Revamping the War:AMERICAN SHOULD PACK THEIR BAGS TO GO BACK :

Ahmed Shahid | PKKH Exclusive

When the US senate panel approved additional funds of $ 59 billion on Tuesday to continue fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it didn’t give a least hint of US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The decision aims at a surge of 30,000 troops later this year in Afghanistan as part of Obama’s silent surge strategy working behind the withdrawal fanfare. It comes at a time when after almost a decade of warfare in Afghanistan, USA is making the world believe in a withdrawal yet thinking of staying in Afghanistan for many years – as State Department spokesman P.J Crowley put it few days back. According to him, USA intends to stay in the region for years to come because this is in the “interest” of USA and its partners [India, he meant here]. He also went on to allay India’s fears on US withdrawal by saying that July 2011 will only serve as a transition point for the war and not a withdrawal date.

It then becomes a matter of surge which is aimed at entirely revamping the US war in Afghanistan. But also becoming apparent is the fact that this will not be an easy feat for USA to pull off. This is not because America’s pocket has run short of money as has been a prevailing thought. In fact going by the stats, it’s surprising that the Afghan war in reality is only becoming cheaper for USA. To quote the cost of war, in the Second World War, USA’s expenditures rose to trillions of dollars and accounted for almost 35% of its GDP. This is not the case in Afghan war, which although may have cost USA more than a trillion dollars, yet only accounts for a mere one percent of its GDP. And it’s only getting cheaper day by day.

If there is something that is challenging the US leadership, it is finding steady support from its public and partners in the war. Although the motion by lawmakers Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich for withdrawal of US troops from Pakistan didn’t see light of day, yet it is a sign that there is a growing resentment in the American public against the US war. The US in this is struggling to find continuous support on war from American public and NATO alliance. More polls now tell of more people opposing the war and less supporting it.

With that, if the US doesn’t exit the region as it has declared, it will face a bigger problem of finding enough moral support and therefore, it is why it wants to revamp the war. In fact, a closer look at the events of the past few months tell that such a revamping has already started with the firing of General Stanley McChrystal who was not fired for his ‘humiliating’ remarks but because he was largely in a disagreement with Obama’s policies. The evident rift was growing because the general wanted more authority and showed less flexibility in his rules. It is also said that he was too harsh with his strategy and emphasized more on the civilian safety during operations. Because of this, he wasn’t receiving appreciation from the American troops who say they were unhappy with the general’s rules in the camps and on the field, both. The general, in other words, wanted to run the game his way which ultimately resulted in differences between the administration and the general. What then happened had to happen. General McChrystal was fired and General David Petraeus, more of a politician, put in place. But consider how this was still done deceitfully. Petraeus, after taking over clearly stated that there would be no change in the existing strategy. Now weeks after that, there are reports of General Petraeus revisiting the strategy. His emphasis is said to be on demolishing the rules of civilian safety in troop operations. The new strategy in nature means that there will be more loss of life and mass murder, as some has put it. This explains the real strategy USA wants to see for its future operations in Afghanistan.

The question that appears now is:  why does the US want to revamp the war? The answer lies in the past one decade of America’s war which is a failure as far as success of its overall objectives go. It is true that USA invaded Afghanistan to target Pakistan and it did so. In the past ten years Pakistan has suffered severely as a result of two-faced American polices. USA deliberately pushed Pakistan into an economic and security chaos by thrusting a war upon it from across the borders. There have been clear proofs of CIA conjuring up with RAW and Israeli MOSAD to target Pakistan. But at the end of the day, Pakistan has instead failed USA in its objectives by standing victorious in its operations. As a result in obvious frustration, it has come down to Pakistan Army and ISI. The USA, India and Israel know [as Indians have also explained to American officials from time to time] that as long as Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, its Army and ISI remain intact, it will not be possible for them to re-exercise the Bangladesh episode on Pakistan, which remains the sole objective of these anti-Pakistan elements in disintegrating Pakistan.

Because of this, the US is largely seeing its war as a waste of time. USA knows that it isn’t left with much time and the only way it can buy more time is by renewing this war, something on the cards now. The recent Wikileaks episode has tried to do the same by outrageously blaming Pakistan Army and ISI for terrorism. The leaks are a push to change the US strategy on Pakistan by painting Pakistan’s military as a rogue element.

In the coming days, Pakistan is likely to see unforeseen isolation internationally, a glimpse of which it saw after 26/11. With the war against Pakistan entering its final phases of frustration, Pakistan may be explicitly blamed and confronted for any attacks on India or USA, as has the recent Indo-US joint anti-terror pact aimed to achieve. The US has also, at behest of India, shifted its focus from Al-Qaeda to LeT and American officials have prior to any occurrence and proof, accused Pakistan Army and ISI of involvement in any attacks. This doesn’t leave Pakistan with much choice as it continues to get targeted by its “allies”. The recent statements by the British PM is another hint why this Pakistan bashing campaign is only going to get stronger in coming days.  

Pakistan has to understand that it is for a reason that it is being targeted by those who can’t even point to its geography on a map. Pakistan is targeted for its promising Islamic ideology and it [targeting] can go to all extents as long as Pakistan remains. A great responsibility lies on the Pakistani establishment which will have to prioritize its people on foreign forces. At the same time, Pakistan also has to shed its somewhat apologetic approach by adopting declared policies in the interest of the country. Pakistan should declare that Pakistan and USA are two different nations and their objectives cannot remain converged forever. Just as USA does so, in the national interest, Pakistan will also do everything and anything to protect its interests even if it means ditching USA, talking to Taliban, or supporting them to bring stability to Pakistan. Pakistan will not compromise on its security in any case, instead it will eliminate all those who are damaging it or hoping to. The US, may be a superpower, but not if Pakistan decides against this. It is time, Pakistan declares all this. It is time.