US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on September 5 to meet newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan. He will then proceed to India for the first India-US 2+2 dialogue among Pompeo, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
With his military background and having held the post of director of the Central Intelligence Agency from January 2017 to April 2018, Pompeo is likely to be fully aware of how Imran Khan earned the title of “Taliban Khan.” Also, he is likely to have insights into any support for Khan from Pakistan’s military in the run-up to the July elections.
Pompeo’s visit to Pakistan comes in the wake of the Taliban attack on Ghazni, Afghanistan, a replay of the attack on Kunduz in 2015, which saw heavy fighting and the deaths of more than 200 Afghan security-forces personnel.
With some 1,000 Taliban attacking the city of Ghazni on four fronts, Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami said the Taliban had been supported by foreign militants, including Pakistanis, Chechens and Arabs; 194 militants were killed and 167 injured, and the bodies of Pakistanis killed in the battle were moved to Pakistan.
In 2001, the US permitted an air evacuation of a weak Pakistani division-sized force and 9,000 Pakistani Taliban fighting along with those from Kunduz and Khost when the US invaded Afghanistan. During that evacuation, Pakistan allegedly brought along hundreds of Afghan Taliban whom it has used to wage proxy war in Afghanistan.
The argument that the Taliban attack on Ghazni again makes Pakistan a useful ally of the US is absurd. It is quite likely that the attack was supported by Pakistan. Afghan intelligence has repeatedly reported about Pakistani proxies and regulars involved in attacks. Enraged over alleged direct involvement by the Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Afghan clerics even called for jihad against Pakistan.
In 2016, James Clapper, then the director of the CIA, admitted that the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban had coalesced but that it was the Haqqanis, the veritable arm of Pakistan’s ISI, who facilitated this. After years of negotiating with the Taliban, including through the Quadrilateral Coordination Group, believing that Pakistan will help the Taliban reconcile is wishful thinking. In 2014, a talk in London by General Assad Durrani, former deputy general of ISI, left little doubt that Pakistan’s aim in Afghanistan was to influence the country through the Taliban and its allies.
The increase in attacks in Kabul are a evidence of this – an effort fully supported by China. No Chinese ventures have faced terror attacks in Afghanistan despite the covert presence of the People’s Liberation Army. China and Pakistan both want the Americans and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization out of Afghanistan.
In last months elections, Pakistan’s military didn’t favor Nawaz Sharif or Asif Ali Zardari because they have opposed them for years. As president, Zardari ordered that ISI be brought under the Ministry of Interior, but the military made him withdraw those orders. Similarly, Sharif came into military’s crosshairs when he began asserting himself and indicated that he wanted better relations with India.
Whereas Imran Khan as the prime minister negates opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he can continue gaming economics while foreign and defense policies continue to be dictated by the military, as always.
But the military doesn’t need Khan or any other prime minister to continue proxy wars in Afghanistan and India. The Ghazni attack on the eve of Khan’s oath-taking indicated what the military wants.
The Taliban has fired rockets at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, and more violence should be expected. The US was close to Pakistan during the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization-Central Treaty Organization days and when the “global war on terror” was launched after the attacks of September 11, 2001. But for more than a decade, most US/NATO casualties in Afghanistan have been caused by the Pakistan-supported Taliban-Haqqanis, their proxies and regulars operating in Afghanistan.
Ironically, there is probably a section on Capitol Hill and in the CIA that still believes Pakistan will correct its ways. This comes at a time when Pakistan seems to be fast becoming a province of China.
Also, if President Donald Trump was trying to wean Russia away from China, then the US sanctions on Iran and Russia and the trade war have, in turn, combined China, Russia and Iran in supporting the Taliban, with Pakistan continuing its muscle support. This makes the US-NATO stay in Afghanistan much more difficult.
Concurrently, it is also likely that Pakistan is aware of China’s debt trap. As Pakistan looks for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund for the 13th time, Pompeo has warned that such a bailout will be viewed as aiding China. Yet this may not be enough. It is time the US seriously looked at China and Pakistan as impediments to peace in Afghanistan, rather than as allies.
Additionally, Balochistan instead of Pakistan would certainly be a better supply route to maintain US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, since the US has reservations on Chabahar due to the US-Iran estrangement. Unless China and Pakistan are made to look inward, this nexus bodes more danger for the region and for the global order.
Bullshit and biased article by ex indian army person
Lol 1000 Taliban attacks the Ghazni city from four fronts but neither Afghani forces were aware of it nor the US military had any idea about it but this Indian Guy knows that ISI WS behind it lol… What a terrible article !
Afghanistan must stop sheltering anti Pakistan & Anti Russia terrorists or else its good ones will bite it like a deadly snake !
Our Indian friend lives in his own fantasy, a creation of Bollywood song and dance.
For a good 1,000 years India was enslaved. Then the English channeled all investment to India 1914-45 because Europe was at war, making it a semi-industrialized country in a hurry. The small Hindu middle class got an inflated view of themselves needlessly opposing English rule that was dying anyway.
Far sighted Muslims knew that Europe was committing suicide – Iqbal told them so, and obtained Freedom and Partition without much effort.
