Pak tries to outflank US and india

[GUNS-N- ROSES]

In an audacious move, the pakistani govt suggested afghani prez Karzai to dump US and take side of china.

According to the WSJ account of the April 16 meeting, Gilani bluntly told Karzai that the Americans had failed them both, the US policy of trying to open peace talks while at the same time fighting the Taliban made no sense, and he should forget about allowing a long-term US. military presence in his country. 

Gilani also reportedly said America's economic problems meant it couldn't be expected to support long-term regional development and argued that a better partner would be China, Pakistan's "all-weather" friend.

There is no word on whether Karzai, who has also been having problems with the Obama administration, took the bait. The Journal said Karzai was wavering on the overtures with pro and anti-American factions around him trying to sway him to their side.

Pakistan has expectedly denied the exchanges. "Reports claiming Gilani-Karzai discussion abt Pakistan advising alignment away fm US are inaccurate," the country's ambassador to the US., Hussain Haqqani tweeted on Wednesday. The Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua termed it "the most ridiculous report we have come across."

But US experts are taking it seriously and there has been a flurry of analyses on what the Pakistani gambit could lead to. "Whether the article quotes Gilani accurately is not the central issue. There have been enough indications over the last year that Pakistan is not on board with the US. strategy in Afghanistan," said Heritage Foundation's Lisa Curtis, a former CIA analyst. "It is plausible that Pakistan has decided to start playing its cards with Afghan and Chinese leaders to try to achieve its own objectives in Afghanistan."

Some analysts feel the contours of the new great game in the region point to a confluence of interest between China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on one side and India, US, Iran and Russia on the other side. But "China consolidates the former while the US splits the latter," says Nitin Pai, fellow at the Takshashila Foundation.

Pak tries to outflank US and India in Kabul with China card - The Times of India

 

[GUNS-N- ROSES]

our only concern is whether Prez Karzai will take the bait and side with china. if that happens, then it could further complicate the matters in already destablized region.

 

[r3alist]

not a proper source, could be true, its plausible, but not verified or official stance

in any case the china card has always been there, and so what if pakistan did say that? - chinese people take people out of poverty, the americans bring poverty, that has been my observation.

 

[Leader]

USA is already over stretched in the region, however, today general petraeus said quiting Afghanistan is not the final plan. (alternatively we may stay)


koe manay na manay, aye banda marwao ga amerika nu

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

Firstly its the U.S which helps a good deal in proping up Karzai's govt , with the U.S military gone . The current Afghan administration wont last very long , in face of the Taliban onslaught .

Either way the Americans have a stronger presence in the region than China does and even the ISI can't do much about it . So not potential for such a plan .

 

[Zeeshan360]

our only concern is whether Prez Karzai will take the bait and side with china. if that happens, then it could further complicate the matters in already destablized region.

Karzai government is USA puppet , if US is gone even Karzai is gone .

 

[NaqsheYaar]

USA is already over stretched in the region, however, today general petraeus said quiting Afghanistan is not the final plan. (alternatively we may stay)


koe manay na manay, aye banda marwao ga amerika nu

That's precisely why he has been planted there. Now they are making him a CIA-chief...

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

China is not yet strong enough to replace America in the region...

Not even close.

It is more likely that they will play the China card, in order to squeeze more concessions out of America. Good idea.

 

[Trisonics]

China is not yet strong enough to replace America in the region...

Not even close.

It is more likely that they will play the China card, in order to squeeze more concessions out of America. Good idea.

I think the concern for China here is not if its stronger than USA or not but radical islamists. If at all there was a situation where some kind of military action took place with support from China how long will it take these nut cases to declare China as infidels and start a Jihad? China is well insulated from all this only because it has stayed away from the whole mess in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. I don't think it would ever want a 26/11 or a 9/11 on its territory!

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

^^^ Good point.

It is best not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

 

[tallboy123]

SO pakistan wants China in place of US...Cool
Lets hope,China all weather friend of pakistan accepts the invite and tries to solve the mess in Afghanistan and Pakistan....

