The Damadola Outrage

VIEW: The Damadola outrage —Kamran Shafi

While it was comic seeing the reaction of our brilliant FO falling over itself and “vehemently” denying the mere suggestion that our ambassador to the US was being recalled — a recognised diplomatic manoeuvre made by self-respecting countries against others that might have offended it — it is tragic to see Shaukat Aziz jet off to the United States so soon after the outrage

Many moons ago, 19 actually, I had written in this very space that the governments of the “tight” buddies Dubya and the Big General were as one when it came to stupidity and foolishness and doing exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. The title of the piece was ‘Allah millaee joree’, explained thus in English: A pair made in heaven: well suited to each other — one as bad as the other.

I had gone on: “While America the country is eons ahead of Pakistan the country according to every indicator; while the Americans reached the moon almost thirty-five years ago, and a very large majority of Pakistanis cannot read or write even today; while America is the most powerful and one of the richest countries in the world and Pakistan is a very poor example of a ‘developing country’, aren’t the government of the Land of the Pure, and its tight friend and ‘Coalition Partner’ the government of Amreeka Bahadur as incompetent, inept, cretinous... I could go on and on... as each other? I mean, look at them both go about their respective business and see what a complete mess they are making.”

I had pointed out “the complete and unmitigated shemozzle” in Iraq and Afghanistan and said the American intervention in both countries would “likely go down in military history as two of the most ineptly handled and in the latter case, useless military interventions ever” which were setting “the Middle East and huge swathes of the Muslim World alight with the fires of revenge”.

Fast forward to last week and witness the completely unwarranted US missile attack on the village of Damadola in Bajaur Agency, which while it absolutely failed to take out any “terrorists” did kill 18 innocent citizens of the Land of the Pure, among them, notably, more women and children than able-bodied men. Witness the asinine reaction of the government of the Islamic Republic: of its chief spokesman, Shiekh Rashid ‘Tulli’. More than 28 hours after the murderous US missile strikes, Master ‘Tulli’ says on live television, his exact words actually: “We don’t know if anyone is killed there or not... but still everything is investigation.” I ask you.

Leave alone everything else, is this not a most sorry commentary on the purported good governance that we are alleged to have these days: a federal minister charged with representing this hapless country before the world’s media not knowing what the devil was going on a full day and a bit after Pakistan’s airspace and sovereignty (!) had been violated by 45 kilometres and its peaceful citizens killed mercilessly and for no reason?

As an aside, may I ask my old friend and college-mate General Qazi Ashraf to please take note of his cabinet colleague’s English speaking skills? I mean Inzamam is at least a great batsman and a very able captain of our cricket team.Look, indeed, at the reaction of the United States government, or shall we say non-reaction. First, Senator John McCain, an otherwise decent man from all reports, but one who has to show his “presidential” qualities to position himself for the 2008 elections, is drafted in to say: “We regret it. We understand the anger that people feel, but the United States’ priorities are to get rid of Al Qaeda, and this was an effort to do so ... we apologise, but I can’t tell you that we wouldn’t do the same thing again.” Now, what sort of apology is that, especially to a “tight” friend? How about saying “We are sorry for the needless loss of innocent life; we will make every effort to avoid a recurrence in the future?” And what in the world did he mean when he said, “I can’t tell you we wouldn’t do the same again?” Do what again, Senator? Kill innocents again? I ask you.

This is not all. What does Miss Condoleezza Rice say about this outrage? “It’s obviously difficult at this time for the Pakistani government... but I think I would just say, to both the Pakistani government and the Pakistani people, we’re allies in the war on terror,” adding Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies “are not people who can be dealt with lightly... the biggest threat to Pakistan, of course, is what Al Qaeda has done in trying to radicalise the country, the extremist elements that really occupy parts of the country in important ways, (and) tried twice to assassinate President Musharraf... the frontier area is extremely difficult and it’s been lawless there for a long time. Pakistani forces are operating there, trying to take control. We’re trying to help.” Some help, Miss Rice, some help.

Miss Rice quite conveniently forgot to mention that the Taliban she decries today are the direct successors of the Mujahidin, the American Establishment’s beloved ‘Muj’ who were trained to become, in the words of none other than the daddy of the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan, “the soldiers of God”, in those same seminaries that are now considered nurseries of terrorism. She forgets that the Taliban were the beloved of the Pakistani Establishment right up to 9/11, that same Establishment that today rules the roost in the Citadel of Islam with the full and vociferous support of the government of the United States.But why does she forget? Who is she fooling?

The answer is she is not trying to fool anyone at all, for she does not need to, and she forgets because she wants to, period. The simple truth of the matter is that Amreeka Bahadur is the preponderant power in the world today and those that lead its government by the nose-ring do not give a goddamn for what anyone feels or does not feel, specially its lackeys. It is another matter that they are making their great country and its good people ever more enemies; it is yet another matter that the situation in Afghanistan (and Iraq) is going from bad to worse by just this kind of arrogant behaviour. Which is their problem, not ours.

Ours of course, is that in keeping with our penchant for not doing the right thing ever, Private Banker Shaukat Aziz, beside himself with great joy that he is finally to be admitted to the august presence of the Great Dubya, has gone off to the Mecca of Pakistani leaders, Washington DC despite the Americans wantonly bombing the country of which he is allegedly the “prime minister” and killing its citizens just days ago. I mean, I ask you.

While it was comic seeing the reaction of our brilliant FO falling over itself and “vehemently” denying the mere suggestion that our ambassador to the US was being recalled — a recognised diplomatic manoeuvre made by self-respecting countries against others that might have offended it — it is tragic to see Shaukat Aziz jet off to the United States so soon after the outrage. It is to be noted that the American government has not apologised, the White House deliberately stopping short of an apology.

Whilst Shaukat will get his photo-op with Dubya, we will have conveyed to the American Establishment that Pakistan is as ready as heretofore for even more slights; even more kicks in the teeth and up de’ bum, at the American’s pleasure.

Let me end with another quote from my article referred to above, written 19 months ago: “in both countries non-elected people are calling the shots. In America, the neo-cons; in ours the various ‘agencies’. The nature of both beasts is similar: they are motivated only by self-interest; they arrogate to themselves the right to define and ‘protect’ the ideological frontiers of the two countries; neither have any great victories to their credit; and because they are answerable to no one, neither will learn from their mistakes, to hell with the country.”

Bushism of the Week: “I do remain confident in Linda. She’ll make a fine labour secretary. From what I’ve read in the press accounts, she’s perfectly qualified” — President George W Bush; Austin, Texas; January 8, 2001.

PS: As to the Big General calling the noted columnist Ayaz Amir “unbalanced”, I have to say it made me very sad indeed to see the Chief of Army Staff of the world’s fifth largest army stoop so low.