NATO security syndrome

I M Mohsin

9/11 was a terrible tragedy which remains a mystery evwn now as we are enter in to the 10th year of waiting. Enjoying worldwide sympathy, the neo-cons named OBL/Al Qaeda as the suspects. It was then initially manipulated for a regime-change in Afghanistan. Subsequently Iraq was occupied by the US under the fraudulent slogan of Iraqi WMD involving a regime-change culminating in the hanging of the dictator, Saddam Hussain. While the US agencies left no stone unturned for fooling their own people, Tony Blair and Italy’ Berlusconi sold their souls to the Devil for peanuts to provide grist to the neo-con mills making false-flags. After the killing of more than a million Iraqis and about half that number of Afghans, reportedly, the US remains scared of Al Qaeda. This is made clear by the way President Obama has to terrify his countrymen, like his predecessor, every now and then as the US faces a disaster in Iraq and a quagmire in Afghanistan. In to the 10th year of the Afghan war, which transcends the Soviet agony, the people in the US treat it as a lost war and much worse than the Vietnam debacle. The Afghans appear to be seeing the Taliban as victorious against the foreign troops which carried the NATO emblem. No wonder, the International Crisis Group’ Claire Truscott in the latest article on the issue asserts, “There is little evidence that the operations have disrupted the insurgency’s momentum.” The war in Afghanistan has further destroyed that country as atrocious bombing has remained a regular feature of waging the war by the foreign forces. It even now stays as the major issue between Karzai, US’ man in Kabul and his mentors as the civilian deaths keep going up. The killing of civilians in such raids by the foreign troops figured even in Lisbon’ NATO Summit as the most important issue which should have embarrassed Obama. Similarly it is destroying US goodwill in the area. The foreign forces may be using this malpractice for many reasons. First, it may be an atrocity but then who can hold the perpetrators accountable under the International Law which becomes a dead-letter in this case. Second, it may be contempt for the locals inspired by the Empire-complex. Third, since the US is addicted to ‘outsourcing’, this wrongdoing is seen as an easy way-out instead of engaging the enemy regardless of the ‘co-lateral damage.’ Lastly it could also be out of the fear of the opponents who are greatly supported by the topography, tradition and their religious duty to fight the foreign troops. In the last over 9 years, US/NATO have tried all fair and foul means to make the Afghans submit to their diktat. Despite being awfully outgunned, the Afghans have stuck to their tradition of putting up a fight , particularly against foreigners, till the latter cry ‘halt’ suing for peace. George Bush was a naive guy who did not know where London was even while he was being sworn in as the US President. With such funny exposure/experience, he could be easily misled by the likes of Cheney, Rumsfeld etc. It is a known fact that most of the neo-cons were maintained their links with the oil lobby like their President. As against that Obama is well-informed, intellectually sound and also has had the experience of other continents. Such brightness coupled with rich experiences should have produced a more mature policy which could bail the US out of the hole in to which it is stuck. He appears to be failing to deliver as he is being undermined by ‘special interests’/vicious lobbies which control the US. A case in point is the a highly misleading remark made by Mark Sedwill, a former British Ambassador to Afghanistan and a top NATO envoy currently therein, alleging that the Afghan children were better off in terms of security. He opined on the BBC, “The children are probably safer here than they would be in London, New York or Glasgow or many other cities,” he said,.....” On top of that, President Obama is being reviled on any pretext by the Rightwing which has much of the US wealth. The book ‘Obama’ wars’ by Bob Woodward attempts to show how the current President has to try tremendous tightrope walking to pander to the fear-complex ignited by the neo-cons by exploiting 9/11. The American people now appear to be dogged by economic woes but the lobbies keep on ringing alarm bells every now and then to grind their own axe which puts the Administration on the back-foot. Such a Perspective complicates the handling of the war in Afghanistan which, despite the linguistic spin in use, is being lost by the foreign troops. Thus Gen Patraeus is forced to describe the predicament as ‘uneven’ while his President after the Lisbon Summit claimed, “We are achieving our objective of breaking Taliban momentum.” As against that the British Defense Chief Gen. Sir David Richards, stressed that “NATO now needs to plan for a 30 or 40 year role to help the Afghan armed forces hold their country against the militants,” as per the Daily Mail. The Americans have to demonstrate that their lives can’t be held hostage to false flags like Anthrax and the British Airways ‘suspected hijackings’ which now emerge as having been spilled for political benefit by George Bush’ Administration. Condemning such antics, Paul Craig Roberts emphasizes, “There has not been a successful terrorist act since 9/11, and thousands of independent experts doubt the government’s explanation of that event” in his article entitled TSA Gestapo Empire recently”. He concludes, “Who is cowing Americans into submission, terrorists or the TSA Gestapo?” US must reconsider their approach to the AF-Pak. Following the neo-cons a myth is being reinforced that Al Qaeda causes scares among the Americans at home and abroad and the US is fighting as an underdog. CIA Chief, Panetta’ recent statement wherein he guessed that the enemy-organization had just about a hundred members in Af-Pak becomes a practical joke. This would imply that US is help-less before a body of ‘terrorists’ created in 2001 through propaganda. Moreover, the Superpower is facing a defeat in Afghanistan due to Al Qaeda’ manipulation of the Taliban. The American public has to take serious interest in their policy vis-à-vis Al Qaeda etc. If US gives a poor account of itself this time round, it would stand ousted from the area. Her allies like Pakistan may also have to pay for their mistakes despite all the sacrifices they may have made. The latest Wikileaks do little credit to the way US has been treating Pakistan. —The writer is a former Secretary Interior.