The rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan has now boiled over into Pakistan, our
supposed ally, as the U.S./NATO coalition carried out a provocative military
action that has the potential to destabilize the Pakistani government and the
entire region. It was made very clear that borders of sovereign nations are no
longer relevant and can be violated at will by the coalition forces.
Tensions are running very high after the Pakistani
government, on September 30, gave orders to close the major supply route for
transporting U.S. and NATO supplies from the port of Karachi, though the Khyber
Pass and across Pakistan into Afghanistan. This closing was retaliation for the
attack by US helicopters that crossed into Pakistan and killed three of its
military near the border. Since then, militants have, on three occasions, set
fire to numerous coalition supply trucks, an ominous sign of events that may
follow.
As dangerous as this is, it's not entirely new; reports
indicate that this attack was the fourth by U.S. helicopters in recent weeks.
Also, there have been continuous attacks by U.S.
pilotless drones on targets in Waziristan, located in the northwest region of Pakistan, that
have killed numerous civilians. While the drone attacks have been tacitly
approved by the Pakistani government they also have been the subject of great
debate and disagreement as its people are fearful of what kind of escalation
might follow. They know full well the aggressive track record of the Western coalition.
The coalition has other supply routes but they are far more
difficult and costly to utilize. The Pakistani government will, no doubt, wait
a few days and then reopen the supply route after issuing a stern warning, but
what will follow is anybody's guess. It appears to be just one more planned
step by the coalition in the expansion of the Afghanistan war, one which could escalate
the current scenario into something that may be impossible to control.
At the risk of being repetitious, I will once again state
that this entire Afghan/Pakistan war is not being waged because of the pursuit
of Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists because they are a direct threat to America as so
many people have been led to believe. It's common knowledge that terrorists can
strike from Europe or any number of other
nations. This is just another contrived reason straight out of the same handbook
that was used to convince the majority of Americans that Saddam Hussein was
preparing weapons of mass destruction for an attack on the U.S.
In reality, it is a
very ambitious, aggressive plan to establish a permanent presence in Central Asia in order to control precious natural
resources, quite obviously OIL. That's why the U.S. military leaders have repeatedly
told the media that our military intends to be in that region for the long
haul; that they have no intention of withdrawing no matter what President Obama
says.
However, things may have gone too far with the aggressive push
into this sovereign nation. The people of Pakistan have watched the
encroachment into their country with fear, apprehension and outrage. While the
government of Pakistan still
considers the U.S.
an ally, that partnership may be changing because many of the Pakistani generals
are now strenuously objecting to these heavy-handed tactics.
This could not be a worse time for another escalation by
coalition forces. Monsoon floods hit Pakistan in July, creating great
suffering and havoc. At least 20 million people have been directly affected and
nearly 4 million are homeless. Is this the way to treat an ally? If Pakistan
becomes destabilized, because of the floods and attacks by the coalition, and
if the government falls, the Pakistani military will most assuredly step in and
take over control of the country.
India, Pakistan's mortal enemy over many decades, and another
regional nuclear power, could seize the opportunity to launch an attack to take
over Kashmir, the region that is currently divided between India, Pakistan
and China, and the primary
reason for on-going tensions and threats between India
and Pakistan.
While military tensions rise in that region of Central Asia,
Israel keeps beating the
drums for a potential attack on Iran's
nuclear facilities and has attempted to get both the U.S. approval and participation.
While we know that Mr. Obama is very inexperienced in foreign policy and
military matters, he had better have the wisdom to resist any effort by Israel to pressure him into assisting with an
attack on Iran.
Conducting three major military actions at the same time would be a disaster
for America.
If these military actions continue, that region could erupt into
a widespread war, involving powerful nations of the Middle East and Central Asia. Pakistan
is bordered by Afghanistan
and Iran in the west, India in the east and China
in the northeast; Russia
is not that far distant. These nations have vital interests in the region and,
at some point, one of them might lose all patience and decide that the actions of
the U.S.
and NATO can no longer be tolerated. The coalition seems to be oblivious to the
potential firestorm that it could ignite if it continues to launch attacks in Pakistan.
At some point, and very soon, President Obama must
understand that this region must not be destabilized and that he can no longer
allow the military that he commands to continue on its present course. He must
put the brakes on the military and issue orders that its forces immediately
vacate the nation of Pakistan,
withdrawing back to Afghanistan.
Given the fact that Pakistan has a population of more
than 170 million and a substantial nuclear arsenal, the probability that this
scenario could explode into a war like no other in history grows greater every
day. If there ever was a time when cooler heads must prevail, that time is now.
Michael Payne
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