Japan, US Agree To Drop Deadline To Relocate Futenma Base

Japan and the United States agreed at security talks between their defense and foreign ministers in Washington on Tuesday to drop their earlier deadline for the relocation of a key US base within Okinawa Prefecture by 2014, a move that will likely further stall the already protracted negotiations over the base.
Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto also agreed with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a new set of ''common strategic objectives'' in a joint statement, which called for China to play a constructive role in regional stability.
In the statement issued after the ''two-plus-two'' defense and security meeting, the four ministers reaffirmed a bilateral accord reached in May last year on the relocation of the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, which is a key point in implementing the overall realignment of US forces in Japan, and finalized the configuration of Futenma's replacement facility.
'This is a very important progress toward the relocation,' Kitazawa said in a joint news conference afterward, referring to building the facility in the form of two runways in a V-shaped formation.
Futenma Relocation Plan
The ministers committed to completing the relocation ''at the earliest possible date after 2014,'' but provided no specific timeline or steps to address the concerns in Okinawa and the US Congress regarding the feasibility of the current Futenma relocation plan.
Okinawa, which has long hosted the bulk of US forces in Japan, strongly opposes the relocation of the Futenma base from Ginowan to the less populated coastal area of Nago's Henoko district, citing noise concerns and danger of possible accidents because of the base's presence.
Gates said: ''It is critical that we move forward with the relocation of Futenma,'' stressing the importance of making ''concrete progress over the course of the next year.'' While the Futenma relocation remains a pending issue that needs to be worked out, the Japanese and US defense and foreign chiefs agreed on the key role of the US forces' participation in disaster drills held by local authorities to enhance ties between the forces and base-hosting communities.
Improving Contingency Access
They also agreed to improve contingency access by the US forces and Japan's Self-Defense Forces to facilities in Japan.
Based on the ''common strategic objectives,'' which were originally drawn up in February 2005 and updated in May 2007, the two nations said they will boost the bilateral security alliance amid regional security challenges such as the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
Japan and the United States agreed to deter provocative actions by North Korea, apparently in light of incidents in 2010, including the North's fatal artillery attack on a South Korean island, and to seek the denuclearization of North Korea, including its uranium enrichment program, in a verifiable manner. The ministers also called for the maintenance of maritime safety and security by defending the principle of freedom of navigation.
Although the statement did not name a specific country, Japanese officials have expressed concern in past documents about China's growing military power and increased naval activities around Japan's southwestern islands.
Regional Stability and Prosperity
Japan and the United States urged China to take a ''responsible and constructive role in regional stability and prosperity'' and called for ''its cooperation on global issues, and its adherence to international norms of behavior.'' They also called on China to be more open and transparent in its military modernization.
The ministers also discussed the issue of territorial rows between China and some Southeast Asian nations in South China Sea and the role of Japan and the United States in the issue, a Japanese official said.
In view of the uncertain security environment in the region, Gates said the United States will maintain a strong presence with forward deployment in East Asia, noting that the latest Futenma accord marks ''steady progress'' in modernizing US forces in the region.
Realigning US Forces
Beyond the issue of realigning US forces, the ministers reaffirmed cooperation between the US military and the SDF, which worked closely together on disaster relief operations in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.
The ministers agreed on the importance of setting up a regional logistics hub in Japan for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, and also looked to a stronger trilateral security and defense cooperation with Australia and South Korea. Meeting face-to-face under the two-plus-two framework for the first time in four years, the ministers also agreed that the United States can export a jointly developed ballistic missile interceptor to third countries.

US Stirs More Storms To South China Sea Conflicts

Since March 2011, both Vietnam and the Philippines have engaged in several rounds of arguments with China over the sovereignty disputes of islands in the South China Sea. These conflicts have led to a sudden increase of tension in the South China Sea. More recently, Vietnam has even come out with official protest against China, making claim that China has dispatched its warships to interfere with a Vietnamese ship's oil exploration work in the South China Sea, cutting and damaging the ship's undersea oil probing cable.
However, the Philippines also accused China for invading the Philippines' territorial waters as many as seven times within this year. Moreover, the Manila Government also claimed that since its protest against China's invasion of its territorial waters could not be resolved, it has now decided to appeal the case to the United Nations. Yet China's response to the Philippines was that China's vessels were sailing along its own territorial waters. China claimed it did not violate any other country's territorial rights at all.
Dispute Over Sovereignty Rights
By virtue, any dispute over the sovereignty rights of islands in the South China Sea is but the dispute between 'two families' namely ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and China. In the past, when there were disputes over issues pertaining to conflicts in some of the islands in the South China Sea, the members of these two families would sit down and negotiate a way out to settle the dispute.

