Dereliction of Duty

A compelling book published in 1997, with a rather long title: “Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam” written by an Army major named H. R. McMasterour should be required reading for our mighty, haughty and infallible generals. This is the book, the last chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, told his service chiefs to read.

Using once classified Vietnam-era documents, McMaster finds fault not just with Robert McNamara, then the Secretary of Defence, who dismissed warnings from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the Vietnam War would be hard to win, but with the four Chiefs themselves, who, according to McMaster were complicit, because they failed to publicly voice their misgivings. He argued, “Each one of those four went to their graves thinking they didn’t do enough to protest”. And, “They should have put their stars on the table and said, ‘We won’t be part of this.’”

The military rulers of Pakistan are also guilty of dereliction of duty.

It is no good discussing finer points of law, the legalities of an acting president signing the Dual Office Bill, the validity of the legal loopholes in 17th Amendment and so on. What purpose would it serve where all constitutional clauses converge on one single principle: Might is right? Hence, leaving the legal niceties aside, let’s have a look at some pragmatic aspects of the ongoing parody from an angle that has perhaps deliberately been overlooked thus far.

Observe. Once explaining why it was necessary not to doff the wardi, Musharraf said he was able to order the army to repair the Sukkur Barrage when the civilian authorities asked for the help while adding that if he was not the army chief, the army might not have acted so expeditiously.

Stop. What does it say? Yeah, the military would have ignored the orders of the head of state, supreme commander of the armed forces, to help resolving such an important national problem or kept on vacillating if he was not concurrently wearing uniform under or over his sherwani. Putting it in plain words, who bothers about or listens to the one who is just the president of Pakistan.

To be little non-diplomatic, one can say that we have got such a iniquitous, callous and evil military high command that had it not been Musharraf the army would have not acted even if the country was going to the dogs. Generals would have turned down the earnest requests - in Pakistan we don’t give them orders – even if it was a question of vital national interests. Or the Pakistani Neros would have kept playing golf and allotting each other plots while Sindh was under water or Quetta on fire.

What should we make of it: an honest confession or an inside information about reprobate buddies?

Keep in mind that it was not an angry, off-the-cuff reaction. Actually, it was a one-time aberration of truthfully portraying the malicious mindset and malignant attitude of the upper echelon of the army. How bizarre then that the men in uniform have gall to talk about political instability when they happen to be momentarily resting behind the curtains.

Then, addressing the nation over Radio and Television on Dec 30, 2004, Mr Musharraf justified his decision to keep the dual office as the only way to ensure continuity in the policies being followed to crush terrorism and eliminate extremism besides moving forward the composite dialogue process with India to resolve Kashmir issue, safeguard vital national interests and create harmony among political, bureaucratic and military institutions,1)

It seems that the VCOAS, General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, is an al-Qaeda member who as COAS would instantly scuttle the anti-terrorist drive. Or is it DG ISI who would sabotage the peace process with India in the absence of operational command of the visionary Musharraf? Help. Is the entire top brass minus Musharraf that much mentally retarded, intellectually moron and morally corrupt? Is it really like this that except Musharraf all of our generals are neither patriot nor competent, with no fear of God, no love for the motherland, unwilling or incapable of looking after even the most fundamental state interests?

So, Musharraf Sahib, is it an irrefutable collective indictment or a sincere warning to hapless Pakistanis?

And this makes me shiver. If Musharraf is right in his assessment regarding his colleagues/subordinates then Pakistan is in a thick soup. If Musharraf is totally wrong – as I hope and believe – then imagine the unexplainably poor quality of the two dozens or so serving top generals. See, no one among the top layer has the moral courage, spine or integrity to cut him down, to deny his allegations, refute him that they are not just a flock of grazing goats with obsolete upper-chambers and wicked heart. Is no one prepared to gracefully go home following the dictates of his conscience? Pathetic profiles in timidity, indeed.

Well, well, I am not urging the Corps Commander Rawalpindi to unleash the famously swift Brigade 111 to flush him out. Such an exercise would let loose a never-ending vicious circle, whereby Commander X Corps assumes the role of de facto king-maker. We hardly afford yet another “patriotic” tradition. I am just wondering the quality, or the lack of it, of the current batch of top generals.

To be honest, it would be utterly irrational to hold out much hope that these pusillanimous generals will have the requisite courage, sense of duty, or integrity, to stop the downhill journey. Two straightforward reasons: First, it would be suicidal for 97.7% approval winners of one-man referendums, to have a man of principle and strength of character at any commanding post to start with. Second, after meticulously selecting most impotent among most incompetent, self-imposed saviours keep them subdued and sedated through diverse mechanisms. Therefore, it is not likely that the point will come any time soon when they would say: ’Wait a minute. We cannot go along with this anymore.’

We have some judges, some bureaucrats, and we have some politicians, who have defied the illegal orders, resigned and responded to the calls of their conscience. Shamelessly, we don’t have one general, I repeat one general who has ever had guts to stand up and said NO …I am not going to dishonour my solemn pledge to defend the Constitution. They collect their XL size crumbs and are least bothered about concerns of morality and legality.

A very pertinent question would thus be: can we trust these unworthy generals? Will the military command stand the test the day we need them on our borders? Pretty doubtful. Such a lot would be fleeing in their undergarments on hearing the first barrage of hostile fire. Remember the 5-minute call by a US Secretary of State after 9/11.

Similarly, on his visit to the flood-hit areas of Balochistan President Musharraf said, people talk against the armed forces but they should notice that the timely launching of rescue efforts in the area by the forces minimised the human loss. “It is the army which is helping the flood-stricken people of Balochistan in this moment of trial and those who are criticising it notice this,” he said,2) 3)

Paying no attention to the tasteless attempt of scoring cheap political points at the cost of miseries of fellow Pakistanis, I wonder what is there to notice. One of the fundamental duties of the army, in any part of the world, is to assist civilian authorities at the times of disaster. What’s special or extraordinary with that? It is like eulogizing Haleeb or Nestle for selling milk to crying babies. Mr Musharraf, with due respect, for what do we squander the lion’s share of our national resources, if we have to sing the praises even for assistance in rescue operations? Please, tell me yourself, what are you paid for?

Should we laugh or cry?

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton told CBS television that he had his affair with Monica Lewinsky "for the worst possible reason: just because I could. I think that’s just about the most morally indefensible reason that anybody could have for doing anything." Mr Musharraf is there because he could by the virtue of firepower on his disposal and conniving corps commanders.

Finally, Mr Musharraf for God’s sake, some limits, please. As if tarnishing the image of much-cherished fauji wardi were not enough, now innocent children are dying because of your lousy rent-a-crowd political rallies. Have some mercy, 4)


Sources:
1.http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/Sp eechAddressList.aspx
2.http://nation.com.pk/daily/feb-2005/ 13/index3.php
3.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?pa ge=story_14-2-2005_pg7_5
4.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_20-3 -2005_pg1_3