Cat is out of the bag

I have never taken the British Broadcasting Corporation non-seriously. If and when Lyse Doucet conducts a high profile interview, I listen to her questions and answers very seriously. No matter even I have to develop little domestic tiffs. Monday evening Lyse Doucet held a prime time interview with US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, whose worries should be release of salaries of many thousands US soldiers making extra effort to out match militants in Afghanistan. But to my surprise Mullen mostly spoke about Pakistan. To several straight questions what he said and I quote here ,My biggest worry is continuing instability in Pakistan. Acolytes of Osama bin Laden are plotting operations against the United States. There are safe havens of terrorists in Pakistan. After operation against Osama security has improved. But Pakistan has not done enough against safe havens. He said, Border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan is still the most dangerous region in the world. He termed Pakistan-Afghanistan border region an epicentre of terrorism. Admiral Mullen further stated, Probably one of the things Ive learned is that Im a little bit more impatient and Id like to see things happen more quickly, Adm Mullen said. Their patience level is such that sometimes we would disagree on time frames and the need to move now, but again thats a choice they get to make with their own forces, it doesnt mean we dont continue to address these issues. Adm Mullen said Pakistan had lost many of its own troops taking action against some groups. But he said that unless they moved against terrorists like the Afghan Haqqani network, it could affect relations between Washington and Islamabad. But most interestingly the US top military official said, we have fears of Pakistans nuclear weapons and growing terrorism. In the eyes of most of Pakistanis who are not terrorists and strongly believe in democracy the very presence of the US troops in Afghanistan has helped militancy to grow in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. In recent past there have been more incidents of terrorism in Afghanistan than Pakistan. Pakistan is a nuclear-capable and nuclear armed state since 1998. Its weapons were never unsafe. I wonder more than Pakistan itself the US military official are worried about Pakistans nuclear weapons. In a tit for tat manner Pakistan exhibited its nuclear capability after India detonated its atomic bomb in Pokhran way back in 1998. India is a non-member state of the global nuclear club while Pakistan having IAEA's safe guards is being denied the very status of a nuclear state. It is just a reminder for Admiral Mullen that it was Pakistan which had always called for South Asian non-proliferation. While the United States could not deny access to nuclear technology to Russia, China and North Korea, its focus remained on Pakistan. The United States which considers itself a superpower should not under-estimate technological capability of other states. Recently, it was Japan where a nuclear power plant almost went out of control during Tsunami early this year. My instant reaction was to revisit my professional life. While attending a joint Press conference of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who had stated in Islamabad in 2006 Islamic countries have the right to develop nuclear technology. Prime Minister Aziz said access to education, science and technology should not be made the monopoly on religious grounds. The two prime ministers agreed to boost bilateral trade, commerce and investment relations. Pakistan and Malaysia resolved to develop human resources, enhance educational and higher learning standards within the framework of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to place the Islamic world in the comity of developed nations. At this juncture, when the US forces without a clear victory in Afghanistan are making initial withdrawal their chief develops more worries about Pakistans nuclear arsenal. Admiral Mullens interview was also not in complete harmony with former US intelligence chief Dennis Blair. Dennis Blair only last Friday hurled warning to Obama Administration, saying, CIAs unmanned aircraft operation aimed at Al-Qaeda is backfiring by damaging the US-Pakistan relationship. The former director of national intelligence suggests giving Pakistan more say in what gets hit by drone strikes and when, despite Pakistans record of tipping off militants when it gets advance word of US action. Blair said the continuing drone strikes are more of a nuisance than a real threat to Al-Qaeda, and that only a ground campaign by Pakistan would truly threaten it and other militant organizations. It can sustain its level of resistance to an air-only campaign, he said. About framing a policy viz-a-viz Pakistan it just appears President Obamas Administration is divided. Some consider Pakistan a 'dependable friend, while others are out to demonise Islamabad levelling allegations of all types. In a strong democracy like the American one can feel foreign policy matters should be handled by the State Department and not by generals or admirals. In Pakistan we feel there exists transgression of power between two institutions and unfortunately same is happening in America.