However, ever since US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came out with remarks saying that 'the United States has the obligation to ensure free and secure maritime shipping route along the South China Sea' and presented a high profile of US intention in wanting to involve in the South China Sea affairs when she attended the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Vietnam in July 2010, the United States has indeed stirred more storms to the South China Sea. The sky above the South China Sea has suddenly changed color, and the atmosphere in the South China Sea has also become increasingly tense among countries surrounding the Sea.
Expansion of China's Military Power
On 4 June, when US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was in Singapore attending the Tenth Asian Security Conference, Gates reiterated the US position in the South China Sea. He said the United States will maintain 'strong' military power in this region to guard its allies and to protect the Southeast Asian region's waterways and the region's maritime security. Indirectly, Gates also hinted that the expansion of China's military power has threatened Asian countries. Yet of note is that China's Defense Minister General Liang Guanglie was also among the representative attending the same Asian Security Conference held in Singapore.
From these recent incidents, it is not difficult for us to see that the US involvement in the South China Sea affairs has already disrupted the 'warm relationship' that ASEAN has all along maintained with China. It is also not difficult for us understand that of late, China's high-profiled execution of power in the protection of its maritime interest in the South China Sea is but a design for China to resist the power competition coming from the United States. Of course, the Chinese authority also knows that the reason why Vietnam and the Philippines will loudly accuse China for violating their respective maritime territorial rights is because they have received encouragement from the United States indirectly. As such, at this stage of time, the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea is no long an issue between the 'two families' namely ASEAN and China. The South China Sea issue has been internationalized. We trust that if some major happening or conflicts ever happens in the South China Sea in the coming days, the United States will definitely want to get involved in it.
Issues and Problems
Issues and problems pertaining to the South China Sea are indeed very complex because these complex issues have involved many countries. Besides China, many other countries have also claimed their rights over certain portion of the group of islands in the South China Sea. These countries have included Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. If the conflict in the South China Sea cannot be resolved in an amiable manner, it can lead to military conflicts in any minute.
In this regard, what our Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak recently said at the 10th Asian Security Conference held in Singapore should be viewed as a hint for the direction that ASEAN countries should go in order to resolve the conflicts in the South China Sea. Najib said: 'As long as we treat China positively and constructively, China will also make the same response to us. China is a country well known for returning kindness to other countries when it has received kindness from others.'

ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting

At the first expanded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting, which came to a close in the Vietnam capital of Hanoi, the sense of caution toward China, which is striving to expand its maritime interests, once again surfaced. Japan, the United States, South Korea and other nations expressed concern about the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, while China, which is attempting to strengthen its encirclement, maintained the viewpoint that the dispute is 'a problem between two nations' and would not budge from its position of refusing to engage in multilateral deliberations.

The First ADMM-Plus drew officials from 10 ASEAN members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their eight dialogue partners -- Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

This was the first expanded Defense Ministers' Meeting for the ASEAN nations and also included officials from eight nations outside the ASEAN region including Japan, the United States, and China. The purpose of the meeting was to search for fields in which the nations can cooperate. Defense ministers from 18 countries clarified their opinions regarding security issues. During the meeting, at least seven nations, including Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Australia mentioned the problem in the South China Sea and urged China, which is claiming sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands, to reach a peaceful resolution based on international rules.

Arguably, leaders responsible for defending their countries and fighting wars know better than most the cost of allowing tensions to become conflicts. The importance of communicating clearly to avoid misunderstandings and building relationships that could prevent confrontation is preeminent among such leaders. Accordingly, the theme of the meeting is 'Strategic Cooperation for Peace, Stability and Development in the Region.' ADMM+8 leaders sought to avoid divisiveness between the United States and China over the South China Sea and currency valuation; between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands; between China and Korea over North Korea; and over other tensions.

