CNN is watched all over the world, and the statements and lose talks by candidates has an impact on what foreign leaders will do. The Pakistani nation, and the Pakistan military is watching this very carefully and some of this will increase Anti-Americanism in Pakistan.   This discussion can be construed as a declaration of war. This is not good for America, not good for Pakistan and not good for the world.

All the Dems have agreed to the Neocon doctrine of preemptive war and are all anti-Pakistan. Mr. Obama spoke a lot and was behaving like a front runner. Hillary Clinton did not attack him as she had done before. She had correct herself on the Pakistani elections and her earlier stupid comment that Musharraf was running for elections in February (he is not).

Mr. John Edwards also will take out OBL if he has actionable intelligence. He did later say that he would work with the Government of Pakistan.

Obama will intervene in Pakistan without Pakistan’s knowledge. He did later say that we need Pakistan’s agreement.

Bill Richardson will try diplomacy first. He wants to remove Musharraf and hand over government to an “interim government“. 11 Billion Dollars has been stolen and has not been used to fight the “GWOT“. FACT: Only $5 Billion is in aid. The rest is reimbursement for usage of facilities, transit and logistics.

Hillary Clinton wants to let Pakistan know after the missiles have been launched to avoid sparking the “paranoia” about Pakistan.  She said that stateless terrorists would be retaliated against in the state where they were. Ostensibly if OBL attacked the USA, she would retaliate against Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Pakistani response to the Dem rhetoric

General Kayani has clearly said that American troops would not be allowed on Pakistani soil. The Pakistani Ambassador to the US says that we should take the candidates speeches on Pakistan with a grain of salt. The Ambassador also refuted the New York Times story and said that the story was exaggerated. He said that Pakistan and America had agreed to cooperate and train the Frontier Constabulary Force and this was an open secret. There are about 50 American troops in Pakistan right now. 

….and  

Now a rebuttal……………….to the Dems…..

Pakistan is a nuclear power with intercontinental missiles—. Chris Dodd said it best “invading a nuclear power, who is an ally” is the height of stupidity.

“It’s wrong for a person running for the president of the United States to get on TV and say, ‘We’re going to go into your country unilaterally’” said Romney, and also criticized Obama’s professed willingness to talk to leaders of Iran and North Korea. “He’s gone from Jane Fonda to Dr Strangelove in one week,” he said, referring to the anti-war activist and Hollywood star, and the mad scientist in the 1964 satirical movie about nuclear warfare.

Senator John McCain, the one-time Republican front-runner now in a campaign free-fall, also rebuked Obama. “It’s naive to say we’re going to attack Pakistan without thinking it through. What if Musharraf were removed from power? What if a radical Islamic government were to take place because we triggered it with an attack?”

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has deplored recent suggestions the US should bomb Pakistan’s tribal areas in the hunt for Al Qaeda, if it fails to get satisfaction from Pakistan. She said on Saturday Pakistan and the US are collaborating in the war against global terrorism, adding, “The Pakistan government is sincere about its responsibility in the tribal areas. Pakistan is acting as a sovereign nation and the Pakistani military has lost lives in the effort against those who would be in that region to do harm.”

“We can do no more than this in war against terrorism. No one should expect more than what we are doing”, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mr Kasuri declared. “We are asked to do more in war on terror. We make it clear we can do no more beyond this nor any such expectations be made from us. These statements ” do more, do more, are also improper.

Mr. Kasuri cautioned such statements would widen the gulf of differences between US and Muslim world. Pakistan security forces have full capability to strike against the terrorists inside its territory. ” We will not allow forces of any other country to launch operation inside our borders”, he underscored.

Pakistan is not a new friend of the USA. Pakistan was a  founding member of SEATO and CENTO (Asian NATOs), and a cold war ally that fought on the side of the US against the USSR. Pakistan also supported the USA in Korea and Vietnam. However Pakistan is the most mistreated “friend” in the world. It is un-American to treat friends they way the US has treated Pakistan. The USA and the West walked away from the Afghan mess and left more than 30,000 mercenary fighters that it had imported from the Arab world for Pakistan to deal with. On top of that sanctions were imposed on Pakistan right after the Afghan war, and Pakistanis felt like used “Kleenex”. The world owes Pakistan a big debt for the destruction of the USSR.

The Wazirisitan deal was approved by President Bush as not being anti-American.

In the past few years more than 1000 Pakistani soldiers have lost their lives fighting the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda. Several hundred Al-Qaeda have been sent to the USA for trial including KSM (Khalid Sheikh Muhammad), who President Bush mentioned as the mastermind of the 911.

The Taliban was a construct of the CIA and was armed by the CIA, ISI and the Saudis as a counter to a resurgent Russian-backed communist party and an antidote to the civil war in Afghanistan. Pakistan supported the Taliban in conjunction with the CIA who were arming it right up till 2000. The Taliban were visiting Governor Bush’s ranch in Texas.

