Tonight, blood is on everyone’s mind in Pakistan.
One week ago, the Pakistan army—aided by U.S. drone technology, no less—launched its offensive against the South Waziristan region, the new home of our fabled local Taliban. The Taliban moved there after last summer’s Swat offensive, which was declared a resounding success. So successful, apparently, that the militants were able to pack up and shuffle right into a new region of the country.
Maybe Hillary Clinton can explain this to us. She’s here today, ostensibly to show that America’s foreign policy toward Pakistan is focused on more than just security and terrorism. But fate loves irony: Upon the Secretary’s arrival today, Peepal Mandi Bazaar—a busy shopping center that caters mainly to women picking up fabric and children rummaging through the book and toy stalls—was hit by a monstrous blast. So far, ninety people are dead. More than two hundred are injured. Lady Reading hospital in the city is sending out urgent requests for blood donations—there’s just not enough available for the wounded.
There is too much blood, there is not enough blood.
Clinton, who has fondly reminisced about her decades-long friendship with President Zardari, dating back to the time when they were both first spouses, promised when she landed in Islamabad today to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.
Hillary, I think we’re standing close enough as it is. This government, feted by Clinton as a much ballyhooed ally, doesn’t have a very solid handle on what’s what. President Zardari’s party, the PPP, is run more like a corporation, negotiating billion-dollar aid packages for Pakistan from anyone who’s willing to foot the bill. Zardari bragged to England’s Daily Telegraph this July that he “has resisted extremists from Aung San Suu Kyi to the Taliban,” mistakenly (one hopes?) coupling the Burmese pro-democracy leader with the nefarious bearded militants.
During its one year in office, the Zardari government has passed two measly but scurrilous bills. The first, called the National Reconciliation Ordinance (nicknamed the National Robbers Ordinance by clever newsmen), legitimizes twenty years of the ruling party’s corruption, and includes a stipulation that makes it virtually impossible to file charges against sitting politicians. The Zardari government then passed a bill democratizing censorship, expanding restrictions on text messages and emails that spoof, satirize, or assassinate the president’s character. If Secretary Clinton wants to expand her government’s relationship with Pakistan, she cannot claim to be supporting democracy or the rule of law.
Pakistan’s government, already seen as a generously greased U.S. stooge by its citizens and neighbors, is receiving billions of dollars from Clinton’s employer. The Kerry Lugar bill promises $1.5 billion a year (for “development”) but the fine print is a gift that keeps on taking. While Pakistan will be flush with development dollars, we will have to send the U.S. government detailed reports regarding our armed forces, including assessments of the civilian control of our very independent army, updates on our prevention of nuclear proliferation, and expertise and analysis of how much we have expanded or diminished our nuclear programs.
Pakistan’s sovereignty was signed over to Hillary and Barack some time ago. With a government willing to use U.S. drone technology against its own people, bomb various parts of its country when directed to, and allow a revolving-door policy for American officials, it’s no wonder Washington is hell bent on supporting the disastrous Zardari government.
Tonight, as Pakistan buries its many dead, Secretary Clinton and the Obama administration are seen as defenders of a state that can not protect its people. It’s time for her to go home.
Fatima Bhutto is a graduate of Columbia University and the School of Oriental and African Studies. She is working on a book to be published by Jonathan Cape in 2010. Fatima lives and works in Karachi, Pakistan.
Source:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-28/hillary-go-home/?cid=hp:mainpromo2
Posts
While I realize, what an ordinary Pakistani feels about their homeland being used as a pawn in the hands of the US, I also do feel Fatima's tirade against Ms. Clinton,doesn't make much sense.
ReplyDeleteIf she had to write a seething article, it had to be during the approval of Kerry Lugar bill or when her government(still hers whether she voted for it or not) readily accepted billions and billions of American tax payers dollars, citing reimbursement on the war against terror. Clinton, has to be there and orchestrate the entire pay out to her satisfaction.
What is the point of asking her to go back Home, when the ones *HOME* are bailing their *OWN* people out of a home? Stop taking American money and they will stop telling you what to do!
Actually Fati is a Critic..I have always seen her writing 'against'..Against Benazir, Against Zardari, Against Obama and now Against Hillary.
ReplyDelete@Anon
ReplyDeleteThe world needs critics too. She has always spoken for the truth or what she perceives as one and stood by her POV (obviously not all of us need to agree with her), there is nothing wrong in that. That also requires courage, to be an independent thinker..
However I do believe that because she is such a fervent patriot, at times she only chooses to speak on issues/actions of Pakistan, that are easier to target as opposed to certain obvious truths which are always subtly sidelined! Then again, may be all of us cannot be an Arundhati Roy!
@K the democracy at our end is not that simple. Most of us are coming to the conclusion that all this has roots way back in the Afghan Russian feud. The seeds we sowed then have resulted in what we are facing.
ReplyDeleteSentiments against Hilary's visit are just part of the long list out pours of anti-American feelings that are on the rise. The drone attacks that Fatima mentioned are huge contributors. The people who are suffering the most are the innocent civilians. The other day while flipping through channels I caught an interview of a local whose desperation cannot be explained in words. He was saying that the drones kill us from the top, the militants kill us on the ground, where the hell are we suppose to go & this desperation leads us to the Taliban camp.
As far as the money the US gives us, it’s not spent on the people; it has never been spent on people.