Practical Defense-Security Cooperation
Four years of preparation resulted in the five-hour official meeting to found a regional security structure to deal with new challenges, especially the issue of maritime security. What is the difference between the previous mechanisms and the ones that have just been established? What can the ASEAN community in general as well as Vietnam in particular expect from the ADMM-Plus model?

Acting contrary to the well-known Latin saying 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' -- 'if you want peace, prepare for war'-- the first ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus in Hanoi changed this advice to 'If you really want peace, be unanimous in keeping the peace!'

The world has rarely seen the heads of national security of 18 countries together, not to discuss wars, but to share views and to discuss the practical defense-security cooperation for peace, stability and development.

Joint Statement Avoids Mention of Maritime Problems
Defense ministers and representatives passed a joint declaration at the end of the meeting, showing their trust and determination towards a strategic cooperation for peace and stability in the region. They exchanged views on regional and international security and had voluntary briefing on their own national defense and security policies.

The participants focused their discussions on cooperation in five areas including humanitarian aid and disaster relief, military medicine, maritime security, counterterrorism, and peace-keeping operations. They also decided to assign defense senior officials to set up experts’ working groups to boost cooperation in the aforementioned prioritized areas.

The problems in the East China Sea and South China Sea, where tensions are increasing because of advancements by China, were the focal point at the expanded ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting. Each of the ASEAN nations made statements regarding the problems in the South China Sea, but those problems were not an official item on the agenda for the meeting and were not incorporated in the joint statement. This clearly leads to speculation that the ASEAN nations did not want to provoke China.

Vietnam is in a territorial dispute with China over the Paracel Islands, and a series of fishing boats have been seized in the ocean waters surrounding those islands. Even so, in talks between Japan and Vietnam, Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa appealed for cooperation between the two nations to deal with the problems in the South China Sea, but Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh avoided making any direct reference to the problems.

At the overall meeting, each of the nations expressed their opinions in alphabetic order. Japan was the only nation to mention the problems in the East China Sea, but over half of the nations raised the issue of problems in the South China Sea. However, those statements were all limited to expressions such as 'it is important that we secure navigational freedom and the disputes should be peacefully resolved.

ADMM-Plus Starts Later, Arrives Sooner
ASEAN defense-security cooperation started after other fields of activity, but it has become a milestone on the race track to 'ASEAN community,' including the political-security community. From the preliminary ideas about ADMM-Plus at the first ADMM in 2006, with practical experience and strategic vision, with political determination and sense of solidarity for the past four years, ASEAN has been confident and active to create a new architecture for regional defense-security cooperation. In this process, ASEAN plays the lead role, and hopes to gather the capability and brain power to face all kinds of security challenges.

The meeting's joint communiqué has only eight concise points, but illustrates the entire strategic determination. The meeting concentrated on discussing the potential and orientation of the defense cooperation in the ADMM+ framework, and gained a consensus that the priority should be cooperation on non-traditional security challenges.

With the flexible structure of the ADMM, which is composed of the10 ASEAN member countries and eight dialogue partners, ADMM+8 is a promising cooperative mechanism. It is a strategic consultative forum aiming to create trust and general awareness and to define the fields suitable for defense-security cooperation.

What makes ADMM+8 different? It is the structure of the highest level of regional defense cooperation, with the power to orient and direct practical steps to resolve common security challenges, particularly the emerging non-traditional ones. It is a level playing field for all participants, and performs the function of harmonizing relations, building capabilities, and enhancing military cooperation among countries. It is a forum that is compatible with and complementary to the other current regional security structures, such as ASEAN+1, APT, ARF, EAS, and the Shangi-La Dialogue, to create a new security architecture in the region.

US Calls For Restraint
There were hopes for collaboration at this first meeting, but before the meeting, there were almost no expectations for anyone bringing up the problems in the South China Sea, which could easily provoke China. However, it was the United States that changed the casual atmosphere.

According to a source from the meeting, on the evening of 11 October, the US Government contacted each nation separately and urged each of the other nations to take measures to restrain China with regards to the problems in the South China Sea. During the meeting, Defense Secretary Robert Gates began by stating, 'Of particular importance is the problem of maritime safety,' and he then emphasized, 'Differences in opinions regarding territorial lands and territorial waters are becoming an issue for the safety and welfare of the region.'

