The Americans have begun vacating posts on Pak-Afghan border. They have begun to go into fortifications around major cities in Afghanistan. Very obviously, they have gone into a defensive mode. This means they have, in effect, accepted the supremacy of the freedom fighters in the rest of Afghanistan. With defeat staring them in the face as a certainty, even the US military analysts are saying that the US has accepted defeat at the hands of Taliban. That is why as a pragmatic measure, Barack Obama has stopped further infusion of the long-awaited additional 30,000 US troops into Afghanistan. The reason is simple. Evacuating the trapped US troops from Afghanistan is going to be an extremely difficult and arduous task. Without the open and whole-hearted support of Pakistan, evacuation of the beleaguered NATO troops from this theatre of war is impossible. The Americans know that. This is the time Pakistan can dictate terms to the US instead of clinging at the feet of the master, like a cat purring to be picked up. But that is how the present government has always behaved. I do not expect any nationalistic spirit from the present rulers. It is the people of Pakistan and the Army that would force the government into taking a stand for Pakistan. KLB be damned, this is the time we can obtain whatever we want. Not withstanding all his faults, this is the time I miss General Zia ul Haq. He would have exacted the price Pakistan needs at this stage. -AYAZ AHMED, Rawalpindi, October 27.