Shireen Mazari has finally let the cat out of the bag and exposed herself as anti-military. In today’s The Nation, the editorial suggests that because of suspicion and mistrust between the American and Pakistani militaries, Pakistan’s military should cut off it’s ties to the US military. This is a stab in the back from a member of the national media.
For all its faults, the US is a major supporter of Pakistan’s military. The Americans provide essential funding, equipment, and training to Pakistan that help our brave soldiers defend the homeland. Working closely with top military officers, President Obama has expedited delivery of new technologies to help Pakistan’s defense.
During preparations this spring for the Pakistani campaigns in Swat and South Waziristan, President Obama personally intervened at the request of Pakistan’s top army general to speed the delivery of 10 Mi-17 troop transport helicopters. Senior Pentagon officials have also hurried spare parts for Cobra helicopter gunships, night vision goggles, body armor and eavesdropping equipment to the fight.
American military surveillance drones are feeding video images and target information to Pakistani ground commanders, and the Pentagon has quietly provided the Pakistani Air Force with high-resolution, infrared sensors for F-16 warplanes, which Pakistan is using to guide bomb attacks on militants’ strongholds in South Waziristan.
In addition, the number of American Special Forces soldiers and support personnel who are training and advising Pakistani Army and paramilitary troops has doubled in the past eight months, to as many as 150, an American adviser said. The Americans do not conduct combat operations.
This military partnership is ongoing, despite attempts by some to drive a wedge between us and the Americans and leaving us isolated. Think of what this isolation would cost:
This year alone, the Pentagon is sending more than $500 million in arms, equipment and training assistance to Pakistan, to help train and equip the Pakistani military for counterinsurgency operations.
Included in that package is nearly $13 million in electronic eavesdropping equipment to intercept militants’ cellphone calls. In July, the Pentagon supplied Pakistan with 200 night vision goggles, 100 day/night scopes, more than 600 radios and 9,475 sets of body armor.
The Pentagon has also sharply increased programs to bring Pakistani officers to the United States for training, particularly in counterterrorism.
So why is Shireen Mazari suggesting that the military distance itself from the US!?! Today’s editorial says, “It is time to create a distance between the Pakistan and US militaries.”
Let’s think about what this would mean in practical defense terms. If Shireen Mazari had her way, our military would not have:
- New Mi-17 helicopters
- New F-16 warplanes
- Cobra helicopter gunship parts
- Night vision goggles
- Body armor to protect our soldiers
- Eavesdropping equipment to gather intelligence
- Hi-resolution infrared sensors for F-16 warplanes
- Training by the world’s superpower
- $500 million in arms
- Hundreds of day/night scopes
- Hundreds of radios
This is only part of the equipment and training provided to Pakistan by the US military. What do you think India would do if we took Shireen Mazari’s advice and cut off our military supplies? Probably declare a national holiday! To turn our backs on this assistance would be to sign our own suicide note.
Surely there is ample suspicion and distrust between Paksitan and the US. But notice that this is never the result of military officials. It is almost never even the result of political officials! No, what causes this suspicion and mistrust is the uninformed writings of questionable characters like Shireen Mazari. Who is she working for, we ask! Certainly not for a strong Pakistan.
Rather than turning our backs on the world’s superpower and cutting off essential sources of advanced military equipment and training, Gen. Kiyani and the military officials should be working to foster closer ties with the American military officers and breaking down barriers of mistrust. Once our military pushes aside those who stand in our way (Shireen Mazari) and develops a partnership of mutual trust with the American military, no one will dare to threaten our nation.
She once had a stance, maybe that stance was even validated by facts. Today she has lost focus and now all she has is an opinion gone sour. I think its hyper-hypocritical that she wants to create a distance now, when the military is getting what it needs. Like you, it makes me question the worth of her opinion and the veracity of her heart. It is typical of her kind ( over-zealous Pakistanis guilty of ill-placed nationalism) to pin blame where it looks good but it doesn’t help anyone. Hasn’t her American doctorate taught her to be fair and most importantly, to open her eyes and smell the politics not make ludicrous suggestions from the sidelines ( and in side-lined newspapers).
Comment by Rida — 2009/11/10 @ 22:45
[...] colleague Shireen Mazari’s suggestion that the military cut ties with the Americans, isolating the military will cripple Pakistan’s ability to defend itself. There is no question about this. For an example, we can again look at the recent coup in Honduras. [...]
