INDIA, PAKISTAN AND AMERICA'S MIXED SIGNALS

COLUMN READING:

As one goes through life, frequent complications and the associated difficulty of decision-making remain constant companions. The same is often true for countries and the difficult choices that need to be made by their leaders. Pakistan as a country and President Musharraf as its leader are both in an unenviable position today. Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t,” as it appears. And it is for the International community, especially Muslims & Pakistanis worldwide to ponder over this dilemma of the current crises, first in Afghanistan, then Palestine and now Kashmir & Pakistan’s eastern border with India.

That America would win the war against terrorism in Afghanistan was known by all except a misguided few in the region. Passions are no match for 21st century technology and know how. To believe that a group of fighters armed with rudimentary tools of war were going to win against a super-power, which had conventional weapons of mass destruction at its disposal, was to live in a fool’s paradise. Al Qaeda and or Osama-bin-Laden have been defeated inside Afghanistan in every conventional way. What they may still have up their sleeve as a parting gift for mankind should be cause for concern, but good riddance.

The Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf made the right choice, to support the American effort against those believed responsible for mass murder on September 11. That decision has been widely appreciated by the Pakistani-American community. But why are people of Pakistani origin still being picked on in America? And why is this writer still troubled over events in South Asia today?

For that one has to go back to the year 1971. The American Presidency, the Nixon/Kissinger Administration of the time had nothing but praise for then military ruler of Pakistan, General Yahya Khan as he brutally suppressed a genuine revolution in former East Pakistan and now Bangladesh. The Bangladesh war of 1971 was a losing proposition for Pakistan from its inception. The American 6th Fleet was rumored to be coming to the rescue of the hopelessly outnumbered Pakistanis fighting a grim battle against Bengali fighters (many trained by India) and later Indian regulars. The Pakistan Army eventually surrendered and the elusive US 6th. Fleet? Rumor has it that the US was able to save (West) Pakistan. And while the American Presidency and Administration appeared supportive of Pakistan throughout that war, the opposite was true for the American media of the time.

Today once again, the Bush Presidency has a great deal of praise for Pakistan while the American press and television is often busy taking pot shots at it. And nobody mentions the fact that both the United States and Pakistan once had a relationship with the Taliban Regime in Afghanistan. They only mention Pakistan.

The Taliban and Osama have been the initial targets of our American wrath but then “suddenly” out of the blue, terrorism raises its ugly head in both Israel and India? We are being made to believe that these two countries are the now somehow fighting the same war. And instead of trying to diffuse the situation and find a negotiated settlement to both the problems of Palestine and Kashmir, the American public is being continuously informed that all forms of political resistance by Muslims is now terrorism or at least suspect. This idea is not only dead wrong but dangerous to the long term security of the United States, a country that I have adopted, sworn to protect and given my allegiance to. Military action by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza and by India in Kashmir is not going to help stamp out terrorism. It will create more long-term problems for us.

President Bush has said on a number of occasions that this is not a war against Islam but a war against terrorism. At this point many including this writer support his actions, even though may not be popular in parts of the Muslim world. Much has also been said and written about the “questionable” safety of Pakistan’s nukes in the past few months (India’s Nukes are safe?). Many Muslims feel that Pakistan is being given negative reporting in the western media because of the fact that it is an Islamic country with nuclear weapons. It would be interesting to find out who is giving these ideas to our media here but let me stress the point that any attempt to take out Pakistan’s nuclear assets by any party will not help America’s war against terrorists. It will be viewed as a collective war against Islam period.

Why would Pakistanis pick this moment of all times to support terrorism in India, especially when the rest of the world including their own leadership is fighting a war against it? India in particular has threatened a military response against “terrorism” emanating from Pakistan. Nobody mentions the fact that Pakistan needs terrorism today like it needs a hole in its head.

The December 13th attack on the Indian Parliament was either of local Indian origin or the work of someone that wants to poison the waters and embarrass Pakistan. So let us not jump to wild conclusions and look for military excuses to get out of the mess in Kashmir. India is waiting to see how far it can use the crime against America of September 11th for its own purposes. And the media in this country just may be its signal on whether to act against Pakistan like it did in 1971.

America has already shown that it means business against all who dare to attack it. But to think that we have found a solution to the problems of this world in our military might is not good judgment. We have to take into consideration of what people are telling us before we get hit in the head by a hammer to recognize a problem. India needs to be similarly reminded. Kashmir needs a solution, one that respects the wishes of its people. Ordinary Indians and Pakistanis do not want war. They have huge daily problems to deal with already. And many including this writer want to see friends and relatives across the international border between India and Pakistan and the Line of Control (in Kashmir) reconnect with each other and welcome in a new era of peace in South Asia. War is the last thing that we need there right now.