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Defeating US on drones
Rizwan Ghani
America’s drone strategy will fail in Pakistan and South Asia. By defending continuation of drone attacks against Pakistan, Washington excluded America international laws and conventions guaranteeing sovereign rights of states and individuals. In the process Obama has accepted right of other states to conduct drone strikes in America. The Biblical parable sums it for Obama, “You can expect to become a victim of whatever means you use to get what you want.” Obama cannot impose American Social Darwinism because it is not Age of Barbarians in which non- Americans can be killed without international accountability. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur condemned targeted killing policies as growing challenge to the international law and called on the US to halt CIA drone killings. They are increasingly used in circumstances, which violate the relevant rules of international law (Report released by the UN in June 2010). The international community needs to be more forceful in demanding accountability of Obama on drones to bring end Western culture of acting as judge and jury both. Ban ki-Moon should ban use of US drone to end extra-judicial killings. Obama has become a threat to world peace therefore international justice system should bring Obama and his team to book for their roles in crimes against humanity.
The NATO blockade is a step towards ending US presence in the region. Islamabad should scrap the NATO supply routes to end permanent US military presence in the region and drones will not be an issue. Pentagon is bluffing the world by saying that supply routes’ closure is a threat Afghan withdrawal. Washington and its generals are on record Pakistan’s supply routes are not vital to US due to alternates. The Northern Afghan supply route involves Russia therefore Moscow can facilitate US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It will also ease Moscow’s concerns about US withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, Washington does not want to use northern routes because it will give Russia advantage over Washington. It would be a god-sent opportunity to Moscow to draw even with US for its Afghan defeat. Moscow’s involvement will also weaken Obama’s politics of commander in chief seeping in innocent deaths. America will have poetic justice and it will end Moscow’s gripe with Islamabad for its defeat in Afghanistan. Pakistan should call for UN observers on Afghan side of border, return of four million Afghan refugees to Afghanistan and use different techniques to secure its borders to bring an end to US mantra of cross border attacks in Afghanistan. It will free Pakistan to move on from four decades of colonization known as Pak-US friendship.
The scrapping of US relations with America will improve Pakistan’s economy. It will improve income of the public by 40 percent and bring down cost of living by another 50 percent. Zia abandoned the previous pro-people economic policies of Bhutto, and replaced them with capitalism and privatization of the major industries of Pakistan that had been nationalized by Bhutto in 1970s. Before Zia, Pakistan was leading China, South Korea and Singapore. The successive pro-capitalism and pro-west governments after Zia have undermined Pakistan’s constitution, which envisaged social welfare based economic model. India is subsidizing staple diet, fuel, and agri-sector. America is giving $16bn annual subsidy to its farmers. Government’s role is to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. France has voted for Hollande because he defended French social welfare model. Pakistan will have to nationalize its assets, adopt pro-people economic policies and scrap privatization to improve its economy. It is only possible if Islamabad rejects US aid.
Islamabad should thwart US security doctrine to secure regional peace. America has two narratives on Afghanistan (May 2, Peking Daily). The US is both leaving Afghanistan and staying there. Washington is pressurizing Pakistan to join Obama’s Asia-Pacific policy but it will not succeed because Islamabad cannot allow America to use Afghanistan to monitor Iran and attack Pakistan under Afghan-US strategic deal. Obama wants UN to protect rights of landlocked Afghanistan through Pakistan without respecting its sovereignty under UN laws, which is not possible. Despite holding talks with Taliban, Washington blames Islamabad of protecting its interests. Taliban are not Al-qaida, they are Afghans. US, UN, EU and NATO have no moral, legal and democratic right to dictate Afghans. Afghanistan is not Gaza and Taliban are not Hamas. America should withdraw from Afghanistan instead of using illegal policies of Israel in Asia. The world should respect Afghans as freedom fighters they are fighting to free their country from foreign occupation forces. Under universal rights, the Afghans should be free to exercise their political and religious freedoms. Beijing, Moscow, and SCO should call for trade and travel sanctions against US leaders and businesses for crimes against humanity. They should act to end US colonization of Afghanistan, allow Afghans take control of their destiny, and restore peace in the region.
