The US administration’s doublespeak on India and Pakistan is legendary and has made it virtually impossible to end the so-called “war-on-terror”. The Mumbai barbarism last month again exposed this.
Following the UN sanctions against certain militant-terrorist organizations in Pakistan, the US state department officials paid ritual visits to the two countries and mouthed the usual admonitions/concerns. Pakistan took the usual line: “Let India give us proof”, and then released the arrested militants/terrorists.
But this time, after the horrible Mumbai killings in a commando-like operation, Pakistan’s other allies — China and Iran — have for the first time openly warned Pakistan to rein in its militant/terrorist outfits. China refused to listen to Pakistan’s plea that the former should veto the UN sanctions.
Instead of encouraging/forcing India and Pakistan to sit down and plan a strategy to put an end to such barbarism, the US administration is watching from the sidelines. If it wishes the US can bring the two countries to their senses/knees. Pakistan will collapse without the financial dole/munificence of the USA.
All reports indicate that a majority of terror operations/threats worldwide have links to Pakistan. The US indulgence all these years has emboldened the Pakistan’s establishment (army and civilian) to keep playing their “Kashmir”/”Afghanistan” games endlessly.
Thus turning Pakistan into a nursery of militants/terrorists. The US administration seems to play a quid pro quo game with the Pakistani establishment, while Pakistan plays a quid pro quo game with the militants/terrorists. In short: “We won’t hurt you, so long you do your dirty thing elsewhere.”
After all the CIA, the ISI and Osama bin Laden, and other militant/terrorist organizations, were buddies and on the same side of the fence for years during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
I hope Obama administration sees through this complicated but well entrenched reality. I doubt that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would be able to do much because the CIA/State Department officials and the ISI/army are caught up in a mindset that may take years to “CHANGE”.
Many players have developed a vested interest in the continuation of the so-called “terrorism” because a lot of accounted/unaccounted money is flowing into Pakistan. How do they gain if peace returns to this part of the world and elsewhere?
The only redeeming feature are the sane voices from Pakistan warning the country of impending disaster if it remains in a denial mode about the existence of terrorists on its soil.
I strongly recommend an article by a Pakistani journalist in the country’s well-known newspaper, The Dawn. Please click here to read this article…
To read my earlier post, please click here…
Dr Henry Kissinger does not share my pessimism. ““I think that when the new administration assess the position in which it finds itself it will see a huge crisis and terrible problems, but I can see that it could see a glimmer in which it could construct an international system out of it.” More here…
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.