Because of what they read and hear in the media, it may seem far-fetched to most US and other Western readers, but the fact is this – it is India that is lying to and cheating the US in Afghanistan, not Pakistan.
First things first. The belief in the doctrine of “American supremacy” runs deep in the culture and history of the United States. American troops quite often underestimate their foes, and such is the case with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They believe that they possess better weaponry, training and tactics than any other nation they may face as an adversary.
Such a perception has often directly led to disastrous results in US actions in Afghanistan. Believing themselves to be superior to any threat they might possibly face, US forces often throw caution to the wind during their operations. To support my arguments, I recommend viewing in full the documentary Operation Anaconda: The Battle of Roberts’ Ridge, about a three-week-long US sweep against al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Unfortunately, the Indian lobby is exploiting the US military’s mindset and further misleading the Americans by scapegoating Pakistan for the US failures in Afghanistan. India wants the US to remain entangled in Afghanistan for larger Indian interests. As a result, Afghanistan continues to bleed, Pakistan remains under pressure and most of Pakistan’s army is tied up on its western borders.
India wants the US to continue fighting the Afghan Taliban and keep arming India to “contain” China. If history is any guide, this is a target India will never be able to reach. India cannot check the rise of China.
Engendering mistrust
India is continuously endeavoring to create mistrust between Afghanistan and its neighboring country Pakistan. It is also exploiting the Afghan government’s unpopularity to defame Pakistan to generate more pressure from the US on Pakistan.
The contours of the US-India multidimensional assault on Pakistan are now taking concrete shape. Recently, a new campaign on social media in Afghanistan is being sponsored against Pakistan. Old pictures of Afghan leaders in Pakistan are being circulated to mislead the US Central Intelligence Agency. It is an effort to malign Pakistan by alleging that its Inter-Services Intelligence agency is harboring Afghan Taliban in the country.
India’s policy of encircling Pakistan with the help of anti-Pakistan elements present in Afghanistan is seriously disturbing the strategic environment of the region. Despite Pakistan combating terrorism on its western border and curbing militants in a mission spanning the whole country, immense pressure is building up as India and Afghanistan continue to accuse Pakistan of perpetrating terrorism inside their territories.
To simplify the complex issues of terrorism in Afghanistan, the United States has repeated India’s vile disinformation mantra that Pakistan is harboring Afghan Taliban on its soil. Pentagon press secretary Colonel Rob Manning demanded that the Afghan Taliban not be able to operate from Pakistani soil. Later, however, he assured, “We stand ready to work together with Pakistan to combat terrorist groups without distinction.”
This is welcome news if the US finally agrees to target the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan leadership, which is based in Afghanistan and is creating mayhem in Pakistan. Loyalty is not a one-way street. The sooner the US administration understands this, the better.
However, the US has a long tradition of not learning from past mistakes, and of never admitting that it has been in the wrong. Such an institutional culture of covering up mistakes can only lead to the same erros being repeated and resulting in yet more needless loss of life. The Americans perceive the admission of mistakes as being potentially damaging to the image of the US as the invincible superpower, thereby missing valuable learning experiences that could prevent similar errors and losses in the future.
Pakistan has been an energetic and willing partner of the US for a very long time, until recently when US understanding of the region was shaken up by the Indian lobby. The lobby appears to have been successful in creating mistrust and painting China and Pakistan as enemies of the United States. The newly released US defense strategy also indicates the commencement of great-power rivalry in the region. Regrettably, the US considers Russia and China bigger threats than the menace of international terrorism.
India has turned Afghanistan into the base for a proxy war against Pakistan. Until the US see the realities without the Indian prism, Afghanistan will remain another failed battleground for the US and a source of misfortunes for millions of people in the region.
Abhijit Gupta
You say "If India gets involved and pumps a 1,00,000 troops – the Afghan problem will get solved"
But wouldn’t such a massive Indian troop deployment into Afghanistan get both Russia and China upset? Russia and China have a voice in the SC and could hamper India’s military action using other methods reserved for the UNSC
Art Laramee-Sir, just to remind you, this is a civilzed discusssion. We don’t use Trump language ("what bullshit") here. For civilized people such foul expression are somewhat jarring to the ear , and to our fine sense of civility in a discourse. You may wish to find another forum where you can use your leader’s foul language and say all you want–"Grab p—y", "shithole countries", Bullshit" etc etc. Thank you for your understanding.
Syed Abbas–I think differently-It is America which is out of sync with the world and not the other way around.
Syed Abbas You being in pakistan or not is irrevlevant since you sure are arguing and defending pakistan here. And Kentucky and American democracy still doing far better than the islamic republic pakistan and authoritarian china. Only brainwashed religious fanatic such as yourself will never believe in democracy which has been succesful form of govt in many developed nations. And Trump and Modi destroying their countries is your dream but in reality the numbers of the economy say otherwise. And what do you mean by united in hate for china? The same can be said about pakistan and china friendship which is united in hate for India. We call it geo-politics look it up.
