While the US is overseeing and leading the international war on terror from the front, it is true that the US remains the most flagrant example of a country having double standards while fighting the war on terror. The US officials, no matter what party holds office in Washington, believe in the efficiency and efficacy of the binary "good Taliban and bad Taliban". The latest example of American double standards in the war on terror comes from the revelation to Pakistan that the US has blocked Pakistan’s request to list Jamaat-ul- Ahrar (JuA) leader Abdul Wali alias Umer Khalid Khurasani.
By taking sides with the international community in its war on terror, Pakistan has made many enemies for itself. Pakistan has incurred enormous human and economic costs while making the world a more secure place for the people who are its inhabitants. The US objection to listing the leader of a proscribed organisation on technicalities is an eye-opener for all who think that Pakistan is not sincere in supporting the US in fighting the war on terror. In fact it is vice versa as the latest American move suggests.
Common sense and logic suggest if an organisation is listed for its terrorist activities then it is illogical not to list its leader on technical grounds. But the US is keen on practicing realpolitik instead of fighting the war it initiated some 17 years ago. The American objection to Pakistan’s request is an attempt to hamper all the gains that Pakistan has made since operation Zarb-e-Azb. It is accurate to say that Trump administration, like any other US administration, believes in using terrorist organisations for American interests and political goals without much consideration for the outcomes of their truncated and short-sighted policies.
We have seen how the US uses terrorist outfits for its interests in Syria. While actively arming the rebels, the then US administration cared little for the repercussions of their actions. And then the world saw one of the most lethal terrorist organisations in recent history, i.e., Islamic State (IS). While the IS chapter is almost closed in Syria and Iraq, the terror group is finding new space in Afghanistan. The US administration while objecting to list Khurasani ignores the fact that the JuA leader openly supports IS.
The US officials may have objected to the listing of Khurasani to vex Pakistan, as the bilateral ties are not going to improve shortly, they are once again ignoring that their double standards in the war on terror will damage the gains made so far in the war on terror.