Over the past few months an extraordinarily worrisome pattern in U.S.-Pakistan relations has emerged: one in which the Taliban make advances, senior U.S. officials raise the alarm and demand action from Pakistan, subsequent action is taken and U.S. officials offer faint praise and maintain that Pakistan is still not doing enough.
By reinforcing the appearance of a causal relationship between U.S. demands and Pakistani action, this very public approach heavily undermines U.S. national security by cementing the perception among Pakistanis that this is not in fact their war but one in which Pakistan is being coerced into fighting through U.S. threats and economic manipulation.
Winning the support of the Pakistani public is the most critical element of the U.S. strategy in defeating the Taliban and their allies. Conditional language like that in the House PEACE Act of 2009 is counterproductive to winning the hearts and minds of the Pakistani people as it merely reinforces the type of transactional relationship that we are trying to replace with one this is a long lasting partnership. While Congress and the Administration must continue to press Pakistan for action (and provide Pakistan the commensurate resources to do so) they must do so privately, behind closed doors and recognize the need to give Pakistan the space to create an indigenous strategy for dealing with the Taliban and its affiliates and the time to enact that strategy and communicate it to their public.
The upcoming visit of President Zardari provides an opportune moment for the U.S to do exactly that: privately communicate our legitimate concerns and demand that Pakistan independently produce and communicate a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy of their own making.
The U.S. won't always agree with that strategy such as the peace deal in Swat, but viewed from the Pakistani perspective, there is high value in demonstrating an attempt at dialogue and reconciliation before taking military action that often results in high levels of collateral damage. Not only does this provide the government of Pakistan with political cover but it clearly paints the Taliban as aggressors against the Pakistani state.
Already we have seen the formation of tribal lashkars and grassroots military opposition to the Taliban in the affected areas (though they have been largely unsupported by the Pakistani Army and therefore unsuccessful) and growing civil society protests against the Taliban in Pakistan's major cities such as the one most recently in Lahore. Pakistan's current leadership must step up and support these efforts or risk losing not only their seat in government but also large swaths of the country to the Taliban.
The issue of drones by the U.S. military has two components: one, U.S. drone attacks are seen as a violation of Pakistan sovereignty and two, they cause significant collateral damage. For these two reasons, drone attacks literally serve as recruitment drives for the Taliban. The U.S. must recognize that while drone attacks may be effective in eliminating high-value targets and are therefore effective as a tactic they undermine the larger U.S. strategy of winning Pakistani hearts and minds. Bruce Reidel who chaired the Administration's interagency review described the drone attacks as akin to "trying to kill ants one at a time."
Where the U.S. can make progress is in building a long-term relationship with the people of Pakistan by targeting our assistance to those areas most crucial to winning their support including enhancing and strengthening Pakistan's judicial system and law enforcement, creating broad-based and sustainable economic development with an emphasis on increasing local capacity, support for the public education system, refugees and internally displaced persons, and support for healthcare and public diplomacy. U.S. military assistance must target those areas most vital to the counterinsurgency campaign including helicopters, night vision equipment, and counter-IED equipment.
The Obama Administration has recognized that this is the way forward and has urged Congress to pass three bills aimed at achieving these objectives: a bill co-sponsored by Senators Kerry and Lugar that authorizes $1.5 billion in direct economic support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years, a bill that creates economic opportunity zones in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund which will provide resources to transform Pakistan's army into a more effective counterinsurgency force.
Congress must pass these bills immediately, knowing that while it waits and debates, the Taliban does not.
Taha Gaya is the Executive Director of the Pakistani American Leadership Center (PAL-C).
Likewise, Pakistanis should think about how they are losing the hearts and minds of those whom they could have otherwise made friends with by not harboring terrorists within their midst. It's not like there's a one-way obligation for the rest of the world to chase after Pakistani hearts and minds, but no reciprocal responsibility for Pakistanis to concern themselves with the hearts and minds of the rest of the world. Pakistanis are badly misjudging the rest of the world and their responsibilities to the rest of the world, and are losing the hearts and minds of the rest of us in the wider world.
Pakistan needs the rest of the world more than the rest of the world needs Pakistan.
Pakistan is letting down the rest of the world.