John Greene I will not comment on the irrelevant gobble-de gook about pakistan you have started. I will only comment on your first portion of comment which I consider as the key to the whole problem. At one time the Americans were also not in favor of talking to Vietcong on the pretext that they were communists and hence terrorist in some form ! They called the Chinese by the same name, but eventually buckled under a rising China. Eventually every nation has to accept realities and to sit down and talk even with theirr enemies, unless you want to go to war on a perpetual basis. Now tell me how many wars (since WWII) has USA undertaken. They have never stopped in 70 years !Even now USA is fighting global wars with money literally borrowed from its creditors, Chinese. At this rate of wealth depletion, USA will become a pauper in no time ! India is making the same mistake by giving its newest ally, the USA an immoral , arrogant and wrong advice not to negotiate with taliban (who are labelled terrorists) and to continue fighting till total exhaustion or until US helicopters evacuate all US personnel and Afghan quislings from the roof of the Presidential palace in Kabul! (a la Saigon)! USA had agreed totalk with taliban to resolve the Afghan problem. What made them change their strategy ? It is now an internationally accepted fact that almost half of the country of Afghanistan is under Taliban control. If that is the case, how can you not sit down with them and talk peace. Being an American, I know that the American people do not have the stomach or will to continue battling in the world on useless and unwinnable causes. India should not be misleading the US with their advice to continue fighting and not talk to Talibans. Likewise India , as an elder brother should sit down with Pakistan and solve all the pending issues and problems with Pakistan, including the foremost problem of Kashmir. Intransigence and arrogance is no longer an option since a nuclear war on the sub-continenet will be the annihilation of the Hindu race from India and all Muslims from pakistan. I don’t care what impressions of military prowess and preparedness the C-in-Cs of both countries have to say !
Ahmed Arslan good and relevant point.
Syed Abbas
The biggest difference between India and China is that the latter is autocratic and has no issue with that title. China never claims to be a "thriving Democracy". The world knows what Beijing says China does. That also applies to China’s provincial capitals.
India on the other hand claims to be the "world’s largest Democracy" and a thriving one at that. She is not. That is fake. Another big illusion is there is no "India’ till the British created it. Unlike China those in New Delhi do not know how to rule. They still rule with corruption and deceit.
One small example was 3 articles on AT on a Bollywood movie regarding Rajput history. All 3 writers showed as much empathy for the Rajputs as a wet blanket. They might as well have been foreign writers. None could identify why local Rajputs were angry at how their history was portrayed by this "alien" studio in Mumbai.
India’s natural state is many nations. Rajasthan the nation would be a grand one. "land of the Kings" would have a place in the UN and a voice of he own. Rajasthani Maharajahs were efficient Kings in the early 20th century who ran clean well managed cities. Same goes for the Sikhs,
Christian Indians do better in Goa and Kerala.
and I would say Indians do extremely well once they leave that articificial construct called "India’ created by the British and ran well under them from 1857 to 1947.
What the British did to South Asia is alsmost as bad as what they did to the Middle East. In both cases they left regions they knew extremely well under the worst system.
India with states names like "Land of the Tamils" , Land of the Kings", "land, "Land of Andhra" "Bengal" is marked by her name etc. should have emerged as those "lands".
The ME is a deliberate mess in order to accomodate Israel.
What a joke? Shame what you write
Syed Abbas True, pakis got rid of Indian-ness as well as US influence, now they have successfull graduated themselves as den of terrorists and epicenter of Islamic terror, more precicely wahabi sunni terrorists, the breeding ground of you name it all terror organizations like ISIS, LeT, Haqqani network, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Taliban. Soon saria will be implemented and the progress of pakistan will be complete. Maybe then you can move back to pakistan as you any ways dislike democratic countries. Does not matter where you were born.
Syed Abbas So did a lot of paki mojahirs were born in India, a typical of an ashamed paki muslim to claim to be born in India. Another typical scenario is that these very muslims who are enjoying the fruits of democracy, openly show their hatred and contempt to democratic socites which have helped them succeed, still they have audacity to spew venom in name of free speach and still dream of introducing saria one day in their adopted country. If you dont like democracy then move to sharia controlled countries like Saudi Arab, but then their they will never be able to get citizenship and will be eternally treated as second rung citizens so called "meskeen". Hypocracy?
Pakistan’s leading news paper on systematic disinformation campaign. No doubt why such write-ups are created by pakistani (so called)news writers. Dawn uses the term "tomfoolery" for such propaganda items.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1386447/the-web-of-disinformation
Excerpts from the news article below:
The government was not content with developing its system of disinformation; it deemed it prudent to buy or co-opt newspersons to block information and thus strengthen the disinformation regime. And Gen Zia was not alone as a promoter of ‘envelope journalism’; he has had ignoble successors.
The result of putting so much premium on disinformation is that truthful news has became a commodity that can only be obtained illicitly on the black market. If a privileged information distributor told a newsperson that he could have a scoop for the asking the latter would not consider it necessary to check the correctness of the story before rushing to release it, and if he ran into trouble he might not be able to name his source.
