symbolic strike in Pakistan (22-11-2008)

Yet another dastardly attack by a CIA operated U.S. drone in the settled area of Bannu demonstrates sheer defiance of international laws by the U.S.. This was so despite the recent election of Mr. Barack Obama as president. It is unlikely that the Bush administration, which is wearing out its last weeks in office, could have approved a strike inside an ally’s territory beyond FATA, which borders Afghanistan, without taking into confidence the incoming President, Barack Obama. This is so because any lame duck administration in the U.S., which the Bush administration presently is, cannot burden its successor with a major shift in war policy without prior consultation, which in the case of Pakistan appears to be in the direction of ignoring calls of restraint by its ally over prior strikes in FATA, and extend the war horizon beyond the troubled FATA as well.

The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson was summoned yet again and had to hear out the latest bit of criticism from the government of Pakistan. Another instance of condemnation by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was witnessed, which seems to have lost its efficacy now that the U.S. has chosen to ignore its ally’s stance of respect for its territorial integrity by upping the ante and hitting deeper into Pakistan this time round. It is wishful thinking by the Prime Minister that Mr. Obama’s ascendancy would change the policy of striking inside Pakistan by the U.S. as his silence over the issue and his growing impatience with Pakistan’s ability to fight the war during the election campaign, suggests the opposite. Mr. Obama no doubt would like more such strikes which would be dictated on U.S.’s terms and intelligence without any coordination by its so-called-ally.

Pakistan has always stressed, at least if the government is to be believed that no agreement or secret pact with the U.S. exists to carry out such attacks, that such strikes are counter productive in that it signifies the impotency of the government the territorial borders of the country from outside strikes. It also negates the international norms and are somewhat horrific reminders of all previous instances where the U.S. has evaded international and national laws in pursuit of its goals and ambitions as it deems fit. Be that the Laos bombings, the Afghanistan missile attacks in the Clinton era or the invasion that followed it, or the horrific invasion of Iraq which has cost thousands of Iraqi lives, which would have never been taken away had Saddam still been in power. They are also reminders of the gross violations by successive American administrations of the foundations of the American system of governance which is based on justice and rule of law and fairness. Facts have been manipulated and evidence has been created to fool the world in Iraq and elsewhere. The American ideal of democracy is used as a tool to justify invasions and strikes.It is time that the Barack administration which will soon take over in a few weeks time corrects this image and in the context of the war in bordering Pakistan where a sovereign country with its own legitimate and popularly elected government in place, use of force is abandoned by the U.S. forces. Only the Pakistani government, which unlike the undemocratic governments in Iraq and Afghanistan should carry out any strikes in its territory as it deems fit. The Pakistani government, for its part must come up more strongly opposing such attacks, which includes taking the issue to international forums such as the United Nations where it would hopefully receive support and it is unlikely that the new Democrat President, unlike his soon-to-be-predecessor, would be able to disregard international support for Pakistan’s case. It is time to move to the next stage since summons to the U.S. ambassador as well as direct complaints to the U.S. have fallen on deaf ears each time.