The Obama administration, which is strengthening its participation in Southeast Asia, is emphasizing new deliberations on a security standpoint and stated just like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is important for the economy of Asia, the framework with ASEAN at the core is extremely important (in deliberations for the security field).

However, this does not mean that each of the ASEAN member nations, which are strengthening their relationships with China on an economic perspective, fully agree with the policies of the United States. Singapore and Malaysia, on their parts, voiced criticism of China's hard-line stance, Indonesia, which is a major nation in the region and other nations refrained from bringing up the problems in the South China Sea. The joint statement issued after the meeting did not mention the maritime problems and gave the impression that it would be extremely difficult to adopt policies against China.

Vietnam is the host nation this year for the ASEAN nations, and at a press conference after the defense ministers' meeting came to an end, Vietnamese Defense Minister Thanh applied the brakes to the territorial dispute issue so that criticism against China would not further increase. The problems in the South China Sea did not come up for discussion.

China Dodges Discussions
China did not openly oppose the action of the United States or other nations. China once again expressed its position that policy on territorial waters is outside the scope of multilateral talks and stated that this was explained at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), held in Hanoi in July. The situation in the South China Sea is stable. Right before the meeting, China released the crew of a Vietnamese fishing boat that it had seized in the South China Sea, and by doing so, China sent a sign that it is trying to ease tensions.

The expanded Defense Ministers' Meeting will be held once every three years, and the next meeting will be held in 2013 in Brunei. However, according to ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, 'Some of the member nations are of the opinion that the meeting should be held at least once every two years.' The issue is finding a way to mitigate security related friction in the form of drawing in China.

Obama Puts an End To Bush's Cowboy Diplomacy in West Point Address

When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew to Beijing from Shanghai on 24 May and held the Second Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, US President Barack Obama had also presented an important speech day before 22 May at the famous West Point Military Academy. In this speech, President Obama has revealed even more of the new diplomatic thought of Washington --that the United States will still want to maintain its world leadership position; but this will be done through international cooperation and domestic technological innovation, rather than achieving its world leadership status through brute unilateral military force.

In his West Point Academy speech, President Obama said clearly: 'The burdens of this century cannot fall on our soldiers alone. It also cannot fall on US shoulders alone. Our adversaries would like to see America sap its strength by overextending our power. And in the past, we've always had the foresight to avoid acting alone.'

National Security Strategy
We understand that next week, the White House will announce a new 'National Security Strategy'. President Obama's remarks at the US Military Academy at West Point has set the tone not only for its contents, President Obama has also publicly denied former US President George W. Bush's 'cowboy diplomacy.' Since taking office, President Obama has tried to change the course of US foreign policy. President Obama's intention in wanting to burn bridges with the previous government's unpopular foreign policy was most obvious and exhaustive in this speech.

Eight years ago, on the same occasion at the US Military Academy at West Point Commencement ceremony, the then US President George W. Bush announced his 'Bush Doctrine' -- a preemptive unilateral militaristic policy. A year after the former President Bush announced the 'Bush Doctrine', the United States launched the second Gulf war to overthrow Iraq's Saddam Hussein regime without adequate evidence that Saddam processed weapons of mass destruction and without the authorization from the United Nations. However, this war has trapped the US troops to the muddy battlefield with no ability to turn back until today.

The war has led the United States into a passive and isolated circumstance in international arena. The war has further stimulated the anti-US sentiment in the Muslim World. Yet, coincidentally, using the same platform to address the West Point Academy graduates, President Obama announced that the United States would withdraw US troops from Iraq this summer.

China and Other Emerging Powers
Although the United States is still the world's one and only superpower; however the protracted war in Iraq has weakened the US military strength badly. A Columbia University professor and a Harvard University professor have in 2008 co-published a book titled 'The Three Trillion Dollar War.' In this book the writers pointed out that within a period of five years, the military expenditure used in the Iraq War has reached US $670 billion dollars, which was higher than the total 12 years of military expenditure used in the Vietnam War.

