Sarah
Khan
John
Wooden’s saying “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your
mistakes” seems relevant to current US
blame game especially against Pakistan.
Whenever US policies have failed to produce desired results, it has always used
the shoulder of a weaker ally to put the burden of failure of its flawed
policies. This time again, as failure in Afghanistan with tremendous rise in
violence and unrest haunts outgoing US/NATO forces, a leading daily in US media’s
editorial board has tried to put all blame on Pakistan for sheer failure of US
and its policies in Afghanistan. In 12 May edition, The New York Times,
published another anti-Pakistan editorial titled, “Time to Put Squeeze on
Pakistan”, alleging that “Pakistan’s powerful army and intelligence services
have for years given support to the Taliban and the Haqqani terrorist network”.
It added that “Pakistan’s
double game has long frustrated American officials”. Publishing
anti-Pakistan rhetoric at whims of strong Indian lobby in America has now become a sustained campaign in
US media to tarnish Pakistan’s
international image. The above mentioned newspaper is the leading paper in US
indulged in propagating anti-Pakistan narrative. In the said editorial, the
writer has tried to put all blame on Pakistan
for their failures in Afghanistan.
Another op-ed published in February in the same newspaper i.e. The New York
Times by Carlotta Gall titled, “Pakistan’s
Hand in the Rise of International Jihad” alleged that Pakistan’s ISI has played a role in
creation of ISIS.
US war in Afghanistan
never achieved desired results, that is why US
defense officials kept on changing their strategy in Afghanistan all the times. In 2010,
President Obama announced tremendous surge in number of troops. In late May
2014, President Obama laid out a hasty timetable for withdrawal of US forces
from Afghanistan.
Nearly all American troops were scheduled to pull out of Afghanistan by
the time he left the White House at the end of 2016. Fewer than 1,000 US service members would remain in the country
to staff a security liaison office in Kabul.
There were 140,000 US/NATO forces in Afghanistan. Massive withdrawal
took place in December 2014, with only 9,800 troops in war torn Afghanistan.
After Afghan elections, President Ashraf Ghani was not able to bring stability
in the country as Afghan forces trained by India were not able to ensure
security in the country.
Last year
saw the highest number of casualties and violence perpetrated by Taliban in Afghanistan, after massive withdrawal of US
forces from Afghanistan
in December 2014. Many policymakers in US
administration had cautioned US
administration well in advance that massive withdrawal from Afghanistan
will only aggravate the turmoil in the country. Lisa Curtis in one of her
opinion said that “after withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and surprise
success of the Islamic State, which has put the future of Iraq in jeopardy, has
prompted concern among US policymakers that, as US and coalition forces depart,
Afghan forces could face a similar threat from the Taliban”. Similarly
James Dobbins said, "But having invaded Iraq, having created a mess, having
created the conditions that led to regional imbalance and increased
radicalization, it was a mistake to have just walked away from it. Wars aren't
over because you say they're over. "
Pakistan has consistently cooperated with the US and
coalition forces in sharing intelligence and decimating the terror outfits
operating from the region. Since 2009, Pakistani forces have been engaged in
incremental operations to clear the Pakistani soil from all the terrorist
networks concentrated in this area because of the competing interests and
mutual rivalries of the big powers. Pakistan is playing an instrumental
role in Afghan reconciliation process. Various US
officials have often recognized Pakistan’s
positive role. A senior US
general Brigadier General Wilson Shoffner, Deputy Chief of Staff for
communication, Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan
has praised efforts by Pakistan
to put pressure on terrorists operating in the country and for the country's
support to push Taliban to join the peace process. "We have been
pleased with Pakistan’s
efforts in two ways: one, their pressure against the Taliban in Pakistan. And
then also their agreement to put pressure on the Taliban to join the peace
process".
Foregoing
in view, it may be concluded that Afghanistan
and Iraq
are sheer failures of US policies in these countries. US military engagements
have only resulted in more chaos and turmoil. Presidents Bush and Obama have
sent military power anywhere and everywhere, regardless of national boundaries
and the resulting immense civilian casualties, in those tragic, blown-apart
countries. The American people are entitled to know how all this military might
and the trillions of dollars spent in Iraq
and Afghanistan,
since 2003 and 2001 respectively, can produce such negative fallouts. Hence,
instead of scapegoating weaker allies, US should concentrate on improving its
flawed strategies and emphasizing on use of non-kinetics to achieve peace and
stability in the devastated regions.
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