Iftikhar Khattak
The United States (US) foreign policy revolves around the defence of its allies, especially Israel, the destruction of the political concept of Islam; the containment of China and Russia; control over maritime and trade routes; and an assurance of long-term access to fuel, gas, and oil resources in the world. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a strong Jewish lobby in the US, started a program before 9/11 in 1996 with a name called ‘New American Century (NAC)’. Under this new agenda, philosophical, historical, political, and economic investigations were started, in which they gave an idea, after burning the midnight oil, of how the US could dominate the entire world at the dawn of the twenty-first century. For that reason, the US designed its foreign policy elements accordingly. Since they were to start bloody wars in the world, it was not possible until the repetition of another Pearl Harbor, as Japan had invaded Pearl Harbor, which compelled the US to jump into the Second World War. They were looking for another Pearl Harbor, which they pursued in the form of 9/11.
It is pertinent to mention here that there were direct talks between the Taliban and the US in 1997 in Texas, but no one knew about the details. An American company, namely, UNOCAL, wanted to build a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and from Afghanistan to Gwadar, Pakistan. No deal was signed between the Taliban and UNOCAL as the former did not agree on some of the conditions put forward by the latter. In 1998, UNOCAL briefed the elected committee of the US Senate regarding the failure of the deal and access to the huge gas and oil resources of South Asia. The easiest way to access these resources was to get to Gwadar, Pakistan, via Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. So, they considered a change of government in Afghanistan necessary, which was a turning point in history when they ousted the Taliban government. The US, after invading Afghanistan, made Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, its representative, who was an employee of UNOCAL.
As soon as 9/11 happened, a hurricane inundated the world with the notion that Muslims are terrorists. Now it was under discussion as to which country should be targeted. Israel had its own interests and wanted to target Iraq, Iran, or Pakistan, but the players of American foreign policy wanted to first target Afghanistan so that they could keep an eye on China, contain Iran, thwart Russian domination, get access to Central Asia, and closely monitor the only nuclear Muslim country, Pakistan. India had even offered the US to use its airspace because it wanted to target Pakistan. Keenly observing the rapidly unfolding events, Pakistan sensed the unwavering resolve of the US, well aware that an attack was imminent, but the question was, ‘Which country should be attacked first?’. Amidst numerous speculations and prevailing investigations, the question lingers as to why Pakistan hastened to align with the US. But one could get it after looking at the ground realities. India was all set to give its airspace to the US. Pakistan had also been asked to talk to Afghanistan about handing over Mullah Umar, Usama bin Laden, and other Al-Qaeda leaders to the US. Usama bin Laden’s non-involvement in the 9/11 incident was Mulla Umar’s comfortably wide stance, as the Taliban had not given permission to Al-Qaeda for the onslaught in the world, and their wireless sets and other weapons had also been taken away. Mulla Umar had admonished and warned Usama bin Laden that he was his guest, but he would never permit him to carry out attacks in any part of the world, as he knew that Usama bin Laden or his partners carried out operations in different parts of the world. When Mulla Umar asked him about the 9/11 attack, he expressed detachment.
In a moment preceding the military incursion into Afghanistan, Usama bin Laden astonishingly disclosed his possession of nuclear weaponry, which he would use against the invading country of Afghanistan. He also went on to say that he would not open his mouth about which country he had gotten these weapons from. This made Pakistan not only disappointed but also furious at him, as that interview in those critical situations could pave the way for the US to attack Pakistan. Therefore, Pakistan wisely decided to side with the US. An interesting thing was that those who brought out that interview were Zionists who wanted to divert the attack from Afghanistan towards Pakistan. Despite the presence of significant blunders, Pakistan managed to secure vindication of certain conditions pertaining to the Pakistan Army, which would not go to Afghanistan but would do operations only in its area, and the US Army, which could not carry out attacks in Pakistan but would only be given airspace and technical assistance. Regrettably, pivotal missteps were made, including an ill-defined and enigmatic conception of terrorism, a lack of clarity regarding the war’s intended targets, and engagement in operations without the consent of both parliament and the nation. There was so little time to decide and so much pressure that Pakistan had to make an immediate decision, though the public never accepted that war. Although Pakistan has always wanted cordial relations with Afghanistan as it supported the Mujahideen against the Soviets and provided them with all kinds of support, 9/11 brought a dramatic change in their relations. In order to overcome the ongoing obstacles in Pak-Afghan relations, the policies of both countries will be guided by foresight and wisdom, and fostering friendly relations remains the sole remedy for safeguarding the interests of both nations.
The writer is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science at Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST).
