US State Department said:
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@US state department:
Sorry I cant type in Urdu. Dont have the software and dont know how to use the Urdu Editor.
It seems like you are trying to reach out to Pakistanis. I thought that my comprehension and reaction to your posts will help you understand how a Pakistani feels. Ill start with my impression/criticism of US efforts and understanding of the current situation. This will be followed with my recommendations on how to improve upon the current relationship between Pakistan and US.
I appreciate the US effort to reach out to the Muslims. However, I dont think that simply having iftar parties will solve the problems? I dont know which part of the state department you belong to. Is your department aiming to have a discourse with the Muslims all over the world or specifically Pakistanis? I cant speak for all the Muslims of the world but would like to put my two cents in regarding the USs relationship and attitude towards Pakistanis.
Your department has been pointing out USs trivial contributions in form of small donations to some IT school and iftar parties, very vigorously through this website. The US government has also been asking the Pakistanis to do more, do more. When was the last time the US government appreciated the lives sacrificed by the Pakistani soldiers in this war on terror? I dont think that trivial donations and iftar parties have the equal weight of the brave men that the Pakistani army loses every day? Were the sacrifices of these brave men ever mentioned in a press conference conducted by a US rep?
Also, does the US state department think that a Pakistani life has less value than a US one? The success rate of the drone attacks is extremely low. More innocent people die than the ones who need to be targeted. Every time an innocent person dies in a drone attack in Pakistan, the goodwill that the US builds through its donations and iftar parties gets washed out.
Furthermore, I dont think that it is morally correct for a country which considers itself the leader of a peaceful world, to hire contract companies to conduct its security/military activities. It is not appropriate to transfer the moral responsibility of a soldier (for which he gets trained for) to an employee of a profit oriented enterprise. We all know about BlackWater/Xe and its activities in Iraq and the consequences. Now there is a rumor that the members of the Xe enterprise are active in Pakistan. What is the US embassy in Pakistan doing to tackle this rumor/fact?
It is very easy to criticize a policy of a country or a person and raise controversial issues. However, I dont only criticize but try to use my limited intellectual capacities to tackle the problems and resolve the issues. I recommend the following:
- Highlighting US iftar parties and donations is a very good notion to show your good intentions. However, it will be even better if your department starts recognizing and appreciating the Pakistans contributions in this war. Be specific on your appreciation. For examples the appreciation of the lives sacrificed by the Pakistani soldiers. This will help you gain the Pakistani support.
- Stop the drone attacks immediately. Although they are successful in very limited cases (e.g. Baithullah Masood) but big picture wise it contributes to the negative opinion for the US in Pakistan. You guys brought Soviet Union down through cold war. US should be able to build a similar intelligence structure in current times. Thousands of tons of bombs that the US dropped on Vietnam didnt help you win the war. US can get a better intelligence structure in Pakistan by winning the hearts of Pakistanis not by bombing them.
- No private agencies should be used conduct the military/security incentives of the US in Pakistan.
- All the rumors regarding the 1,000 marines in Pakistan or other ones should be tackled on a timely basis. I would go as far as having the US representative conduct press conferences on a weekly basis in Islamabad. Everything should become transparent. The US is investing a lot of resources in Pakistan. It will be a shame if no goals are achieved because of the misperception of the people of Pakistan regarding the US intentions.
Interestingly, US representatives have brought up a trust deficit element in their speeches regarding Pakistan. There is a flip side to this coin. The US leaders in the past have called the war on terror crusades. The religious inclination of the BlackWater executives is also surfacing now. In recent past, the US has landed its soldiers on the soils of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In almost all the cases, US left the job unfinished. In the case of Iraq, the US brought forward concrete evidences to the rest of the world regarding the WMD, which turned out to be false. Rest of the world, including Pakistan, also has trust issues with US. However, I do believe that these trust issues can be worked upon. If you take a step towards us we will take a step towards you. We will eventually find a middle ground.
In summary, please dont highlight only your contributions like the donations to Pakistan, make mention of your appreciation of the Pakistani contribution too. This way you will find a spot in the hearts of Pakistanis.
Lastly, I dont see anyone by the name of Fawad on the US department contact list. Why would that be case?
I await your response.