Muslims have always been 2 steps ahead of the Hindus, and Pakistan the socio-economics trend setter and flag bearer in South Asia. India peeps into our living rooms, and apes it, but always comes bit too little too late – some 50 years behind Pakistan. Here are some Pak firsts:
1. Free Enterprise – Pakistan 1947, India 2000
2. Free Trade – Pakistan 1947, India 2000
3. Alliance with the West – Pakistan 1950, India 2000
4. Friendship with China – Pakistan 1960, India 202?
5. Distancing from Socialism – Pakistan 1947, India 1990
6. Distancing from dying Corporate Capitalist West – Pakistan 2000, India 2050?
7. Theocratization: Pakistan 1977 with Zia, India 2014 with Modi.
8. BRI/New Silk Road Pakistan 2013, India never?
Why is this so? Because religions are socio-economic systems where rituals help bind people with same outlook together. Hinduism is agrarian and Islam is trading. Thus in era of Globalization and free trade the natural religion is Koranic Islam, a commercial faith (Mohammed was a businessman trader) just as Gospel Christianity was natural for the Agrarian era.
Pakistan was a partner with US when defeating the USSR, the guiding star of India, was the main issue of the day. Today, BRI is uniting Asia, Europe, and Africa into one land based market, and Pakistan is again the flagbearer with CPEC, the first of the 6 Belts, while India goes to bed with USA, a spent force, a dying power.
Muslims for 800 years tried to beat the Indian-ness out of Indians but failed. Then the English did the same 200 years and failed too. What more can one do? Let the Indians live their own lives with Modi who wants to take India back to stone ages. What a pity.
Very good summary. Thanks.
With Indian Army led by the likes of this author, should Pakistan worry about them? LOL.
Our Indian friends invested 40 years with USSR with zero return. Again, they are going to lose their shirts with America.
Aping Pakistan, Indians dream of making an alliance with America with which they have little in common, whereas Pakistan and USA shared same psyche.
Of 5 living civilizations (Hellenized West, Christian Russia, Islam, Indics, Sinics) 3 are agrarian, only 2 (Free world, Islam) are trade-based. US and Pak, de-facto leaders of these 2 blocks, are birds of the same feather in origins, history trajectory, and future. Traits that bind Pak/US:
1. Same National Symbol – Eagle soaring free above the clouds: Individualists, freedom-loving government-hating
2. Manifest Destiny – Global universal vision. Extra-Territoriality
3. De facto leaders, newest nations, founded as Republics, against Democracy (of PMs Frederick Lord North and Nehru)
4. Weak State, Lowest law abidance, Lowest tax
5. Military tradition and Industrial Complex, guns, armament, violence, regime changes
6. Largest population, Largest family size, Fastest Growth, Widest Gene Pool; Net population influx
7. Profoundly religious, God fearing, Charitable, Generous, Hospitable, Poor-friendly, Resilient
8. Drugs, sex, unique musicality – Jazz, hip-hop / Qawwali
9. Lowest literacy and education, anti-intellecual, innovative, practical sense of humour
10. Extremely mobile, multicultural, multilingual, mixed language
11. Freest lively Media, Reality and talk shows
12. Born Free Enterprising, Negotiating, deal making, positive public attitude to business US #1, Pakistan #2
13. Efficient markets, cheapest living
14. Can survive without trade – feed population with borders shut.
And much more.
I invite the esteemed Lt. Gen. to draw a list of India-US commonalities. If he can come with a list half as long, I will change my name.
Jinnah in 1947 interview to Life magazine predicted Pakistan to be the "pivot" of the world. As a Cold War frontline, US-Pakistan achieved much – demise of the USSR.
As world changes, Pak and China morph themselves to new common traits, and Pak will be a pivot again. India take note, and learn. Peace.
Syed Fazal Abbas : Great!
Thank you Sir. Thanks
LOL
The Indian top brass has poor grasp of geography. No wonder this gun does not know that Balochistan is in Pakistan. Now you know why they keep losing to China.
Hindus have always dreamed in Technicolour. Let them alone with their Bollywood.
personal grudge has been expressed with short anlytical skills.
Classical Bollywood. Indian Brass watches too many movies.
See, such type of jokers are serving in Indian military and that too on the General’s post. Now, he deems himself very wise BUNIYA but in reality he and the jokers like him have been kicked on asses by the people of Afghanistan and all the malignant indian agenda behind the drama of assisting in Afghanistan build it has been unveiled to the people of Afghanistan. Now, India wants to revenge it’s insult by taking the shelter of its newly owned dady Trump because India cannot confront Pakistan and China itself . It’s the same old wine in new gobblets that India has been selling since last 7 decades. See, he is referring to the wars in India, those separatist movements that are operating in India as a result of suppression of the low caste Hindus by the upper caste Hindus. But this joker seems high on cow piss dose, he puts them to the credit of Pakistan.
Humsaiya Daish, don’t you know he has a magical thing called cow piss which enables him to make such allegations and propaganda. Why do you need any more evidences when enough has been revealed under the "sacred influence of holy cow piss" ?
Shah sb. Certainly not sir!