Changing moods in Washington

Dr Muhammad Khan
During a recently concluded visit of five members US delegation, led by Senator John McCain, Pakistan’s role against terrorism was greatly appreciated. As per the statement of Foreign Office of Pakistan, the US delegation “appreciated the contributions and sacrifices made by Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.” Besides, Senator McCain particularly mentioned that, ‘continued engagement with Pakistan, a close friend and ally of the US, was important.’ Senator McCain, a frequent visitor of Pakistan also emphasised Pakistan and India for a peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute through negotiations. The delegation was also taken to South Waziristan, where they were apprised about the operational achievements against terrorism and socio-economic uplift of the FATA region.
As per ISPR, the delegation remarked that, “Pak Army’s efforts are a great success story and strong Pak-US partnership is only way to succeed.” The delegation after having assessed the ground realities, supported Pakistani efforts for a border control mechanism, to check the movement across Pak-Afghan border. In order to channelise the movement, Pakistan has already started sealing the border while leaving essential crossing points. The process would reduce the possibility of illegal entry into Pakistan and Afghanistan and also address the concerns of both sides for the alleged infiltration of terrorists. Nonetheless, Afghanistan has been a reluctant partner throughout.
While being in Kabul, an extraordinarily transformed statement of U.S Senator John McCain puzzled everyone in Pakistan. Upon reaching Kabul, the senator said, “We have made it very clear that we expect they [Pakistan] will cooperate with us, particularly against the Haqqani network and against terrorist organisations. If they don’t change their behaviour, maybe we should change our behaviour towards Pakistan as a nation.” During their visit to Pakistan, Pakistani civil and military leadership made it amply clear to US lawmakers that, it has no favourites in Afghanistan and that, during Zarb-i-Azb all terrorists, irrespective of their groups were targeted. The FO also clarified that, there is no presence of Haqqanis in Pakistan and they operate from Afghan soil. Pakistan desires a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Despite these explanations from Pakistan, such a statement from a responsible US senator and his team is quite alarming. On one hand, the statement speaks of two faces of Senator John McCain and on the other hand, it reflects the prejudices in US foreign policy. This is worth mentioning that, in his famous book, “Politics Among Nations” Hans J. Morgenthau, the German born US realist scholar of international politics says, “International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power”. Advocating his view point, Henry Kissinger, the living legend of US foreign policy clearly stated in his writings that, “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.” This is a true reflection of US foreign policy towards Pakistan. This American diplomat and political scientist served the US as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor and still contribute reasonably towards US foreign policy at the age of 94. He along with many other political scientists gave US foreign policy, a futuristic look with a clear modus operandi to counter its peer competitors in the international politics.
Following Kissinger’s single line guideline, U.S has been pursuing its national interests all over the world to maintain its monopoly in the global politics. Whereas, U.S has been on the direct and indirect collision path with its peer competitors, it used the strategically situated smaller states like Pakistan for the attainment of its strategic objectives (Pak-US history is evidence to this). In South Asia, U.S has been changing its goal posts intermittently. Whereas, Pakistan has been its ally throughout during the Cold War, both, during the loose bipolar system and tight bipolar system, the post-cold war period is marked by US changing interests towards the countries of this region.
Senator John McCain and his team visited Pakistan, immediately after a strategically promising meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narindra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Whitehouse, Washington. This was a historic meeting between Modi and Trump with a strong signal of change in US foreign policy towards south Asia. This shift in the US foreign policy clearly outlines the US new and well calculated preferences with India as its strategic, political and economic partner, relegating Pakistani traditional position. Red carpet reception for PM Modi and promising India with drones, aircrafts, war mentions, transfer of F-16 technology and huge economic investment are clear indicators of a changing US foreign objective in this part of the world.
With new biases, indeed, always existed in US foreign policy towards Pakistan, should Pakistani leadership still look for a sympathetic United States? The truth is that, there is no morality and perpetuity in international politics and “A country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security”.
Let us be realist in safeguarding our national interest, sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan and stop hogwash political and emotional slogans, since “Behind the slogans lay an intellectual vacuum.” In Pakistan, there is an intellectual insolvency among the leadership, while they determine and formulate the national policies of Pakistan. “It is not often that nations learn from the past,even rarer that they draw the correct conclusions from it.” Indeed, we neither learnt from our past experiences nor drew logical conclusions to formulate correct policies, which serve Pakistan’s national interests. Though, it is too late, let us do it now, since there are changing moods in Washington and New Delhi.