The scrapping of NATO supply will end US Asia-pacific policy in the region. The successive governments in Pakistan including military and civil have been supporting American policies, which undermined Pakistan’s security, economic, and energy interests. The closure of supplies will free Islamabad to adopt policies as per the constitution including welfare state economic model and independent foreign policy. It will bring an end to infamous US brokered Pak-Afghan Trade Agreement (PATA) giving India access to CARS through Pakistan. It will destroy Pakistan’s industry, trade and economic prospects in the region. Islamabad has to block PATA to protect its core interests. America used Pakistan in Afghanistan to block Russia’s (former USSR) access to ME. Islamabad supported Washington because it opposed land routes to India (USSR’s ally) through Pakistan. After 30 years, Washington has colluded with PPP to do exactly that. Pubic will never allow realization of PATA because it will render our industry redundant, push millions of unemployed into eternal poverty and compromise our markets in CARS, Europe and ME.
The downgrading of Pak-US relations will free Pakistan’s foreign policy. In line with Indo-US deal, Islamabad will be free to sign civil nuclear deals and develop it indigenously. Islamabad will be free to expand its missile and satellite technology. It will be free to develop kinetic technology for satellite warfare and end drone attacks. It will free Islamabad from being part of Washington hegemonic policies in South East Asia aimed to encircle China, undermine regional stability and peace in the region. The strengthening of American bases in Australia, Japan, and propping up of India, Myanmar and Vietnam will undermine economic prospects of the region, deepen poverty and fuel amassing of military equipments at the cost of improving infrastructures and public sector development. Thus, Islamabad should tell Washington that defeating US on drones is always possible. Pakistan cannot support US imperialism at the cost of its national and regional interests. Therefore, it is up to Obama to save Pak-US relations and end drone attacks or face the book.
Defeating US on drones
Rizwan Ghani
America’s drone strategy will fail in Pakistan and South Asia. By defending continuation of drone attacks against Pakistan, Washington excluded America international laws and conventions guaranteeing sovereign rights of states and individuals. In the process Obama has accepted right of other states to conduct drone strikes in America. The Biblical parable sums it for Obama, “You can expect to become a victim of whatever means you use to get what you want.” Obama cannot impose American Social Darwinism because it is not Age of Barbarians in which non- Americans can be killed without international accountability. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur condemned targeted killing policies as growing challenge to the international law and called on the US to halt CIA drone killings. They are increasingly used in circumstances, which violate the relevant rules of international law (Report released by the UN in June 2010). The international community needs to be more forceful in demanding accountability of Obama on drones to bring end Western culture of acting as judge and jury both. Ban ki-Moon should ban use of US drone to end extra-judicial killings. Obama has become a threat to world peace therefore international justice system should bring Obama and his team to book for their roles in crimes against humanity.
The NATO blockade is a step towards ending US presence in the region. Islamabad should scrap the NATO supply routes to end permanent US military presence in the region and drones will not be an issue. Pentagon is bluffing the world by saying that supply routes’ closure is a threat Afghan withdrawal. Washington and its generals are on record Pakistan’s supply routes are not vital to US due to alternates. The Northern Afghan supply route involves Russia therefore Moscow can facilitate US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It will also ease Moscow’s concerns about US withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, Washington does not want to use northern routes because it will give Russia advantage over Washington. It would be a god-sent opportunity to Moscow to draw even with US for its Afghan defeat. Moscow’s involvement will also weaken Obama’s politics of commander in chief seeping in innocent deaths. America will have poetic justice and it will end Moscow’s gripe with Islamabad for its defeat in Afghanistan. Pakistan should call for UN observers on Afghan side of border, return of four million Afghan refugees to Afghanistan and use different techniques to secure its borders to bring an end to US mantra of cross border attacks in Afghanistan. It will free Pakistan to move on from four decades of colonization known as Pak-US friendship.