Here's the link to that NYT article again:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/world/asia/04nuke.html
NYT article
The NYT is hardly a right-wing rag. But even their writers and columnists are all increasingly alarmed that Pakistan is not behaving anywhere near how a credible sovereign country is supposed to.
This is why the US is having to send drones to hit targets on Pakistani soil -- because the Pakistanis themselves are shirking their responsibility. Sovereignty is a 2-way street. It's not just about having others respect your territory, it's about you fulfilling the obligations of a sovereign state and living upto your international obligations in preventing the use of your soil for terrorist attacks on other states.
There is no room for excuses in the fulfillment of such obligations. If you want to make excuses that you can't prevent terrorists from using your soil, then other countries have the right to protect themselves by going after those terrorists on your soil, and not simply leave themselves open to attack.
The problem is Islam. The largest Islamic population in the world is in India while the Taliban force conversions or kill Hindus when they have their way. Why do we have to show how tolerant of Muslims when it should be the reverse?
First the problem is "Islamic fundamentalists"
Then it broadens to "Islam"
And then finally you get to what you really mean, "Muslims"
Not the beliefs, but the people
BTW the largest muslim population is certainly not in India. I believe that would be Indonesia
Even look at Islam in Britian or other Western nations. It is still practiced quite conservatively with honour killings and mistreatment of women. They even call for sharia law to be implemented in Britian and have stopped freedom of speech when anyone criticizes the religion.
Islam by its very nature is expansionist and intolerant. It cannot co-exist peacefully with others when it reaches a certain percentage of the population. Unless there is a reformation from within the religion, there can only be more suspicion and violence.
I applaud recent efforts to ban forced marriages of women under 18 and efforts in many muslim countries provide women opportunities previously reserved for men. However, much more needs to be done. All can benefit from acceptance and development of scientific infrastructure in muslim societies. Science and critical thinking by both sexes needs encouragement, if we are to overcome common ecological challenges. Greater use of network technologies could help to eliminate much need for ravel to communicate, do science and advance science education.
Hopefully, the US government will increase funding for Pakistan and other countries for early childhood science education for BOTH sexes. At one time muslims led the scientific revolution. Sadly, theocratic influences have squandered such progressive thinking and much that troubles peoples of Islamic countries result from the notions that science and the equality of opportunity for the sexes are incompatible with islam. I know this can not be not true as I once met a female Pakistani scientist in London, who clearly demonstrated she could do science as well as any man. Why not give other girls like her the opportunity to prove it to you so that you and others might benefit by their success?
That would be a path toward mutual respect.
SaulZ seems to have a very skewed understanding of history.
The US is far from perfect but to be lectured by the likes of Saudis, Egyptians, Iranians or Pakistanis is too much for me.
For the people blaming Pakistan's army alone for the rise of extremism, I would refer them to Hillary Clinton's comments on the role of the US in creating these problems. Sewing on patches will not cut it any more. Long term economic growth in Pakistan is the only answer, and the US must facilitate that instead of supporting short-term and short-sighted goals.
I'm sure since you so well informed you must know that when pakistan was created it immediately went to Uncle Sam with hat in hand, begging for its support. It was willing to do whatever the US wanted because it wanted power. The US wasn't much interested until the cold war started. Since the rest of us are so ignorant you must know that since its inception the military has robbed the country and invested nothing in education and social services or the future of pakistan? While India was trying to become self-sufficient, Pakistan was becoming US's lap dog. So please don't embarrass yourself with your cliff-notes history. The people of pakistan chose this path and now they have to face to consequences.
Long term economic growth will not be possible. Pakistan is too far gone and is on the brink of failure. It's time to break it up and start over with new countries and de-nuke it so it can't blackmail the world.
For example, isn't India a lap-dog of the USA these days? Are not Indians lap-dogs of cons and neo-cons firmly embedded in the US establishment?
To this effect, my question is that why when an artice on Islam, Muslims or Pakistan gets printed on HuffPo, its basically Indians who jump on the board posting all sorts of anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan messages. This is the most dangerous thing that is happening in the world - most populous country of the world has a new generation totally sold to the philosophy of fundamentalist Hindu religious party of diatribing Muslims on flimsiest of pretexts and dreaming of a Hindu super-power that will rule the world..
