Droning on

Why does a drone strike hurt so much? What did Mullah Mansoor’s killing represent? Does Pakistan have a plan ‘B’ if the quadrilateral mechanism fails to deliver in Afghanistan? These are a few questions being asked in Islamabad. And all of it begins with the Bollywoodish execution of Mullah Mansoor. Kindly notice that I have compared it with a Bollywood plot line and not a Hollywood one because it is just as implausible, gratuitous and counterintuitive as an Indian film’s story. And to think that Indians are flattered whenever their country’s soft power is defined by Bollywood and not offended by this outrageous stereotyping is hilarious. But more of that later if we have time.

To be honest, the Mullah’s death by drone was disappointing. One would have expected an alleged terrorist of such notoriety to be accompanied by a large security detail. But here was the most wanted man, hiding in plain sight, returning from Iran in a taxi. Say what, Iran? So Tehran was also part of the conspiracy to hide him? And then there is the matter of his cover. The cover before us exhibits the work of low level craftsmanship where weaknesses of a corrupt bureaucracy were exploited. The ID card and the passport that miraculously survived a burning rubble carried his photo identity. Then there is the matter of the friendly drone. The predator, we are told, was tracking its prey for a while. I get it when we are told that he was not attacked in Iran. There would have been bedlam and it would have triggered an international incident. You could guess that. But then we also learn that the man frequented Afghanistan via Iran. It would have been incredibly easy, diplomatically, to take him out there. But not there either. Something does not add up. Or was it a clear message to Pakistan? A message that had to be sent through a drone? All channels of communication had been exhausted then?

Pakistan reacts and occasionally overreacts to drone strikes. That’s a known known. But not for the reasons you would think. Yes, this drone strike took place in Balochistan, a place untouched by drones. But the real reason is because America’s own conscience, despite being sedated, overreacts to the same matter. The world order that you see around you was shaped by American power. And yet, it does not have any provision for the devices of selected executions like these. No update in the international law. Whose fault is that? And it hurts America’s self-image. So even when Pakistan is outraged, it is an extension of America’s own subconscious outrage. You will notice Pakistan reacts just like your own teenage daughter. If you still want to continue using it as a vehicle of policy execution, it is still not too late to seek legitimacy for drone strikes in international law.

And you think drones embarrass Pakistan? Well, the country has seen every possible embarrassment in the past 10 years when it was killing itself to fight international demons. Its arch-nemesis was elevated to a position of high moral despite not doing much except electing an international pariah as its premier. The country has been criticised at important forums in a language usually reserved for the most obnoxious enemy. No. Drones don’t embarrass Pakistan. When death is a distinct possibility, disgrace is considered a lesser evil.

But drones do embarrass a few others. This cowboy attitude embarrasses America’s finest. The men and women of the State Department who work in some of the toughest spots to ensure peace and security of their citizens at home. And the soldiers tasked with the conduct of international diplomacy. It shames America’s own soft power. All of this because the world’s sole superpower has not resolved its subconscious conflicts. It cannot fail to amaze you how the lack of transparency in such affairs is stifling America’s attempts to export democracy. American power is imperilled today due to the reason that the conscience of the only conscientious power is hurting so bad. Not all other allies would be like us. That they fight and also take the blame. Other countries fight and learn. Pakistan’s plan ‘B’ has to be to harden its border with Afghanistan, clean its own stables and be done with it.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2016.

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