make a gaffe. Or let their exasperation get the better of them. What to make, then, of Mullen’s as-subtle-as-a-sledgehammer statement?
Whether it was a one-off bout of truth characteristic of parting shots or not, the fact of the matter remains that the military chief of our biggest ally has stated that the Haqqani network is the “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s military intelligence apparatus, the former being a perpetual gadfly for the American endeavour in Afghanistan. Even if the Admiral’s successor, General Martin Dempsey, is more circumspect about his statements, we have an idea of the brief he would have received.
Is this, then, a game changer? Maybe. But it is highly unlikely that the game, as it were, was changed the moment he made those statements; that would have happened much earlier. What exactly would the changed scenario entail? Perhaps not US feet on the ground, as some are fearing. Not only would that move be tough, difficult to execute and unpopular, but it would also not be too fruitful on account of not having as much ground human intel as was the case in, say, the Abbottabad operation. The new scenario might see an increase in drone attacks but, to be realistic, the US military already probably carries out as many drone strikes as it wants to. That boils it down to the aid. We just might see an absolute end. Not just military aid but also all civil aid; throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
The Americans, through Mullen, seem to have placed their cards on the table. This is a game of chicken that the security establishment cannot play anymore, at least not to win.
Pakistan has milked the US taxpyers long enough. You can rattle your swords all you want , but at the end of the day, I hope sanity returns and you realize that the game is up. Enough double dealing, double crossing and deceptions.
if Pakistan has played a double game with Amaerica then who the hell is forcing them to have Pakistan on board??? u r talking about the American Tax payers money, and u rightly say so, but whats about Pakistan's losses in your so called war on terror($68 billion+35000 people) and u Americans have given only $18 billions only and most part of that amount was spent upon security related spending.
Do remember one thing quite clearly dear, its not Pakistan's war rather its ur war. its those people's war who consider themselves the godfathers of this world and u people forced Pakistan to enter in this war on gun point.
Comments are closed.