On March 27, 2009, the US President Obama had unveiled what he called a “comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan”, a strategy which would “focus more intensively on Pakistan than in the past.”  Eight months down the line, the results of this strategy are coming in:  not a day passes in Pakistan when its cities and towns are not traumatised by horrendous bombings or its border regions pounded by US rockets and missiles.  As for Afghanistan, the levels of violence have been steadily increasing, with this year seeing the highest number of killings of hapless people – 2,021 civilian deaths till October, as recorded by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Obama came to power in a climate of widespread revulsion in the US and internationally against the US-led aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq.  These wars of occupation had been launched under blatantly false pretences and, over eight long years, had resulted in spiraling cycles of violence and insecurity in both countries.  Far from putting an end to those wars, the new US administration has further fanned the flames of war in Afghanistan and extended it with all its horrors into Pakistan.

The US imperialists are treating Pakistan, its “frontline ally”, as if it were a client state.  Constantly mounting pressure on it and telling it what it should and should not do, they are at the same time pumping billions of US dollars into “development” which, as is well known, will only go to stuff the pockets of those who do its bidding.  American officials turn a completely deaf ear to the resolutions passed by the Pakistan National Assembly and the statements made by the top leaders of the Pakistan Government condemning the US missile strikes inside Pakistan and calling on it to stop. 

In Afghanistan, the US and its allies like Britain made a big show of the “elections” in October which predictably returned their chosen collaborator Hamid Karzai to power.  These elections did not succeed in covering up that the situation in Afghanistan is a mess, in which various warlords and foreign powers are jointly or in competition with each other oppressing and looting the people.  Afghanistan is being carved up into spheres in which the writ of one or the other of these powers holds sway, under the overall gunboots of US imperialism. The Indian state too is actively intriguing and exploiting the opportunities coming its way in these conditions to try and extend its presence in Afghanistan, in order to outflank Pakistan.

Both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the anger of the people against the US-led occupation and interference is steadily mounting.  This is proving to be a major obstacle to the carefully laid plans of the US imperialists and their allies.  A recent opinion poll survey conducted by an international agency shows that today, the majority of people of Pakistan consider the US as the main enemy of Pakistan — not India and not the Taliban. This is an indication that the people of Pakistan, despite the provocative actions of India, as well as the widespread anarchy and violence that has engulfed their country, which is attributed to India and the so called Islamic militants, increasingly understand the source of the common problems of the people of South Asia. This is the rule of the reactionary ruling cliques, and their collaboration with US imperialism, which is hell bent on establishing its supremacy over the region.

In these conditions, it is increasingly difficult for US imperialism to rely on forces within Pakistan and Afghanistan to do their dirty work for them, because whoever is too closely identified with them is discredited in the eyes of the people and patriotic forces.

The Indian people need to draw lessons from this entire situation, particularly from what has been happening to Pakistan. Drawing closer to the US imperialists, under whatever pretext, is like the kiss of death. The US imperialists are experienced in dealing with the ruling elites of different countries where they aim to extend their domination. First, they flatter and pamper them and call them “close allies”. In this way, they entrench themselves in the civil and military establishments, establish their network of agents and collaborators, and mount pressure on these states to do their bidding. They may work from behind the scenes or indirectly, or else, when it suits them, declare their collaborators of yesteryear as “rogue states” or “tyrants” and intervene directly. Either way, they destroy the security and sovereignty of these countries and peoples.

The Indian working class should take the lead in demanding that the US and all other imperialists get out of the region.  The governments of the different countries of this region should have no deals with any imperialist power.  They should also directly sort out their differences so as not to give any outside power an opportunity to intervene our affairs.  This is the only way to end the suffering that is unfolding and to ensure peace and security for all the peoples of this region.