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Pakistan: Why Blame America?
By Yamin Zakaria
01/20/06 "ICH" -- -- The US air strikes carried out on the 13th
of January 2006, on the remote Pakistani village of Damadola was
a clear act of terrorism. Out of the 18 civilians killed, 10
were women and children. It seems US terrorism inside Pakistan
is becoming routine, earlier on the 7th of January 2006 at least
eight civilians were killed by the US helicopters attack. To be
precise, such acts are state-terrorism or primary-terrorism as
opposed to the usual: secondary-terrorism of individuals or
groups! The bombings were indiscriminate and without warning,
like the routine bombings of the defenceless Iraqi cities or the
Palestinian villages and towns.
Subsequently, the US tried to mitigate the severity of the
crime, by claiming that they were targeting al-Qaeda members.
Even if the alleged al-Qaeda members were present, that does not
automatically give the US right to bomb houses inside a foreign
territory, with total disregard for the innocent civilians.
Unless, the US is above the law or inflicting collateral damages
with impunity is an automatic entitlement for the leader of the
free world! The air strike was a clear violation of the
sovereignty of Pakistan, according to international law it was
an act of war. So where is the UN now? Where is the Morgan
Freeman look-alike UN-Muppet, Kofi Annan?
The US decision to bomb the village must have been based on
credible ‘intelligence’. In that case, why not surround the area
with armed forces, and then give the innocent civilians in the
village a safe passage to vacate, and demand the surrender of
the alleged al-Qaeda members? For sure the US has more than
adequate resources and firepower to take on a small band of men
lightly armed. If this route was pursued, the al-Qaeda members
would have been taken prisoners or they would have died
resisting the US firepower. Taken alive they might have provided
valuable information; if they died, that could be argued to have
prevented future attacks on the US. Either result would have
yielded benefit for the US.
However, instead of attempting to seize the alleged al-Qaeda
members, the US decided to kill them by bombing the place. Why
did the US opt for the least beneficial route in terms of the
“war on terror”? The decision can be explained by the following
reasons:
a) The US leadership does not have any interest in taking the
al-Qaeda men alive, because they wish to keep the “war on
terror” an open-ended war, until their real interests are
satisfied. Hence, the invincible and ubiquitous image of
al-Qaeda threat persists and continues to grow in their
propaganda.
b) An additional reason is: the US forces are largely cowards,
as for sure, the high altitude bombing is the easiest option,
the risk is minimal for the US soldiers and simultaneously,
utmost danger is posed to the Pakistani civilians. Also, the US
soldiers may have become the victims of their own propaganda, as
al-Qaeda is constantly magnified. Some are wacky enough to
believe, that al-Qaeda fighters would somehow transform into
giant human (‘suicide’) bombers like some Godzilla figure.
c) Despite possessing huge material advantages, the US preferred
to hit from a safe distance, inflicting collateral damages. With
slightly greater risk, the US forces could have engaged in close
combat to surgically target the al-Qaeda fighters and
substantially minimise civilian casualties. Hence, the decision
to bomb shows the clear US apathy towards the lives of the
ordinary Pakistanis. Iraq is another example of that apathy,
where they have murdered 30,000-100,000 civilians looking for
those mythical WMDs.
Pervez Musharraf responded by making a nation-wide television
address. He defended his collaboration with US foreign policy on
the grounds that it was preventing open US aggression against
Pakistan. This is the same argument he used at the very
beginning, when Afghanistan was attacked but it still has not
stopped the Pakistanis and other innocent Muslims being killed
by the US firepower.
Even with open assistance from Musharraf, the US continues to
arm India favourably, and has allowed the pro-Israeli elements
to inspect all the nuclear assets of Pakistan. Such information
inexorably will end up with the Israeli intelligence (Mossad),
and eventually with the Indian intelligence. Musharraf has
excelled in showing subservience to the US, he promised the US
that the nuclear weapons are guarded. Such is the absurdity of
the situation, instead of using the nuclear weapons to protect
the country; the country is protecting the nuclear weapons.
Nuclear deterrence has become a nuclear burden for Pakistan!
Therefore, Pakistan’s security has worsened in relative terms,
which is serious, as it makes her more vulnerable to an attack.
This erosion of security is natural and expected, when a country
allows a foreign power to use it as a base. What guarantees have
the US provided that it will not attack Pakistan in the future
directly or through a proxy like India? The same guarantee their
British cousins provided to the rebellious Arabs, who fought
against the Ottomans. Instead of independence, the Arabs were
made more dependent, by dividing them into weak despotic states,
mini-states, some of the oil-fields turned into pathetic
micro-states.
The colonial powers consumed the cheap oil, the Arab sheiks and
their tribes got fatter than the camels and the West in turn
‘rewarded’ the Arabs collectively with the grand prize of Israel
for their obedience (treachery)! Similar division of Iraq is
taking place according to the policy of divide and conquer, just
look at those people who are rushing to aid the US in this
matter. So prepare for the future US-led liberation of Sindh,
Balochistan, Punjab, and Kashmir. Then divide these territories
further along the sectarian lines of Sunni and Shi’ites.
Mass anti-US demonstrations followed the US bombings, but why
exclusively blame the US, when it was Musharraf, who opened up
the country for the US forces to use it as a military base. When
a paid assassin kills, it is not the assassin or the weapon that
should be blamed but the one who paid the assassin - the primary
cause. The Americans are like the assassin with a deadly weapon,
but it was Musharraf who allowed these assassins to use the
country for target practice; and we all knew who the US was
going to use for their target practice. Hence, the ultimate
blame lies on Parvez Musharraf, the primary cause.
The families should demand compensation for the murder of their
loved ones, according to the laws of Pakistan, where the crime
was committed. In addition, the masses should call for the
removal of US bases from the region to prevent future strikes
and to protect the sovereignty of Pakistan. Finally, demand
impeachment of Musharraf for treason, and for complicity in the
murder of the Muslims in Pakistan and Afghanistan by the US
forces. The masses ought to raise questions about the weakening
of the security of Pakistan, which is dependent on strength and
independence of the nation and its leadership. Certainly,
Musharraf as a leader has shown neither strength nor
independence. The age-old colonial system inherited and run by
the feudal lords continues to bleed the country. It is time to
reflect on the fundamental questions: why Pakistan was created,
where it is today and where is Pakistan heading towards.
Yamin Zakaria , <yaminz@yahoo.co.uk > London, UK
Copyright © 2006 by Yamin Zakaria
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