Point Blank 10th March 2010
Guests: Ijaz Butt, Zaheer Abbas, Naveed Chaudhary, Abdul Qadir
Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Capital Talk 10th March 2010
Guests: Hamza Shehbaz, Mushahid Hussain, Jahangir Badar
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Reversing Anti-Americanism: Building US allies in West Asia
Tsunamis follow and are created by underwater and underground earthquakes. For the past two decades, US policy has been based on fear, and a reaction to events. Those events overtook long term US policy interests like a tsunami takes over a summer beach. Most analysts of catatonic events had predicted the tsunami–because of the earthquakes that had been happening in the background–below the radar of the US public and invisible to the US media. The tectonic events in various parts of the world thus created an earthquake—the result was 9/11. The tsunami engulfed Iraq and Afghanistan–destroying old relationships, straining alliances, and forcing the US into actions that it could not internally digest.
Next September will be the 10th anniversary of the tsunami that destroyed the World Trade Centers. The post 9/11 analysis was focused on the perpetuators of the tsunami. All sorts of efforts were made to stop tsunamis from hitting and the US. Early warning systems from around the world were instigated, and a robust systems of check and balances have been put in place to prevent damage to the US. Of course tsunamis will happen, but their damage is to be limited because the “coastal communities” had done drills, built homes in high level areas and instigated early warning systems
The 80 billion Dollar think tank industry in the US focuses on the tsunami and the the 19 who came aboard riding it. Thus the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Afghanistan was easy prey. The “You are with us or against us” philosophy would have dictated that daisy cutters fall on Riyadh and Dahran destroying the preosperity of the 19 who who destroyed the world Trade Center. However destruction of Saudi Arabia was not in the interest of the US or Europe, so the wrath fell on the Afghans who had been allies with the US for more than two decades. Afghanistan was not good enough so the sword waving Saddam Husein was hanged and his population decimated. The Neocons used the tsuanmi to try to eliminate their enemies. Iran jumped on the bandwagon to remove their nemisis, The Talibs and the Baathist part in Baghdad. Qom wanted to rule Qarbla and subjugate Herat and Yemen.
Unable to destroy or bomb Pakistan, Blackwater/Xe was used to demoralize the Pakistanis so that their support for the Taliban would be diminished. After Pokhran and Chaghai, Bharati forces have not been able to cross the LOC or the international border. This frustrates the heck of the Delhi generals who wanto top periodically whip up hatred against the Pakistanis and then wage war. The Bharatis (aka Indians) used 911 to get their agenda–sabotaging Pakistan so that it’s nuclear deterrent could be hijacked and then the provinces of Pakistan would be easier to incorporate into Akhand Bharat (Kabul to Bali).
In all this–the 80 billion Dollar think tank industry forgot that the tsunami was not caused by the 19 evil guys or men hiding in caves in Afghanistan or perched in places in Iraq. The tsunami was cuased by tectonic activity below the surface—the occupation of Palestine and Kashmir.
There is no movement to fix Palestine. The Obama Administration has been as impotent as the Bush Government. Actually is a situation deteriorating from bad to worse. During the Bush Administration it was benign neglect and then a deliberate hands-off let them kill each other so that they can learn” policy. And kill each other they did. There has been wanton terror in the Middle East for the past decade. The Israelis are their own worst enemy busy destroying the Two State solution and committing political Hari Kari of oa one state solution. Their Kibbutz building is a suicide mission bent on the destruction of the Jewish nature of the state or turning make apartheid permanent. Either way, they will reach a point of no ruturn where the separation of the two communities will be impossible–and the demographic bomb will overwhelm Israel in the occupied territories and in Israeli proper. One state in Palestine will have a majority of Arabs. Israel, it it wants to survive has to liberate the occupied territories. The Palestinians and the Israelis met in Taba and came to an agreement. This envisages a contiguous state of Palestine along with Israel, and the Arab part of Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine–the Jewish part the capital of Israel. The Obama Administration has to work to untie the knots and put prssure on Israel to make the Taba solution happen.
The other tectonic activity is in Kashmir. For sixty years, Bharat has tried every trick in the book to try to control Kashmir. While it is trying to build there are serious impediment in forming a better “Indian Union”. Kashmir, Telangana, Assam, Maharashtrata, Gujerat, Assam, and the 40% territory controlled by the Maoist Naxals, the 150 million marginalized Muslims, and the 450 million Untouchable Dalits prevent Bharat from becoming a nation. Bharat can never be a regional player, unless it learns to resolve boundary disputes. All other countries of the world have resolved boundary disputes within the first few years of their existence. Pakistan, Iran, China, Myanmar, and Afghanistan quickly made sacrifices and created international boundaries which ended the conflict. Pakistan for example gave 5000 square miles to China, and in return got undying Chinese appreciation. Kashmir is the vortex of conflict in South Asia. There is a solution to the problem of Kashmir–it is called the Chenab Solution based on linguistic lines. Urdu speakers of Kashmir and Jammu go to Pakistan. Hindi speakers go to India. Border dispute solved. The US has to force the process and make sure the Chenan solution happens.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that the support and assistance pledged to Pakistan by the United States and other allies does not commensurate with the sacrifices, commitment and contribution made by Pakistan in the war against terror.
Talking to the Chairman of the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry and his congressional delegation, the Prime Minister regretted that even the pledges made by the allies at the Donors Conference in Tokyo last year were yet to be fulfilled.
This has resulted in serious implications for the country’s economy, Gilani said.
Prime Minister Gilani urged the United States to take the lead in fast tracking the reimbursement of the long-delayed Coalition Support Fund and expedite the release of assistance already appropriated under the Kerry-Lugar Bill.
On the issue of the United State’s image amongst Pakistani people, the Prime Minister counselled that the US should remove irritants like special screening measures against Pakistani nationals at its airports, repatriate Aafia Siddiqui on humanitarian grounds and ensure America’s undertaking of projects in Pakistan’s energy, education, health and infrastructure sectors as proof of its sincerity in a long-term strategic partnership with the country.
Senator John Kerry said the United States has great understanding of the difficulties Pakistan has been facing and appreciates the human and economic sacrifices made by the country in the process. — DawnNews
The transactional relationships and the “Do More” mantras have to end.
The US has to begin thinking beyond the conflict zones and imagineering the peace after the withdrawal of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. How can the US convert the vortex of war and terror into a zone of peace and prosperity. The US has wasted three trillion Dollars and lost the war in Afghanistan (farcical surge not withstanding).
It has to come up with a real Marshall Plan (as opposed to the peanuts being doled out) for Pakistan and Afghanistan–power plants, roads, hospitals, schools, Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZ) and Free Trade Agreements. The US has to gain lost ground, and begin reconstructing a positive policy so that West Asians become permanent US friends.
Filed under: Current Affairs, India CA, Pak CA, Politics, US CA, US Int Rel., US Poli 