I need to point out the fact that Pakistani pleas for sanity in Afghanistan were ignored in 2001. Those who want to understand the irked Pakistani must know that the in 2001 the US installed a non-Pashtun, anti-Pakistan government in Kabul. The must also know that NATO allows the puppet Karzai government to continue to bark at Pakistan. The Pakistanis also know that despite being clod war allies for 50 years, Pakistan was threatened with annihilation in 2001. They also remember that $450 million paid for F-16s was never returned.  Neither were the planes ever delivered. The delivery of Soya beans does not make up for paid-for but undelivered F-16s. Pakistanis also remember that the world and Afghanistan abandoned 2 million refugees in Pakistan. The Pakistanis also note that the world does not support the liberation of Kashmir

To put salt on open wounds, the US signed a Nuclear deal with arch-rival-India, not the major Non-NATO ally (Pakistan). Many Pakistanis wonder why $30 Billion were offered to Turkey to support war in Iraq, while Pakistan only received 1 billion to Pakistan for fighting Al-Qaeda and the Talibaan. You need to look at the situation with sanity and calm. Selective amnesia is the favorite tactic those who have an agenda. President Ayub Khan in 1966 said is best in his best selling book Pakistanis need “Friends no Masters”. Pakistanis desire want and cherish American friendship however Pakistanis are not the “little brown brothers” who can do the bidding of anyone. Pakistan is a 150 million strong nuclear state and a crucial pivot on the war on terror. President Musharraf said it quite bluntly, “no one can do more” and the West will go down on their knees and fail if Pakistan without the help of the ISI and the Pakistan army. Those who deal with Pakistan need to learn some manners and some appreciation of the sacrifice of 1000 Pakistani soldiers who died fighting the war on terror. Pakistanis are sick and tired of lectures on “do more”.Pakistan and Pakistanis cannot do more. If anyone can find others who can do more, please use them!

Actually the USA should do more in helping Pakistan and Pakistanis building a modern and moderate Muslim nation that is friendly to the world.

2 million Muslim kids died destroying the USSR. Today, Pakistan is suffering because of the failed policies of Britain and the USA. The blowback faced by many is because of the short sighted policies of London and Washington.

When the US planted an anti-Pakistan government in Kabul, Mr. Karzai (the mayor of Kabul) threatened Pakistan to cover his incompetence and inept narco-warlord government.

All military analysts agree that America cannot fight in Afghanistan without Pakistan.

Pakistan helped the US as a friend, not as a paymaster. No amount of money is enough for lost Pakistani lives. It is insensitive to place a Dollar value on the heads of 1000 Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives fighting the terrorists. It is crass to place a monetary value on the hundreds of Pakistani civilians who died because Pakistan has been supporting the American war in Afghanistan. Neither the government, nor the people nor the president of Pakistan are indentured servants of anyone. Pakistan was helping the US as a friend and an ally.

Selective amnesia fails to mention that for the past 60 years, Pakistan has been supporting American policies, and was the founding member of SEATO and CENTO. Pakistan was a cold war ally fighting the USSR and the defeat of the “Evil Empire” in Pakistan led to the implosion of the USSR. 2 million Pakistanis, Afghans and other died in defeating the USSR in the 90s. Back then Pakistan paid more than $450 for F-16s. It is a matter of historical record that Pakistan never got ht money back and did not get the planes either. Then one wonders why there is anti-Americanism in the world!

For helping the US in Afghanistan, an anti-Pakistan government was installed in Kabul that proliferated drugs and failed to take control of the country!! It is articles like this that perpetuates a feeling of un-appreciation among Pakistanis, and reinforces the image of ingrate Americans. This ungratefulness, and the “do more” mantra creates anti-Americanism in South Asia. Because of its persistently, invective, biased and bad reporting, the paper is fast becoming irrelevant as far is news is concerned. 

For all of President Musharraf’s faults, Pakistan is forging ahead with a 7% growth rate and record foreign reserves. Pakistan is the fourth largest state in the world, and a nuclear state advancing at a phenomenal rate of economic growth. She has motorways that can only be the envy of South Asia, and is building bullet trains and huge new cities in Baluchistan and Sindh. Pakistan is attracting huge investments in automobile and technology. Just in the past few weeks Dubai based companies are investing $26 Billion Dollars in two islands.

The USA needs to come through on the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZ) for the border areas and create a Marshall Plan for Pakistan

Pakistan’s FTA with China will be a boon to Pakistani and Chinese industrialists who are setting up 6 Chinese industrial zones in Pakistan to build and then export Chinese goods from Pakistani soil. Powers outside Pakistan want to destroy this friendship.

Pakistan will move ahead and is moving ahead.