Pingback by Quraishi’s Coup: Who Is He Really Working For? « REALPakNationalists — 2009/11/13 @ 11:42
I fully standby with Shirin Mazari in advocating cutoff between military ties between Pakistan and US military. Those talking against it are repeating with emotionalism what are standpoint has been in the past. Just sidestep for a moment and think for a moment. Our military is no longer able to stand the Indian might, let alone whatever arsenal is provided by USA. Do you not remember what happened in East Pakistan? At that time also we were provided the weaponry by USA. Just keeping the forces happy and letting it prosper is what the military’s aim is. If they are not provided American weapons they will automatically loose that aura which has been artificially created. And we are paying through the nose to get this weaponry. Imagine if these funds were diverted to provide food, clean water, housing, clothing, education, hospitals to the needy people of Pakistan, we would be so much better off.
Comment by Zia Akhtar — 2009/11/18 @ 22:16
I dont know how to describ my feelings. I am a young boy . but know if i stay hungry is beter than i cut my army’s fund. My army is not just for fight with anemy , but but but they stand with people of Pakistan in any MOSEEBAT”
Please miss cut your beuty paller’s fund & have a dopatta @ your head. YOU R respect full mother & sister for every Pakistani. Pls. anti i respect u & want you to go back Israeel’s histroy & know about that woman who make her country;s future in her kitchen & & & she cut her nation’s food & bought costly wappens fro usa. Pls. do u know why she take this decision? Because of OUR HOLLY PROPHET (PBOH).
Comment by Motasimbillah tasnif — 2009/11/20 @ 15:42
DEAR MAZARI
ACCORDING TO YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENTS
WHAT HAPPINING IN PAKISTAN
IN MY OPINION THERE ARE SOME FACTORS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO AGREED
RECENTLY BLAST IN PAKISTAN
THESE ARE WELL KNOWN BY THE
INTERIOR MINISTRY
REHMAN MALIKE IS THE MAIN CHARECTER
ZERDARI IS CONFIDENTLY INVOLVED
ALTAF MQM IS WEEPING UPON THIS ACTIVITY
MQM IS TOTLY INVOLVED
BAKING THE INDIA
MAIN MIND AND INVESTOR IS USA
WHAT THE PAKISTAN ARMY DOING
WHAT ARMY WAITING
YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANALYSYS
WHY ALTAF WEEPING AND TAKING THE PAIN
WHAT ABOUT THE REHMAN MALIK
WHAT ABOUT THE SULEMAN TASEER USA INDIA IS NOT INVOLVED
PLEASE COMMENTS AND PUBLISHED ACCORDING TO THE NEED
THANK YOU
QURESHI
Comment by qureshi — 2009/12/08 @ 05:07
I must compliment you about your medieval scholarly views on India and I am not , shocked to hear medieval and unenlightened views about Globalization , I strongly feel you have nuisance value in the world and you do more dis services to Pakistan than help them , for example views about India contribution to Pakistani Aid propaganda, I think you lack the facts, There are 53 Muslim countries, only 6 came to aid of Pakistan, China gave 1.86 million dollars aid only in Cheap goods, versus India offered 5.00 Million in goods and 5.00 Million is cash, why was nation with begging bowl is thinking twice to accept the aid from India, Is this Taliban , Mullah or ISI Mentality Thoughts.. The reason World refuses to Hand over cash, is they have lost trust in Pakistan’s ability to run a civilized Nation, In 63 Years of Independence Pakistan has achieved nothing toward civility of human beings.You know Bombay Attacks, It is true UN and USA made sure Pakistan accepts India aid before International bodies contribute any more. Why Would India military Helicopters flow by Pakistani, during Kashmir 2005 earth quake. Amazing Government of Saudi Arabia which is run by barbarian of 18th century gave aid to Punjab not Pakistan, I guess they do not trust Government of Pakistan, because they own Agricultural land in Punjab, and Nawaz Sharif dispatched 50,000 soldiers to Saudi Arabia Check your facts. You must know China and Saudi Arabia voted against World Bank’s loan to Pakistan and India voted for the loan for Pakistan
Comment by Prof Ramesh C. Manghirmalani, Geneva — 2010/08/21 @ 17:27