For its own strategic interests, the United States of America has always cultivated dictators across the world. The same holds true about Pakistan also. In the context of Pakistan, it has cultivated and propped up military rulers in the past, more than the democratic leaders. Like earlier, it was Gen Zia-ul-Haq and Gen Pervez Musharaf, now the US appears to be cultivating Gen Asim Munir for its future strategy in South Asia. Munir appears to be the future investment of US.
The United States has invited Pakistan’s Munir to the military annual parade on June 14. There is nothing new or unusual about it. The US and Pakistan have had an old and long-time military relationship that goes back to the Cold War. Pakistan was considered like a NATO ally. Over a period, however, the US had diplomatically drifted away from Pakistan and moved towards India. It was in the late 1990s that the US finally de-hyphenated India and Pakistan.
Pakistan will always remain very important for the US militarily because of its strategic location. When the US general, Gen Michael Kurilla said Pakistan has been “a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world”, he was not much off the mark. He substantiated his claim with evidence as to how Pakistan had helped in the fight against the ISIS.
Pakistan, undoubtedly, is a terror-sponsoring and terrorist-producing country. It shielded 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden, who was killed inside Pakistan in a US military operation. It is still harbouring terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and protecting their leaders. But that is in relation to India and the US does not seem to be bothered about that, as long as Pakistan collaborates with the US in its fight against terror. In the aftermath of 9/11 terror attack, Pakistan did not blink an eye when the US asked it to make a choice between Afghanistan and the US.
Once it was established that the perpetrators of the 9/11 terror attack in the US were hiding in Afghanistan, which that time was ruled by the Taliban, in their previous avatar not the current ones, the US had no option but to use the Pakistan air bases for attacking the Taliban. The other neighbouring country to Afghanistan was Iran, which was out of question. The US issued an open threat that “you are with us or against us”.
Pakistan at that time was ruled by Military Dictator General Pervez Musharaf. He took no time in aligning with the US against the Taliban, although it was Pakistan that had helped and supported them (the Taliban) to capture power from the Russia-backed Mohammad Najibullah. Gen Musharaf provided Pakistan air bases to the US, which decimated the Taliban within no time.
That is why the US military establishment considers Pakistan as a “permanent military ally”, which it cannot expect from India. India is not Pakistan. What Pakistan can do for the US, India never will. India has always maintained its strategic independence. If any such situation, similar to one that arose in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack, arises, it will always be Pakistan that can crawl when asked to bend by the US. Naturally, the US will ensure that Pakistan remains like that.
Besides the history of the past, Pakistan remains important for the future military strategy of the US as well. The US is headed for a long-drawn confrontation with Iran. It cannot stay at peace for a long time and its military establishment has to necessarily push for the conflict at one place or the other. Iran, in all likelihood, is going to be another flashpoint for the US. Like in Afghanistan, Pakistan will be required for any conflict/action in Iran as well.
Like the US had cultivated Gen Musharaf, and before him Gen Zia-ul-Haq, it has started cultivating Gen Munir also. It should not come as a surprise. Nor is it any diplomatic failure on part of India as the Congress party will try to make everyone believe.
Getting a red carpet from the US, does not necessarily make Pakistan an equal military ally of that country and that too in the context of India. The US, no matter how strategically close it may become to Pakistan, will never like to take a position against India in any possible future conflict. Even now, the US President does not make any preferential references to Pakistan at the cost of India. A section of people and the principal opposition party, the Congress, is annoyed as to why the US is treating Pakistan on par with India.
The US concern is also about the dominant influence and foothold China has got in Pakistan. Pakistan has virtually turned into a Chinese colony, may be not in the old ways, but through modern ways of investment and building up infrastructure. Pakistan is also crucial to China's ambitious and gigantic Belt and Road Initiative. The US will never like China to have complete control and dominance over a country that is so strategically located in South Asia, having borders with China, Iran, Afghanistan and India.
The concern and apprehension among certain quarters in India about Gen Munir being invited for the Military Parade in the US is misplaced. Pakistani military commanders have always got that much importance in the US for their “military utility” and not for any other reason.
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