Last week the Pakistani government finally budged to the pressure of the US and NATO and announced the reopening of the US/NATO ground lines of communication (GLOC) to Afghanistan, critical for the International Security Assistance Force commonly known as the ISAF in the landlocked country they are operating in. The decision was expected much earlier after the closure of these routes about seven months ago by the Pakistanis. The particular GLOC is the easiest and shortest approach to Afghanistan from the warm sea waters of the Arabian Sea. The GLOC were closed after the US attack on November 2011at Pakistan Army border outposts at the Afghan-Pakistan border area known as Salala.
Salala incident or Salala attack, occurred when U.S.-led ISAF forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military checkposts along the "Durand Line" on Saturday, 26 November 2011. Three ISAF helicopter gunships and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets entered by varying estimates as little as 200 meters (660 ft) to up to 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles), into the Pakistani border area of Salala in the Baizai subdivision of Mohmand Agency, FATA at 2 a.m. local time, from across the border inAfghanistan and opened fire at two border patrol check-posts, killing up to 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 13 others. The two Pakistan Army check-posts were codenamed "Boulder" and "Volcano" respectively. This attack resulted in a deterioration of relations between Pakistan and the United States. The Pakistani public reacted with protests all over the country and the government took measures adversely affecting the US exit strategy from Afghanistan including the evacuation of Shamsi Airfield from where the US predator drones were operating and closure of the NATO supply line.
This ensued a tough diplomatic battle comprising more than half an year and ultimately resulted in a very diplomatic apology cum regret by the US over the incident as demanded by the Pakistanis. In fact the incident which was inquired by the US alone as the Pakistanis refused to take part in inquiry concluded the failure of communication and coordination as the primary reason of the incident. Although Pakistani govt does not accept this conclusion but within the security establishment there is a consensus that the conclusion by the US/NATO inquiry are true. The Pakistani Liaison Officers sitting at Afghanistan for the sole purpose of such like operational coordination gave the green light to this operation having faltered to earmark the GPS coordinates wrongly on their maps and didn't even bother to confirm the presence of their own troops from the Pakistan side or were not given enough time. In any case the blame for the precious loss of life is to be shared by both the sides equally. The Pakistani Military hierarchy seized the opportunity to fully blame the ISAF led by NATO and put their complete support to close their GLOC in order to save face and avoid the ongoing media trial after the discovery and operation against OBL from the Pakistani military town of Abbotabad and their sheer lack of responce to a foreign force operating deep within Pakistan and leaving supposedly unnoticed. The Military establishment were also under scrutiny about the presence of OBL in Pakistan living in their Premier Military Academy town. The Salala incident and the resultant responce gave them a breather undoubtedly.
The reopening of US/NATO GLOC were a matter of extreme necessity for the the foreign forces as the other GLOC known as the western network was costing them more than 100 million US dollars per month as per the US secretary of Defence's official acknowledgment at Washington. The western network also heavily depende upon the Russians over a route which is best described as prehistoric and dangerously congested. the western network used the "Salang" tunnel as the critical passage which could be closed anytime by the weather or sabotage activity. Keeping this scenario in view the Pakistani leadership failed drastically once again by budging to the US pressure as expected while giving up on their demand of a substantial increase in the transit tariff. The valuable tariff could provide much needed relief to the the Pakistan's economy and money for the social development programmes direly needed for the poor of that country in particular for the health,education reforms and providing essentials like clean drinking water and electricity. But as is the norm around the globe, the few at the top who are corruptible and takes the policy decisions best suiting their own vested interests become the pillars of the US global empires's desires. So is the case in Pakistan. the Pakistani public feels betrayed and played with once again irrespective of a government sponsored media campaign backed by the might of the US and her global embedded media.
The US global empire could have agreed to increase the tariff in the shape of providing the much needed social reforms for the Pakistani poor by their already well established system of USAID in that country and present a win win situation for every one. But that socialistic non sense would be regarded as bullshit and crap talk by the managers of the Capitalist global empire. The arrogant behavior of the US in concurrence with her traditions will lead them to further trouble in the region. There are protests against the decision through out Pakistan. Four Terrorist attacks killing tens of security personals in last week or so alone in the aftermath in Pakistan. But this is not the problem of the US/NATO or the Pakistani rulers secured behind high walls of their fortresses typical for the third world leaders.
Although the govt of Pakistan have announced comprehensive security for the NATO convoys but given the facts that the rugged route comprising almost thousand miles and the terrain which facilitates a hit and run ambush, the assurance of security for the convoy by the Pakistani Interior Minister is nothing but pep talk. Unlike Afghanistan, where the war lords, mostly the Talibans are paid for the security or lets say ransom for passage of these convoys there are no such groups in Pakistan. Once the convoy leave the port city of Karachi, they would become highly vulnerable to sabotage throughout the country up till Afghanistan. The political distrust resulting in the decision of reopening the GLOC on old terms would make it even easier for the militants to target these convoys. The ambush and attacks on these convoys will be even more sophisticated and severe than ever before. The truck owners despite the fact that they are being heavily paid and have insured trucks will be under intense pressure when their staff will become the casualty in these attacks. The owners will be directly targeted this time right up to their families and households for the lack of public sympathy towards their cause.
The US and her allies continues to ignore the ground realities much like they did so for example at the Vietnam or before the fall of the Shah at Iran. Turning a blind eye towards the very valid and legitimate public concerns in a client state and relying upon the flawed intelligence community of theirs is a tradition it seems at the US. But the same tradition, habit or error whatsoever one might call it always led to the disastrous consequence for the US global empire. They always recover sure by the heap of wealth accumulated by the liabilities of interests over the enforced debts to the poor of the world by their economic hit men backed by their military might but leave behind a legacy of human misery and tragedies from their errors. The human suffering continues and the ideals of freedom, democracy and the good way of life remains but a propaganda stunt by the mouthpieces of the managers of the Global Empire. My emphasis here is to re ascertain the basic flaws in the US global empire's policies where they can simply rule the situation in this particular case once again by adjusting a little in their approach towards the resolution of this conflict.
If the US agrees to pay the tariff as per normal international transit rates directly to the public of Pakistan, it would win them the critical public support to their cause. The Pakistani society is far from the western media portrayed fundamentalist bunch as advocated by them but hard people living in a hard country. The Pakistanis are not at all out there to kill every US/western citizen as per the common perception in the west but have families around the globe in particular the western world whom they idealize. Pakistanis would love to befriend the US global empire and their citizens and serve their interests right provided the US global empire care for such a situation to be created beyond their limited perception leading to supposed arrogance as it might seem to any one. Let's accept the fact that there are no expert over payed consultants and so called highly acclaimed analysts who can exactly predict the ground realities of a particular country from sitting in their sky scrapper offices at the US and visiting the select few clients who provide them information about a country keeping their very own vested interests foremost. The US global empire needs to open up their hearts and minds in order to prevail which is surely their ultimate desire. By listening to the underprivileged in their client states will not hurt their interests a dime but win them a situation where the same will be served in accordance with their very own ideals. I know it's a tough ask from the managers of an Empire who care not for their own country mates what to talk about the their subjects but their own desires and dreams but by accepting to act like this in principle, they may lead the world to a destiny ordained upon the world by The Creator.
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