America’s Blatant Disregard for Pakistan’s Sovereignty
On 2nd of May this year, around four US helicopters laced with the stealth technology carrying around 35-49 SEAL commandoes sneaked in Pakistan’s Western border and cruised towards Abbotabad- a peaceful city located nearly 40 km away from Islamabad. US Special Forces swooped down and killed the world’s most wanted man as he was holed up in a two-storey house. The official version of the operation reveals that world’s most wanted terrorist and head of most cruel organization was living under the protection of 12 children (under twelve), four women and three males including his son. Reportedly; the operation was so perfect that world’s most wanted man was hunt like a pregnant duck and he or his guards could not even retaliate with single bullet thereby enabling American troops to return safe to their base in their helicopters along with Bin Laden dead body.
The Special Forces ground operation continued over 40 minuets, Bin Laden and a son killed in a firefight and US commandos taken along his body to prove he is dead and got away safely. However, post operation reports revealed that the so called firefight was one sided and not a single bullet was fired from Osama Bin Laden or his companions. Latterly; CNN News services quoted unidentified US officials that the body was prepared for burial according to the Muslim ritual. Readers might wonder who gave such an order and why.
At mid night President Barack Obama conveyed to his nation and the world that US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. He called; death of bin Laden as a land mark achievement to date in American’s efforts to defeat al-Qaeda. Bin Laden’s death was confirmed by Pakistani intelligence. Thousands of people have gathered at Ground Zero in New York to celebrate Osama bin Laden’s death. Reportedly; Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), said the ISI had been aware of the operation and was part of the whole process as this all was picked up by the US ion the tip of ISI.
Questions Unanswered
A sweeping glance over the pieces of the story and the way operation was unfolded creates suspicions and marks doubts on different dots. A long list of questions that emerges in one’s mind includes:
The circumstances surrounding Osama bin Laden’s reported death raise urgent questions over how the US is so sure it got its man. American officials claim that facial recognition and DNA testing has proved the dead as Bin Laden. The initial release of a photograph purporting to show bin Laden’s corpse was later confirmed to be a fake adds to the confusion. The facts that not releasing of real photographs of Osama‘s reported death, and his hastily burial (against Islamic norms) have added to the prevailing speculations. Contrary to Osama’s death episode; When Uday and Qusay Hussein (the sons of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein) – were killed in a firefight, the photographs of their bodies were made public to convince people that they were dead. Similarly; video footage Sadam’s execution was released to give final proof of his death. Why the Obama administration is reluctant to make the proofs of Osama’s death public.
Abbotabad is evidently a sensitive area with sensitive military installations and close by strategic assets like Tabella Dam and Wah / Havellian Ammunition Depot. Further; the area quite close to the Islamabad with closely controlled airspace of Kahuta as well as 10’s of thousand of troops, anti-air as well jet fighters. Despite these all; a small force cruised in at about 150 mph, had a fire fight for 40 minutes, lost a chopper, set it on fire, cruised back at about 150 mph without being molested. During this all period of operation none of the elements of Army, Air Force or any civil or paramilitary security agency attempted to intervene. Why?????????
The area of operation, because of its strategic significance, is Pakistan’s air defense intercept zone and is protected by the Pakistani integrated air defense system. It seems against the basic logics that any thing of hostile nature can fly in that region without detection and without permission from the Pakistan Air Force or Pakistan’s army air defence system How can less 40 US Navy SEALs flying US helicopters dare to flout Pakistan’s national sovereignty so close to Islamabad without official Pakistani government cooperation. The US repeated insistence that Pakistan played no part in the operation obviously seems to be a cover story for Pakistani public consumption so as to forestall anti government back lash. The big question mark that I am raising does not aim to suggest any conspiracy at all but raises questions over the story we’ve heard so far and what actually happened are far apart.
The complacency at the part of army or air force or the ISI over the operation points towards some kind of deal. The deal might have traded Osama to an end to US drone attacks across the borders that are constantly humiliating Pakistan’s political government and the Pakistan Army. This conclusion supplements rumors that US helicopters took off from an air base in Pakistan for the mission. If this assumption is wrong then Pakistan Army, Air Force and all other institutions responsible for the security of the country’s geography and national sovereignty should urgently get together and take stock of the situation. The repetition of such an event by the US or India would have devastated effects on the morale of the nation and faith over its security institutions. The incident in question has shaken the public confidence over its Army and Air Force alike.
