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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan Shall Plan for the Worst |
| 2008-10-09 |
| It is said that one shall hope for the best but plan for the worst. Let's analyze some of the rhetoric coming from top US leadership. Admiral Mike Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee that he thinks that US is loosing in Afghanistan and that a new strategy needs to be formulated to counter the threat of militants in Pakistan. He further emphasized that new military strategy covering both [Afghanistan and Pakistan] sides of the border is essential. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in an interview with the BBC argued in favor of the American right of striking at miscreants on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border and taking all necessary actions in self defense. In the debate held at Oxford, Democratic Senator Obama, American president hopeful said "If the United States has Al Qaeda, (Osama) bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unwilling or unable to act, then we should take them out". Last but not the least, the New York Times newspaper recently published a report claiming that "President Bush had approved orders in July to allow US Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without Pakistani approval". Having read all these, I still believe that the possibility of American ground forces attack on Pakistan soil are very remote. Let us try to find an answer to a question,"Can American really endanger its interest in South Asia by indulging in war with its front line ally on war on terror, which has best trained military and missile system capable of taking nuclear arsenals?" An objective and unemotional analysis will make it clear that the US attack on Pakistan is a remote possibility. To see how much odds are against Pakistan , lets see in historical background, how American behaved in different scenarios. Nearing the end of the World War II , after the fall of Berlin to Russian forces, US dropped the "new weapon" on Hiroshima on 6 August when Russian Army were to enter the pacific war theatre on 8 August. US could have easily waited a few days to see the effect of Russian declaration of war on Japan. But as American had the ultimate weapon and Russians did not; so US ignored Russia all together. A few decades latter, during Kennedy administration, US did not use the nuclear option against Cuba when Russians refused to take away the missile from Cuban Peninsula. Russians this time had the nuclear weapon. Therefore, a deal was struck between the two "nuclear" power in which pledge of dismantling the missile sites from Italy and Turkey were obtained before Russia withdrew her missile from Cuba. Lesson to be learnt is that the only way to avoid US wrath is to negotiate from position of strength. The US latest targets of aggression i.e. Afghanistan and Iraq have one thing in common and it is that they were both militarily very weak. Despite all the war mongering against North Korea and Iran, US has not dared to violate their sovereignty. Reason is simple and clear, North Korea and Iran can strike back. It shall be clear that the human cost (American) is of utmost importance for American administration before they take decision of going to war. If American perceives that the war is going to cost them heavily in American lives term, they will avoid it by all means. US will not dare to attack Pakistan till the time Pakistani Government, like Iranian and North Korean government, keeps its military posture strong and show them that it has the capability to strike back at US interests. In Quran it is said that "Make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, to strike terror into the heart of your enemies and enemies of Allah, whom you know not but Allah does know". Quran has given us guidelines here, 1400 years ago, that the only way to ensure peace is to strike terror into the hearts of enemies. The only way to do so is to show them that you can cause them harm if they decided to launch a misadventure. Our beloved Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) is beacon of light for us and we all know that when he died he left behind just a few swords and body armor in his inheritance. This Sunnah put emphasis on every Muslim to be always ready for his defense. Till the time Pakistan act on the Sunnah of always prepared for defense, she has all the chances in this world, not only to survive but to progress and take her right place in the world. In my opinion, the people who argue for the reduction in defense budget are either intentionally or inadvertently donot realize that the day we lower our arm we are destined to doom just like Afghanistan and Iraq. We need to spend our resources for our defense. Once our borders are secured, we can concentrate on other projects of progress. Having said that, I must emphasize that Armed Forces of Pakistan shall concentrate on improving their capabilities and shall not indulge in politics. In last, I will say it with conviction that if we are ready for the worst, the US will negotiate with us and will accept the sovereignty of Pakistan. Otherwise, if we think we can "seduce them with our charming personality" we have to think again. Once our borders are safe from American incursion, Pakistan Army shall use all its resources to get rid of all Indians sponsored "Pakistan Taliban " from the troubled area and make it peaceful again as it was before 911. U.K Dar is a PhD scholar at University of Manchester |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #5 "Quran has given us guidelines here, 1400 years ago, that the only way to ensure peace is to strike terror into the hearts of enemies." And there you have it... |
| Posted by: sludge 2008-10-09 13:46 |
| #4 Once our borders are safe from American incursion, Pakistan Army shall use all its resources to get rid of all Indians sponsored "Pakistan Taliban " from the troubled area and make it peaceful again as it was before 911. Feel better now, Chaudry? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-09 12:51 |
| #3 Well, i may disagree with the author on the article but i have to comment on the "comments". I could not read the name of India in the article but I could feel some Indians commenting negatively> It is shame. |
| Posted by: Chaudry 2008-10-09 11:54 |
| #2 Good, good, keep your "Military Posture" strong. If you don't run out of money in the next 30 days. Then what? Back to cooperation? I think we should choke these bastards off the teat, and let them swim on their own. They're big boys with a bunch of braggadocio, so lets see what they've got. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-09 11:07 |
| #1 Yeah....ummmmmmm...good luck on the doctorate. Hope the Indians don't steal it from you. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-09 09:37 |