And yes we have to be involved, it is certainly in our best interests to keep a country with a nuclear cache as stable as possible especially when those same extremist religious militants who have pledged themselves to our destruction are the ones looking to take over. What we can't do is keep going at this all by ourselves all the time. We need to convince the countries of the rest of the world that inevitably positive outcomes in these situations are in their best interests as well and maybe they need to start paying part of the bill too.
They were deemed to be under threat from the Hindoo in undivided India.
How many muslims have died or suffered under a talibanised society in the last ten years?
And this while India has had as it's cricket captain, president, largest IT company etc etc etc people who happen to be muslim.
You have to question your reason for existence.
Do share when you find it.
Cheers
I don't pretend to understand the reasons, or explain them here. I really do try. I will say it seems to have started with the Iranian Revolution, chronic resentment of the Saudi royals, and supporting Israel. Any other insights that bloggers have -- please. I really do want them.
It would be better for the US to be seen as looking for areas of agreement, such as a mutual understand of the benefits of science education and advancing the positive roll network technologies can play in educating young children, who still have open minds. Let play to our strengths and not let the Taliban or other theocrats define us.
It would be far better for the US if it is seen as a modern day Diogenes, with the lantern of truth, knowledge, and wisdom in its hand rather than seen as Uncle Sam, belligerently striding tall in a Red, White and Blue Suit, with killer drones in one hand and a dollar bill in the other. If we must adopt the latter posture, its best to make our fists look a lot more like lanterns. When we identify enemies I say we need to shine light into their eyes rather than think we can successfully use fear as a weapon.
So, I would say as a courtesy the US (and I am being overly polite here) should be held responsible to some degree. If not Pakistan, they defintely should have helped Afghanistan. Pakistan is and was capable of taking care of itself and it did till this new war. Whenever there is war, problem, or some issue in Afghanistan - it directly effects Pakistan and takes us back in time and causes us misery. Just like its in India's interest to have a stable properous Pakistan, it is also in Pakistan's best interest to have a properous, stable and peaceful Afghanistan.
If Afghanistan was taken care of post-Russian pullout, there wouldn't have been Talibans, terrorism, and chaos in that region, especially Pakistan. But then again US always needs an active enemy for its military industrial complex, so here is the full circle
After Eight Years of Taliban strengthening their hold on Pakistan, it is clear the pakistani army is unable or unwilling to attack them. The drone attacks are necessary because the pakistani army will not do the job. The pakistani citizenry are still in the old mind-set of blaming everything on US and India.
If pakistan cannot control its terrorist problem, the international community will. It's time for pakistanis to start taking some responsibility for the hand they had in creating the taliban. It's time pakistanis acknowledge they have a problem and stop living in denial.
This ought to be their fight much more than it is ours. If the majority of the people there cannot see that, they are almost as good as taken over already, IMO.
Getting the people on our side is key to winning against the Taliban and without it we are lost. It is also the way to make the Pakistanis realize that we won't blindly provide military support without the other essential elements of a successful counterinsurgency and the development of a stable and just society.
I strongly encourage you to support Secretary Clinton's efforts in this regard, before you or your children are forced from your easy chair by the threat of Taliban nukes.
Yours is a typical hate Pakistani Indian line. Interestingly, most of the problems you have attributed to Pakistan are common to India as well. In India, Pakistan is blamed for everything, girl fetuses are destroyed, brides are killed by in laws for the reasons of not bringing dowry, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs have been killed and their killers let go freely, politicians like Varun Gandhi attack Islam and Muslims of India to gain popularity, the seculars in India are being increasingly marginalized, so on and so forth. Shabana Azmi, a well known actor of Bollywood and a member of a liberal family, was not permitted to buy home in Mumbai because she is Muslim. Said Ali Khan reported the same problem. India is disliked by neighboring Bangla Desh and Sri Lanka too. Furthermore, you got to read Pakistani media - news and analysis is balanced. Our media blames us and our politicians more than it does India. On the contrary, Indian media sings the same song as soon as an iota of trouble happens in that country i.e. blame Pakistan and your posts on huffpo are an example in this direction.