Pakistan is No Longer American Ally in War on Terror
11:41 17.01.2024 (Updated: 13:40 17.01.2024)
© AP Photo / Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Riley Gasdia
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Pakistan has opted not to participate in the US-led operation in the Red Sea against the Houthi rebels. This decision stands as a testament to Pakistan's support for Palestine and its desire to change dynamics with the US.
The deadly strikes on over 60 locations in Yemen by the US and UK have raised fears about the possible expansion of the Gaza conflict into a bigger regional war involving Iran. Both Yemen and Iran have condemned the American-led strikes, with Yemeni spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam claiming that the attacks in the Red Sea would continue.
Moscow has called for a meeting of the UN Security Council on the western strikes in Yemen, a day after both Russia and China abstained from a UNSC resolution condemning the Houthis.
The Houthis, who support the Palestinian group Hamas, called Friday’s attacks “barbaric” and in a statement threatened that “all US, UK interests have become ‘legitimate targets’.”
In light of this Pakistan has rejected Washington's offer to join Task Force 153 in the Red Sea as part of the Combined Maritime Forces CMF against Houthis.
According to a report by the Indian media, Pakistan Navy’s spokesperson said that Pakistan is not taking part in 'Operation Prosperity Guardian', nor does it intend to join any coalition opposing the Palestinian cause.
Last month, the United States formed a coalition of more than twenty nations called 'Operation Prosperity Guardian' to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to attacks on western ships in the Red Sea.
Pakistan's naval chief has clarified in a statement that the ongoing patrols of his navy in the Arabian Sea are aimed to safeguard trade routes for Pakistan, including continuous aerial surveillance of commercial passages for the safety of both Pakistan and international merchant ships.
He clearly stated the navy’s commitment to maintaining maritime peace, and stressed that the Pakistan Navy is not aligned against the Palestinian issue or Hamas.
Pakistanis Stand with Palestine
The naval chief's statement came at a time when tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators rallied in Karachi on Sunday to demand an end to Israel's hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which has reached a 100-day mark.
The rally was organized by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the country's mainstream religious political party, and reports suggest that a number of Christian and Hindu leaders were also among the attendees. Security officials estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 people attended the peaceful protest.
Pakistanis have also been vocal about Palestinian cause on social media. The country's celebrities, high profile businessmen, political elite and general public have all spoken openly about the need for an immediate ceasefire, strongly condemning Israel’s actions.
Pakistan Suffering Consequences of American War on Terror
In conversation with Sputnik, former Defense Attache in Pakistan's Armed Forces and political observer, Khalid Mahmood, said that Pakistan's decision to stay out of the US-led Red Sea operation is consistent with Islamabad's approach of avoiding entanglements in distant conflicts, a policy shaped by lessons learned from previous involvements.
After the attacks on New York called 9/11, Pakistan, led by General Pervez Musharraf, reversed course of non-alignment as it was under pressure from the United States, which was out for blood and waged war on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Pakistan joined the controversial "War on Terror" as a US ally and although prior to the September 11 attacks in 2001, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were key supporters of the Taliban in Afghanistan, things rapidly changed.
"After having failed to convince the Taliban to hand over the alleged mastermind of 9/11, Osama bin Laden, and other members of Al Qaeda, Pakistan provided the US a number of military airports and bases for its attack on Afghanistan, along with other logistical support," the former attache told Sputnik. "Since 2001, Pakistan has arrested over 700 Al-Qaeda members and handed them over to the United States. It is no secret that General Musharraf was strongly supported by the Bush administration," he added.
In the early 2000s Pakistan was designated by the US as a major non-NATO ally, making it eligible, among other things, to purchase advanced US military technology.
However, supporting the US in its war came at a heavy price for Pakistan as it lost tens of thousands of lives in the form of both soldiers and civilians. The country went through a critical period of terror attacks rocking all its major cities by the Taliban who felt utterly betrayed by the Pakistani government.
"Suicide bombings were common place in Pakistan in mid 2000s, whereas they were unheard of prior to 9/11. Also hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees came to Pakistan following the Afghan war, as they were forced to flee their homes after fighting between Pakistani forces and the Taliban," the analyst explained.
Pakistan's alignment with the US back then bore serious consequences for the country that took decades to unravel. Hence, it is possible that now Pakistan is more careful in its alliance with the United States and its military ambitions.
Erosion of US Hegemony in Asia
More recently, in March 2022 Pakistan faced a constitutional crisis, when former prime minister Imran Khan blamed the US officials Donald Lu and named the United States as the country in question over a threatening cipher, that wanted a 'regime change' in Pakistan by removing Khan from power because he rejected taking US's side in Ukraine-Russia conflict. Khan opted to stay neutral in looking out for Pakistan's best interest.
In October 2022, US President Joe Biden called Pakistan "one of the most dangerous nations in the world" during an address in California while speaking about the changing global geopolitical situation. That statement had a strong reaction from Pakistanis world over.
Pakistan's then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rejected Biden's statement as baseless, and the country's acting foreign secretary summoned the US ambassador for an explanation of Biden's remarks.
According to the political analyst, Pakistan's recent refusal to participate in US's military endeavors in the Middle East highlights its commitment to sovereignty and independent decision-making.
What we see is a rupture in Pakistan's s relations with the United States. Over the last few years the relations between the two nations have been rocky and the recent decision further underscores the nuanced approach that Islamabad employs in managing its foreign policy.
22 December 2023, 18:18
