US Must Shift Policy on Pakistan for Peace in South Asia

Great significance is being attached, at the international level, to the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama in Washington. The two countries have resolved to fortify bilateral relations. Obama said that the United States would try its utmost to end tension between the countries so that they should work in tandem with each other to meet the challenge of nuclear weapons facing the world.

Obama called for a world summit in Washington with the aim to prevent terrorists from threatening the world in any way through their access to nuclear weapons. Earlier, he termed nuclear terror as the biggest single threat to the world community. Addressing from the White House, he warned that absolutely horrifying consequences would emerge if any such nuclear weapons explodes in any country of the world.

Positive Outcome Expected
The Indian prime minister and the Indian delegation are optimistic about some positive outcome. He urged Obama to ensure that appropriate action is taken by Pakistan against the conspirators of the Mumbai terrorist attack. Obama then asked Pakistan to rein in the terrorist organization, the Lashkar-e-Taiyiba. A few hours after his meeting with Singh, the US president held a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and asked Pakistan in no uncertain terms to take stern action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.

Now, what Pakistan actually does cannot be said. For the time being Pakistan has assured the United States that it will take action against the accused. Hence, positive outcome is likely to emerge as a consequence of the Nuclear Security Summit, provided Pakistan does not bow before the Taliban pressure.

Regarding nuclear security, Obama expressed the hope that the Indian Parliament would adopt the controversial nuclear bill shortly. Earlier the bill could not be tabled in Parliament. It can, therefore, be commented that India will go ahead with its endeavors at the international level so that nuclear weapons do not find their way to terrorists' hands in any way.

Elimination of Terrorism
It is pertinent to recall that during the Second World War, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leaving millions of people dead instantly and millions of others were afflicted with fatal diseases. Now, the future of South Asia would depend on how the menace of terrorism is eliminated completely.

Singh took strong exception to the supply of military equipment and war weapons to Pakistan. In response to his protest, Obama said that the United States was fully aware of Indian apprehensions, and Indian concerns will be kept in view appropriately. Obama has favored the need to lessen the tension between India and Pakistan and the United States also will strive to play it out in this connection. He endorsed the Indian demand for extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiyiba operative David Headley to India for interrogation.

The Indian prime minister said in no uncertain terms that infiltration from Pakistani side was being stepped up constantly, which was a challenge to India. The actual truth is that the United States needs to bring about a shift in its policy on Pakistan, failing which it would be difficult to maintain peace in this region.

US Rulers Seem Divided on Maintaining Peace in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has never been peaceful for the past long history. At times, the fight among tribal chiefs lingered on and sometimes imperialistic forces occupied various parts of it with the intention of grabbing the remaining territory.
In between, peace prevailed for a couple of decades. One such period was when a pro-Soviet regime remained in power that irked US citizens. They prepared a mujahidin force in neighboring Pakistan and toppled the Najibullah-led government in the wake of its losing the Russian patronage after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Later, they silently witnessed the rise of the Taliban and fall of the mujahidin. Until then it was an ordinary move of global diplomacy for US rulers.

Changing Face of Action
Then the times underwent a change. Under the patronage of the Taliban regime Al-Qa'ida terrorist organization was raised. Even after that, the US Government failed to comprehend the situation. Realization dawned over it, however, when an Al-Qa'ida-sponsored attack was launched on the World Trade Center in New York. Then, it became a prestige issue for the United States. Then President George W. Bush carried out a military offensive against Afghanistan.
The war triggered by Bush continues to be waged until now. His successor Barack Obama has come to realize that the end of the war is not yet discernible. The coffin boxes carrying dead bodies of US military men arrived in the United States. The unrest in the United States and the problems of the US administration continue. The United States has not succeeded in crushing the Al-Qa'ida and its supporter Taliban terrorists even by chasing them right up to Pakistan's interior.
In such a scenario, the US Government has now opted for talks. Tired of the prolonged war, its allies also now favor talks. The United Nations also is contributing to it. In the ongoing talks, the path of distinguishing the "good Taliban" and "bad Taliban" has been adopted as a part of fresh political tactics. Recognizing Mullah Omar, the Taliban chief, as a partner of Osama Bin Laden, he is being kept at a distance from the talks. Foreign Minister of the then Taliban regime, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, has been recognized as a symbol of "good Taliban" and, hence, has been released from prison. The talks will focus on how far Muttawakil is different from the rest of the Taliban.

Maintaining Peace
Earnest people across the world favor maintenance of peace in Afghanistan. But, US rulers do not seem to be united on this point even at such a juncture. Its direct evidence is that in order to pave the path for talks the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) once again is being used as a contact factor, which until a week ago was described by US rulers as the main contention.
The US investigators projected the links of David Headley, the prime accused of the Mumbai attack, with an ISI Major as responsible for the attack. If they proceed further with the talks through the same ISI mediation, then only good wishes can be offered.
Meanwhile, India is being kept aloof from the whole process. India has to its credit a major contribution to the rehabilitation work for Afghanistan after the widespread bloodshed caused there. A member of Indian engineers, offices, and laborers laid down their lives during the reconstruction of the country. All this has been forgotten. All this service notwithstanding, the Indian Government has agreed to extend cooperation.

Role of India
It is astonishing that Pakistan has been involved in the talks in spite of the fact that it pays less attention to its due responsibility than using the occasion against India. Its rulers are daily issuing statements that the Indian Government intends to target Pakistan by strengthening its position in Afghanistan. Earnestness is not a one-way traffic.
The US Administration and its allies should understand the fact that the entire India would tolerate its exclusion from talks, but if Pakistani rulers persisted with their approach of abusing this process also, then it will not be possible for it to keep silent. While this cannot be expected of Pakistan realizing the stark reality, countries extending patronage to it will have to comprehend the ground situation.