Clinton’s colossal credibility problem in Pakistan

While the State Department is using hyperbolic cliches like “most critical country” and “massive” aid projects, the arrival of the US Secretary of State has drawn a big yawn from the Pakistanis. The Pakistanis are well read and tune to Voice of America, the BBC, CNN, and read the New York Times, Washington Post, and also rags like the Huffington Post. Pakistanis know the innate hatred from Pakistan in the US media. Pakistanis also keep track of the happenings in the US Congress and watch Bharati (aka Indian) media to keep them abreast of the neighborhood and the intentions of Delhi viz a viz Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister recently claimed that Pakistan has lost $43 billion because of the US war in Afghanistan. Estimates from the US department of defense were more relaistic. The DOD claimed that Pakistan was losing $20 billion per year. US truck rumble through highways that were built for Pakistanis, and were not created for NATO and US war efforts. The US and NATO has not lifted a finger to repair, expand or fix the Pakistani freeways, which are the envy of South Asia–some better than US freeways. The US uses several Pakistan bases, and American mercenaries run roughshod through Pakistani immigration, and flaunt Pakistani laws in the cities.

The drones are linked to the suicide bombings. The cycle of violence continues while the US tries to force Pakistan into expanding the war–while at the same time talking to the same elements. The US has signed a Civilian Nuclear deal with a country that for fifty of the past sixty years has opposed US policies in the world. Mrs. Clinton is part of an administration that sanction Nuclear Technology on a Major Non-NATO ally, while allowing access to nukes a Soviet client state.

While there is much hoopla about the $500 million check that Mrs. Clinton in bringing to Islamabad, Pakistan could earn 20 times that number if the US allowed it fair access to American markets. Pakistan pays more tariffs on textiles than Sweden does no Volvos. Something is not right with this picture, and the US is unable or unwilling to conform the WTO free trade injunctions. Pakistan doesn’t need aid, it needs trade.

The US media keeps harping on the so called Haqqani Network which his supposedly based in Northern Waziristan. The Afghan National Resistance controls 90% of Afghanistan. Why would they need a safe haven. Before asking Pakistan to expand the war on its citizens, the US needs to recover the lands it has lost to the Afghan National Resistance movement.

While CNN highlights Richar Holbrookes’ statements that the US should change its policies about Pakistan, the drones continue to target the innocent women and children in Wazirisitan.

The region is among Washington’s “highest priorities,” Holbrooke said, but to make progress, “we need to change the core of the relationship” between the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In typical US hyperbole, CNN states that Clinton will announce “massive” projects. She is playing with $500 million. How massive could the project be. Compare to the $20 billion train line that Turkey, Iran and Pakistan are stitching together from Islamabad to Istanbul. Compare to the billions of Dollars being spent on two massive dams that are being constructed by the Chinese. Compare to the massive Civilian Nuclear plants being set up Chasma. Compare to the Trans Karakorum rial line from Kashghar to Gwader being built jointly by Pakistan and China. The US projects will look puny to most Pakistanis. For the past six decades the US cannot point to a single monumental project in Pakistan–while China can point to several dozen–and the Chinese don’t crassly advertise their projects every chance they get. The Chinese do it with class, and work with the Pakistanis in a slow methodical manner.

See what CNN says.

Clinton will announce a “massive” list of aid projects for Pakistan on Monday, according to a senior U.S. official who did not want to be named talking about the announcements before they are made.

“No country in the world is getting as much attention by the United States or more support because no country is more important,” the official said.

Clinton is expected to talk about U.S. plans to spend billions of dollars on social, economic and infrastructure development, especially in Pakistan’s tribal region. She is also likely to discuss U.S. plans to help with Pakistan’s energy and water shortage.

Clinton will travel next to an international conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, and stop in South Korea and Vietnam before coming home.

During the Pakistan leg of her trip, she will meet with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari.

Clinton, who landed in Islamabad, will highlight the need for a closer relationship with Pakistan.

To CNN reporters the money being spent by Hillary Clinton may be massive, but in actual fact it is very little. Half the money spent by US Aid has to be spent on American Companies, 25% is lost in administrative expenses. The 25% that finally makes it to Pakistan goes to the Ambassador’s favorite NGO to be deposited back in Swiss bank accounts. The Dollars don’t cut the mustard, because their quantity is so little.

In the end and in actual fact, like in in all matters of life, Dollars matter very little. Threats by US politicians, sanctions on export of Nuclear Technology to Pakistan, constant ribbing about duplicity, and the do more mantra actually do more to destroy any chance of a good relationship between Pakistan and the US.

Holbrooke and others recognize that the past decade has destroyed the Pakistani-American relationship which used to be the most vibrant and close in the world. In the 60s, and 80s Pakistan was the most “allied of allies”. The US was the most popular country in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Today this is not true.

