Christine Fair’s most recent article (tirade) — ‘America’s Pakistan Policy is Sheer Madness’ is a true masterpiece of distortion and opinionated utterances. She calls members of the US Congress, White House, Departments of Defense and State pusillanimous besides faulting them for not just a flawed policy but a policy that harms US interests. Strong words from a lady who is now accepted as a major part of the anti Pakistan landscape and no doubt there is a good reason for what she has become — a bitter scorned woman who must claw, rip, smear and malign to vent her frustrations. In one of her face book postings she compared a Pakistani medium range missile to a ’Chihuawa’s penis’ — perhaps a psychiatrist needs to analyze and get to the bottom of her disturbed mind and vengeful anger.
As to the muddled arguments she puts forth the less said the better. She asks the US to forge a new policy for Pakistan. This is exactly what the US has done on the basis of past experience and in the US’ best interests. Today the US and Pakistan have a convergence of interests over a range of issues including Afghanistan. The result is a serious move towards Pakistan-Afghanistan cooperation against the common threat of the Taliban operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The past policies that she alludes to and in fact bases her arguments on are just that — past policies no longer relevant. Why were they there in the first place? They were there because of the uncertainty in US/NATO presence in Afghanistan and an ambiguous attitude towards the Taliban (Taleban). Once the uncertainty went away under Obama Pakistan policy crystallized and after President Ashraf Ghani came in this policy is being implemented. This policy best serves the interests of the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan and the region if not the world. So why go back into the past just bring down your own policy makers. If a new policy is needed then it should be one that extends greater support to Pakistan.
Ms Fair is critical of the arms given and sold to Pakistan and the funds released to Pakistan under various heads. She takes her figures from the Congressional Research paper. The figures are no doubt accurate and impressive when yo add them up but not so impressive when you look at the time span they cover and factor in the three decades of violence in Pakistan’s western neighborhood. These are a fraction of what Pakistan required. Also missing in the tally of human losses is the number of Afghans and Pakistanis killed and the atrocities committed on them. These need to be factored in. Consider also the NATO logistics that moved across Pakistan. Compute the tonnages and the damage to the infra structure.
Ms Fair has mentioned Osama bi Laden. Yes there are questions that a inquiry commission has no doubt answered but it has not been made public. Pakistan will decide what is best in its own interest. Ms Fair might want to investigate how 19 Arabs could live, travel, train over months and possibly years in the US till they hijacked three passenger planes and blew up the World Tower and the Pentagon without anybody knowing anything at all.
There are many madnesses going around. The Shia-Sunni conflict in the Middle East. Its origin bears investigation. The rise of radicalization and extremism also bears investigation. Pakistan is doing its best to ward off these dangers to the fabric of its society and it has to modulate its policy not to satisfy a frustrated female but to ensure its own interests and it is well aware of those. Pakistan is a victim of and not a perpetrator.
India and Pakistan are fully aware of the danger that a war would create. There are no signs of any such conflict except in fevered imaginations. Pakistan is fully aware of the asymmetry in conventional power and so is the US. This asymmetry rules out any adventure or irresponsible action by Pakistan but Pakistan will never allow this asymmetry to reach a stage where one side can dictate. Pakistan’s policy is one of deterrence and good relations with all its neighbors. The Us understands this and does not need to be given tutorials.
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