A Star-Spangled visit
Even when the US of A was one of the two major Superpowers, a visit to Washington was always considered a much more important event than to Moscow. Symbolically London remains a priority place for Pakistanis and even for a State visit ranks above Moscow which gives way in importance to Beijing and Paris. For us Riyadh, Tehran and Ankara are equally important ports of call along with Beijing. Almost every ruler in this world vies for a time slot in the White House, the incumbent having to diplomatically fend off the not-so-accidental State tourists as best as he can to accommodate friend and foe alike hear the strains of the American national anthem “The Star Spangled Banner”. The theme of the welcome speeches of successive US Presidents for some time is invariably the same, viz. (1) US holds the country of the visiting Head of State Government as a crucial ally and/or friend (the usual “front line State against communism” phrase having become redundant (2) US admires the visiting individual himself or herself in high esteem for the individual’s struggle for democracy or as a “front-line State” against drugs, terrorism, etc and (3) the US admires the free market policies of the visiting ruler and will support this by continued economic investment through the private sector. On the crest of her charm offensive, the words of adulation that Ms Bhutto will receive from President Clinton in the White House will essentially be a variation of the same. There is neither disparagement nor exhilaration at the process, this is standard operating procedure.
A visit to the States by a Pakistani Head of State or of Government is important, official or otherwise. That is why when President Farooq Leghari was in the US in May 1994 primarily to attend his son’s graduation the best our Embassy could do was to slot him in with low-ranking members of the US Administration and Congress, undermining the status of our Head of State amid charges that his “private” visit was given “official” cover only to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, etc. As a female PM of a predominantly Muslim country with a history of struggle after the unfortunate hanging of her late PM-father almost 16 years ago to the day, it is an even bet that Ms Benazir will command extensive and favourable media attention in the US.
The major issues needed to be addressed in Washington are, in order of priority (1) solution of the Kashmir problem (2) revision of textile quotas upwards on a formula based on raw cotton production, textile mills and population (3) equating of India’s position with ours as regards nuclear non-proliferation (4) understanding of the problems Pakistan is facing because of our involvement as a front line State during the Afghan War e.g. refugees, drugs, arms smuggling, terrorism, etc and assistance in coping thereof (5) to turn the concept of Pakistan as a “cornerstone of US policy” from a figment of imagination into a reality by revoking the Pressler Amendment (6) helping Pakistan exploit its potential of an economic and geo-political crossroads reality by giving US investors State incentive in investing in Pakistan’s socio-economic infrastructure. Pakistan remained a steadfast ally of the US helping in making Afghanistan Soviet Union’s Vietnam and thus paying off in spades (and then some) the US investment in military and economic aid to Pakistan over three and half decades of the Cold War. India which had remained a staunch Soviet ally during all these years (and particularly the Afghan conflict) has now become a most-favoured nation in the aftermath of the Afghan proxy war for which we are still paying a deadly and bloody socio-political price. Even today India continues to have the best of both worlds, enjoying military material support from Russia, the successor country to the former Soviet Union. While it is true that nuclear proliferation was one of the reasons for US estrangement from Pakistan in the Bhutto-dominated 70’s decade, the US Government overcame its qualms when faced with the greater threat of dealing with the Soviet forces only a helicopter ride away from the oil-rich kingdoms of the Middle East.
While the Pressler Amendment was a technical ploy to circumvent US Congress restrictions on any aid to Pakistan, the United States shares some of our concerns, not necessarily in the order of priority we would like. Nuclear non-proliferation is a US-priority followed by (2) drugs eradication (3) terrorism rooted in Islamic “fundamentalism” (4) our relations with China and Iran, (5) Kashmir as a possible flashpoint and (6) continuance of Pakistan as a moderate Islamic country in an Islamic world believed by the US to be turning increasingly radical. After the cessation of the Cold War, US wants to develop India as a counterweight to China, as an economic (and possibly military) ally though not necessarily at the expense of Pakistan. The favouring of India as a regional military power despite her sorry track record as an aggressor nation is also based on the western perception that Islam is increasingly becoming more fundamental in the Middle East and Central Asian regions and India could be a stabilising force. Major indications of western favour was their benign inaction at India’s failed Sri Lanka adventure and tacit recognition of Maldives as a “protectorate” of India’s blue-water Navy.
