A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan

[unicorn]

CENTCOM should seen this article.

 

[muse]

Recent American moves are openly provocative towards China

Indeed, but it's not recent - so where does Pakistan fit into this? US policy is to "reorient", "realign" Pakistan's strategic thinking, such that China is seen first as untrustworthy and unable to deliver, and secondly and more importantly, to ensure that Pakistan under Indian influence through the US, is made hostile to China and the interest of the brotherly neighbor and ally.

This, friends, is the general thrust of US policy toward Pakistan and deceit, deception and duplicity are the tools by which this US policy is executed targeting Pakistan.

The Information Operations and Psyops campaign targeting Pakistan forwards the position, the ridiculous position, that Pakistan's entire national fabric be focused on eliminating extremism from Pakistan such that US policy and interests remain obscured and unexamined - It is argued that US throws money at Pakistan and Pakistan should therefore fall in line and commit national suicide - Hard earned monies of US tax payers is lavished on the select few and pet projects - but indeed, Why should this be the case, after all, what kind of relationship is this? Where aid takes the place of trade and national interests of just one side are secured?? Where friendship with the US comes with demands that the politicians and security forces safe guard the interests of our adversary??

China has a special place in the hearts and minds of the Pakistani nation, to be the enemy of China is to be the enemy of Pakistan - this is the reality which the US policy makers despise - and they are welcome to despise it, for it readily differentiates friend from foe.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

China has a special place in the hearts and minds of the Pakistani nation, to be the enemy of China is to be the enemy of Pakistan - this is the reality which the US policy makers despise - and they are welcome to despise it, for it readily differentiates friend from foe.

a very bold, strong statement which in essense, makes much sense and is quite valid

 

[Developereo]

Indeed, but it's not recent - so where does Pakistan fit into this? US policy is to "reorient", "realign" Pakistan's strategic thinking, such that China is seen first as untrustworthy and unable to deliver, and secondly and more importantly, to ensure that Pakistan under Indian influence through the US, is made hostile to China and the interest of the brotherly neighbor and ally.

I don't know about the anti-China part, but the US aim is to drive a wedge between the Pakistani security establishment and the public by convincing the latter that the India threat perception is exaggerated by the army/ISI to maintain power.

Sadly, the dime-a-dozen Orientalists in our media are only too eager to parrot this US/Indian narrative.

 

[Chogy]

The only real "tensions" between China and the U.S. is over the status of Taiwan and the Korean peninsula. Beyond that, U.S. and Chinese relations are fine. We trade massively, have diplomatic relations, and I'm confused by the notion that the U.S. and China are somehow desperate enemies.

We compete economically, there are hegemony stresses, but no one is going to war over these.

Nixon came to China in 1972. In the early 1980's, China & U.S. interactions were still minimal, and there was not much intellectual exchange. My wife visited China in those years as a military athlete, invited to compete. They were crushed by China, BTW... volleyball.

Anyway, ordinary Chinese citizens invited her into their homes from right off the street for dinner. They were very friendly. In their limited English, they would say "China doesn't want war. Does Reagan want war? We want peace."

They were amazed at her height!

Anyway, there is no need for polarization. It doesn't have to be a choice between U.S. and China for Pakistan. It can be both.

 

[muse]

On the contrary, US policy in Asia, a credible case can be made, are arrayed such that they seek to confront China through out Asia, even if through US proxies - whether it's provocative "war games" with South Korea, or the support of Japan in the recent provocation of the disputed status of Islands, whether the call for the Indian to interfere in Myanmar, and of course the support the US offers to the East Turkestan movement, the leader of the movement regarded by China and Pakistan as a terrorist organization, lives in Washington DC.

There may be a misunderstanding that I am suggesting that the coming perhaps irreparable schism between the US and Pakistan is a positive development - indeed I am arguing that it is a negative development - however, I am suggesting that Pakistan will not have the option of avoiding such a confrontation -- and therefore must be prepared for not just the consequences of this eventuality, but a deep and multifaceted strategy to attenuate the effects of those consequences and in doing so, render them relatively inconsequential.

Correct relations, founded on strong and mutually profitable commercial relations could have attenuated (not prevented) the consequences of such a schism - however, such a relationship between the two has never existed and it's my strong conviction cannot exist (after all, point to one, just one, Muslim majority country that the US has deep people to people, civilization to civilization relationship) again, I am not suggesting that the poor quality of relations between Pakistan and the US is a responsibility that the US bear alone, certainly not.

 

[Developereo]

I don't think the US has anything against Pakistan per se. It's just that, as part of their anti-China strategy, the West needs to prop up India, and Pakistan needs to be contained so India can focus on China. In fact, all the West cares about is to weaken the Pakistani military and ISI so they don't pose a headache for India.

 

[muse]

the US has anything against Pakistan per se. It's just that, as part of their anti-China strategy, the West needs to prop up India, and Pakistan needs to be contained so India can focus on China. In fact, all the West cares about is to weaken the Pakistani military and ISI so they don't pose a headache for India.

