US plans go beyond Pak existence
Sunday, April 12, 2009
News Desk
RAWALPINDI: Two former top American officials have said that if the US failed over any important issue in Pakistan and subsequently Pakistan dismembered, then Washington will have to either hand over Pakistan and Afghanistan to terrorists and extremists or fight against them with or without world help.
Former US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Bryzenski and former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger expressed these views during Dr Shahid Masood’s programme Mairay Mutabiq of Geo News, Saturday.
Bryzenski said, “We fear that the US may face defeat in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a strong possibility of defeat which is a real threat.”
He said that if the US failed in Pakistan, then “we will have to choose unsuitable things,” which, he added, would be very painful.
On this occasion Kissinger said, “I think military strategy has been given more focus.” He maintained, “First we have to deny our objectives in Afghanistan and then occupy its every part.” Such situations should be created that the neighbours of Afghanistan could become part of the war, which had joint interests in the region, he said.
Interestingly, Kissinger said, “ours and Iran interests are similar, not to let Afghanistan become the land of guerrilla fighters.” Similarly, he added, Russia had also interests like the US. “It’s a combination of military and political strategy”.
Bryzenski said he thought that military and political strategy in Afghanistan was moving in right direction.
“We want that Pakistan should help us. We have concern about some Pakistani institutions, especially intelligence services, which, we doubt, are assisting Taliban”, he remarked.
“We are unable to find answer to the question that how we could get Pakistan’s help, while Pakistan is sure that it faces threat from India.”
About political situation in Pakistan, he said, “it puts us in complicated situation that how long we will back such a Pakistani democratic government, which is passing through internal chaos and fighting against extremists.” He opined that these were such issues which were neither given proper attention nor got any answer.
“I think it is almost impossible for us to improve such a grave situation there.” He said like India, Pakistan also wanted to protect its interests in Afghanistan.
He said the world crisis could determine good or bad for the US and world. “The condition of any one could not improve without us,” he said. He said, “We could improve the situation without important players of the region.”
Henry Kissinger said on the issue of Pakistan that its was both a long and short-term problem. The short-term issue relates to Afghanistan while we should help India and Pakistan resolve their issues. “In my view we should set priorities that are achieved within a certain time-frame,” he said.
He said beyond US mediation we should talk to both India and Pakistan under the possible goodwill. If Pakistan is disintegrated and it is turned into a failed state even then we would have to seek a way out by countries that may be affected including China, India and Russia. “I don’t know right now what that way out will be. Everyday we look towards Islamabad and I hope that certain negotiations are held silently as it is not an issue that could be brought on the agenda. We hope this issue is never made part of the agenda,” he remarked. He said he did not know as to what kind of proposal should be floated on the issue. But a country that has numerous nuclear weapons but no government and where extremists are already present, it is certainly a cause of concern for the international community.
To a question whether the induction of new Secretary for foreign affairs and retaining the previous defence secretary by the Obama Administration perturbed him particularly with regard to the role of Israel, he said, “You know, some times Israelis too take up this question. They ask if I am under pressure and I always tell them as to what you want to do the next day and how would you tackle the coming events. And if you fail to respond to the second question, never pursue the first one. And I believe they won’t do so,” he said.
On this occasion Burzynski said, “I hope they won’t do so as it would prove detrimental to us and would not only be not beneficial to them but also dangerous for the region.
As it would boost the extremist forces to attack us in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Far East. We will be the target of attack and I fear who would be the beneficiary? It would really target us and therefore I hope they would not do so. I hope we will tell them plainly that we don’t want them to do so.” He said, “I think I understand their worries. I do not believe that we would not create a wrong impression that it is not a cause of worry and destruction for us.”
US plans go beyond Pak existence
