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WikiLeaks’ second instalment
The state must take people in confidence, we cannot just sit and wait for the next batch of leaked documents.
The writer completed his Masters in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and is currently teaching Economics at Bellerbys College London [email protected]
The coordinated release of US diplomatic cables by Wikileaks is likely to lead to days, if not weeks, of analysis, denials, claims and counter claims. Many in Pakistan will quote the released documents and point to American hypocrisy. However, they will fail to recognise the significance of what the documents say of the world around us.
In relation to Pakistan, one of the most sensational revelations is that the US has been actively lobbying to remove highly-enriched uranium which it fears may be used in an ‘illicit nuclear device’. There seems to be active negotiation on this point, though a local official is quoted as saying that such a move is not possible due to fears that the media would portray it as America wanting to grab Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
While the cable will be considered as evidence of American designs on our nuclear programme, the document lacks background and adequate detail on an issue that was up for discussion over a three-year period, encompassing both the current and previous governments. It also suggests that the media is either extremely powerful, so much so that it is today shaping Pakistan’s nuclear policy; or is being leveraged as an excuse to delay action.
Is the media more powerful than we had ever imagined or is our state not confident in her ability to communicate state policy?
We in Pakistan continue to ignore the power struggle between Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iran. The leaked documents suggest that the Saudi government has consistently advocated the use of force against the Iranian nuclear programme.
It also suggests that the Saudi government agreed to compensate China for any loss in oil supplies from Iran to soften Chinese support for Iran. The documents detail how the interests of Israel and several Arab states have now converged due to the Iranian issue, though governments are unable to acknowledge any form of collusion fearing public reaction. Where does that leave us? What will Pakistan’s ‘principled’ stance be?
Whether it’s Pakistan’s nuclear programme, the war on terror, or the internal conflicts amongst our neighbours, what is clear is that the overly simplified narrative that our “experts” prefer — pointing to US hypocrisy and then towards Indian designs — is not only outdated but is perhaps damaging to our nation’s security. Is it not ironic that while we ask America to be transparent on its designs on our nuclear programme we do not demand the same from the Pakistani state? What is our government’s position in the event of hostilities between Arab nations and Iran? How are we preparing ourselves to insure that we are not adversely affected?
The Pakistani state seems afraid of the way in which the domestic media would cover such revelations. Our neighbourhood is changing and the people of Pakistan are left in a constant state of nationalist fervour, all while the powers to be act in consort with those that they rally the people against.
The state must take the people in confidence. We cannot just sit and wait for the next batch of leaked documents to come along. Why? Because we must not tie ourselves down to a ‘one size fit all’ explanation of the world. Our allies and enemies are evolving as they take stock of ground realities. We, on the other hand, still throw around terms like ‘brotherly Muslim states’and the ‘Muslim Ummah’, as if it ever existed.
If we continue along this path, tomorrow we may witness a conflict in our neighbourhood where Saudi Arabia and Israel will be pushing the United States to launch coordinated attacks against Iran! How will our current explanation of the world accommodate such events?
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2010.
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Reader Comments (14)
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@Author
The only good foreign policy is the foreign policy of self interest. Pakistan need not interfere in the power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran or for that matter protest against the ‘collusion’ between Israel and the Arab states. Principled and moral positions do not count much in the international arena. Learn from China. Non interference is the best strategy. India vouched for Dalai Lama and paid the price. Rajiv Gandhi lost his life for dilly dallying in Sri Lanka. Pakistan is still suffering from the aftereffects of the Afghan war. Recommend
The author raises a good point. Given that any war between Saudi Arabia and the Arab states against Iran will see the Arabs expecting Pakistani assistance and Iran demanding Pakistani neutrality, what will be Pakistan’s position? Furthermore given the fears of a nuclear arms race in the region, can any country play the role of an honest broker to attempt to prevent an arms race from breaking out? Pakistani foreign policy is stuck in the 80s (and might as well be in the stone age) and simply is unable to try and take the initiative on any front. It merely reacts to events around it. Sometimes these events produce a windfall for the country and sometimes the country is adversely effected.Recommend
Whoa! The blogger made it big!Recommend
One small step for blogger
One Giant Leap for BLogger Kind
being another blogger, I hope one day I take this big step also, lol. Recommend
It has proved one thing for sure, Arabs hate Iranians more than Israelis…i think now u can give a rest to ur ZIONIST conspiracy theories.Recommend
Agree to some extent with Cherish Raj. Besides, Pakistan has hardly ever had a say when it comes to influence in international politics. The statements of our leaders have no credibility and can change from A to Z within days. Even if Pakistan has a strategic approach in the Iran issue, it wont matterRecommend
very true we should be realistic, Approaching every thing from the west or US is not a realistic policy. Yes we can ignore wikkileaks as whole bu twe can’t close our eyes from it as pakistani government has second these leaks. Recommend
@ Mr. El-Edroos,
While the cable will be considered as evidence of American designs on our nuclear programme, the document lacks background and adequate detail on an issue that was up for discussion over a three-year period, encompassing both the current and previous governments. It also suggests that the media is either extremely powerful, so much so that it is today shaping Pakistan’s nuclear policy; or is being leveraged as an excuse to delay action.