I didn't mean to suggest that the US "has anything against Pakistan" - I think we are making the same point, namely, that US policy is focused on attenuating and even reversing the rise of China and that Pakistan has a role to play and that role's substance is the realignment of Pakistan as a agent of the US's regional strategic ally, against China. This policy has not a now flakes chance in hell of garnering the support of the Pakistani peoples.

But the US is committed to imagining the world as it was when they still were in Iran.

From a security standpoint and here I am talking about interoperability, -- you will note that Pakistan have indeed made a choice with regard to strategic alignment - the US can be too pleased, but then again, Pakistan's role as far as the US policy makers are concerned is to simply obey and further US policies, and they cannot but be disappointed. Sorry.

 

[VCheng]

.............. But the US is committed to imagining the world as it was when they still were in Iran. ...............

That statement simply cannot be correct, unless you have some evidence to back it up, if you please.

 

[muse]

V Cheng


What will happen should US forces have to withdraw from Afghanistan? To where exactly, do you imagine they will withdraw? The Arabian peninsula? Iraq? and where exactly will that leave US policy?

One can argue and quite credibly, that the US will not withdraw and will maintain bases in Afghanistan - while this may be exactly the case, I would suggest that it is a rather optimistic suggestion that US forces will be "allowed" to remain without suffering and inflicting much pain.

Afghanistan's primary hope is that it be seen and behave as a neutral.

An alternate view is that the reset in US -Russia relations has enabled the SCO to be seen as irrelevant - again, I would argue that this is an optimistic position, India, Iran and Pakistan have observer status in the alliance and seek full membership, and while India may see this as an opportunity to posture for the benefit of the US, Iran and Pakistan do not see their membership in the SCO in the same light.

 

[Developereo]

Pakistan has a role to play and that role's substance is the realignment of Pakistan as a agent of the US's regional strategic ally, against China. This policy has not a now flakes chance in hell of garnering the support of the Pakistani peoples.

But that is exactly why their whole media campaign is to convince the Pakistani public that India is really our friend and the threat is dreamt up/exaggerated by the Pakistan military/ISI to maintain power. It is intended to weaken and demoralize our army/ISI.

Far too many people in our media parrot the US propaganda without understanding the motivation or consequences.

 

[muse]

Excellent, spot on.

 

[muse]

Developereo

We have been warning our readers that relations between the US and Pakistan are set to nose dive - that Pakistan will not turn against China as the US demands - some friends even wondered if we had lost our mind, even if the "muse "identity was taken over --However, the Fauj have foreseen the development we have warned about - and the Fauj has acted, but the government of the PPP is absolutely determined to confront the Pakistani security establishment and imagines that it can sell this confrontation as another struggle for democracy.

US policy will do it's utmost to ensure that the Fauj is isolated and that China cannot be of assistance, it remains to be seen how successful this play will be - I own take, the US will have lost any chance of ever being relevant in Pakistan.

As usual the PPP will argue economic compulsion, these politics and bureaucrats who have earned a much deserved reputation among US policy makers as being willing to "sell their own mothers for twenty dollars" imagine that the Pakistani nation is no different than they are -- lets see if they are are right.

 

[VCheng]

V Cheng


What will happen should US forces have to withdraw from Afghanistan? To where exactly, do you imagine they will withdraw? The Arabian peninsula? Iraq? and where exactly will that leave US policy?

One can argue and quite credibly, that the US will not withdraw and will maintain bases in Afghanistan - while this may be exactly the case, I would suggest that it is a rather optimistic suggestion that US forces will be "allowed" to remain without suffering and inflicting much pain.

Afghanistan's primary hope is that it be seen and behave as a neutral.

An alternate view is that the reset in US -Russia relations has enabled the SCO to be seen as irrelevant - again, I would argue that this is an optimistic position, India, Iran and Pakistan have observer status in the alliance and seek full membership, and while India may see this as an opportunity to posture for the benefit of the US, Iran and Pakistan do not see their membership in the SCO in the same light.

muse: please forgive me, but I have failed to find your answer to be relevant to my post above.

Could you please clarify the point you want to make and how this comment proves any US committment to imagining the world as it was when they still were in Iran, as you've said?

Thanks.

 

[muse]

Being in Iran gave them space, access to central Asia, the Caucasus, the gulf and South Asia through Pakistan - they have neither of these, they are in a trap, designed to exhaust them -- The great Afghan mission, to do what? Beyond the canned 9/11 And terrorism tripe, to do what? other than to exhaust themselves - all the while their competitors benefit from the US happily imagining herself at the center of the world, while she is really in a cage.

Today he complains of the Pakistani supply line, tomorrow, the Russian will give him cause to remember the Pakistani supply line as if through rose colored lens.

All around Afghanistan, the strategic competitors of the US continue to forge deep and profitable relationships, what does the US forge other than enmity of those whom it proclaimed it came to save??

I encourage you to not be like others here who wear the US nationality or citizenship on their sleeves (more catholic than the Pope) If a criticism has merit it should be examined and not brushed away in the "they hate our freedoms" manner, after all why even attempt to fool all the people all the time.