By Sajjad Shaukat
The grim tragedy the
United States suffered on September 11, 2001 through suicidal bombings on World
Trade Center and Pentagon resulted into the death of more than 55000 persons.
In the aftermath, the US held Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden responsible for
the incident, and attacked Afghanistan where he had taken shelter.
A majority of the small
and major countries joined American global war on terror, and Pakistan also
joined it as the frontline state because the country was not only facing acute
financial crisis, but also hostile factor of India. Pakistan was also granted
the status of non-NATO ally by Washington because of its successes, achieved by
Pakistan’s Army and country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) against the Al
Qaeda militants. Within a few years, when the US-led NATO forces felt that they
are failing in coping with the stiff resistance of the Taliban in Afghanistan,
they started accusing Pak Army and ISI of supporting the Afghan Taliban. US
high officials and their media not only blamed Pakistan for cross-border
terrorism in Afghanistan, but also presumed that a plot to attack the US
homeland would be prepared in FATA where safe-havens of Al Qaeda exist. They
also emphasized Pakistan to ‘do more’ against the militants coupled with drone
attacks on Pakistan’s tribal areas by ignoring the internal backlash in the
country.
And without informing
Pakistan, a helicopters-raid of the US covert forces killed top Al Qaeda leader
Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. His death triggered
celebrations across the US, India, Israel and some western countries–by
ignoring Pakistan’s sacrifices, during war against terrorism—deliberate
propaganda campaign started against Islamabad. In this context, a blame game
against Pakistan Army and ISI was revived by them. They said that Bin Laden
lived in Pakistan compound—5 to 6 years, and as to why Pakistan’s security and
intelligence agencies were unaware of his presence.
It is mentionable that
during war against terrorism, Pakistan sacrificed more than any country in
terms of collateral damage, economic losses and political instability. While
Pakistan faced a continued wave of suicide attacks, bomb blasts and targeted
killings.
However, in its
misperceptions, especially, the US ignored the sacrifices of the Pakistan’s
armed forces which had broken the backbone of the Taliban militants through
successful Swat and Malakand military operations, while ISI had arrested
renowned Taliban commanders including other militants and masterminds of Al
Qaeda, namely Abu Zubaida, Khalfan, Abu Hamza Rabia, Mullah Abdul Ghani Bardar
etc. In this respect, the then Interior Minister, Rehman Malik stated on, May
2, 2011 that ISI has castigated more than 2,000 suicide attacks. In this
context, on the one side, American high officials admired Pakistan, while on
the other; they continued their blame game against Pakistan’s security forces
and intelligence agencies.
It is notable that the
then Director General of ISI, Ahmed Shuja Pasha pointed out that Osama’s
compound in Abbottbad was registered under a fake name. He elaborated that
after the Tora Bora operation, Osama Bin Laden became an enemy of Pakistan. He
was living in a residential area and it was not in the knowledge of the agency.
Besides, the ex-Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Army Spokesman
Maj-General Athar Abbas (R) also refuted foreign allegations in connection with
Osama and ISI.
It is worth-mentioning
that Bin Laden was living in the Abbotabad compound, and despite its vast
resources, technical intelligence e.g. satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles and
human intelligence—extraordinary long-range aerial military capacity, the
ability to strike at will from the space at any point on the globe, US secret
agencies, CIA and FBI failed in detecting his presence in Pakistan and
destroying Al Qaeda’s terrorist network in the ten years of America’s war
against terrorism. Similarly question also arises about the September 11 suicide
attacks. It was described as the greatest intelligence failure of the American
spy agencies. However, compound where Osama Bin Laden was living was a norm
rather than exception. A number of people have been living in the neighbourhood
of that compound at Abbottabad. While, Pakistan’s various television channels
showed the interviews of the neighbourers, living there, who remarked that they
were never suspicion about Osama’s presence. So ISI did not have a magic to
know the whereabouts of Bin Laden there. It was also not possible for this spy
agency to check all the houses of Pakistan or to interfere in peoples’ privacy
so as to find out Bin Laden.