The problem with our TV channels is that they have multiplied at a fast rate on a rather narrow talent base. They do not have the resources to generate quality content needed to sustain 24/7 telecasts. There is not enough of positive activity in the country to fill the long hours of broadcast time. The audience has so thoroughly been hooked on sleazy stuff and tomfoolery in the name of political analysis that the good deeds done by some institutions and millions of honest workers and ordinary citizens do not sell and the morning transmissions are devoted to crime stories.
Jaime, You are right. Just like Canada and US, Pakistanis and Indians are like oil and water.
Fortunately for Pakistanis they have spent the last 70 years to rid themselves of the Indian-ness in them that they had inherited, and that slowed their progress. Now that they have shed America too, and their civil war is slowly coming to an end, future looks better.
But India is going the other way. India developed quickly in last 20 years, but then it fell to Reaganomics/Thatcherism a la Modi who is splitting the nation apart in ever way he can. How can anyone progress with a house divided?
John Greene
What Pakistan? Mr. Greene, as I already stated I was born in India.
But let us talk about Kentucky USA. I never believed in "Democracy", and do so even less after you guys got Trump. Here I must admit Indians beat you by having their Trump in Modi a few years before them. No wonder you two are having a Demos-Fest. Birds of the same feather …
Trump is destroying America from within just like Modi is doing to India by splitting nation along race, language, colour. Did you notice that while China makes friends with one and all along the BRI/New Silk Roads, America and India both are making enemies out of thier neighbors …
In his State of the Union, Trump sounded more and more like Modi. With your budding friendship, so when will you guys start defecating in public like the Indians … lol. That will definitely increase your friendship…. united in your hatred for China and all that she stands for ….
No foreign policy dilemma for India. India has always been against talks with terrorists. And you pakistanis have always had love for terrorists be it taliban or the various other groups. Pakistan only wish is to remove the democratic govt of Afghanistan and place a pro paki taliban sharia law govt using which you can destroy Indian infrastructure built for Afghan people, not allow India to trade with central asian countries and carry out more terrorists attacks on India. The pakistan foreign policy and Afghan policy completely revolves around causing damage to India. The pakistani military and isi is inept to think of peace development growth for their people and the region. Till pakis change this medieval tribal mindset no amount of good luck will help pakis prosper.
Syed Abbas Very rich for a pakistani to point out all the problems faced by India and compare the development with China when your own country pakistan is doing far worse in every aspect be it of economy, trade, manufacturing, Infrastructure, exports, Rape,Human rights violation, freedom of speech for press, treatment of minorites, blasphemy laws of medieval ages etc. One thing which pakistan does better than India or even excel in the world is creating nuturing and providing save havens to several barbaric terrorists groups. .
Syed Abbas The frustrations and hatred for India has made people like you completely delusional spinning yarns of fictional conspiracies like writer of this article. Only a fool would think the American intelligence agencies with all its resources has to rely on what India has to say and heed to advice of India. Don’t blame the Indians for Pakistanis love for various factions of terrorists and wish to see a taliban sharia law governed Afghanistan.
Ahmed Arslan If India gets involved and pumps a 1,00,000 troops – the Afghan problem will get solved. But Pakistan cries to US telling not to allow that. Inspite of that India has built dams, schools, colleges & roads. Once Chahbahar opens up the military equipment too will flow. As for the article – its a complaint – not a thought out strategic direction. Its laughably weak in arguments.
Michael Bagala
Looks like you know a lot about contemporary India. Though I was born there, I have lived most of my life in the West.
The Indians you meet (like those commenting here) are the small miniscule minority with Western exposure. These English speakers are the only one to have benefited from Nehrus, Gandhis, and Modis. In the last 15-20 years while the top 5% of india fattened themselves on the back of 800 million destitutes, China pulled the same amount million out of poverty. I wondered why can India not abandon its "Democracy" and become a people’s republic like China?
In my humble opinion India’s problem is internal division. India was only united under a foreign sword or a gun. Attempts by Aryans, Muslims, and Europeans to civilize India have failed. Most of them still believe in a racist Caste System, worship animals, and defecate openly and in public. Until they civilize themselves it is difficult to take them seriously.
Ahmed Arslan Amazing write-up. POTUS – President of The United States, this is the guy who takes decisions, popular or not, they affect US in particular and world in general. Myopic view? certainly I cannot match Pakistan’s enligtened world view, that has swept the globe.
Syed Abbas
I forgot to mention the stellar job New Delhi has done on her own population. She has managed to convince a "continent" of a nation made up of nations so different to each other that they are actually "Indian’. and that their lives are actually gettting "better".
I cannot even fathom how that city can hoodwink so many millions in a society that is fairly open to the world. Poverty, misery, cruelty and intolerance is rising, not lessening. India grows at 13 million per year, yet you talk to any Indian even those who live in the US and they will swear to the progress India is making.
It takes special skill for any government to pull that level of illusion and get away with it