The Ramifications of the U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia & the Middle East

Note to readers:

Russia is to be read as USSR until it was dismantled. Thank you.

Faridi:

Another Pak-USA collaboration was regarding the Talibans. American companies wanted a stable Afghanistan to pump oil out of Central Asian Republics and through pipelines in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. With American funds and arms, Pakistanis guaranteed them that kind of stability through a rising Mullah Umar and his Talibans after a prolonged Afghan civil war.

However, any American and Pakistani hopes of bringing stability to Afghanistan failed as the Talibans got out of control. Contrary to the general belief, the USA tried to get into some kind of wisdom inducing negotiations with the Talibans, but they too failed. This was reported by CNN. The situation must have gotten nasty to the point where Americans must have told Pakistanis to back out (this could be during Clinton`s visit to Pakistan).

Where the USA and Pakistan went wrong?

Both of them should have nipped the evil as soon as Talibans desire to give their rule a Islamic State was made known to the world. Subsequent to that, there many indications given to the two that Talibans were a monster in the making. Unfortunately, the two realized it quite late.

In order to get the economic benefits, Pakistanis (the Islamists) must withdraw their support from Talibans. The current Government seems to be bogged down with this even though they have full support from the Americans.

The delay in tackling Al-Qaeda and Talibans had serious consequences for both the USA (9/11 and other terrorist attacks) and Pakistan (destruction of its civil society). Unfortunately, both of them will be plagued by the menace for some time.

USA works on a long term about 30-40 years Policy...
it sets it goal in dintant future.....and then gradually and ruthlessly..without regard to its consequences it follows it...

note How karachi suffered because of HongKong factor.....thanks to the Chineese proper and wisely tackling of the issue.... OtherWise Mr Altaf Hussain would have been ruling a new HongKong...instead of living in exile...

...Al-qaeeda was not formed by ISI but by CIA yes ISI may have kept quiet and so can be said to helped it..
...Poppy cultivation financed the War against USSR now Russia..
...there are pointers that BCCI ..was used for that...and when it served its purpose it was effectively and shamefully dismantled..
....Zia failed to get proper benefit......and they ruthlessly eliminated him...even if they had to sacrifice their own Ambassador with it....
... yes its a shame that such a self centered and Insensitive Nation ...{with such pigmy leaders as Mr Bushas} USA ....is on a Rise....
So as long as the USA as a Nation is on the Rise the World will keep on suffering...No matter what...

What does the Afghan jihad in the 1980s have to with drugs in Pakistan ? What happened to the few billions the CIA and Gulf Arabs gave to the Pakistani military ? All the money was funnelled to the ISI who were supposed to give it to the Afghan resistance.

What has Pakistan done to incorporate NWFP into the realm of civilized society ? To be fair India has not integrated its tribal regions. Those regions are much smaller fraction both area and population wise.

USA could not prevent Yahya Khan from launching East Pakistan operations. What leverage can it possibly have against Russia ?

#3 bbabu

I can see you are a newcomer to this forum and do not understand the ground rules. I am very sorry for you.

Here they are:

1. Almost everything in the world is the fault of the US. This is specially so around Pakistan.

2. Pakistani military and goverment are more or less like children. They cannot resist anything the US wants. So for example, the US can be blamed for creating jihadis but there is no blame for Pakistani military for accepting more that 10 BILLION DOLLARS in aid during 80s. The good thing is that the US can always be blamed for whatever happened.

3. Muslims generally have the right to say ``What have you done for us`` and are very angry when the answer is nothing. No one else has this right.

Indians (especially hindus) must work for their achievements, but god has given muslims special rights. Angry muslims quite naturally blow themselves up and kill a lot of innocent people. Whenever this happens, no blame is apportioned to the culture of the murderers, we should all think of root causes. However, LTTE which is a non-muslim terrorist group should be considered vile, vicious and beyond civilization.

3. Anything that is not the fault of the US is the fault of:

(a) India, in South Asia
(b) Israel, in middle-east.

Please study these simple rules. After some months of study, you can begin to participate on this website. Till then, please hold off your ignorant comments.

Zia`s assasination was orchestrated by the KGB. It is a well-known fact in the intelligence circles worldwide. That was done primarily to get back at Zia for the proxy support his regime provided to the Afghan Mujahideens.

In addition, we must not forget that India was in the Russian bloc (USSR) at the time. Pakistan being temporarily destabilized by the Political Master (of India) served strategic advantages that went a long way.

Interesting article.

The United States` foreign policy is an extension of its domestic policy and when it fails, it is because it does not have a clear domestic policy.

