Opinion Maker

By Sajjad Shaukat

America's double standards, liberty put to shame!

Frustrated in coping with Al Qaeda-related militants, constant drubbing by the Defence and Oil cartels at home and Zino-Israeli dictators to the US on global and regional level, have forced the Obama administration to play double with Pakistan.

In this connection, on May 11, this year, while talking on the CBS channel in relation to  the failed attempt of the Times Square bombing, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Pakistan would face “severe consequences” if a future terrorist attack on US soil was traced back to Pakistan. She further accused, “Some Pak officials know where Bin Laden, al Qaeda, Mullah Omar and the Afghan Taliban leadership are.” While on May 13, she admitted regarding the suspect Faisal Shahzad that investigation is being carried out by both US and Pakistani investigative bodies which are “working well together” and “Pakistan is reciprocating US concerns over the threat of terrorism.” Ms. Clinton further indicated, “There is more that Pakistan must do to face what is now a common enemy;” an enemy that was staged and then thrusted upon us.

Pakistan went out of her way, working totally against the popular public sentiments to stand by the US Despite, suffered more casualties than the US and NATO forces put together, ruined our economy but the US is never satisfied with what we do. America has in reality used Pakistan as mercenaries and surrogates in the so called war on terrorism. All these human and financial sufferings have never been appreciated or admitted by the US. More and more false flag operations against Pakistan are being planned and staged in plain sight why is that not visible to Lady Clinton? She still has the cheeks to threat Pakistan of dire consequences Pakistan’s endless sacrifices during the war on terror, Clinton’s threatening tone has revived Pakistani fears in the Pakistani minds that no matter what and how much we do America is all bent to attack us.

Surprisingly, quite opposite to the statements of Hillary Clinton, on May 12, US  Defence Secretary Robert Gates pointed out, “The relationship between the two anti-terror allies has improved significantly over the last two years” and “he expected sustained progress in ties between the US and Pakistan. In the recent days, US Central Command commander General David Petraeus praised Pakistan’s military campaign against the Taliban, saying: “the ally must be given credit for its anti-terror efforts.”

These self-contradictory statements of the US high officials show American confused policy towards Islamabad, marked with ambivalence. In fact, the US has been playing a double game with Pakistan—sometimes cajoling the latter with economic and military aid and sometimes pressurising to ‘do more’ against the Taliban militants.

Nevertheless, it was owing to threatening tone of Ms. Clinton and propaganda of American counter-terrorism experts, linking the foiled Times Square attempt with Pakistani tribal areas that on May 10, even Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi remarked that the incident had damaged Pak-US relations to some extent.

Meanwhile, US has increased drone strikes on Pakistan’s tribal areas, particularly Waziristan. However, American double game coupled with naked aggression in connection with tribal region is not without any pr-planned scheme. In this context, American CIA Director Michael Hayden on March 30, 2008 had said that Al Oaeda fighters have turned Pakistan’s “tribal areas into safe havens” and the US “has interest in targeting the border region” between Pakistan and Afghanistan where, he claimed Al Qaeda was “plotting attack on the west and the US”. On April 12, 2008, American President Bush had also stated that Pakistan, and not Afghanistan or Iraq, is now a most likely place “where a plot to carry out any 9/11 type attack in the US” could be made. In the recent past, some officials of the Obama Administration also disclosed that “if left unchecked, the ungoverned border region (FATA) will likely spawn the next attack on U.S. soil”.

It is of particular attention that before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, America and some of its western allies had started a deliberate propaganda campaign on global level, based upon presumptions that Saddam Hussein-led regime of Baghdad had Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMDs) and hence it is posing a threat to the US and Europe. Afterwards, Iraq was thrown in an era of insecurity and civil war due to Anglo-American invasion and no such weapons were found till now. At present, acting upon the Iraq-like pre-planned strategy, US wants to attack the FATA areas.

Question arises as to why the US has been playing a double game with Pakistan. The fact of the matter is that Pakistan is the only Islamic country that possesses nuclear weapons which irked the eyes of ‘nuclearized’ India and Israel whose lobbies are exaggerating through American think-tanks and media that safety of these atomic weapons is doubtful as the same can go in the hands of Al Qaeda operatives who are likely to use the same inside America and Europe. The main aim behind is to convince Washington to invade Pakistan’s tribal areas.

It is mentionable that Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan is replete with mineral resources. Its ideal geo-strategic location with Gwadar seaport could prove to be Pakistan’s key junction, connecting rest of the world with Central Asia. It is due to the multiple strategic benefits that the US, which signed a nuclear deal with India in 2008, intends to control Balochistan as an independent state in containing China and subduing Iran. Owing to these reasons, America and India are creating instability in Pakistan by backing Baloch separatists and suicide attacks in other cities so as to complete their hidden agenda.

Some other developments also endorse US double game with Pakistan. A wave of jubilation had been noted all over the world on January 20, 2009 when American first black President Barack Obama took oath. His first address had indicated a positive change in the US foreign policy. In this respect, most of the political experts had hoped that he would rectify the blunders, committed by his predecessor in the name of war on terror.

Regarding the Islamic World, Obama stated, “To the Muslim World, we seek a new way forward, based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.” In this respect, most of the Muslims hoped that President Obama would resolve the issues which were affecting all the Islamic World in one way or the other.

Besides the Palestinian-Israeli dispute, Indian-held Kashmir is the thorniest issue between Pakistan and India as both the neighbouring countries have already waged three wars on this question. In this regard, while during and after the American presidential elections, US president Barack Obama, recognising co-relationship between war on terror in Afghanistan and dispute of Kashmir had repeatedly said that he would pay attention to the solution of this core issue so that Islamabad could fully concentrate on the rising militancy. US special envoy Richard Holbrooke who visited Pakistan and Afghanistan a number of times, had confirmed on February 20, 2009 that he had no mandate on Kashmir, while his “sole job is to go out and try to help bring stability to Afghanistan, working closely with Pakistan…try to deal with situation in the FATA region.”

However, Obama’s u-turn as part of the US double game has depressed all the Kahmiris and Pakistanis. Politicians may back out from their statements, but it is not the job of statesmen to eat their own words. In fact, India which has already been manipulating American war against terrorism in securing its covert designs against Pakistan and other regional states by strengthening its strategic grip in Afghanistan succeeded in diverting the attention of Washington from Kashmir  which is considered an integral part of the Indian union.

As regards Afghanistan, stiff resistance of the Taliban militants against the occupying forces created unending lawlessness in the country which has become a most suitable place for India so as to prepare conspiracy in order to fulfill its secret strategic designs against Iran, China and especially Pakistan.

Indian secret agency RAW, based in Afghanistan—with the tactical support of American CIA has been sending well-trained agents in Pakistan, who have joined the ranks and files of the Taliban. Posing themselves as the Pakistan Taliban, they not only attack the check posts of Pakistan’s security forces, but also target schools and mosques. They are continuously conducting suicide attacks in our country. In this context, India has also arranged some Madrassas in Afghanistan where highly motivated and RAW-paid militants are being trained with the help of Indian so-called Muslims scholars. Now, Indian support to insurgency in the Pakhtunkhwa and the Baloch separatism has become a routine matter.

Concerning Indian sinister designs in Afghanistan, on September 20, 2009, NATO commander, Gen. McChrystal had clearly revealed: “Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan including significant development efforts…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions.” Despite it, Washington did nothing in reducing Indian influence in Afghanistan.

Nonetheless, the US which granted the status of non-NATO ally to Pakistan in the aftermath of 911 tragedy has been playing a double game with the latter.

Sajjad Shaukat is a regular writer for Opinion Maker. He writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations.