The Middle Ground
Requested by my friend John Defterios to participate in a panel to discuss “the shifting story of energy security and pipeline politics”, it was a privilege to accept, more so because the location, Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan, was off the normal beaten track. The “Eurasian Media Forum covered a broad range of international issues of consequence, among them viz (1) the question of power and justice in world politics (2) what next for Iraq (3) whether nuclear program is a sovereign right or a dangerous ambition? and (4) what has the invasion of Afghanistan achieved in the Great Game in the 21st century?”. The brainchild of the Chairperson Dr Dariga Nazarbayeva, the daughter of the Kazakhstan President, Nursultan Nazarbayev attracted a good selection of public figures, intellectuals and professionals from all over the world, particularly from the CIS. I am generally skeptical about “talented” children, Dr Dariga did not fit that mold. “Talented” relatives usually have “commercial” interests that border on the criminal, they almost never have intellectual pursuits.
Richard Holbrooke, former US Assistant Secretary of State, together with British MP George Galloway, make a volatile mix. A consummate diplomat Richard Holbrooke’s gentlemanly demeanor was stretched to the limit in the face of Galloway’s taunts, finally he stalked out. Galloway has his way of being blunt with the truth and while one felt he could have refrained from being provocative, to the point of being personal. The Holbrooke walkout gave Galloway the advantage of a “technical knockout”, with no one to defend the US point of view. Holbrooke should not have been made the target of the excesses (and disasters) of the Bush Administration, the Clinton Foreign Policy Establishment that he was the spokesman for under Madeleine Albright, was far more sensitive to world reaction. To add to his undisguised agony (and protests), the former US Assistant Secretary of State became a reluctant apologist for America’s ill-starred adventure in Iraq, this had quickly become the focus for the Seminar. In a travesty of justice, Richard Perle, considered one of the leading lights among the neo-cons of the Bush Administration and one of the architects of the Iraq misadventure, got off relatively unscathed, even though Galloway (and others) did manage to “mention him in despatches” from time to time. For the record, while one may disagree with Richard Perle on any number of issues, it is a disgrace to call him a “fascist”. He comes across as a reasoned well articulated individual.
The Forum had excellent comperes in Riz Khan, John Defterios, Yang Rui and Jim Laurie, nevertheless Charles Hodson, from CNN, was a shocker. Compared to Fox TV, CNN’s reputation is one of being fair and un-biased in its reporting. One of the panelists remarked that the western media was generally biased and tended to be one-sided in excluding positive newsworthy events of the third world, particularly of the muslims, Hodson interrupted very rudely from the audience while the panelist was speaking. In fact he did not let him speak. The remarks Hodson made are not worth repeating! While the panelist’s point of view was extreme, it was his right to express his point of view in a public forum. Hodson only reinforced the point of view that the western media can be quite subjective, catch anyone from the third world media doing what he did in public! CNN has a host of excellent anchors, Hodson must be scraping the bottom of the pile!
The former President of Iran, HE Mohammad Khatami, came across as soft spoken and logical, taking pains to answer all questions live alongwith other celebrities on the stage. Never losing his cool, Khatami patiently explained Iran’s point of view with regard to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, categorically denying any ambitions by Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. The celebrities on-stage, including former Russian PM, Eugene Primakov, Richard Holbrooke and Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, former Foreign Member of Kazakhstan, faced a torrent of precocious questions from the audience. It was good to see the deference and mutual respect between Khatami and Holbrooke, if they can talk, why cannot the US and Iran?
Gen (Retd) Danny Rothschild from Israel, formerly Head of Intelligence in the Israel Defence Forces, (IDF) and now head of a Israeli peace-making NGO, tried his best to convince the audience that Iran was not a threat of Israel but to the entire world, the adjoining Arab countries in particular. Rothschild wanted Iran to be “transparent” about its nuclear activity and open to outside inspection. He categorically denied the possibility of any pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear assets. Rothschild would have us belief Osirik never happened. He could not answer “that guy from Pakistan” (referring to me), when asked directly whether or not Israel possessed a nuclear arsenal. This was in keeping with the standard Israel position on the nuclear issue, do not accept or deny! Having met some senior retired IDF officers during my visit to Israel, courtesy my friend David Yarkony – I wonder how in a merit-oriented Army like the IDF, people like Rothschild ever got to star-rank? I meet a lot of Isrealis during the World Economic Forum events, compared to them Rothschild was a relative disappointment. If there is credible danger, Israel has a right of self-defence like any other country.
Even when put on the mat by Norine McDonald, Former Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah was circumspect in the standard Afghan disparagement of Pakistan given that Dr Azmat Hayat Khan, Head of the Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar and myself mine were in his visual range and keen to counter any wrong statement of facts. Even then he managed to get way with a few mis-stated Karzai-type falsifications, Charles Hodson not giving us the opportunity to rebut. If southern Afghanistan is such a dangerous place to live, how can one account for former diplomat and Queen’s Counsel (QC) Norine MacDonald living in relative safety? The work being done by her NGO, SENLIS, is nothing short of amazing. When such selfless people make presentations, it is credible and praiseworthy.
John Roberts, energy security specialist from UK, and Dr Mehmet Ogutcu from Turkey, alongwith my input on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline (IPI), took the audience through the world of gas pipelines of Europe and Asia, both in the present and for the future. I tried my best to convince a skeptical audience that IPI was not a pipedream. Compered brilliantly by John Defterios, the Session was rated very informative.
Seminars on world issues tend to be one-sided, given the inclination of these organizing them. Almaty was a genuinely neutral affair in that one found some balance in the relationship between Russia and the CIS Countries vis-a-vis Pakistan. To me the high point was former Russian PM Primakov labelling Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal as a necessary mechanism of self-defence with respect to India’s. While one swallow does not herald a spring, could it be that the thaw in the Russian winter we have been looking for 60 years? Are we finally on the path to where we want Pakistan really to be, the middle ground?
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