Final Critique over the Operation
US has a proclivity for making mountain out of a mole hill. The recent operation against Osama bin Laden is one such example of its false sense of bravado. An old sick man with his small family accompanied by few trusted guards living in a populated area being projected as a hard target for which months of operational planning was carried out is hard to fathom. It was an operation which did not require such intense preparations. It was like killing fly with a hammer. Hurrah to the US administration and its planners. The likes of Patton would have sent a section or at best a platoon strength to do the job. He must be seething in agony over the present planners penchant for an over kill. Agreed that OBL was the most high profile target but having established his presence in a particular compound (and not in the caves of Tora Bora), the task was not in the least bit difficult to undertake. Even the most overcautious general such as Montgomery would have required much lesser means to achieve the task. That much for the bravado of the US planners.
This solo action, if it was really without the knowledge of Pakistan Government, speaks volumes of the mistrust the Americans & CIA harbour against its front line ally that has sacrificed over 35000 lives and suffered over $ 70 billion economic loss. This action also highlights flagrant US disregard for the sovereignty of a nation. Could the Americans have violated the sovereignty of nations such as Iran, North Korea or Venezuela in similar circumstances? Not at all – which brings our focus on our very own Government? We are a strange nation with our people prepared to offer extreme sacrifices to preserve our honour, and our leaders behaving exactly to the contrary for as long as they are allowed to cling to power to loot and plunder our wealth, and suck our blood to the last drop. It is commonly believed that leaders in a democratic set up draw strength from the people; they rather do everything possible to strengthen the beliefs and perseverance of people. They prepare the nations to fight against the heaviest of odds to maintain their honour and sovereignty. They possess the charisma to galvanize the nation. Alas! Our leaders are bereft of any such quality that inspires the nation. They have rather been instrumental in demoralizing the nation. Almost over ten days (till 13th May when in camera session of the Parliament was arranged) after the incident no one, neither the President nor the Prime Minister has taken the nation into confidence. The nation kept groping in darkness and drifted more and more into uncertainty. The Government’s silence on the whole episode has put us to shame and given a free run to the Americans, West and India to hurl all sorts of accusations. Our untold sacrifices have been callously set aside. Is this how the leaders defend the honour and integrity of nations? Our always immaculately dressed up mealy mouthed Prime Minister called raid a great success and victory, which indeed is the violation of our sovereignty. Rather than launching a strong protest, the Americans have been afforded an opportunity to launch an aggressive diplomatic assault against Pakistan and its core intelligence agency. Leon Penetta, Director CIA has clearly conveyed his mistrust against Pakistan Army and ISI. This accusation alone is enough to cause Pakistan to dissociate from the US War on terror, and announce the withdrawal of all facilities thus far extended to the US.
It is an open secret that CIA is hell bent to undermine ISI and in the process shall resort to any tactics or strategy to tarnish its image and damage its credibility. CIA’s involvement in destabilizing the countries is known the world over. The quote from Dennis Blair, ex Director US National Intelligence that ‘CIA is an organization that is highly trained, not very smart and a dangerous animal that needs to be intimately controlled by adults’ is enough to prove its heinous designs’. Seeing the changing tone of US government, US Congress, US Media and its Allies one can easily predict that Operation Osama Bin Laden marks the beginning of a shift of the main war theater from Afghanistan to Pakistan and that all previous efforts for reconciliation between Pakistani militants and Pakistan will be sabotaged and all guns will turn towards the Pakistani military establishment.
Pakistan got itself embroiled in a war that initially was not its own, and in the process suffered colossal losses in terms of men besides heavy economic losses and social impairment. American aid on the contrary has been nothing more than peanuts, yet its government functionaries, senators and congressmen continue to howl insanely with threats of aid stoppage. Pakistan was a pauper state before the receipt of aid and remains so even after petty economic packages. What then is the compulsion on our leaders to wag their tails for every penny they are known at with contempt? Time to revisit our policies in our own national interests.
This is not to suggest that we take a war path with the US. We must simply convey to them that we are a self respecting sovereign nation and would insist on being treated like that. We either part ways to preserve our sovereignty or remain their allies strictly on assurances of respect for our sovereignty, and payment (no aid) for transit facilities as per internationally laid down tariff (approximately 2 to 3 billion dollars per annum). Our alliance should also be made conditional with guarantees such as no predator strikes in our area, no overt / covert operations or propaganda by CIA in Pakistani territory, no sponsoring / financing of TTP and other militant groups either directly or indirectly by US.
Our leaders must understand and realize that the US governments and its CIA have consistently had a checkered history of using its allies and throwing them away when no longer relevant. They must remember that in international relations, there are no friends or foes; only national interests remain permanent. Our salvation lies in the preservation of our national interests.
