We cannot rely on the US to make policy to suit our interests. We must formulate our own policy to suit ourselves.
This is with reference to Dr Mohammad Ali Rai’s article of May 13 titled “An evening with Stanley McChrystal”. Just because the general appeared sympathetic and understanding of Pakistani sacrifices does not mean that even if he were in a policymaking position he would have implemented that understanding into policy.
US policy is based on perceived national interests, domestic US concerns and effective lobbies, and not based on a general’s understanding of another country’s sacrifices. We cannot rely on the US to make policy to suit our interests. We must formulate our own policy to suit ourselves and that may well mean a rethink of regional considerations as well as civil-military imbalances internally.
Ayesha Ijaz Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2011.
