By Adnan Gill
Despite what some American foreign policy hawks, like Kim Holmes (Vice
President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International
Studies) suggest, Obama-Biden team was spot on when they set
“Restoring Our Standing” to be one of the prime objectives of
formulating the American foreign policy. Thanks to almost a decade
long coercive Bush-era foreign policy; today, America is viewed as a
maverick on war path. Survey after survey shows a global decline of
American popularity among both friends and foes. Even an association
with Bush policy cut short political fortunes of many. British Prime
Minister Toney Blair and President Pervez Musharraf are among the few
who were sidelined for toeing Bush policy.
With the exception of few successes, like Libyan pledge to denounce
terrorism and reverse its nuclear program, rest of the Bush policy is
fraught with disasters. Iraqi invasion was a direct manifestation of
failed Bush Doctrine. The invasion cost America hundreds of billions
of dollars and thousands in human lives. Indian nuclear deal is
another example of shortsighted Bush foreign policy. It envisioned a
onetime Soviet and now Russian ally India to be its linchpin.
Now, some pro-India American hawks are aggressively lobbying the Obama
Administration for an extension of Bush policy. They argue: to check
the rise of China and the common democratic values make India a
natural American ally. Though in reality, India is more of a
pseudo-socialist democracy; a far cry from the Jeffersonian democracy.
The lobbyists go as far as, wanting to share American national
security jewels, like nuclear technology and the land-based laser
defense system with India.
At the same time, a concerted effort is in full swing to change
Obama’s Pakistan policy. They insist on de-hyphenating India from
Pakistan; which will remain a pipe dream as long as India and Pakistan
remain entangled over one or the other issue. Most experts believe the
two will remain in a belligerent relationship till the root cause of
their rivalry, the Kashmir issue, is amicably resolved.
India’s huge population with equally impressive middleclass makes it
an attractive trade partner. However, neither its humongous population
nor its growing economy is meaningful enough to qualify it to become a
strategic ally; especially at the cost of its time tested ally
Pakistan or its largest trading partner China. In 2008 India imported
only $17.4 billion worth of goods from the US. In contrast, China with
far better human rights record and business friendly government
imported $67.1 billion worth of goods from the US. In addition,
American business giants like Walmart and Boeing are impatiently
waiting for Obama administration to reverse the restrictive sanctions
Clinton administration placed on China.
Even in the 21st century, India is frequently cited for the worst
religious persecution and gross human rights abuses by the human
rights organizations and US State Department. In fact, Indian record
is far worst than what is attributed to China. Indian conservative cum
nationalist parties like BJP have been charged for aiding and abetting
the religious extremists in caring out communal violence. These
parties openly campaign on anti-minority and nationalist slogans.
Their ‘akhand Bharat’ (larger India) rhetoric dominates their
political ideology. India is one of the few notable countries that
still hold border disputes with virtually all of its neighbors.
India’s neighbors accuse its intelligence agency RAW for malicious
interference in their internal affairs.
The Indio-US nuclear deal was widely criticized even within the Bush
Administration. India has a well known nuclear proliferation record,
especially in vertical and onward proliferation. In a 2003 interview,
the former Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed his reservations
over the deal, "We also have to protect certain red lines that we have
with respect to proliferation." However, former Secretary Condoleezza
Rice was the driving force behind the hurriedly concocted nuclear
deal. It was a brainchild of Secretary Rice's counselor and longtime
colleagues Philip Zelikow and (Bombay-born) Ashley Tellis.
Experts like David Albright, President of Institute for Science and
International Security, in a 2005 testimony before the US House
Committee described Indian proliferation, "India's extensive military
and civil nuclear programs are often connected, sharing personnel and
infrastructure. In addition, some facilities currently have both a
military and civilian purpose." Indian scientist Raja Ramanna also
confirmed, India diverted plutonium from the American-Canadian
supplied civilian nuclear reactor (CIRUS) for its first nuclear
device.
Again, in an October 26, 2005, testimony before the House Committee
Dr. Albright warned, "This [nuclear deal] could pose serious risks to
the security of the United States. If fully implemented, it could
catapult India into a position as a major supplier of both nuclear and
nuclear-related materials, equipment, and technology. With a weak and
poorly enforced export control system, [Indians] could become major
suppliers [of] the nuclear weapon programs [for the] adversaries of
the United States." Why India will not violate its obligations this
time around should be a matter of great concern for the Nuclear
Supplier Group, especially for the Obama Administration.
Simple facts like dubious Indian nuclear proliferation record and its
substandard democratic credentials hardly justify seamless
continuation of Bush policy. On the other hand, it would be a colossal
mistake to unwind American alliance with its nuclear armed strategic
partner of 60 years. Pakistan sits on the crossroads of Middle East
and the future Middle East, the landlocked Central Asian States; which
is sitting on larger oil reserves then the Middle East. Historically,
Pakistan had shown greater tolerance for the State of Israel than
other Muslim states. Pakistan has also played a lynchpin role in
establishing ties between the US and China, and between the US and the
Muslim world. Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with America to
defeat and ultimately dismantle the Soviet empire. Time tested
alliance speaks for itself.
Despite serve criticism, Pakistan is still the front-line state in war
against terror. Pakistan has lost more men and material in the war
than rest of the countries put together. World is still trying to
recover from the blowback of premature American departure from
Afghanistan after the Communist Soviet Union was defeated. The
departure left both Afghanistan and Pakistan high and dry to fend for
themselves. Consequently, the resulting vacuum was filled by the
religious extremists, Taliban; who in-turn provided sanctuaries to the
terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda.
Post 9/11 invasion, instead of filling the Afghan vacuum with a
political solution punctuated by military muscle, the Bush
Administration chose to stay in Afghanistan with guns blazing. Even
worst, instead of seeking Pakistan’s advice or heading to their
concerns, the NATO installed an anti-Pakistan and pro-Indian Northern
Alliance government in Afghanistan. If that wasn’t bad enough, under
the garbs of nation building, NATO permitted massive Indian buildup in
Afghanistan. The buildup deepened Pakistani fears of Indian
encirclement, which resulted in reassembling of the Pakistani proxy,
also known as Taliban. Pakistan viewed the eleven Indian consulates
dotting its western border as command-and-control centers to
destabilize and possibly fracture Pakistan, yet again. It goes without
saying, a fractured Pakistan runs the risk of loose nukes in the hands
multiple players. If true, India might be playing an extremely
dangerous game of global consequences.
Instead of heeding to shortsighted calls of continuation of failed
Bush policy, Obama administration should immediately reverse the Bush
policy. To begin with, it needs to advice India in no uncertain terms,
hands off Pakistan. America should also cease the arbitrary drone
attacks that account for overwhelming civilian casualties and results
in a severe anti-American backlash. Obama policy should add political
and monetary dimensions to the strategy of winning the hearts and
minds of highly alienated Afghans and Pakistanis. Finally, it needs to
bring both India and Pakistan to the table to hammer out a long
lasting solution to the satisfaction of Kashmiris too. A Kashmir
solution reflecting the true aspirations of Kashmiris will go a long
way in confidence building and normalization of overwhelmingly
contentious Indo-Pak relationship.
- Asian Tribune -
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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