Time for Pakistan to redefine relations with America

by Mohammad JAMIL

The unilateral action by American Special forces in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden is making waves on the diplomatic front between Pakistan and the United Stated.

Of course, their intelligence plateau is too in ruffles. There is no doubt that the ISI has been sharing information with the CIA that led to the arrest of scores of Al Qaeda leaders and operatives.

Yet, the CIA pulled the fast one on the ISI by hiding information about Osama bin Laden, about which the ISI feels having been stabbed in the back by the CIA.

It is true that after Raymond Davis episode relations between Pakistan and the US had become strained, but America's unilateral action brought the relations between the two countries at the lowest ebb.

Anyhow this is the time to redefine relations with America, Pakistan claims it has always honoured its commitments viz-a-viz defence pacts or bilateral agreement with the US, but it was America that ditched Pakistan after achieving its objectives every time.

In fact, failure to capture Osama bin Laden was due to the fact that Americans believed in "shock and awe", and relied on daisy-cutter bombs and missile attacks.

They did not put enough boots on the ground when the US attacked Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban.

The result was that Osama bin Laden and other leaders first moved to Kunar, then to FATA and ultimately to settled areas in Pakistan. It was indeed the responsibility of the US and its allies to stop them and arrest them on their side of the Pak-Afghan border.

Anyhow, Pakistanis felt humiliated over unilateral action by the US; and they demanded of the government to stop cooperation in the war on terror and withdraw facility of logistics and supplies to 150000 American and NATO troops.

It has to be mentioned that 9/11 was a monumental intelligence failure, and so was the Mumbai intelligence failure on 26th November 2008. Pakistan therefore should not be blamed for Osama bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad.

There is a perception that he found Abbottabad close to Pakistan Military Academy as a safe place so that nobody could even imagine that the most wanted man was staying there.

If any local support was there, it would be known only after the inquiry is conducted.

However, the purpose of the inquiry should be to review the military doctrine because of changes in technology; and to provide adequate finances for reforming or restructuring so that in future such lapse or failure does not occur.

A consensus action plan they must evolve to face up to these emerging threats. Pakistan's civil and military leaders must also evaluate as to how Pakistan has been bought to the present pass.

Obviously, it was due to flawed decisions of the previous governments, who did not realize that relations between the two countries should be based on their mutual interests.