American Heroics Needed in Pakistan By Michael Shank and Saira Yamin The Politico [WEBSITE VERSION] May 1, 2007
Order and stability in Pakistan, a high priority for the national security policy of the United States, is in jeopardy. The American military presence and Pakistan’s strong-arm tactics have fomented a rebellion in its tribal regions. Now the region—mainly the Waziristan Agency in Pakistan’s North Western Frontier Province, perceived as a haven for Taliban infiltrating the porous border—is on fire. Who is responsible? Fingers point to the US.
Before Pakistan’s military moved into Waziristan, tribesmen had been sympathetic with but not committed to the Taliban's cause. That has changed. The carnage in Waziristan, wrought by Pakistan forces with U.S. prodding, has resulted in extreme resentment. Tribesmen now see the Taliban as a voice for the people—perhaps exactly what the U.S. wants.
In placing 100,000 Pakistani troops in the once-autonomous region of ethnically homogenous Pashtun tribes—an area unconquered by British, Persian, or Mongol forces—Islamabad has resurrected a resistance movement impossible to manage. The roughly 25 million Pashtuns, divided by an artificial British-drawn boundary, share a history of resistance against imperialist forces, a common ideology, affinity through marriage and trade relations. The U.S.-Pakistan military presence strengthens their unity.
Despite Pakistan’s attempt to manage the unmanageable, the U.S. remains displeased. The U.S., which continues to send signals of mistrust and dissatisfaction to the Pakistani regime, must realize this tack is deeply misguided. By pressuring Pakistan into using coercive tactics in Waziristan, it has created mayhem in the country.
A review of U.S. policies in Pakistan is needed immediately. Generating goodwill in Pakistan—at all levels—is critical. Cultivating a relationship of respect with Islamabad is essential. Anything less will further fuel the rebellion that is burgeoning fast and furious. Besides, the US cannot afford to lose another ally.
Why will friendship work as a positive force for change in Pakistan? Examine the past. In 2005, the U.S. was hailed as heroic for its relief work and humanitarian aid in response to the devastating earthquake in Pakistan. Similarly, humanitarian aid and infrastructure development in the tribal frontiers could effectively undermine terrorism by winning over Waziris. Addressing the needs of the uneducated and unemployed youth, who remain vulnerable to indoctrination, can also help.
More of this and the U.S. will win friends. Force and devastation will not. U.S.-led counter-terrorism strategies in Waziristan have become entrenched in an escalating cycle of violence. Finger-pointing is pervasive and locals hold the U.S. to blame. The only way out is through something heroic.
Michael Shank is a Ph.D. student at George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Saira Yamin teaches at the Department of Defense & Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and is also pursuing doctoral studies at the institute.