Raymond Davis, GHQ and the Pentagon

[fatman17]

Raymond Davis, GHQ and the Pentagon

Farrukh Saleem

Saturday, February 19, 2011

America’s policy toward Pakistan is not made in Washington. America’s policy toward Pakistan is not made by American politicians. America’s policy toward Pakistan is made by American generals. America’s policy toward Pakistan is made at the Pentagon, 3.4 miles south-west of Washington.

Pakistan’s policy toward America is not made in Islamabad. Pakistan’s policy toward America is not made by Pakistani politicians. Pakistan’s policy toward America is made by Pakistani generals. Pakistan’s policy toward America is made at the GHQ, 8 miles south-west of Islamabad.

Lately, the GHQ and the Pentagon have been engaged in a serious power-play; North Waziristan, the peace accord in Kurram Agency, the 26-page law suit by the relatives of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg in the US District Court in Brooklyn and a class-action lawsuit in Islamabad against the CIA. GHQ is out trying to protect what it perceives is Pakistan’s interest while the Pentagon is jostling to run over everyone’s interests in the region.

In the midst of it all came January 27-one of Pentagon’s agent provocateurs killed two Pakistanis in cold blood. For Pakistan, the Pentagon must be made to pay a price. Diplomatic immunity has a legal as well as a strategic connotation. When the Pentagon is told that their ‘murderer’ does not have diplomatic immunity the strategic message is that we want an extraordinarily high price for letting the ‘murderer’ go free. And, when the Pentagon shouts back that their agent provocateur has absolute ‘diplomatic immunity’ they are telling us that they are prepared to pay next to nothing. These are both maximalist positions.

The Pentagon is at the crossroads-one of their Raymonds is in the Kot Lakhpat Jail while the other 125,000 Raymonds are in Afghanistan dependent either on Karachi-Torkhum-Kabul or Quetta-Chaman-Spin Boldak/Kandahar lines of supply. Secondly, the Pentagon knows full well that its war effort in Afghanistan is not sustainable and now it wants an ‘honorable exit’. To be certain, the only country that can help America the most is Pakistan.

Pakistan is also at the crossroads-our government spends $14 billion a year more than it earns and our annual trade deficit routinely exceeds $12 billion. The US has 371,743 votes at the IMF Board of Governors and 265,219 at The World Bank. Then there’s the strategic angle: we are up against a neighbour whose economy is 800 percent bigger and we need America.

America’s foreign policy stands on two pillars: pure self-interest and jingoism. We can, in return, base our response on emotions or rationality (read: Pakistan’s best interest). In February 2009, Ambassador Patterson sent a cable to Washington: “The relationship is one of co-dependency we grudgingly admit, Pakistan knows the US cannot afford to walk away; the US knows Pakistan cannot survive without our support (WikiLeaks).”

America needs to protect their Raymond because there are 3,000 other Raymonds on the loose on Pakistani streets (with additional thousands in Iraq and in Afghanistan). We, on the other hand, need to make an example out of Raymond so that all trigger-happy Raymonds get a clear message. We wish that all Raymonds are whisked out of our country but ‘if wishes were horses, beggars would ride’ and ‘if turnips were watches I would wear one by my side’.

Raymond Davis has caused some acute fissures within Pakistan’s political theatre. The PPP government and the military establishment are not on the same page. The former Foreign Minister, for instance, has been fired for towing the military line. The PML-N, in the meanwhile, is positioning itself to extract the maximum political mileage.

Raymond Davis’ fate has to do neither with the Vienna Conventions nor with the rigmaroles of Diplomatic Immunity (functional, absolute, etcetera). Raymond Davis’ case will be resolved neither by politicians nor by diplomats-yes they may act as intermediaries but they will not be the final decision makers. Raymond Davis’ case will be resolved neither by the courts nor by demonstrators on the streets. Raymond Davis is now a pawn part of much larger strategic chessboard. The two maximalist positions would have to find some common ground-the great strategic compromise. And, that compromise is going to take time.

 

[ZaYYaF]

True that Pakistani Generals are the ones playing the shots, as far as the foreign policy goes (and much more if you widen the scope), for better or worse that is another debate. Although the govt. and the army are not on the same page as it seems, but I don't think the govt. is in any position to do what it pleases at least in this case. I hope and pray that our intelligence agencies put more efforts in uncovering other spies, although I do not believe that our men are asleep instead of working in the shadows.

 

[MZUBAIR]

Unfortunately....I dont see the political solution of the country.

 

[Pak_Sher]

We need to see more retired generals run for office next elections. US Senate and House is full of people that have served in the US Armed Forces in thee past.

 

[khurasaan1]

The game is going very interesting and Insha-Allah it will come out to be more interesting and rewarding in near future ...
The situation will comeout similiar to the one when Mehmood Ghaznvi didnt take the price for the main statue of Sominaat and broke it down(cuz we r Boot Shikan not worshipperz)...Alhamdolillah he got rewarded and Insha-Allah we will get the same results here....Infact he is the secret key to all the hidden US treasures in our region and beyond....just watch and see