It is becoming visible that the US administration has
already started applying undue pressure on Pakistan. The Foreign Secretary is
scheduled to visit Pakistan during first week of September. In the past the US
mantra was ‘do more’, which is likely to get louder as the newly elected
government has taken charge.
The first evidence came when the US issued instructions to the
IMF to be more cautious in lending money to Pakistan. Ironically this announcement
came without taking into account many ifs and buts. The recent handout of the
US administration further spoiled the already deteriorating relationship. It
has therefore become imperative for the US administration to revisit its
foreign policy towards Pakistan.
Let it be clearly understood by the US administration that the
public pressure on the government has been on the rise to bid farewell to the
US proxy war in Afghanistan. The masses now openly ask the reasons for the
presence of thousands of troops in Afghanistan, the US had announced to pull
out its troops from Afghanistan by 2014. Even at that time I had written a blog
that troops will stay in Afghanistan forever and the prediction came true as
the number of troops has increased rather than reducing.
I had also written that the US has lost war in Korea and
Vietnam in the past and was on losing spree in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The
US must accept its defeat in Afghanistan and pull out its troops immediately.
The newspaper reports indicate that more and more area of Afghanistan is being
recaptured by anti US fighters, enjoying the support of local population. The
control of Afghan regime that shrank to Kabul is now shrinking to Presidential
Palace only.
Many geopolitical analysts have the consensus that after the
decision to pull troops the US administration is getting jittery about the
safety of its soldiers as well as military hardware. It can’t be ruled out that
the anti-US forces may allow evacuation of troops in exchange for military hardware.
The hardware that was accumulated in Afghanistan in more than four decades can’t
be moved out in weeks or months. The US had used Pakistan backed fighters in
repulsing USSR troops and again expects Pakistan to provide a shield as the
retreat of troops and military hardware starts.
The analysts fear that retreat may not be as easy as being
perceived by the US administration. I am sure that the US administration is
fully cognizant of the fact the Anti US fighters are now backed by global and
regional super powers and all of them would not like to miss the opportunity to
settle their accounts. The real issue is that the US troops can’t move an inch
without the local support as they are not familiar with the terrain. This inadequacy
was one of the prime factors of the US defeat in Korea.
Establishing peace in Afghanistan is as not as easy as being
perceived by the US administration. The presence of local war lords and
fighters supported by the US troops make the jigsaw puzzle more complicated.
One of solutions, which may not be acceptable to the US administration, is
destruction of all the US owned military hardware in Afghanistan. However, it
creates a situation chicken or egg first.
For the safe exit of the US troops and avoid anarchy/civil
war after the departure of US troops, the US must consider destruction of
military hardware. It is also suggested that Pakistan should not get involved
in any adventure. The US has started the war in Afghanistan and it will have to
ensure peace after the withdrawal of its troops. Trillions of US dollars, tax
payers’ money, have been wasted in four decades. If the British crown can let
its colonies get independence why can’t the US accept it defeat and pull out
troops from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria?