 

[alphamale]

SO pakistan wants China in place of US...Cool
Lets hope,China all weather friend of pakistan accepts the invite and tries to solve the mess in Afghanistan and Pakistan....

:

china would not like to replace U.S in region even if pakistan insists on that. i think Chinese will not like the concept of inviting trouble at their doorsteps.

 

[Tameem]

Lets hope,China all weather friend of pakistan accepts the invite and tries to solve the mess in Afghanistan and Pakistan....:

Dear they don't need to accept anything or tries to slove, We can do all in Afpak by ourselves, Just need their moral support which is forthcoming in everyway.

 

[tallboy123]

china would not like to replace U.S in region even if pakistan insists on that. i think Chinese will not like the concept of inviting trouble at their doorsteps.

let them give it a try once,after all china is a All weather friend of pakistan..

 

[dabong1]

Washington is completely exasperated with Karzai's seeming incapacity or lack of will to wrap up a status of forces agreement (SFA) that would ensure a continued American troop presence in Afghanistan. The US has spent hundreds of millions of dollars bringing the Soviet-era military bases in Afghanistan to a par with American standards, and constructing new military bases. Now it is a case of "all-dressed-up-with-nowhere-to-go".

The entire Pentagon strategy in Afghanistan pivots on the conclusion of a SFA. The US objective is to build up reconciliation with the Taliban on the foundations of an SFA. This hope is that while American troops will no longer have to fight and die in a futile war, the US can perpetuate a military presence on the strategic Afghan chessboard and stay neatly tucked in between four nuclear powers (five, if one includes Iran).

China won't take risks
The biggest surprise in the WSJ story is regarding China. Anyone who has a remote knowledge of Chinese policy in Afghanistan or any of the planet's "hotspots" - be it the Thai-Cambodian border region, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen or Myanmar - knows that Beijing treads extremely warily when it comes to spending its resources and political capital. On the contrary, husbanding resources and remaining highly focused on core concerns, vital interests and its economic development has been an unfailing feature of China's neighborhood policies all over Central Asia.

This is why despite constant US urgings for the past three years to come into the Hindu Kush and to play the role of a "stakeholder", Beijing hasn't shown the least bit of interest. A minimal aid program; a commercially sensible investment program; excellent government-to-governmental ties; a watchful eye on the progress of the US strategy - these are the firm cornerstones of China's Afghan policy.

Beijing is clear-headed about the range of security threats that arise or can possibly arise out of Afghanistan. And it has made the appropriate diplomatic and political moves both bilaterally with Kabul and Islamabad as well as regionally within the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to ensure that China's national security interests are safeguarded.

Finally, China is keeping its options open in the highly fluid Afghan situation. In the ultimate analysis, China will deal with any regime that emerges out of the current civil war. As far as China is concerned, it is a matter of the wishes of the Afghan people and China's focus will be on strengthening the ties with the established government in Kabul that enjoys international legitimacy.

In sum, Gilani would have been out of his mind to prescribe to Karzai a "Chinese option". Grant it to the Pakistanis to know that much about their "all-weather friend", China.

Therefore, the WSJ article raises disturbing questions. As Vladimir Lenin would have asked: "Who stands to gain?" The question is not really a hard one to answer. The article is calculated to raise hopes in Karzai's mind that Uncle Sam may consider paying a better price if he collaborates on the SFA. Curiously, the WSJ article appeared even as the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman (who is the point person negotiating the SFA from the American side) arrived in New Delhi.

let them give it a try once,after all china is a All weather friend of pakistan..

The specter of a potential Sino-Pakistan axis in Afghanistan is calculated to raise hackles in the Indian mind and goad it into making precipitate counter-moves in the Hindu Kush. But the Indians would need to be downright naive to bite the American bullet.

Anyway, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is visiting Kabul next week and can hear the tale straight from the horse's mouth. New Delhi is confident that it enjoys transparency in its discourses with Karzai and can ask a few pertinent questions rather than go with Grossman's version or the WSJ account.
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