My response to Minoo P Bhandara
Dear Minoo,I have just read your comments on the de-hyphenation issue.
I fully endorse the idea that Pakistan should be treated at least as well as India. Actually I even more strongly endorse the idea that every nation should be treated at least as well as Pakistan is treated. If only all the rest of us could get away with murder like the Pakistanis have.
I completely agree with all your comments regarding the manner in which the Americans have repeatedly used and discarded Pakistan. I would feel some indignation about this but it appears to me that by blatantly supporting every concievable anti-American cause and allying so closely with communist China, the Pakistanis haven't exactly behaved like a grateful people at all times. I don't want to get into a chicken and egg debate with you, but I do wish to point out that it takes two hands to clap.
I also agree that you have correctly compared A. Q. Khan's actions to the actions of the Rosenbergs who leaked nuclear weapons data from the US to the Soviet Union. Both A Q Khan and the Rosenbergs placed their personal sense of right-and-wrong above the the requirements of law, esp. the Official Secrets Act which they swore by. By deliberately going back on the promises they made to stick to the letter of their respective Official Secrets Act, both A Q Khan and the Rosenbergs committed a breach of faith.
I feel this kind of thing had only one just punishment and as the Americans executed the Rosenbergs, the Pakistani Government of His Excellency Pervez Musharraf, should execute A. Q. Khan. In the best traditions of Pakistani Islamic culture, A. Q. Khan should be executed by beheading in a public square and all his collaboraters should have their hands cut off. This is the punishment befitting thieves under under Shariat law.
I feel you are misinformed in stating that all your reactors are under IAEA safeguards. The Chashma series from China is not under any kind of safeguards. If Pakistan agrees to put the Chashma reactors under IAEA safeguards, the I don't see why anyone will have problem selling fuel to the reactors at Chashma. Please note Pakistan's Chashma reactors, those are imported from China - they are not exempt from IAEA safeguards. By contrast India's Fast Breeder Reactors are indigenously developed, and so India is under no obligation to put them under IAEA safeguards. So do not waste time with meaningless comparisons between your Chinese imports and India's FBRs.
I find this statement you make,
That by breaking the ‘hyphen’ which has historically marked our relationship with the US and more so after declaring Pakistan as a ‘non-Nato’ ally, the US has alienated Pakistan, as it did in 1990 with disastrous consequences for the region and the West.
has an implied threat to it. Perhaps you do not understand the implications of talking like this. You see unlike the 90s, today Pakistanis is under the greatest amount of surveillance and should 9/11 repeat in any shape of form, Pakistan would suffer immeasurably ... even if the government in power was actually not responsible for the outrage.
Today His Excellency can look forward to a comfortable retirement package in New Jersey as he has successfully safeguarded US interests, but tomorrow should God forbid an outrage occur, should Pakistani anger against the US for being "abandoned" manifest in another Sept 11 style attack, what sort of future would His Excellency look forward to? Will the American people understand why His Excellency was unable to protect America's interests despite the fact that they gave him so much?
I trust you understand where I am going with this and perhaps over a bottle of Whiskey at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, you can explain it to His Excellency.
The problem is that too many people in Pakistan do not understand the positive aspects of de-hyphenation. If the link between Pakistan and India is broken, the Pakistan could purchase defence material from the West without having to account for the likely impact on Indo-Pak relations. Perhaps you don't know that the Soviet Union does not exist anymore and that Pakistan's performance (or the absence of it) cannot be attributed to a desire to conserve strength to fight a Soviet-friendly India? Do you realize that increasingly US-Pak ties are being judge on merit alone and not on hype?
Do reflect on these things.
Much Love,
Maverick
P.S. As you are doubtlessly preparing to go to the Aiwan-e-Sadr for another "heavy" round of discussions, perhaps you could take a small gift I have for His Excellency? On behalf of my friends at 163 Inf. Bde (Kargil) and 102 Inf Bde (Partapur), I have purchased a few bangles for His Excellency. I would like to make sure that His Excellency gets them so that he can wear them at his next public function.
posted by maverick @ 8:34 AM
3 Comments:
Cynical Nerd,
If I see further then some others, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants (or atleast people who stand on mountains).
I think a visit to Kargil or Siachen base should be on the list of pilgrimages. If you can go to Badrinath, Amarnath, you can bloody well go to Partapur.
Reasons of health forbid it right now, but Allah ki Kasam, at the first chance I get I will make the tirthyatra myself and see these places. I'll take Rezang La over Sindhudarshan any day.
Interestedonlooker also brought the succession question up in an indirect way. As you say it will have to be a "chor" commander but I am coming around to the view that perhaps the Americans will have to accept a "Moderate Islamist" as the rightful successor to the "Enlightened Moderate" General Musharraf.
His excellency's even more excellent father-in-law Brig. (r) Aftab Siddiqui made a killing on a proposed karachi monorail deal and other construction projects. From what rumors say the number is close to 120 Million USD all squirreled away in offshore acounts in the Atlantic.
Maverick, you should double check your facts on the statement you made on Mush's father in law and his "millions squirrelled away". First of all, Musharraf's father in law is not alive. I take it you are referring to his son's father in law. He does not have millions and the Karachi monorail deal did not even materalize! So check your facts before posting false information!
maverick - you should definitely check your facts before writing rubish.....
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