The plot thickens : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

The plot thickens

FORMER US President Barack Obama astounded audiences in New Delhi, when he proclaimed that the US had no evidence of Pakistan government’s complicity in the prolonged stay of Osama bin Laden in the cantonment town of Abbotabad.

The plot thickens

Mean business: India should make it clear that the US cannot take it for granted.



G Parthasarathy

FORMER US President Barack Obama astounded audiences in New Delhi, when he proclaimed that the US had no evidence of Pakistan government’s complicity in the prolonged stay of Osama bin Laden in the cantonment town of Abbotabad. His statement was particularly astonishing because bin Laden lived in a huge mansion, barely a kilometre from the Pakistan Military Academy. Moreover, he lived there with his son, three wives and a number of children and grandchildren, born in hospitals in Pakistan. It is impossible for any foreigner to live even for a day in the Abbotabad cantonment without the knowledge and approval of the Pakistan army.

Why did Obama utter something totally false, even after he had left the White House? He was fully aware of Pakistani complicity in providing bin Laden a safe haven. He also turned a blind eye to Pakistan assistance to the Taliban, which resulted in the killing of over 2,000 American soldiers. Obama firmly believed that he needed Pakistan’s cooperation in arranging for an early withdrawal of the US forces in Afghanistan. Moreover, he was quite ready to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan at any cost and even consider a significant role for the Taliban in the future governance of Afghanistan. It was for this reason that he readily agreed to a dialogue involving the US, Pakistan, the Afghan government and the Taliban. Denial of a Pakistan role in Laden’s stay was considered imperative to achieving this aim. Obama’s policies also involved the US and Pakistan treating the legitimate government of Afghanistan and the Taliban virtually as sovereign equals, while giving Pakistan a significant say in the future governance of Afghanistan. 

Pakistan’s hand was also strengthened by support from Russia and China, who coordinated with Pakistan to reinforce efforts to equate the status of a recalcitrant Taliban and an isolated Afghan government. Taking note of Pakistan’s imperatives, China and Russia sought to create a new narrative, averring that the real threat of global terrorism came not from the Taliban, but from the ISIS, whose cadres, it was claimed, were shifting to Afghanistan. Iran, not surprisingly, was helped by  Pakistan to establish contacts with Taliban leaders. Taliban supremo Mullah Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan while returning from Iran. This suited Pakistan just fine, as it would help it to claim that the Tehriq-e-Taliban, which was fighting against it from Afghan soil, was really nothing but an ally of the ISIS. But, given public and Congressional opinion in the US, Obama could not achieve his cherished objective of bringing back the US combat forces from Afghanistan, while attempting to virtually hand over Afghanistan to Taliban/Pakistan control, despite having held office for eight years.

Pakistan’s plans and ambitions received a setback, with the unexpected election of Donald Trump as President. Trump had made it clear that he was not going to forget the losses of American lives, quietly withdraw from Afghanistan and hand it over to Pakistan-backed Taliban rule. He was determined to listen to his military advisers to make the Afghan military strong enough to resist Taliban depredations by providing it increased firepower and even air power. The US declined to join the Russia-China-Pakistan initiative to promote dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban, while totally ignoring Taliban-sponsored terrorism. Indian diplomacy persuaded the American establishment and Trump that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism had to be tackled not just across Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan, but also its borders with India. On June 27, the Modi-Trump Declaration proclaimed the will to meet threats from not just the Al-Qaida, ISIS and Taliban, but also the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, D (Dawood) Company and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Naming Hizb was a categorical American rejection of Pakistan’s claims that it was helping a “freedom struggle” in J&K. 

India should not relent on its campaign against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The US Congress had developed a bipartisan consensus to deny American assistance to Pakistan, unless it ends its support to the Taliban and India-focused groups like the LeT. The US Congress had, in fact, also drafted legislation incorporating such conditions on aid to Pakistan. New Delhi was, therefore, surprised when the Trump Administration moved legislation, delinking aid to Pakistan from its support for India-focused terrorist groups. The focus was entirely on Pakistan support to terrorism in Afghanistan. The White House, however, condemned the release of Hafiz Saeed, stating: “If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation.” 

It is clear from these developments that while the Trump Administration is determined to strengthen the Afghan armed forces adequately to deal with Pakistan support for the Taliban, it will have to be reminded continuously that India looks forward to it abiding by its word during PM Modi’s visit to Washington and act against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism across South Asia. While the White House staff and large sections of the Pentagon deeply distrust Pakistan, there are sections of the State Department and “liberals” in the American think tanks and mainstream  “liberal media”, which have historically resorted to India bashing. It is, therefore, crucial that India strengthens the bipartisan consensus in the US Congress to condition aid to Pakistan on its end to terrorism, not just in Afghanistan, but across the entire South Asian Region.

It should also be made clear to Washington that our participation in the US-Japan-Australia-India “quad” cannot be confined just to security of sea lanes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Washington should also deal firmly with issues of terrorism across the Indian Ocean. The Trump visits to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines clearly established that the US needs partners if it is to get the Chinese to respect international conventions and treaties in the Indo-Pacific Region. The “quad” partnership, however, cannot be selectively confined to issues of interest of the US alone. President Trump could well consider diluting his emphasis on strong action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in his Afghanistan policies also, while yielding to his domestic “compulsions”.

Top News

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Ansari was hospitalised after he complained of abdominal pai...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

MEA spokesperson says India is proud of its independent and ...

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Bhatt, who was sacked from the force in 2015, is already beh...


Cities

View All