Opinion Maker

BY Hamid Waheed

A relationship of trust deficits

The international  relationship  has lost the power of its  ethics and rules with significant shift towards  intelligence and covert relations. The reality considered an absolute value has become dynamic with the world moving towards information warfare. The psychological  operations as part of information operations  launched now focus on creating confusion and demoralization amongst target audience and increase the wedge between the leadership, security apparatus and general population. The old saying every thing is allowed in war was rationalized and  as the civilization developed Human Rights , ethics , rule of law and morality prevailed.  The developed world came up with rules for every game including war and the rights for prisoners. Most of this was refined and formalized by the culture of democracy. It was believed that in the unipolar world headed by the biggest democracy of the world, such practices will thrive and the man will leave the barbaric laws  far behind.  The improvement in technology, science and awareness  benefited  humans during bipolar era. We saw laws coming up to stand for humanity and values. However post bipolar world suddenly finds itself fighting to find escape routes by a group of ROGUE  to again maximize slave industry. The American statue of liberty became irrelevant in the new world order  and the first target are Americans who are undergoing perceived fear of unknown and being forced to give up their rights and liberty. The rogue elements in State department, Pentagon and CIA  working with outsourcers seem to prevail in undermining the logics.  Director of policy research for the Senlis Council, Jorrit Kamminga, says: “the poppy eradication campaign in Afghanistan  has been ineffective, counterproductive and could well give the Taliban the decisive advantage in their struggle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people.” The personal gains like easy money through drugs have been a source of strength and common goal.  A retired Admiral Dennis Blair, President Barack Obama's former director of national intelligence, declared that America's drone campaign "is eroding our influence and damaging our ability to work with Pakistan."Such voices of logic get diluted due to the power of outsource groups employed by US army and the CIA in Afghanistan.

According to a military-led investigation U.S. logistic  trucking funds reach Taliban. The report compiled in May  and reviewed by an  international news paper, say the military found “documented, credible evidence  of involvement in a criminal enterprise or support for the enemy” by four of the eight prime contractors.  Tierney, now the top minority member of the national security subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said “I would hate like hell to think my kid was over there” and the Taliban was “coming after them with something bought with our taxpayers’ money. The US exit strategy strongly hinges on effective Afghan National Army (ANA). According to a news report, the Afghan National Army is plagued by inefficiency and corruption. U.S. training efforts have been drastically slowed by the corruption, widespread illiteracy, vanishing supplies, and lack of discipline.

Pak – U.S have always been a story of seasonal relationship with Pakistan accusing U.S of being a friend only at time of its need and leaving Pakistan high and dry afterwards. The U.S accuses  Pakistan of partnering only for its economic  interests . Resultantly the U.S 

policy has always focused on winning individuals  which play important role in Pakistan. The international events after 9/11 brought a realization to both the nations . The public statements by leadership of both countries focused on long lasting and strategic relations. U.S publically admitted leaving Pakistan after Russian withdrawal , F-16 issue and  sanctions were counter productive. Pakistani leadership came out to reverse anti U.S sentiments by convincing public that partnership in war on terror (WOT) is in interest of both Nations. However this way forward could only move few paces when it was challenged by the rogue group. The U.S was targeted from within by creating a silent divide between Pentagon, the government and CIA. Media proved one of the major weapons. At times it was Pentagon and at other it was either U.S government or the CIA which became instrumental to incidents like handling of Raymond Davis issue and policy shifts like U.S-India nuclear deal and US Afghan policy directly hitting Pakistan’s national interests. Under such environment Pak – US relation again come under stress after NATO attack on Salala posts killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. Salala incident has a history attached, according to details, in the second week of June 2008 an air strike by US-led forces killed 11 FC soldiers and 10 civilians in Mohmand Agency the target of the attack was a security post of the FC in Sheikh Baba area of Mohmand Agency. In September 2010, Nato forces in Afghanistan announced that in a strike by two Nato helicopters they killed 30 civilians on Pakistani soil. It was said that two Apache attack helicopters from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) had crossed the border from eastern Afghanistan to target the apparent “insurgents.”On September 30, 2010 Pakistan halted Nato’s supplies after a brazen violation of Pakistan’s border, in which Nato helicopter gunships had attacked a security post in Kurram Agency, killing three soldiers and injuring three others. The helicopters had twice intruded into Pakistan’s airspace and shelled various areas in Kurram tribal region. The Nato gunship helicopters had fired two missiles at a security forces’ checkpoint located at a mountain near the border with Afghanistan’s Paktia province.

In the first week of February 2011, a soldier was killed and seven others sustained injuries when the Nato and Afghan forces fired mortar shells at the Bangidar security check-post in North Waziristan Agency (NWA). In the last week of April 2011, three Pakistani soldiers were killed and over a dozen people, including security personnel and local tribesmen, sustained injuries in cross-border shelling between the Afghan and Pakistani security forces near the remote border village of Angoor Adda in South Waziristan. In May this year, Nato forces again violated Pakistani airspace as two of its helicopters intruded into Pakistani territory in the border area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA). On 19 July artillery fire from Afghanistan continued for 5 hours despite repeated protests from Pakistan which resulted in death of 4 Pakistani soldiers. The Nato helicopters entered the border area and conducted a search operation inside Pakistan. In the last week of August 2011, around 300 men crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan’s territory and stormed seven security checkpoints along the Durand Line and killed dozens of Pakistani security personnel. Last month, Pakistani security forces fired ‘warning shots’ at two Nato helicopter gunships when they intruded into Pakistani territory in North Waziristan, forcing them to return to Afghanistan.

The statements of regrets coming from all top leadership in US including Obama's telephonic contact after Pakistan’s strong reaction against Salala attack and future discourse spelled out by General Kiyani shows that possibly the operation was not ordered at their level.  At the same time  it does leave a food for thought for the collation partners to identify the ROGUE GROUP  from within which have become powerful enough to play with Pak – US relations . The inquiry report scheduled for 23 December will carry a strong message for future relationship. The US must understand that the forces operating far from their borders though have lesser regard and relevance to  violation of laws and  ethics  but great powers have to keep international laws in consideration for future strategy. An approach to bypass the laws may give quick tactical victory but will certainly bring strategic defeat. The democracy , the people from America, the West and all over the world will have to stand for themselves and for their coming generations. A nation is recognised by its values and not  by name. The civilization has covered a  long journey from the dark ages of  humanity, we must not give in to ROGUE GROUP  who wants  to take away our rights,  liberty and mutual respect for each other.