Trump is not the first President of the US to do some Pak bashing while speaking to the war-weary Americans. What he has said cannot be truly called a hard-hitting speech that would really mean a threatening to Pakistan. US-Pakistan relations are too deep to be ruffled by distasteful words spoken once in a while by either side. There is nothing in Trump’s speech that could be the reason for excitement for India. Let us be very clear about it.
The crux of Trump’s speech is to ask Pakistan to desist from giving safe haven to such Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda on her soil as are fighting the Americans in Afghanistan. There is no doubt that the radicals fighting in Afghanistan have their safe sanctuaries in Pakistan. This is very well known to Americans and they have been asking Pakistan to stop it. If the Americans seriously meant that these safe havens on Pakistani soil should be shut down, they could have done the needful without remonstration. When the time came for the US to finish Osama bin Laden, they managed it and the Pakistan army had no option but to eat the humble pie. Obviously, American Presidents have been making the tantrum for the consumption of Afghan Government that regularly insists on Washington to bring pressure on Pakistan. Reading between the lines of the speech of President Trump one does not get any clue that he is taking into consideration cross border firing and shelling and clandestine infiltration of jihadis into Kashmir.
Yes, there is one deviation in Trump’s speech and that is what he calls re-assessment of America’s South Asian policy and focusing on India as the mainstay of peace in the South Asian region. Of course, there has been re-evaluation of US’ South Asian policy even before Trump came to power. Actually re-evaluation has become necessary in view of fast growing influence of China in political and economic spheres in the region and beyond. In particular China’s interaction with oil rich Gulf countries and her investment in infrastructural development in these countries is taken by the US as a challenge to her supremacy. In this political and economic chemistry, the US finds India as good support to her strategic interests. This can be called a deviation from the traditional US policy of balancing India and Pakistan in all matters pertaining to her regional strategy. If Trump administration understands that reality and translates it into practice, it can be called a departure from decades old stereotype. India will welcome it.
Trump has also spoken of a new pillar of American policy meaning change in US policy towards Pakistan. US used Pakistan to defeat and dismember Soviet Union. US are using Pakistan to protect Saudi monarchy. In that context the US turned Nelson’s eye to Pakistan’s nuclear programme which stands in direct contrast to her attitude towards Iraq and Iran. It was with the blessings of US that the Saudi opened its coffers for the “Islamic bomb.” Obviously, in this background any change in US’ Pakistan policy has to be commensurate with US closeness to the Saudis. Unless that happens, and that is not likely to happen, Washington will have to bear with the festering sore called Pakistan. Trump’s verbose statement castigating Pakistan is a sign of weakness not strength. Earlier Presidents, too, have fallen victims to that weakness just because the US has raised the Frankenstein called Pakistan and now it becomes difficult for her to dismantle the rogue. Trump has appreciated and even encouraged India to continue her economic and logistic support to Afghan Government. Hindsight will show that Pakistan has put a condition of withdrawing support to the fighting elements in Afghanistan if India withdraws from Afghanistan. India is not in Afghanistan for the sake of goodwill of the US or any other country. India has age old relations with Afghanistan and she has contributed largely to the development of Afghanistan as a modern state. She will not be in or out of Afghanistan on any country’s bidding. However, if Trump has realized that, we welcome it and we hope that he will never agree to keep India out of any chemistry for solution of Afghan tangle.
In final analysis, we would like to convey to the US in no ambiguous terms that Pakistan as the cradle of international terrorism has passed the stage of return to civilized world. It is now for the US to decide how to retrieve civilization in this part of the globe. Will it be done by providing billions of dollars to Pakistan army or by stopping wanton dissipation of American tax payer’s hard earned money to allow luxury of power to Pentagon?
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