Chicanery no more
By Salim Bokhari Hats off to Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his corps commanders who have picked up the guts and answered back the US in the same tone and tenor as that of the former CIA chief and currently Defence Secretary Leon Panetta. While Panetta said the United States could not give a blank cheque to Pakistan, our generals boldly announced: “We’ll fight on our own.” There was, for the first time, a visible anger at the American Administration’s attitude and the threats of withholding military aid and equipment hurled by its officials. One would point to Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar’s statement exposing the chicanery of the US that it was not going to do any favour to us since this money was due for the operations that had since been carried out and missions accomplished. The minister very rightly observed that it was about time Pakistan withdrew its troops from the Western border since the deployment was costing heavily to our kitty.
Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Ahmad Shuja Pasha has reached Washington for a day’s visit to convey the Pentagon leadership the resentment that came out during the corps commanders’ meeting. He will also inform his host that the Army’s top brass is unwilling to accept military assistance with strings and drone attacks are no longer bearable. He probably will also make them aware of the strong feelings of the army as well as of the people against Washington’s double standards.
What we have heard from Hillary Clinton, Leon Panetta and Mike Mullen on holding back the committed military assistance is nothing but rhetoric devoid of ground realities. It is common knowledge that US policymakers, military commanders and think-tanks had long realised that they could not win the Afghan war – America’s war on terror - and that they were bound to face a humiliating defeat in the not too distant future. If they needed to have a good excuse for face saving, why should it be Pakistan to blame for things that went wrong?
Most importantly, the Americans should know that they cannot deal with Pakistan Armed Forces in a manner that they have been treating colonial armies. Pakistan is an atomic power and its Army one of the five best trained and well-equipped armies in the world. They must check with the military commanders of their new-found friend in South Asia about the calibre of Pakistani soldiers while fighting for the defence of their motherland. They must also learn from the experience of Pakistani troops fighting in Swat, Bajaur and North Waziristan.
Let there be no illusion that if the US is contemplating a direct strike against Pakistani territory, as was indicated in a statement of a Pentagon spokesman, it would meet the toughest army in the world defending its territorial integrity. We are no easy prey. Dare not any military attempt a misadventure because it would then feel sorry. Yours is a mercenary force while ours is a national army. You are fighting to occupy alien lands while we will be defending our own soil. That is a qualitative difference and you must remember that all said and done, Pakistani soldier is filled with the passion of Jehad under which he volunteers to lay down his life.
Another important factor that has forced the leadership of Pakistani armed forces is your undue tilt towards India with which your flirtation started during initially Bill Clinton’s visit to New Delhi that developed into a more intimate relations during President Obama’s India ‘yatra’ last year when he tried to build it as counterweight to China. It was because of the US undue favours to India that its army chief had the idiocy to threaten Pakistan of direct strike to secure the alleged culprits of Mumbai attacks. He was promptly given a shut up retort by COAS Kayani.
It must be mentioned here that Gen Kayani had already asked the federal government to divert the US military assistance to civilian projects obviously to express Pak Army’s rejection of the strings attached to it. The Pentagon aid would get a ready and willing reception from our eastern neighbour, with strings and all. We have enough of it!
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-...nline//Politics/14-Jul-2011/Chicanery-no-more
