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When will US accept its 'ally' Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism?

An initiative by two important American Republican lawmakers to introduce a Bill in the US House of Representatives to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism, just two days after the attack on an Indian Army base camp at Uri in Jammu & Kashmir on September 18, has done much to delegitimise Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s offensive against India at the UN General Assembly on September 21. With UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry rebuffing Nawaz Sharif’s appeal to internationalise the Jammu & Kashmir issue and advising him to resolve the matter bilaterally, Pakistani diplomacy has suffered its greatest setback since the first invasion of the State in 1947. Recently, the Pakistan Prime Minister deputed 22 envoys to various world capital’s to make a case against India’s human rights violations in the State; they are likely to return with a similar lack of achievement. The US move is an unexpected gift to India, coming as it did before External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj could reach New York and engage with the international community on India’s behalf. This suggests American concern over a number of issues. One is the rising incidents of Islamic terrorism in Western countries, especially Europe, where traditional communities are gripped with fear over the sheer numbers of radicalized youth who are resorting to acts of terror across the continent. The incidents of rape of women, even minors, by refugees (or terrorists disguised as refugees) from the Middle East, has added to the discomfort of Western societies, whose security has been an American responsibility since the end of World War II. Of course, the current social crisis is vastly different from the then envisaged communist threat. Individual acts of terror are also spreading in the United States, which has a fair share of radical imams and mosques, though on a lesser scale than Europe. The recent arrest of New York serial bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami, who was radicalised after extended visits to Pakistan, has further highlighted the terrorist economic-system nurtured by Islamabad’s military and political rulers. In the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, many areas have become so radicalized that they are out of bounds for non-Muslim citizens. Another reason for the Bill is the need of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, to appeal, indirectly, to the substantial number of citizens of Indian origin, whose votes will matter in an election which pollsters are currently claiming to be a close tie. Since Trump has expressed himself loudly on the issue of immigration, his campaign possibly wants to makes its overtures subtly. Possibly the reasons are a combination of both factors. At any rate, close on the heels of the Uri attack, Representatives Ted Poe, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, and Dana Rohrabacher, a ranking member of this influential Congressional Committee, moved to introduce the ‘Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act’ (HR 6069) in the House of Representatives. Political analysts believe it has virtually no chance of being passed in the dying days of the Obama Administration; it is nevertheless an important political statement. As Congressman Poe asserted, “It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism.” Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years, Poe added, listing the harboring of Osama bin Laden and Islamabad’s cozy relationship with the Haqqani network to point out that Pakistan is not with America in the War on Terror. The Bill will require the President to issue a report within 90 days of passage detailing whether or not Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism. Then, after 30 days, the Secretary of State is required to issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a State Sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation. In a boost for India, Congressman Pete Olson, calling India “a strong partner and ally in peace”, expressed support for every effort to bring the perpetrators of the Uri terrorist attack to justice. Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, tweeted that the Indian Army has suffered its biggest attack in a decade. Senators Mark Warner, Pete Sessions and Tom Cotton expressed sympathy for the victims. The text of the Bill cites several infractions by Pakistan in its sponsorship of terrorism, including US threat assessments that reveal that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) facilitated the movement of al-Qaida’s fighters to and from Afghanistan and its purchase of weapons. The Bill reflects the anger among US lawmakers over Pakistan’s continued backing of terror groups that are taking American lives along with Indian and Afghan lives. In a separate statement before tabling the Bill, Representative Poe condemned the Uri terrorist attack and said it is just the “latest consequence of Pakistan’s longstanding irresponsible policy of supporting and providing operational space for all stripes of jihadi terrorist groups.” He said, “Pakistan’s reckless behaviour in this regard is a serious security risk to its neighbours – and India unfortunately pays the price all too often. We … stand firm in our commitment to our friends in India”. Within the Republican Party, there are growing calls to turn off aid to Pakistan, enforce sanctions, or declare it a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Pakistan is already increasingly isolated amongst the SAARC members, to the extent that the functionality of the organisation has come into question. Should the next US Administration be Republican, it could find itself in a tight corner. Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.
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