How will the US dump us this time!
This is the question Pakistanis have been asking themselves since the
US government requested (read ordered) Pakistan to assist in their
fight against terrorism. The history of abandoning Pakistan by using
in every conceivable way by the US is long. The last one happened at
the same place that everyone has been talking about since the attack
on WTC and Pentagon. Had the US government listened to the pleadings
of Pakistan government since 1989 when the Soviets withdrew from
Afghanistan, nothing like this would have happened. The only thing
Pakistan wanted from the US at that time was that the US help to
rebuild Afghanistan that had been converted into a huge pile of
rubble after the 10 year war. But the US packed her bags after the
war without helping to clean up the mess she created in Pakistan's
backyard. As if this was not enough, the Pressler Amendment was
brought into place that specifically targeted Pakistan and stopped
all the military aid to Pakistan, including the delivery of 40 F-16
that Pakistan had already paid for. What a friend!
The first betrayal happened in 1965 when the war with India started.
Pakistan, as a recipient of US military aid and an ally against
communism expected US military assistance at that time. The
Pakistanis got the shock of their lives when instead of extending a
helping hand to Pakistan, the US imposed military sanctions against
Pakistan. The second time it happened in 1971 when the US promised
that their 6th fleet was on its way to the Bay of Bengal. It's been
30 years since then and the Pakistanis have lost half of their
country in the 1971 war with India but the 6th fleet never showed up
to rescue them. Watch out for a line up of US warships in the Arabian
Sea this time urging Pakistan to help the US in 'their' fight. What a
friend!
Although there are no words to condemn what happened on September 11,
try to visualize what would happen if the US had to bleed through
small cuts over a period of 10 years instead of one big blow. That's
what Pakistan went through during the 10 years of the Afghan war. The
KGB and the Afghan secret service bombed Pakistan's bazaars, streets,
and commercial areas. Not a day passed in Pakistan without a bomb
blast in one of her cities. A number far greater than 5,000 died in
those bomb blasts, poor people earning less than a dollar a day. We
were told that it was the price we had to pay if we wanted to get rid
of Communism. Not a single American comforted us then. What a friend!
The Europeans, the Japanese, and the rest of the world might owe
something to the US but definitely not Pakistan, definitely not
Pakistan (sic). The only thing Pakistan owes to the US are the
billions of dollars that the US poured on her corrupt dictators. Not
a day passes when the Americans don't praise the virtues of
democracy. Not a day passes when they don't attribute their success
to democracy. Yet, the US supported all the dictators in Pakistan's
history when it suited her purpose. During the Afghan war, Pakistan
remained under a thick blanket of Marshall Law for 11 years. When the
war ended, the dictator's family and his associates family and
friends were one of the richest people in Pakistan. These people
could not have remained in power without the US support. What a
friend!
In 1999, the Pakistani government removed an elected but corrupt to
the core government. In the 1990s, the US started to flirt with India
who had never allied with the US before. To gain access to India's
huge market, Bill Clinton visited India in 2000. He rode on
elephants, enjoyed Indian cuisine, and watched them dance for him. On
his way back, he stopped in Pakistan for a few hours. Pakistanis laid
down a red carpet for him. Let his motorcade drive on the right side
of the road instead of the left side and welcomed him in every way
possible. What did Clinton do? He went on television and gave
Pakistan a lecture on democracy again. Excuse me Sir! Would you mind
giving these lectures to the Saudis, the Jordanians, and the Kuwaitis
too. What a friend!
The US has not left any stone unturned to hurt Pakistan and her
people. Yet, she expects full cooperation from Pakistan in her
causes. Pakistan can not afford to help the US anymore. She is too
tired. She is exhausted. Pakistan is a country of ambitious people
who want to earn their share of good life in the world through hard
work. They are Muslims but moderate Muslims, who want to live in
peace with everyone according to the real teachings of Islam. They
are facing too many problems at home to spend their time helping the
US to be dumped yet again. Only 30% of Pakistan's population can
claim to read and write. Pakistan's education budget is probably less
than the LA County's budget. It wouldn't hurt the US a lot if it
doesn't abandon Pakistan this time after using her. Pakistanis may
not be like Europeans or the Japs, but they have always tried to be
true friends with everyone. Bush says that he'd see who are America's
true friends. Sir, America's true friends are the ones you dump every
time you don't need them. Pakistan has always been true to her
friends, ask China. If the US dumps Pakistan at the end of this
latest war, she would lose a good friend forever. Helping Pakistan
overcome her problems would be something that the US should do and
that's what friends are for.
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