Recent days the news that has been circulating here in South Asia is the break up between USA and Pakistan’s intelligence services…after an article which came out in New York Times, where Pakistan “warned” USA to sharply reduce the number of CIA operatives in Pakistan, and stop the Drone strikes in the terrorist hotbed of the tribal North West of the country.
Apparently according to their logic, Pakistan refuses to take action against these Talibans and other terrorists saying their miliary is already overstreched, and they also don’t want USA to take actions against them, as it “undermines their soveriegnty.”
Within a few days of the article, and the “warning” Drones apparently fired killing 6 suspected militants, which was again viciously opposed by Pakistan.
Sarcastic articles are coming out in Pakistani newspapers, criticising USA foreign policy, and speaking of the inevitability of this trying relationship.
Now, what exactly is Obama’s plan? I honestly don’t know much, as it is vague and incoherent. Aiding the government of Pakistan on the one hand, while drones attack millitants, firing missiles costing millions, without any ground movement of Pakistani troops, and/or NATO troops, which doesn’t help in capturing them and/or gathering information about their plans. All the while NATO supply trucks get attacked by Talibans, inside Pakistan border, burning up food and oil, which are vital for the coalition troops in Afghanistan.
The recent interview of the Kashmiri Jihadis warning India that guns will do the talking, which came out in Reuters, only supports what Indian intelligence agency RAW, has been stressing for ages now. That Pakistan is doing nothing to dismantle these terrorist groups across the border. Sadly the cooperation between “democratic allies” India and USA, which was started by a visionary George Bush, who almost changed single handedly the foreign policy approach of decades, by signing Nuclear deal and defence pacts with India, is now relegated to a back seat under the current US President.
In a recent interview in Fox News, in reply to Bill O’Reilly, Charles Krauthammer said it best,
They will respond to an ultimatum. And if they don’t, what we have to say is the magic word: India. “We’re leaving the region. We can’t win in Afghanistan if you’re not going to help us in Pakistan. This is an Indian problem. We’ll turn it over to India.” They are scared to death of the Indians. They don’t want anything to do with India extending its power over Afghanistan or over them. That, I think, will get their attention. If they still won’t help us, I’d say cut them off. ”
Everyone knows something is going wrong with this approach, and it is not going well. Everyone, except apparently the American President, who has been to busy helping an odd mix of ‘freedom fighters‘ in Libya.
