Are the conflicts real or
just to keep arsenal factories running at full capacity?
Over the last more
than three years I have written dozens of articles on “Geo Politics in South
Asia and MENA”. I have a few premises: 1) the region is reach in agriculture
that provides food and raw material for industries, 2) it has huge population
which makes it one of the biggest markets, 3) countries located in the region
are rich in minerals ‑ from crude oil to precious metals including uranium.
That is the reason region remained prime attraction during colonial and cold
war eras and it remains the biggest attraction for Fortune-500 Companies, who
install and topple governments in the countries located in the region. Super
powers also create conflicts, support rebel groups by providing funds and arms
to continue ‘proxy wars’, mainly to keep their arsenal factories running at
full capacities.
Since I live in
Pakistan, my concerns can be priorities as follows: 1) the immediate concern is
my country and its immediate neighbors, 2) proxy wars being fought in the
regions, 3) hatred being created among groups in the name of cast, creed and
religion and 4) wars and atrocities being impose to plunge these countries
deeper into poverty and hunger.
Let me begin with
Pakistan, while granting independent status to India and Pakistan British Raj
let a thorn – Kashmir. Based on the conflict hawks were groomed on both sides
of borders, one claiming that India can’t be divided once again on the basis of
religion and other insisting that relationship between the two countries can’t
be normalized till resolution of Kashmir issue.
Over more than 65 years both
the countries have been spending billions of dollars annually to accumulate
more and more arms that includes attaining ‘atomic power status’. Had this
amount spent on development and welfare of people in both the countries, I am
sure by this time the per capita income would have reached US$25,000 as against
existing paltry income ranging from US$1,200 to US$2,500.
For the last four
decades Pakistan has been fighting ‘Proxy US War’ in Afghanistan. The country was dragged in this conflict to
contain USSR’s access to warm waters. However, it seems that in the post 9/11
era the US occupation of Afghanistan is to get control on ‘white powder’, which
has become the biggest source for purchasing arms and the breeding nursery for
mercenaries who indulge in cross border terrorism in Pakistan and Iran. Taliban
are the product of United States that fought its Proxy war in Afghanistan and
now are fighting against the ruling regimes in many Muslim countries including
Pakistan. They have been given different names in different regions but have
one common object, spreading anarchy.
India is often
projected as: 1) one of the biggest democracies of the world, 2) nonaligned and
secular state and 3) regional super power. However, it had extracted benefits
during cold war era and even today it is drawing benefits from both United
States and Russia in the name of countering expansionism of China. The sitting
Prime Minister of India has been alleged for genocide of Muslims and supporting
extremist Hindus. India has been very smartly extracting benefits from United
States, the most prominent being ‘agreement for nuclear technology for civilian
use’ in exchange for deserting Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
The United States has
been supporting India in creating its hegemony in South Asia and also
encouraged it to deal with Somali pirates’ issue. While Pakistan was forced to
stop purchase of oil from Iran and construct Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, India
was not only allowed to buy huge quantity of oil but also to help
financially/technically in the construction of Chabahar port in
Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran. The two measures were aimed at keeping
Pakistan dependent on Middle Eastern oil and undermine importance of Gwadar
port. However, it remains a fact Pakistan offers the shortest and the most cost
effective route to Central Asia passing through Afghanistan.
Many Pakistanis
suspect that militancy and anti-Pakistan sentiments in its Baluchistan province
are being created to create justification for the creation of Grater
Baluchistan that will comprise one slice each from Afghanistan, Iran and
Pakistan. This proposed country will have over 1,200 kilometer long coastal
line. This has huge oil and gas reserves, which will come directly/indirectly
under the control of United States and the country will also bring transit
trade from Pakistan to virtually zero.
Iran faces sanction
for more than 35 years, which were eased recently for the reason best known to
the developed countries. However, some quarters say it is an attempt to
‘terrify’ Saudi Arabia, which was brainwashed in the past and made to believe
that ‘Iran is a bigger threat to Muslims as compared to Israel’. It is on
record that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait encouraged Iraq under Saddam Hussain to
attack Iran and provided funds to continue this war for nearly a decade. The
breach between Saudi Arabia and United States widened when the sole surviving
super power refused to attack Syria.
The recent insurgency
in Iraq is aimed at splitting it into three feeble countries. After facing most
humiliating defeat in Lebanon and Syria, Israel under the patronage of United
States is supporting various groups, the most prominent being ISIL. Some
analysts say yet another ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ is in making. His forces are
stealing Iraqi oil, selling it to other countries and buying arms from the
receipts.
Interestingly, the
United States is warring countries not to buy oil from ISIL, but some countries
are certainly buying it, may be off the record and selling it as ‘their won
oil’ in the international markets. One
point is very clear that stolen oil is being used for purchasing arms for
encountering ruling regimes in countries located in the region, particularly
Iraq and Syria.
Interestingly ISIL
claims to be fighting for the rights of Muslims but putting no resistance
against Israeli atrocities in Gaza. This gives a reason to believe that ISIL is
there to fragment Muslims and make them weaker but not to pose any resistance
against plans of CIA and Israeli intelligence agency.
