Business As Usual: An Imbecilic
Foreign Policy Continues
Many US administrations
have followed what can only be termed as an imbecilic foreign policy in
South Asia. Even now, after Pakistan-based terrorism has captured the world's
attention and nuclear weapons are very nearly in the grasp of Islamic militants,
Madeleine Albright and James Rubin are hoping to return to "business as
usual" with Pakistan as soon as the "civilian" government is returned to
power. In the same breath, Rubin admits that both the civilian and military
leadership were involved in Pakistan's pushing of soldiers and militants
into Kargil. Business as usual with a country, while "democratic", invaded
its neighbor a couple of months ago? Business as usual with a country that
has thousands of madrassas where the primary teaching is Islamic militancy?
Business as usual with a country that harbors a 100,000 Islamic militants
(Washington Times, Sept. 24, 1999)? Business as usual with a country that
harbors one dozen of the world's most dangerous terrorist groups? And with
a country whose intelligence agency sponsors daily killings of civilians
in Kashmir? And with a country that is closely linked with the Taliban
and is its main supporter? To top it all, Rubin holds forth the carrot
of arms sales if the civilian government is returned to power! So US weapons
end up in the hands of these same militants who are closely tied with the
Pakistani military? If indeed democracy returns next month to Pakistan
and the US sells it arms to mollify the military, how long will it be before
the next coup? How long will it be before the Jamait-e-Islam and the Markaz
umbrella fundamentalist groups grab power, the nuclear weapons and US arms?
If this is indeed
not a dim-witted policy, then what other conclusions could be drawn from
US stumbles in the region? That American support for democracy and freedom
in far away lands is little more than lip service? That all the hyperbole
about a global war against terrorism is less than truthful and the great
bastion of democracy looks the other way when terrorists are sponsored
by so called "friendly countries"? Indeed, in today's New York Times, A.
M. Rosenthal sums up US foreign policy in South Asia for the last half
century as an "Himalayan Error". It is anyone's guess whether the stalwarts
of Bill Clinton's foreign policy team will finally grasp the reality that
has eluded them and their predecessors for decades. |