Ciao

#6 pmishra2

I would have loved to see some constuctive criticism on this article rather than that of a reply. Thanx you.


Cheers,

Mansoor

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United States is a nation, not United Nation; United States is a superwower, not mother of the world. One should not expect US to behave like a mother. The US foreign policy is very successful for Americans and Americans` interests; failure according to Taliban, islamists and fundamentalists do not count for Americans. American democracy is a popularity contest at home and not in international arena.

It is not the failure of US foreign policy, if more than a million Afghans died to expel Russians or Iran-Iraq war buthchered another million or more. They were the failures of Afghans, Iranians and Iraqis or Muslims. Not many Poles, Germans, Bulgarians, Romanians, Czechs, Slovaks, died for the similar outcome of expeling Russians. In former Yugoslavia, Bosnian Muslims paid the highest price in blood, Protestant Slovenians least and Catholic Croats in the middle. This is directly proportional to backwardness and infatuation with backwardness.

The purpose of US foreign policy as extension of domestic policy is to keep US on the top and they have been pretty successful in it for the last 50+ years. The largest US corporations - GE, GM, Microsoft, Wal-Mart to name few - employing millions of Americans have been helped by US foreign policy.

What failure? Yes, it is a failure according to failed, failing and falling on their own. Of course, Osama, Mullah Omar, Saddam, Mufit Shamzai and Mufti Saeed of this world would call it failed to keep their supporters happy, satisfied and energized.

This thesis is factually incorrect on several accounts - one account being that the Al_qaida was formed in zia era. I would challenge author or anyone reading these lines to produce one single link (out of about 7 bollion total on the internet) that leads to an article written prior to 9/11/01 and mentions the word Al-Qaida. Any book, any paper or any verifiable account ......anything?

I think we should stop taking this bulshit as it is shoved down our throats 24/7 by western propaganda machinery.

#12 by sameerJB on May 12, 2003 1:09pm PT

Your analysis is certainly right but only good in short-term. USA is certainly not required to play a maternal role. At the same time, it should not be a `disciplining dad` or the world`s policeman.

Long-term foresight of visionaries separate them from leaders. And that is what makes them statesmen. If I remember correctly, President Wilson once emphasised in one of his speeches (regarding the US foreign policy) to not meddle in other nations` affairs.

Who considers American foreign policy as successful. If it was so successful then the Feds would not be cutting the interest rates and unemployment would not be so high in the US. And US citizens would not be afraid of traveling and identifying them as Americans rather than Canadians. Most importantly, US administration would not be asking for $40 billion (quasi WTC relief efforts) and then $74 billion (Iraq campaign) from the congress to protect the US interests both home and abroad.

Furthermore, as if that wasn`t enough, they have been facing international alienation and diplomatic defeats. The current administration is making a fool of itself. And if you are still not convinved that US foreign policy is a failure then perhaps you should rephrase the saying that it is the Israeli Foreign policy and the Israeli administration that comes out as the shining Victor from the crisis.

For, doesn`t Washington (DC) promptly echoes what Mr. Sharon and his Knesset has just finished saying!! I am sorry to say this, but GW can not operate without a teleprompter. Now the question is, who is controlling that teleprompter?

I know Jean Chretein isn`t! And Sahaf does not know how to use one :-)

#11 by Urstruly on May 12, 2003 1:09pm PT

Al-Qaeda has evolutionized as an organization. Don`t take thing literally in haste. This article finds its target audience in the people with Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) rather than Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS). Hence I skipped to explain the elements that were the basic building blocks, and causes for the formation, of Al-Qaeda.


In addition ..........
#9 by arjun_m on May 12, 2003 1:09pm PT

Consider Kazahakstan included in those Central Asian states. You are certainly right. I must acknowledge your insightful analysis.

Please bear in mind, this work is few months old. Had I known what I know today, I would have loved to ammend certain things. Plus, there was a `float time` between submission and publication!

Happy reading and keep the critique coming. Thank you.

re urstruly #11 the reigning dunce on Chowk:

`` I would challenge author or anyone reading these lines to produce one single link (out of about 7 bollion total on the internet) that leads to an article written prior to 9/11/01 and mentions the word Al-Qaida. Any book, any paper or any verifiable account ......anything?``

It doesn`t get any better than this.......

http://newsite.janes.com/press/pc010813_1.shtml

I think August comes before September and Jane`s is as reputable a publication as any........

later
-sac

P.S:Never mind. Jane`s is a zionist controlled publication and the date at the top right hand corner was changed after the fact by the CIA......

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