Source: Asiatimes.
The United States-Pakistan relationship has reached a turning point reminiscent of the run-up to October 1958, when Washington encouraged General Ayub Khan’s coup, apprehending the coming into power of an elected government in Pakistan that might have refused to collaborate as the US’s Cold War ally against the Soviet Union.
An innocuous-looking thing happened on Sunday – Pakistan regained possession of the Shamsi air base in Balochistan near the border with Iran after evicting the US military presence from there. The base itself had been leased to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 1992. The event is at once symbolic and tactical, while at the same time highly strategic even as war clouds are on the horizon over Iran. Symbolic in the sense that it is an assertion of Pakistan’s sovereignty; tactical because the US war strategy, which heavily depended on the drone attacks on North Waziristan, will now have to be reworked. Is the drone era in the Afghan war coming to a brusque end? However, in all of this, what needs some careful analysis is why the US’s eviction from Shamsi holds strategic implications.
Categories: Americas
Why should it be for the US to ‘locate an Ayub Khan’ in Pakistan? Surely that should be up to the people of Pakistan!
Asghar Khan’s joining Tehrik e Insaf makes the things clear.This Asghar comitted the crime of not reconciling with Bhutto and encouraging Zia to take over a legitimate Gov. Then creating the worst rule of Pakistan. Another IJI is in the making.
Could the people of Pakistan save their popular leader: Bhuto, from being hanged?
Mr Rafiq approach seems to be very simple and straight to Pakistan politics. For his informaton Pakistanis never experienced a nation building process so how they can enjoy their rights to decide who should rule them. You may be right that new IJI is in making. This land is very fertile for Mir Jafars and Sadeks. If we examine the past history of Pakistan each era has provided one Ayub Khan to USA. Some times in the name of Yahya, some times Ziaul Haq and lately P Ashraf. May be some 3 star General of Pak Army is already choosen. High ups of USA met with Nawaz and Shahbaz in their private residence just on 12.12 probably to discuss same options. Uncle Sam is very cunning and cruel, will never let Gen Kiani go unpunished. Only waiting for appropriate timings. Foremost and essential target of US is to get Haqqani out from Pakistan to his mentor Zardari in Dubai. Secondly, assuracne by Russians of unintrrupted northern supply route of lethal weapon for USA and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Most probably US first wants to deal with Iran in next couple of months and then Mosnter will turn to Pakistan. These what indications are. However if Almighty has planned some thing else in the area then He only knows it better.