WRONG on multiple counts.
The document DOES NOT LACK ANYTHING. It is an intelligence intercept, showing communications between one member of the US government and another, whether they are intelligence operatives or not. It reveals more of an American mindset than anything concerning facts or hard data, and to expect to find any intel data in intel reports is a stupid thing to do (which I would expect from you and other Bond-fanatics). If you think the document needs to cover other “background” and “detail”, why don’t you peruse the rest of the reports made public? After all, the CIA isn’t going to put everything into one single dispatch or report – intelligence is accumulated and transferred over a multitude of documents spread out over a period of time and dispatched to a number of recipients each of whom has a separate level of clearance and individualized “need-to-know”. As a foreign educated expert and a teacher, I expect you to know better.
The media is not “extremely powerful”; it is the backlash of public sentiment that Pakistan Army officials fear and it is Pakistani public sentiment against American control or “designs” on Pakistan’s nuclear assets that keeps the Americans at bay. Again, as a teacher, I expect you to know better.
Finally, you say that Pakistani “experts” prefer an overly simplified narrative, yet you yourself make a grotesquely inaccurate simplification when you say “the people of Pakistan are left in a constant state of nationalist fervour“. What fervour are you talking about? Whose nationalism are you referring to? Pakistani nationalists are a dying breed, and you yourself exemplify this fact. I don’t expect you to make the same generalizations that you bash other people for making. You should know better.
I think it is STILL better to listen to self-proclaimed experts who are atleast present in the relevant environment, rather than listen to self-appointed experts based abroad. Recommend
It would be useful for everyone involved for you to blabber about as to why the US wants the HEU to be shipped abroad, and not believe in james bond type conspiracy theories about the taliban sweeping down and taking out nuclear materials.Recommend
Iran wants to impose a pro-shia hegemony over the region and the report quite rightly points out
to a convergence of views of the relevant threat from Iran to the sunni-wahhabi world.
The bomb is no threat to Israel. Its mainly directed towards the arab countries and Pakistan should side with its allies in the arab world to counter this threat.Recommend
Pakistan firstly and most importantly needs to look after itself. Problem is those who are supposed to be doing this are in fact looking after themselves.Recommend
In view of the Wikileaks and other on going problems, here is the new plan for Pakistan-
Declare a new non-aligned policy to the world with primary mission to promote peace and non intereference in others affairs so that it will have a justification to stay neutral when competing sides will ask for its favor. In order to do that Pakistan will have to get out of the “Muslim Ummah” mode to start projecting itself as a neutral state in the wider all inclusive world not just Muslim world. It will have an additional reason that it has much on its domestic plate to pay attention to. Its new motto should be “Peace for every one on earth”.
The “Muslim Ummah” hasn’t given Pakistan anything beyond subsidized petrol for 10 years or so. Pakistan will make more money than teh subsidies if it focusses on right things.
The above change will create new goodwill from rest of the world, improve trade and relations with all including India impriving its debt situation and allow it to focus it senergies on eradicating intolerance & corruption within its soil and taking steps to collect revenue.Recommend
Wikileaks…….just an american strategy,……… nothing else
rightly said by Ahmadinejad.
the only true and brave leader of our times.Recommend
Given your prolific “first comments” on almost every other columnist – when it came to the crunch your own piece is decidedly mediocre.Recommend