Holbrooke plus Mullen
America’s top-most diplomat for the region and America’s 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have never been in Islamabad — both at the same time. Holbrooke was here to feel Pakistan’s political pulse while Mullen tried to twist our military nerve. This is serious business.
Venue: embassy of the United States, the US ambassador’s residence. Dinner-table with six seated. Table headed by ambassador Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Conversation at the table: ambassador Holbrooke: “Should Mr Zardari be removed?” Athar Minallah, leader of the lawyers’ movement and former spokesperson for the chief justice of Pakistan, “This democracy is the consequence of the lawyers’ movement. Any unconstitutional act will be resisted. The only route to remove President Zardari is impeachment.” Holbrooke: “Should Mr Zardari be impeached?” Minallah: “That’s for the democratic forces to decide.” Sartaj Aziz: “We want powers back to Pakistan’s parliament…” Minallah: “Nawaz Sharif played his cards right.” Holbrooke: “I agree with you.”
Five thousand and five hundred miles from Islamabad. Venue: the spa resort of Baden-Baden, Germany. The 2009 Strasbourg-Kehl Summit. Hosts: President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel. April 3, the NATO Summit; a total of 3,500 delegates from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the US (President Clinton, on his first visit to Baden-Baden, said: “Baden-Baden is so nice they had to name it twice”). Just two days before the NATO Summit, Albania and Croatia were accepted as full members.
Venue: Strasbourg, northeastern France. America’s NATO allies commit a mere 5,000 additional troops for America’s war in Afghanistan — all to remain outside the main combat zones (3,000 for security duties during the Afghan elections).
Venue: Ankara, Turkey. Summit April 6-7. President Obama, greatly disappointed by his NATO allies, now looks at Turkey for help (Turkey already has the 3rd or the 4th largest military contingent as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan).
Hundreds of miles away from Baden-Baden and a thousand miles away from media flashes — and somewhat secretive — is the Superpower Summit. America wants an alternative supply route through Russian-influenced territory. Russia wants America to halt the expansion of NATO. America wants Russia to pressurise Iran on Iran’s nuclear project. Russia wants America to stop the deployment of its Ballistic Missiles Defence on Polish and Czech territories. America wants Russia to pressurise Kyrgyzstan on Manas Air Base (near Bishkek). Russia wants America to leave Georgia and Ukraine under Russian influence.
Now consider this: Russia wants America to halt NATO’s expansion. On April 1, Albania and Croatia were accepted as full NATO members. America wants Russia to pressurise Iran. On April 9, Gholam Reza, president of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, said that “7,000 centrifuges have been installed at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.”
America and Russia are at it again: Russia is pumping money into Georgian opposition groups in order to bring down the pro-west President Mikhail Saakashvili. And, 900 miles from Georgia, the CIA is said to be behind a failed coups d’etat against the ruling Communist Party in Moldova.
Conclusion number 1: The 2009 Strasbourg-Kehl Summit didn’t go well for America. Turkey, as a consequence, has now become Obama’s darling.
Conclusion number 2: The Superpower-America and Russia-Dialogue isn’t going well either. Obama, as a consequence, will be more dependent on Pakistan for supply routes as well as HUMINT (human intelligence).
PS: Ms Farahnaz Ispahani, a PPP MNA and at times a spokesperson of the president, told ambassador Holbrooke that President Zardari “will not sign the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation.”
The writer is the executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com
