VIEW: A ruse to pressurise Pakistan? —Mohammad Jamil

The moot question is, what is wrong with the US system? The list of its interferences, subversions, control and overthrowing of Third World governments is too long to be elaborated

In the event of any act of
terrorism in the US, it has become a norm with the US government and western media that the suspect or criminal is identified as Pakistani-American, Yemeni-American or any other origin. They have to realise that the US has a very stringent set of procedures to be complied with before granting American citizenship. And it would not be wrong to say that this is a foolproof system. But once he or she is naturalised, they are American for all intents and purposes. By referring to nativity or ethnicity of a suspect or culprit, they conveniently shirk their own responsibility by blaming others. If their national, whether by birth or residence, is involved in a terrorist act, none else but they themselves are responsible for his heinous act. The question is how American citizens that are either born or bred and educated in the US can fall prey to terrorists so easily. On Monday, a car loaded with fireworks, petrol, propane and fertiliser was discovered in Times Square. The car had been bought by Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistan-born US citizen.

If one glances through the reports by Reuters and other news agencies, it is not difficult to conclude that this is a gimmick to keep Pakistan under pressure and push it to go after the Haqqani network in North Waziristan. The Reuters report said, “Any links between Pakistan’s Taliban and a failed bombing in New York’s Times Square could put the country under renewed US pressure to open risky new fronts against Islamic militants.” US agencies and investigators are trying to find a link between him and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who reportedly accepted responsibility. Many security experts are sceptical about the ability of the TTP to stage terrorist attacks outside Pakistan. In April 2009, Baitullah Mehsud had claimed responsibility for being behind the attack by a US immigrant of Vietnamese origin who went on a murderous rampage killing 13 people. However, his claim was dismissed by Pakistani security officials and US investigators as rubbish. From his statement to the police, it appears that he is not at all a trained terrorist. His statement about changing of cars, forgetting the keys and use of firecrackers sounds intriguing.

The US has repeatedly called on Pakistan to do more to fight not just homegrown militancy, but also al Qaeda-backed Afghan Taliban based in North Waziristan, as they cross over the border to attack Western forces in Afghanistan. In fact, the release of a video in which Hakeemullah Mehsud, a Pakistani Taliban leader previously reported to have been killed in a CIA drone strike, threatened suicide strikes in the US and simultaneously discovering the car laden with explosives raises doubts about the veracity of the whole story. Referring to the Times Square attempt, Robert Gibbs, White House spokesman, said on Monday: “Whoever did that would be categorised as a terrorist.” It should be borne in mind that an act by a Pakistani does not mean that Pakistan as a state is involved. There is a perception that it could be part of a conspiracy to neutralise the goodwill Pakistan has earned by decimating the terrorists’ infrastructure and strongholds. And it seems to be an artifice to de-track the US government, which has decided to help Pakistan to overcome its economic difficulties and also to equip the Pakistan Army to effectively take on the militants.

Having said that, the US government should strive every nerve to ensure protection for Americans of Pakistani origin, who have to face the brunt after every botched attempt or real terrorist act. There are many questions: how was the suspect able to drive the car all the way to Times Square, and why had agencies failed to check the car on the way? And if, at all, the suspect had been able to reach the ‘destination’, what stopped him from carrying out the blast? Whosoever planned the attack he or they have been able to bring Pakistan into focus once again. Last year, a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was charged with carrying explosives on board and attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight, as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam on December 25. On December 28, a wing of al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the failed attack. According to a statement posted on its website, the attempt was to avenge US attacks on its members in Yemen. In the recent past, Nidal Hasan and David Headley, both born and educated in the US, were charged for terrorist attacks.

The moot question is, what is wrong with the US system? Five Americans — two of Pakistani-origin, one Eritrean, one Ethiopian and one of Egyptian origin — are in a Pakistani lockup in Sargodha since December 2009. On interrogation they stated that they were trying to find an al Qaeda link to go to Afghanistan. This means that they were sufficiently motivated to go to Afghanistan to fight the occupiers before they arrived in Pakistan. In fact, the US has made many enemies by bombing other countries. It also has the reputation of hatching conspiracies that were responsible for the assassination of Lumumba, overthrowing Dr Mossadaq and the removal of President Soekarno. And the US had reportedly played its role in stoking the Iran-Iraq war, Arab-Israel conflict and support for the Contra saboteurs against the revolutionary government of Nicaragua. The list of its interferences, subversions, control and overthrowing of Third World governments is too long to be elaborated.

In the new millennium, the US, with a view towards achieving its avowed objectives, had attacked and occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, but all their pretexts were proven wrong. Before attacking Iraq, a case was built up against Saddam Hussein citing that he had weapons of mass destruction, he procured uranium from Nigeria and he had links with al Qaeda. All these allegations were proved wrong. The reason for invading Afghanistan was ascribed to al Qaeda, which reportedly had planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But it was proved beyond doubt that all those involved had been living in western countries. They all had studied in western universities and planning was carried out in the German city of Hamburg. And they had gotten training in American aviation academies. In fact, the German and American authorities should have been questioned, and not Afghanistan and Pakistan — a convenient ploy for their opinion-makers, movers and shakers. It has to be remembered that none of the perpetrators of 9/11 was a Pakistani or an Afghan.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at mjamil1938@hotmail.com