PAKISTAN IS in the habit of biting the hand that feeds it. The journalists of Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi are presently going out of their way to find fault with the Surge, Defeat Taliban and Quit plan of the Obama administration. The Generals of the Pakistani army and civil servants running the show in the central government secretariat find their wings clipped and feel miserable as they do not have the freedom to squander the American tax payers’ money as they used to do in the recent past. The US administration will now keep an eye on where the American money is being spent by the Pakistan government.

In July 2011, the US Administration has taken the hard decision, that was long overdue, to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Pakistan. A large amount of aid has been put on hold too. The Obama Administration had to make this decision to chasten the Pakistan Military that has expelled the American trainers from Pakistan. Moreover, cancellation of a large amount of aid will now motivate Pakistan to put its heart and soul in mounting attacks on the Taliban terrorists who have been getting kid-glove treatment from the Pakistan Army. Right from the Army Chief to an ordinary soldier of the Pakistan Army all treat the Islamist terrorists as their brothers who would fight shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army against the Indian Army.

The cancellation and withholding of a large amount of US aid means that it cannot be rerouted to private accounts of generals, politicians and civil servants.

Notwithstanding the counselling done by US President Barack Obama of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that henceforth they must treat the Islamist terror groups as enemy number one, instead of India.

It is said that most Pakistanis regard India as the biggest threat to their country. In comparison to India, Taliban presents a friendly image to both the establishment and the people of Pakistan. It seems no number of confidence building measures like Samjhauta Express and music festivals are going to water down the deeply etched anti-India sentiments of a common man or a top general or administrator of Pakistan.

The top generals of the Pakistan army are unhappy with the pentagon and US generals as hereafter the latter would be keeping an eye on the use or the misuse of American weapon system and armaments. In a nutshell, these must be used in fighting against the Islamist terrorists on the western front and not stored or kept stacked away to be used against India at a later date. Thus, there is a rider with the US aid now to be given to Pakistan.

The top echelons of the Pakistan army and the civil administration feel, wrongly though, that the sovereignty of Pakistan will be eroded under the new arrangement. The American Drones have been making more and effective killings of top Taliban leaders than ever before. The Pakistani protests are muffled by the aid of US dollars. 

It is good that the Obama administration has been firm in handling and chastening the erring administration of Pakistan. Americans are aware of the sympathy of some strategically and logistically important echelons of Pakistani army being with Islamist terrorists but they turn Nelson’s eye to it in the larger interest of the NATO forces who are slated to start withdrawing from July 2011. At the same time the plan to defeat the Taliban in a major battle is also there. The new Secretary of State for Defence, Leon Panetta says that the NATO victory is on the card. The NATO forces have identified important Al Qaida terror leaders and they would be either killed in action or apprehended and confined to prison.

Notwithstanding a few important change of command in the US army in Afghanistan, a change of the US ambassador and so on, the new chain of command exudes self confidence and high morale at this juncture. With a view to winning the war against terror on the soil of Afghanistan, it is necessary to keep Pakistan on board. At the same time the United States has to ensure that the money, weaponry, armaments and sophisticated equipment given to Pakistan is not misused or used against India instead of the Islamist terrorists.

It has long been suspected that Pakistan is hand in glove with the Taliban terrorists. Pakistan takes American money but conspires with the terrorists to kill American soldiers. WIKILEAKS has confirmed the worst fears that Pakistan Army and many of its officers are not trustworthy. Their mind may be with America but heart is with Taliban and Al Qaida terrorists. The world wonders how America can finance Pakistan Army knowing that they will use their weapons against India and not Taliban.

Now, let us take a look at Afghanistan, the main player and the host country in the bloody battles against the Islamist terrorists. It is President Karzai who has to win the trust of the Afghan people. It is well known to all concerned that the civil administration of Afghanistan is badly ridden with corruption. In the run up to the Presidential election, President Karzai was accused of illegal and immoral electoral practices. Thousands of votes that were fraudulently cast in his ballot box had to be rescinded. It made an additional dent in the Karzai image. With a view to winning the hearts and minds of his own Afghans and others, Karzai has to live down this poor reputation of a corrupt administrator.

As of now, the situation on the ground is a fluid one. The anti-American and anti-European propaganda being carried out in mosques after community prayer every Friday, poisoning of young minds in Islamic schools called Madarsas and preventing efforts of coalition forces to win minds and hearts of Afghans in the streets is having a cumulative effect even on the police constables and army soldiers of Afghan origin. No wonder some Afghan constables under training turned their guns on the western trainers and killed some of them. It does not augur well for the amity being brought in between the western and Afghan troops.

There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel. With suitable psychological treatment the two ethnic groups are again out in the open for aggressive patrolling against the Taliban terrorists. With prayer on lips and good of Afghans at heart, the coalition forces are all set to win the war against Islamist terror groups. May God bless them!