Pakistan is not responsible for the West’s Woes

December 1, 2009
Pakistan is not responsible for the West’s Woes
By Saeed Qureshi
Pakistan is not responsible for the compounding woes of the powerful, affluent west. If NATO is bogged down in Afghanistan, it’s not because of Pakistan. They entered Afghanistan on their own volition and now staying there not at Pakistan’s behest. West’s military adventure in Afghanistan was a grievous blunder and its continuation is sheer madness.
Instead Pakistan has done a lot better against the miscreants on its own territory. It has scored dazzling and spectacular victories against those elements that were fighting against both Pakistan and the NATO. Thanks to the remarkable valor and exemplary professionalism of the Pakistani armed forces, the northern valleys, that used to be safe havens for the radical religious militants, are now trouble free.
It was colossal undertaking for the Pakistan army which they have fulfilled with flying colors. Such attempts to dislodge the religious extremist were mounted in the past but without any tangible outcome. The previous half hearted military maneuvers emboldened the religious outfits and they virtually established a mini religious state in the remote valleys guarded by mountains.
In the same fashion and style, Pakistan army has accepted the express gauntlet of wiping out the same militants from the thus-far inaccessible and insurmountable terrains of South Waziristan. The tribal areas have a distinction for being untamable in the known history of these areas. It’s for the first time that these rough regions have been mostly cleared of the tribal fighters along with the dogged religious warriors.
Presently, Pakistan army is engaged in the mopping up operations in the cleared areas and soon the writ of the state of Pakistan will be established there. It’s a stunning historic achievement that was perceived to be unattainable before the launching of the military operations.
In the wake of these laudable achievements that should have earned the appreciation and the pleasure of the West and United State now busy for about a decade in search of their arch enemy Osama Bin Laden with elephantine military paraphernalia. They have miserably failed. But it is blood boiling to see the British Prime minister Gordon Brown, demanding of Pakistan to hunt Osama and presumably had him over to America or Britain. These western countries, first of all, should hang their heads in shame for their complete failure in Afghanistan. Secondly they should exercise some semblance of modesty and restraint in asking Pakistan for doing something which they couldn’t do themselves. Also, they should treat Pakistan with respect and stop treating it as a bounty killer. It’s easy to pass on the muck on to Pakistan for their own miserable failures in subduing or defeating Taliban and Al-Qaida. Pakistan unfortunately is caught in the web of the regional conflict as a guinea pig.
America’s decision to send additional troops in Afghanistan would predictably backfire. The NATO is already fighting a lost war. Karzai and his rag tag army do not have the potential or the prowess to withstand the ferocious forays of the militants. Even with a million troops the tide cannot be turned in favor of the occupation army. The West cannot throw an nuclear bomb on Afghanistan as was done on two cities of Japan, during the Second World War, because the loss would be collateral. The atomic disaster cannot be contained to Afghanistan only. Moreover, it would be a sheer lunacy to destroy the other countries because of the presence of bands of hostile miscreants.
The efforts and strategy of the main stakeholder America should be directed towards getting out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. This wild goose chase type of war is entailing heavy monetary and human losses for America and her allies for the goals that have lost their utility and of late look counterproductive. Although such a withdrawal is overdue, yet still there is a reasonable margin of time for NATO to get out of Afghanistan.
America and the self conceited West can win back Afghanistan and the friendship of its people if instead of war, an urgent and gigantic rehabilitation and reconstruction plan is launched there. America has turned the tables in her favor to a great extent in Iraq by taking up rehabilitation work. And look, the insurgency has almost died down there. In the wake of reconstruction efforts by America and the West, Iraq can look forward to new way of life, with attendant benefits of democracy and the model of new modern society. The same experiment can be replicated in Afghanistan. Mind it there is no other way: not at least the bloodshed or war mongering.