Moreover, in 2010 the US military budget has also reached $535 billion. This US military expenditure is more than the rest of the world's total military spending combined. This US military budget has not even included the military allocation of $ 136 billion for use in the present Iraq and Afghanistan War. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted earlier in May that the United States was unable to afford another war in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Bush's 'cowboy diplomacy' has squandered international community's empathy and august toward the United States when the country suffered massive 9/11 terrorist attacks. This 'cowboy diplomacy' also weakened the United States' international influence and its moral legitimacy basis. It made US foreign policy getting out of focus.

Moreover, within a short period of just few years, the US anti terrorist war has distracted this great power's attention to focus on other major issues thus allowing those countries with potential to challenge the US world leadership to quietly emerge and force the United States to accept such new situation in international arena. These newly emerged countries have included countries such as China, India, and Brazil. This new international order has allowed China and other emerging powers to share the speaking voice of the United States, the leading world power in international affairs.

Human and Financial Resources
The present US Government's decision to abandon unilateralism will mean that the United States must rely on the cooperation of international partners to carry out its foreign affairs. The United States must respect international law and order. It is just like what President Obama said in his West Point Academy speech: 'The United States has not succeeded by stepping out of the currents of cooperation.'

The recent round of global financial crisis has led to the decline in US economy and allowed the economic emergence of many developing countries. With the US military operations overseas continue to consume huge amount of its human and financial resources; and under the combined effect of other important factors, it is indeed to the advantage of US national interest for the United States to opt of multilateral cooperation with other countries. In the process, of course the United States will also have to face some harsh reality.

In dealing with Iranian nuclear weapon issue, the United States is now obliged with the new foreign affairs spirit of President Obama. The United States is now actively working through the United Nations platform to deal with Iran. The United States is trying to include China as it's world partner and seek its cooperation in dealing with Iran. In US Defense Secretary Gates' earlier address, Gates also hinted that if there was a diplomatic option, he would not support the use of force to resolve the Iranian nuclear weapon issue.

Wide Breadth of Subject Contents
The Second China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in Beijing is a high-level, large scale bilateral dialogue with wide breadth of subject contents. This dialogue has reflected the degree of attention the United States has put into the same.

If we put this Dialogue under the backdrop of President Obama's new foreign policy and new diplomatic thinking, we can observe that whether we view the Dialogue from the objective reality of international power dynamics, or from the subjective Washington flow of new diplomatic thought, this dialogue has clearly reflected the hard work of the US Government in trying to create a new international cooperation environment.

Maintaining Global Economic Growth
As the world superpower, such effort taken by the United States should be a welcome to the international community. Regardless of whether the inter community has to deal and prevent nuclear proliferation, or has to address global climate change, in maintaining global economic growth, overcoming world poverty, fighting against the threat of extremism, and many other issues that need international cooperation to handle, the world community cannot do without the leadership coming from the United States.

An end to the US 'cowboy diplomacy' is conducive to give birth to a more harmonious international environment.

General Kayani's Washington Visit and US-Pak Cooperation

At present, the entire Pakistan is under the threat of terrorism, which appears to be without end. However, far way from this bloodshed, some decisions are being taken in Washington and the GHQ (General Headquarters) in Rawalpindi that will determine the future of Pakistan in the days to come.

In pursuit of its political objectives, the United States is attempting to devise a broader strategy for the war against terror under which the Pakistani military will get the opportunity to play the leading role. The main goal of this strategy is to bring down the Taliban and Al-Qa'ida and also to eliminate the Pakistani groups associated with this network. The primary focus of this strategy is to isolate Taliban's supreme commander Mullah Omar in order to force him to negotiate with the United States and pave the way for the US withdrawal.

Pakistan will hold a key position in this whole planning and the last month's arrest of Mullah Omar's deputy Mullah Beradar is part of the same planning. The Pakistani military will play a central role in this whole plan, and General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's visit to the United States was meant for the same purpose. That is why General Kayani, the Pakistan Army chief, is the main focus of the US attention.

56-Page Document
The main point of the strategic dialogue between the United States and Pakistan held in Washington was to guarantee Pakistan's role in the Afghan conflict and take decisions to eradicate the terrorism network. It has become clear after this dialogue that the United States wants to withdraw from Afghanistan and it requires Pakistan's assistance in this regard.

