WINDFALL FOR PAKISTAN

AUM.WINDFALL FOR PAKISTANBy Chitranjan Sawant.When the tiger walks away after feeding on the kill, jackals walk in for a feast on the carcas. Having shown the Islamist terrorists their place in battle, the NATO forces, mainly the American forces,may walk away from the scene of action. It is Pakistan that will creep in and fill the vacuum. Pakistan will not rule Afghanistan directly. They will put in place a proxy rule through the Islamist terrorist group but will always call the shots on policy and strategic matters.FINAL DECISION AWAITEDPresident Obama had indicated that he was acceding to the request of US General in the Field for a surge but there is more to his policy than this surge. It will be Surge, Dominate and Quit.There have been afterthoughts too, especially on the issue of Quitting Afghanistan. The US Generals in the field are not in favour of quitting yet. The Afghan National Army being trained by the US Army is not yet fully prepared to take over the onerous duties in battle field. They need to go on serious and difficult battle missions along with the NATO forces and taste enemy blood. The Afghans may be good fighters but they have to undergo the Battle Innoculation Test when live bullets are being fired by both the enemy and own troops with the intention to kill. It is not a friendly fire but a real fire-fight where the bullet knows who to hit, when to pierce and what part of the body to bleed. It may be bleeding to death.Once the Afghan National Army is prepared to take over the Security duty of the country, the NATO will be too happy to go home.Pakistan may seem to be a fence sitter as of now but in teality they are an active player on the centre stage. It is in the national interest of Pakistan that the NATO forces leave Afghanistan and Pakistan fill the vacuum thus created. They had done so when the Soviet army had left Afghanistan after facing an ignoble military situation. Americans know that Pakistan has not been a faithful friend. They are worshippers of the rising sun and just don't care for the setting sun. Ostensibly Pakistan would pose to be a bosom friend of America's and a faithful ally through thick and thin. Pakistan is a wolf in a lamb's clothing and would pounce upon anyone and make a kill if it suits its interests. Not only this, Pakistan will keep on professing friendship with the United States and the Taliban simultaneously. Pakistan knows and has practised many a time how to run with the hare and hunt with the hound at the same time.American students of history will guide their policy makers that after the Soviet Army quit Afghanistan and left its Afghan friends in the wilderness, the Islamist forces tortured them , maimed them and eventually killed them. let history not repeat itself. Should it happen again, the new generation Afghans will never trust Americans and Europeans , come what may.Pakistan should not be allowed to play a mediatory role as and when Peace would be negotiated between the Afghan National Army and the civil administration and the good Taliban backed by Pakistan. The NATO would be in no position to advise or intervene effectively. They may be at the negotiating table as a toothless tiger in a man-made jungle. If the Americans visualise that situation, they would not like to quit Afghanistan unless their staunch Afghan ally and the Afghan National Army are strong enough to cut Islamist terrorists to size.Be that as it may, the time is not ripe for the NATO to quit for another 3 to 5 years. Another assessment may be made then and a sound decision made as per circumstances prevailing at that point of time.Email: upvanom@yahoo.com