Jawayria Malik
With new administration in place having Trump as the 45th president of the United States, Obama legacy in Asia has certainly ended. This is why a lot has been surfacing regarding US foreign policy towards Asia in general and Pakistan in particular. Since then, both regional and extra-regional voices are trying to translate some of Trump’s controversial campaign rhetoric into concrete policy actions; ostensibly predicting a challenging future for Pakistan. Among those regional and extra-regional players, Mr Bruce Riedel, former senior NSA official and CIA veteran, obsessed with Pakistan’s security establishment always goes overboard in castigating it.
In his recent article, Bruce Riedel, has inevitably criticized Pakistan especially the army for colluding with Al-Qaeda and patronizing terrorists, despite getting billions of dollars of aid from the US government. According to him, Ayman al-Zawahri is still in Pakistan and producing propaganda calling for attacks on Americans. The Al-Qaeda infrastructure in Pakistan has been dismantled and threat significantly reduced but needs constant monitoring. In reality, there is nothing new or significant about Mr Riedel’s allegations. They are mere extension of propaganda policies of previous US administrations especially following 9/11. Amid this scenario, it is important to see why Riedel and many others felt the need to focus on Pak-US relations under President Donald Trump.
In fact, Barack Obama was not favourably disposed to Pakistan; rather he had a negative view about Pakistan. He is the only president who visited India twice without visiting Pakistan and even before leaving his office, on 18 January, he made a phone call to India and other to Afghanistan conveniently missing Pakistan. That shows his attitude towards Pakistan. It is evident now that Obama legacy in Asia is over and Trump has expressed zero interest in his predecessor’s policy. Even last administrations’ policies including “America’s pivot to Asia”, “New Silk Route” and “Trans Pacific Partnership of countries of Pacific Ocean” all have been trampled under Trump administration. Undoubtedly, Obama’s Asia policy has collapsed since most of the countries he was trying to cultivate against China have changed their minds including Philippines and Malaysia. That leaves only India, Japan and Vietnam and it would be a great mistake if India opts to go against the tide in Asia. Trump is interested in having good relation with Russia. Similarly, Pakistan, Turkey and other countries want to have cordial relationship with Russia. Seemingly, balance of power has almost shifted from west to the east. There is emergence of a multi-polar world now with multiple power centers and with Brexit, Europe’s role is also going to change. It would not be wrong to say that a new era has ushered whereby new alliances have emerged. This new era is about connectivity wherein CPEC is the real “game changer”. In CPEC, Pakistan is of central importance and perhaps the realization that now US will need Pakistan more than Pakistan need the US has irked many like Mr Bruce Riedel. As far as accusations like Pakistan is sponsoring terrorists or hiding them or it is both victim and patron of terrorism are concerned they are fake and baseless. Mr Bruce Riedel needs to get out of his fancy of being CIA agent for such rosy ideas about Pakistan is not going to take him anywhere. Moreover, the US needs to work on its lost credibility due to its double-dealings and inconsistent relations with Pakistan. Once again, the US needs Pakistan more than the Pakistan needs her. Since cooperation cannot be coerced by punitive actions, thus the US policy makers should prioritize improving the US’ image in Pakistan during every aspect of its engagement. For that matter, an easy place for the US to start would be maintaining its influence, which is not possible in the presence of baseless accusations or propagations.