In fact, US, India and
Israel wanted to fulfill a number of clandestine aims by continuing their
propaganda against Pakistan. Notably, American cost of war against terrorism
had reached 8 trillion dollars, and was increasing rapidly—acute recession
inside the country had given a greater blow to the US economy. In that
scenario, American public was particularly worried about the failed campaign in
Afghanistan. So Osama’s episode could be used to distract the attention of its
general masses from internal crisis, and for re-election of Obama as President.
Similarly, under the
pretext of Osama’s demise, and with the tactical support of America, India and
Israel which had well-established their covert network in Afghanistan intended
to implement their hidden agenda to destabilize Pakistan, Iran and China by
assisting the insurgency against these countries.
In this connection,
since 9/11 catastrophe, by availing that golden opportunity, both India and
Israel which had joined the Bush’s anti-terrorism campaign to crush the wars of
liberation, being waged by the Kashmiris and the Palestinians, intensified
their state terrorism to keep their occupation on these territories. They have
continuously been exploiting the world phenomena of terrorism and anti-Muslim
approach of the west so as to obtain their nefarious designs. In this regard,
Indo-Israel lobbies which are penetrated in the US Administration and are
working in other western countries became pro-active to manipulate the war on
terror. Pakistan which is the only nuclear country in the Muslim World, having
close ties with China is another major target of the Indo-Israeli secret
diplomacy. The fact of the matter is that New Delhi and Tel Aviv are
collectively exploiting the double standards of the west in relation to
terrorism and human rights vis-à-vis Pakistan, China and Iran.
While, the capability of
Pakistan’s Armed Forces could be judged from the one year progress of the
ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb which started on Jun 15, 2014 against the
militants in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
On June 10, this year,
while showing the progress of the Zarb-e-Azb, Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Raheel
Sharif said, “Terrorists have been cleared from their strongholds in North
Waziristan and Khyber Agency and fight now is moving into last few pockets
close to Afghan border.” He laid emphasis on “continuation of the operations
till elimination of the last expected and probable terrorists groups and
sanctuaries.” While addressing a ceremony of the golden jubilee celebrations
the 1965 war regarding Pakistan’s victory and defeat of India, Gen. Raheel
again said on September 6, this year, operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched at a
time when terrorist networks had solidified in the country that the Armed
Forces had been fighting an untraditional war for the past many years,
elaborating, “our success is the result of our martyrs and ghazis—in Karachi
and Balochistan, peace has returned, where militants have been surrendering
their arms.”
Nevertheless, since June
15, 2014, the jets of Pakistan Air Force have bombed militants’ hideouts in
North Waziristan, and killed thousands of insurgents including foreign
militants, while Pak Army has also killed several terrorists through ground
offensive and many of them surrendered before the Army. While, ISI and other
law-enforcing agencies captured several terrorists in various regions of Pakistan,
including suicide-jackets and weapons—thus thwarted their pre-subversive acts.
They have successfully broken the network of the terrorists.
During the 14th
anniversary of the 9/11 incident, its is of particular attention that what the
US-led NATO countries could not do in Afghanistan, and America in other
volatile countries in the last 14 years, Pakistan’s Armed Forces have done in
one year against the terrorists. Therefore, US and other western countries have
started appreciating the capabilities of Pakistan Army and other security
agencies, and are, now, recognizing the sacrifices of the country against
terrorism. They also recognize the fact that terrorism or stability in Pakistan
and Afghanistan is interrelated.
It is regrettable that
New Delhi is destabilizing the regional countries in general and Afghanistan
and Pakistan in particular. In order to obtain its secret designs, aimed at
augmenting Indian hegemony in the region, India is foiling the peace process
between Afghanistan and Pakistan by managing terrorist attacks like the recent
ones in Afghanistan and Pakistan to create a rift between Islamabad and Kabul,
and to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Moreover, on the
direction of the Indian leader of the fundamentalist party BJP and Prime
Narendra Modi Indian forces have accelerated unprovoked shelling across the
Line of Control and Working Boundary, while creating war-like situation between
Pakistan and India.
Taking note of these
developments, a change has occurred in Americans towards Islamabad, who know
that stability in this region is essential for American global interests.
Besides, these developments also rectify the US misperceptions by proving that
Pakistan’s Army and ISI which have successfully been coping with terrorism and
Al Qaeda had no knowledge about Osama Bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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