Anti-American sentiment is widespread in Pakistan, and the United States hopes to build more trust between the two countries.

“There was a huge trust gap,” said Vali Nasr, a senior adviser to Holbrooke.

Nasr noted changing the relationship will take time.

“We are not going to be able to change their foreign policy on a dime,” Nasr said.

In the past year, the United States has started engaging Pakistan more, according to Nasr.

The process included Clinton’s visit to the nation last October. Her trip was followed by various high-level visits, which have made Pakistan more aware of U.S. intentions, Nasr said.

Helping Pakistan address its water issues has enabled the United States to work with provincial officials and broaden its engagement across the Pakistani government, said Maria Otero, undersecretary for global affairs.

The reports in America ignore the fact that American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton threatened Pakistan in the aftermath of the Times Square drama. The threat came right after the strategic dialogue had ended. Islamabad was taken aback. Most Pakistanis were livid.  “What kind of strategic dialogue is so fragile that a single incident could destroy it” many asked. Clinton was given the proper protocol by the Government of Pakistan but faced a sea of hostility by ordinary citizens when she visited Islamabad last time. She did not visit Karachi. She should. This time around Clinton is wearing the threat around her collar–and there is no erase button.

Whatever Dollars she brings is too little too late and her mouth has already destroyed her credibility in Pakistan.

Awami League bans Maududi’s Tafsir Ul Quran, removes religious books from 23000 state libraries

The Awami League in Bangladesh has gone berserk. It is following the policies of Shaikh Mujib Ur Rehman who on his return from Pakistan banned all political parties and then had himself declared dictator for life. Bangladeshi patriots on August 14th, 1975 killed the Indian agent and threw his body on the streets to rot. The Rakhi Bhani was evicted and the Bangladeshi independence restored in Dhaka.

His daughter is now on the same war path, working against the religious parties like the Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami. The Bangladesh National Party faces the same sort of harassment. Both were robbed of an election victory though connivance and fraud which eliminated millions of voters registered to the BNP and JI.

DHAKA: The Bangladesh government has ordered tens of thousands of mosques and libraries to remove books written by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Shamim Mohammad Afjal, head of the state-run Islamic Foundation, said on Saturday. He said that the books written by Maududi were deemed anti-Islamic and likely to foster militancy. “We will withdraw Maududi’s books from all of the state-funded 24,000 libraries,” he said. afp

According to series of statistics and information, Jamat-e-Islami has already gained tremendous economic influence in Bangladesh with its known and unknown investments in hospitals, medical centers, diagnosis centers, banks, insurance companies, trading houses, newspapers, printing press, television channels etc, where from not only the party earns millions of dollars every month, but thousands of Jamat members and recruits are employed in such ventures. Jamat also has established mosques and madrassas under the umbrella of Islamic Education Center, an organization mostly funded by Saudis and Arabs. By now, thousands of madrassas and mosques are already operating in Bangladesh under Jamat-e-Islami’s direction

Meanwhile, Indian channels are showing that Bangladeshi police are on offensives against Mullahs as well as anyone wearing Islamic cap or having beard. It may be debated that, everyone having beard and Islamic cap are now Jamat members or activists, but, for the sake of a maximum offensive on Jamat-e-Islami, it is extremely essential. One of the Indian television channels said, since the arrest of Jamat men and offensives on beard and Islamic cap, there is fear in the minds of people, who are not activists or members of this Islamic party. Many bearded people are seen refraining from attending prayers in the mosques.Global Politician

At least 30 people were injured in clashes Wednesday between Bangladesh police and supporters of the country’s biggest Islamic political party whose leaders were arrested on charges of hurting Muslim religious sentiments.

Witnesses said the clashes occurred in Brahmanbaria district, some 150 km (93 miles) east of the capital Dhaka and home to many supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, who had taken to the streets to protest their leaders’ arrest on Tuesday.

Jamaat is a political ally of the opposition Nationalist Party led by former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Police had arrested the three men after another religious group, the Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, filed a court case in March against them, saying they had compared the Jamaat party chief with Prophet Mohammad. In Islam, Mohammad is beyond comparison.

Police named the arrested leaders as Jamaat chief Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, his deputy Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and another key party leader Moulana Delwar Hossain Saidee.

Jamaat said around 25 other party members were detained overnight in various districts.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Talukder approved the arrests as the accused had failed to comply with a summons to appear in court to hear the charges against them.

The men were held in police custody and are likely to appear in court Wednesday, police said.

Many Bangladeshis accuse Jamaat of collaborating with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war of independence.

The party in turn has accused the government of Sheikh Hasina of trying to curb its activities using war crime charges and is likely to see the arrests as a ploy to push that effort. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Writing by Anis Ahmed, editing by Miral Fahmy). (Reuters) –