The US public genuinely fears a nuclear holocaust if there is continued nuclear proliferation. US planners surmise that lesser the number of nations having nuclear capability, lesser the chances of a nuclear accident. It is indeed a sorry travesty of fate that in contrast to her late father who was the father of Pakistan’s nuclear initiative and who, despite being convinced that the US was out “to make a horrible example” out of him, resisted any pressure against Pakistan’s nuclear aspirations, his daughter Ms Benazir is seen to be much more malleable on the subject in contrast to Mian Nawaz Sharif or any other political leader of note in Pakistan. US perception is that Ms Benazir remains the only major political leader in Pakistan with whom the US can do business with on the nuclear question, conversely there is deep suspicion in Pakistan that the PPP Government has an overt agenda and a covert one in talks with the US. Ms Benazir’s recent pronouncements seeking to establish herself as a “front line champion” fighting drugs and terrorism is meant to take the moral high-ground with respect to the American media. The media hoopla may well camouflage the concessions on the nuclear issue which is crucial for US support Ms Bhutto feels she desperately needs in order to survive domestically. This Catch-22 raging compulsion to gain US Government approval damages her credibility with the Pakistani masses who elected her to office in the first place and must remain the real arbiters of her destiny. Mian Nawaz Sharif, the Leader of the Opposition, may have gone too far in saying that in her haste to appease the US, “Ms Benazir has gone to war against Islam,” unquote.
The Pakistani masses have been quite bemused by the tremendous preparation and logistics for the US State visit, almost as if the whole Pakistani Government is shifting en bloc to the States for the duration. The US has been flooded with a star-spangled cast of not-so-official people on public money to organise fashion shows, investment road-shows, etc, over 200 at last count and the number is still climbing. To camouflage the expenses of these jay riders, different government and semi-government departments are bearing the cost of travel, lodging, food, transport, advertising, lobbying charges, etc. Only the Advertisements and the fees of the lobbyists will run into millions of US dollars. Given the climate of less government prevailing in the States, what would be the reaction of the US citizens at this rather expensive junket at taxpayer’s expense? And to what purpose?
Charity begins at home, a smaller more focussed delegation would have indicated seriousness of purpose, accomplishing much more in the US. Fashion and cultural shows undercut the importance of our national priorities. While one cannot agree with the proposed MQM protest demonstrations at the time of Ms Bhutto’s visit since the event will be used by the country’s enemies to malign Pakistan, it will be difficult for Ms Bhutto to explain to her hosts and the American public as to why she, the supposed product of democracy, is shying away from allowing democracy to function in the country’s largest gateway city? In the face of Karachi’s travails fashion and cultural shows are as unnecessary as the proposed MQM protests in the US.
The US will not like to see Ms Bhutto out of power in Pakistan despite the fact that with all their resources they must know the many shortcomings of both her family and government. The US had a history of condoning Marcos-type dictatorships and democracies along with corruption and nepotism when correlated to US special interests. Recently this seems to have changed, therefore while one is rather disappointed that the US is not using its clout to restrain our perennial party-goers, if Pakistan can benefit by Ms Bhutto’s charm offensive, more power to her! The US Executive Branch cannot overrule Legislative business but it can recommend one-time exception and waivers to the Pressler Amendment, urging the US Congress to pass the same in the greater US interest in propping up Ms Bhutto. That would enable the 60 or so F-16s to fly out of the heat of the Mojave Desert to Pakistan and thus allow Ms Benazir to gain valuable time and critical “brownie” points with the Armed Forces. With their own President and having packed the judiciary judiciously, the final PPP solution to long-term government is to have a sympathetic COAS, the present incumbent retiring in early January 1996 in less than 9 months on the current trend, a “correct” choice may not be because of the individual’s professionalism but one willing to sacrifice his conscience at the altar of his career. All of us are sworn to secrecy but guess who is the only real contender for that special pedestal? To appoint this gentleman, Ms Benazir needs a few months of respite between April and August 1995, any major concession from the US during her State visit should buy her that crucial time. All the fashion and cultural shows notwithstanding, in the final analysis the real aim of the much-touted star-spangled visit is domestic survival.
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