| Downloaded from http://jang-group.com/thenews/ on October 24, 2001. This article was published in The News, Islamabad, Pakistan, on Oct 24, 2001. The Twins and the Two Horns of Dilemma Muhammad Ali Qaiser Thus spake Nostradamus, "The twin brothers of oppression shall fall". As always, interpretations absorb light right after the event. Nevertheless, the towers have fallen and we whistle at perverse joy over vulnerability of a superpower. To a lot of Pakistani people conspiracy theories form a welcome distraction from troubles back home. Excited fora held in marketplaces, coasters and drawing rooms are charged with predictions for future times. Astrology is suddenly a popular hobby. Many believe that attacks on America herald the start of an enormous change. That the US too, like Rome, is an empire that must finally give way. That the jihad movement has now come of age, and more assaults shall follow on Israel and Europe. That Osama is no lone man; he symbolizes a sophisticated network that has taken deep root and done its homework well. Interestingly popular is also the analysis that Israel itself is behind the apocalyptic crashes, so that it might divert world anger against Palestine. But whether it's the Mossad or Osama or some disillusioned American like Timothy McVeigh, the United States has come to the crossroads. And with it, the whole western world is coming to terms in shock with the power of men driven by conviction. It was indeed pleasant to see Tony Blair stand up to preach the high values of Islam in the House of Commons. Music to the ears were the accolades laid down by the German government upon its productive Muslim citizenry. Pres Bush told congressmen in an appealing address that his war is against terrorism not Islam. It is as if the world was jolted to wake up and rethink its differential stance towards Islamic people. Perhaps they are beginning to understand that the only way to rid terrorism is not to drive men insane in the first place with oppressive sanctions and one-sided massacres. Perhaps. Perhaps not. But if all the destruction was a wake up call, it was a very dear way to wish good morning. Expensive on American material, men, psychology and economy. The very men generated in American camps to terrorize others are now coming back to haunt their patrons. To realize the US is no more an unbreachable superpower is an angry experience for its citizens, and a sadistic, envious consolation for countries like us who have been drained of their cr�me because it wanted to settle across Atlantic. There are talks of US sliding into full doldrums of recession. That is probably not itching the Capitol Hill since countries of that great a size can absorb slumps and move on. What should really be irksome is the question of whether the US shall ever recover the smashed face of its ego. Part of the answer to that question lies in how wisely the US plays its cards now. That shall be the acid test of its state department. It should now realize, more than ever, that making a kill for men like Osama is only a shortsighted reprisal not qualifying as a solution. Men before have been captured, tried and punished. Yousaf Ramzi and Aimal Kansi are but examples. Assassinate Osama and ten more shall crop up. This is because men like Osama are not mere singles. They represent discriminated sentiment of whole nations. Thus their strike in turn does not discriminate between innocent civilians and culpable policy makers. It is time for the White House to reassess its approach towards the world. Being the policeman of the globe or leader of the free world means sharing not only your ideals, but also your fruits with others. Leaving Bosnia to burn, Iraq to smolder, Palestine to bleed and Kashmir to suffer but publicizing Chechnya and Kuwait as world causes because they involve rivalry or oil indicates a severely flawed outlook that undermines the very ideals the US proclaims it protects. Catch-22 of the US is crystallizing. America probably comprehends the extent of its vulnerability. When a nation seeks to make its presence felt everywhere, it is bound to make so many enemies. The kamikaze spirit also mystifies the US. What makes a man sacrifice his life so rashly? The military mindset on the American side is totally different, cautious of casualty. A few days of war and their people take to streets yelling, "Bring our boys back!" The Afghanis, acclimatized to war, have no municipal assets left to protect. Right or wrong, the Afghani will is stubborn. Soviets with contingent boundary could not overtake it. With a sore Vietnamese memory, what will the US then make of such enemy? While George Bush the son convinces the world a decade after just like his father that the world needs to unite for common sortie, the media is again powerfully assisting him. One only has to flick on CNN to observe that the debate on the culprit's identity has already been clinched. Osama's the man, even if it is without evidence. Plunder on American soil features as war mourned by touching scenes but previous raids on Afghani public or misfired artillery sustained by Pakistani border displayed nowhere. Pakistan too is at the crossroads. Which path is correct is entirely ambiguous. What appears right to the public emotion is too damn hard for those totting up the country's balance sheets. What seems proper to them is indigestible to the common man. Maybe the choice is between romantic, lofty ideals and practical realities, between hard, ascetic principles and easy, fulsome life, between ideology that founds a nation and economy that runs a country. The choice is a classic dilemma, although President General is measuring response with cool and consensus. On one side is the devil - the big uncle, who has deserted us after utility every time. One only has to recall the Zia era. But we are a loan-fed nation that loves comfort after all. On the other side is the blue sea - the Afghans that control transport, ammunition and religious parties within Pakistan. They too, have deserted us by choosing not to respect the sanctity of the refuge provided to them. Cocaine and bore are gifts to our society. And now their ambassador threatens. While "self-respect and integrity" has been the pet phrase of General Musharraf, he has chosen foresight here. His address made sense, and in many years has a leader referred to Islam for reasons other than demagoguery. Protests of the public led by the clerics are perhaps working to the government's advantage as they provide it with a better bargaining position. So while Islamabad works on prudence, the public should work on courage. This shall complete the equation. Logically Pakistan should proceed according to the following four point agenda. Firstly, US demands without UN resolutions carry no meaning. Although our Foreign Minister has already minced words to that effect, media has made no notable mention of it, signaling the need of a vociferous approach. Secondly, our political situation does not allow facility use by the US no matter how tragic New York might today be, unless the world pledges outright security for us. Thirdly, debt retirement should underpin any bargain. Egypt once gained capital from war as well. Why should we offer our territory in charity, instead of renting it out like skinflints? And fourthly, any pressure on Pakistan to interface with Afghanistan should only be mounted after reasonable evidence pointing to Osama is displayed. Why Pakistan's strategy is not bold yet can only be explained away by assuming that General Musharraf behind the scenes is calculating as calmly as is expected of him. His knack for consensus is something rare and admirable. History shall treat him hard if he stumbles here. It looks as if establishment is weary of the unpredictable Afghans and finally wants to eliminate their threat while gaining world favour and finance in the same go. It is a real test of his leadership to see if he can convert the horns of this dilemma into flagstaffs of opportunity. Still all said, it is but time to put our foot down as a nation. Lackeying can only get one so far. Independence has a price that our forefathers paid at partition, a price we are not prepared to pay even in token form. If we don't break the habit of playing to others instead of setting our own priorities, we shall remain colonial. And history shall move on trampling us as fallen people. BACK TO HOME PAGE |