Hillary Clinton in Pakistan in the midst of unprecedented anti- Americanism

War on Terror

30 Oct 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Hillary Clinton in Pakistan in the midst of unprecedented anti- Americanism

Worse, in the midst of unprecedented anti- Americanism in the country, it is portrayed by a religio- nationalist media as being "servile" in its dealings with the US. The latest example of this is the near- universal rejection of the Kerry- Lugar Bill which aims to cough up US$ 1.5 billion a year over the next five years for bankrupt Pakistan from America's ailing exchequer because some of the conditions attached to it, which the government has shrugged away as being inconsequential, are seen as " humiliatingly intrusive". The Pakistan army, which doesn't see eye to eye with America about its Af- Pak strategy and wanted to send an indirect signal of its unhappiness, exploited the situation recently by egging on the media and pposition to "reject" the aid and put the Zardari government on the defensive. --Najam Sethi URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=2020 -----    Lessons For Hillary Clinton by Najam Sethi   THE US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is visiting Pakistan at a critical time.   The Obama administration is once again reviewing its Af- Pak policy to determine whether to send more US troops to Afghanistan or risk relying upon Pakistan to "do more" in Waziristan against the Al- Qaeda- Taliban network that is threatening to overrun the country. But Pakistan has its hands full as it is. It is reeling from a murderous bombing offensive by the Taliban that has claimed over 250 lives in the last two weeks.   Indeed, Mrs Clinton's arrival in Islamabad was greeted by a suicide bombing in a crowded street in Peshawar, barely 100 km away, that left over 100 dead.   But rising political tensions within Pakistan's body politics aren't making America's job any easier. The government of President Asif Zardari is largely viewed in Pakistan as incompetent and untrustworthy. Worse, in the midst of unprecedented anti- Americanism in the country, it is portrayed by a religio- nationalist media as being "servile" in its dealings with the US. The latest example of this is the near- universal rejection of the Kerry- Lugar Bill which aims to cough up US$ 1.5 billion a year over the next five years for bankrupt Pakistan from America's ailing exchequer because some of the conditions attached to it, which the government has shrugged away as being inconsequential, are seen as " humiliatingly intrusive". The Pakistan army, which doesn't see eye to eye with America about its Af- Pak strategy and wanted to send an indirect signal of its unhappiness, exploited the situation recently by egging on the media and opposition to "reject" the aid and put the Zardari government on the defensive.   BESIDES, the army and opposition are trying to drive a wedge between President Zardari and his hand- picked prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, in order to weaken the government and have their way. The army still doesn't sufficiently see America's war on terror as being its own war — some of the Afghan Taliban groups in safe havens in Waziristan which are creating the greatest trouble for NATO forces in Afghanistan are allegedly protected by Pakistan's security services because of their anti- India stance — while the opposition is in a hurry to trigger mid- term elections and change its fortunes dramatically.   But if Mrs Clinton had her job cut out for her, she shouldn't expect to see quick results after her visit. She tried to assure the Pakistanis that the US aid bill was a strong gesture of support in the war against terrorism that has laid their country low. But the heated controversy over the bill has left the lasting impression that the aid is contaminated in some sense. Her pledge to route it transparently for economic development and poverty alleviation is being taken with more than a pinch of salt: the government through which the funds must pass lacks credibility; and a significant chunk of it is likely to go to a horde of expensive American officials, consultants and auditors who are descending upon Islamabad in droves. The worst aspect of this development is the bad taste left in the mouth of US legislators who drafted the bill and sanctioned the money in the interests of both Pakistan and the US. Therefore they are not likely to be as forthcoming or generous when President Obama's administration asks Congress for supplementary grants for the Pakistan military, or when the US administration has to quickly disburse money by relaxing the auditing criteria, thereby reinforcing the suspicions already in the mind of Pakistanis today.   Mrs Clinton spent all her time explaining things to, and fending hard questions from, the media, civil society and students. She also met with the leaders of the opposition PMLN who need to be taken on board the proposed US- Pak partnership. But it is equally important to note the message she was given wherever she went. First, Pakistan today is acutely in the grip of religious- nationalist passion and rhetoric.   So US policymakers must be sensitised to this development. Second, a regional approach involves bringing India on board, however difficult that may prove to be the case, and nudging the two neighbours to restart the composite dialogue unconditionally so that conflict resolution leads to building trust and the terrorists are unable to derail the war on terror by driving a wedge between them. Indeed, an end to the proxy wars between them in Afghanistan is a pre- requisite to winning the war on terror. Third, the next big issue after the Kerry Lugar Bill is likely to be the role of private security companies in protecting American diplomats and officials in Pakistan. The US needs to sit down with Pakistani security officials and chart out a suitable modus operandi regarding the conduct of these private security companies so that no untoward incident happens.   President Obama's Democratic administration has to clean up the mess left in this region by the neo- cons of the Bush era. This is not going to be easy. But the responsibility cannot be shirked. The US must not cut its losses and run away from the region as proposed by some liberals in America. The sooner Mr Obama announces his decision about the US presence in Afghanistan, and takes Pakistan's security concerns into consideration, the better. The writer is the editor of Friday Times and The Daily Times (Lahore) Source: Mail Today, New Delhi URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=2020