Pakistan was aware of what did the United States want. Therefore, a 56-page document was prepared after consultation with the military officials, which talked about what Pakistan wants from the United States and the concerns that are prevalent in Pakistan with reference to the United States. This document was handed over to the United States before the strategic dialogue. Pakistan mentioned the sacrifices, which it has given in the war against terror and also put forward its demands before the United States.

These demands include the transfer of nuclear technology from the United States to Pakistan, acknowledgment of Pakistan's status of a Muslim nuclear power, Pakistan's involvement in talks regarding the future of Afghanistan and the US funding for water projects to resolve the power crisis in Pakistan. In addition to these, issues like additional aid for Pakistan under the coalition support fund, release of blocked funds, supply of drone technology to Pakistan, pressure on India to resolve the Kashmir issue, and the US intrusion in the matter concerning blockage of Pakistani water were also talked about in this 56-page document.

Resolving Disputes With India
Pakistan demanded of the United States to supply gunship helicopters, spy planes, and other warfare equipment to be used in fight against the Taliban and requested for increased cooperation between the intelligence agencies of the two countries. In addition to this, concerns were raised over India's military preparation and procurement of weapons from the United States. Pakistan also requested Washington to play a direct role in restoring the peace process between India and Pakistan that has been brought to a standstill after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

The main point of this document was to ensure Pakistan's safety on the eastern borders. It has further stated with regard to issues that Pakistan's strategic interests will continue to clash with the US strategic interests in the region, and Pakistan will only be able to take limited action against the Taliban until Pakistan's safety is guaranteed on its eastern borders.

This document has left the US officials in jeopardy. The document was debated in the US Department of State and it was decided where to favor Pakistan and where not to. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi led the delegation consisting of Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, chief of the Army staff, senior advisers and secretaries of different ministries. However, the US delegation consisted of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other high-ranking officials.

These negotiations took place in a pleasant atmosphere. The United States accepted most of Pakistan's demands. However, the United States refused to accept some, for instance, it refused to play a role in resolving the water dispute with India, and said that this dispute between the two countries was 50-year-old. The United States has accepted Pakistan's demand to ensure that the Pakistani products have access to the US markets. The US ambassador to Islamabad has also ruled out the possibility of civil nuclear agreement with Pakistan, which shows that the United States is not providing civil nuclear technology to Pakistan.

Pakistan's Security Needs
The biggest achievement of this dialogue is the assurance given to the military leadership by the US officials that the United States will fulfill its vows regarding Pakistan's security needs, and will provide latest equipment as well as drone technology to Pakistan. This assurance was given during General Kayani's meeting with Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen.

According to a statement issued by the Pentagon, bilateral defense issues were the main focus of General Kayani's meeting with Robert Gates and Mike Mullen. The US defense secretary assured General Kayani that the United States will fulfill Pakistan's security requirements in the war against terror on urgent basis, ensure that drone technology and modern equipment and weapons are provided to Pakistan, and all promises are fulfilled. General Kayani talked about the needs of the Pakistani security forces, regional security and stability, new US Afghan policy, and outcome of the Helmand Operation to this point during this meeting with Robert Gates.

US Withdrawal From Afghanistan
According to a senior US military official, who was part of the recent meetings with General Kayani and other Pakistani officials, Pakistan knows that there is not much time left for the United States to directly assist Islamabad. He claimed that General Kayani focused all of his attention on establishing cooperation between the Pakistani and Afghan Governments at a time when the United States is reducing the number of troops and investment in Afghanistan. Most importantly, India has rejected the idea of any third-party mediation in the decade-old disputes between India and Pakistan.

It will not be wrong to declare these negotiations as a success for Pakistan. The United States is currently in a weak position and hence it is possible to make it accept some other demands as well. The United States should pay a price for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Perhaps this is the reason why attempts are being made by the United States to make General Kayani the most powerful personality in Pakistan's military history, so that he can improve the political situation in Pakistan without doing any harm to the present democratic system.

US Objectives
The US objectives are behind this whole planning and since Pakistan's military has to play the most important role in this whole planning, attempts are being made to improve and strengthen relations with the military.

Even the extremist groups are not unaware of this planning and they are preparing to play the final round of their fight. The biggest target of the extremists is the Pakistani military and that is why there has been a rise in attacks on the military. The Pakistani military also knows that the next face of the Afghan war will not be short of resistance. Let's see who will play the cards right in this game.