The scrapping of US relations with America will improve Pakistan’s economy. It will improve income of the public by 40 percent and bring down cost of living by another 50 percent. Zia abandoned the previous pro-people economic policies of Bhutto, and replaced them with capitalism and privatization of the major industries of Pakistan that had been nationalized by Bhutto in 1970s. Before Zia, Pakistan was leading China, South Korea and Singapore. The successive pro-capitalism and pro-west governments after Zia have undermined Pakistan’s constitution, which envisaged social welfare based economic model. India is subsidizing staple diet, fuel, and agri-sector. America is giving $16bn annual subsidy to its farmers. Government’s role is to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. France has voted for Hollande because he defended French social welfare model. Pakistan will have to nationalize its assets, adopt pro-people economic policies and scrap privatization to improve its economy. It is only possible if Islamabad rejects US aid.
Islamabad should thwart US security doctrine to secure regional peace. America has two narratives on Afghanistan (May 2, Peking Daily). The US is both leaving Afghanistan and staying there. Washington is pressurizing Pakistan to join Obama’s Asia-Pacific policy but it will not succeed because Islamabad cannot allow America to use Afghanistan to monitor Iran and attack Pakistan under Afghan-US strategic deal. Obama wants UN to protect rights of landlocked Afghanistan through Pakistan without respecting its sovereignty under UN laws, which is not possible. Despite holding talks with Taliban, Washington blames Islamabad of protecting its interests. Taliban are not Al-qaida, they are Afghans. US, UN, EU and NATO have no moral, legal and democratic right to dictate Afghans. Afghanistan is not Gaza and Taliban are not Hamas. America should withdraw from Afghanistan instead of using illegal policies of Israel in Asia. The world should respect Afghans as freedom fighters they are fighting to free their country from foreign occupation forces. Under universal rights, the Afghans should be free to exercise their political and religious freedoms. Beijing, Moscow, and SCO should call for trade and travel sanctions against US leaders and businesses for crimes against humanity. They should act to end US colonization of Afghanistan, allow Afghans take control of their destiny, and restore peace in the region.
The scrapping of NATO supply will end US Asia-pacific policy in the region. The successive governments in Pakistan including military and civil have been supporting American policies, which undermined Pakistan’s security, economic, and energy interests. The closure of supplies will free Islamabad to adopt policies as per the constitution including welfare state economic model and independent foreign policy. It will bring an end to infamous US brokered Pak-Afghan Trade Agreement (PATA) giving India access to CARS through Pakistan. It will destroy Pakistan’s industry, trade and economic prospects in the region. Islamabad has to block PATA to protect its core interests. America used Pakistan in Afghanistan to block Russia’s (former USSR) access to ME. Islamabad supported Washington because it opposed land routes to India (USSR’s ally) through Pakistan. After 30 years, Washington has colluded with PPP to do exactly that. Pubic will never allow realization of PATA because it will render our industry redundant, push millions of unemployed into eternal poverty and compromise our markets in CARS, Europe and ME.
The downgrading of Pak-US relations will free Pakistan’s foreign policy. In line with Indo-US deal, Islamabad will be free to sign civil nuclear deals and develop it indigenously. Islamabad will be free to expand its missile and satellite technology. It will be free to develop kinetic technology for satellite warfare and end drone attacks. It will free Islamabad from being part of Washington hegemonic policies in South East Asia aimed to encircle China, undermine regional stability and peace in the region. The strengthening of American bases in Australia, Japan, and propping up of India, Myanmar and Vietnam will undermine economic prospects of the region, deepen poverty and fuel amassing of military equipments at the cost of improving infrastructures and public sector development. Thus, Islamabad should tell Washington that defeating US on drones is always possible. Pakistan cannot support US imperialism at the cost of its national and regional interests. Therefore, it is up to Obama to save Pak-US relations and end drone attacks or face the book.
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