Bin Laden's death and its implication

Yuba Nath Lamsal
Bin Laden's death and its implicationYuba Nath LamsalAfter desperate hunt for more than a decade, the United States has finallycaptured and killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. The Al Qaeda mastermindwas killed on May 1, 2011 in a raid conducted by the US special force on ahuge mansion surrounded by think walls and barbed wire in Abbottabad ofPakistan, about 100 kilometers from capital Islamabad. While the UnitedStates, Western countries and their allies in other parts of the world havehailed bin Laden's killing as a milestone in the efforts to combat andcontain international terrorism, there are mixed reactions from the worldespecially on the conditions in which he was killed.Bin Laden got what he deserved because his crime against humanity isunpardonable. As the chief of the Al Qaeda, bin Laden had declared waragainst the United States but his war was not only aimed at America butagainst human civilization and entire humanity. He is responsible forkilling thousands of innocent people in terrorist attacks in the worldincluding the attacks in American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the WorldTrade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, in London,Madrid, Bali and beyond. In New York attacks on September 11, 2001 alone,more than three thousand people had been killed.After bin Laden's Al-Qaida attacked in New York in September 2001, theUnited States declared war on terror with the objective of smashinginternational terrorist network and bring him to justice. The United Statesalong with other NATO members sent troops to Afghanistan to ' wipe out AlQaeda', Taleban and other terrorists and the western countries have attainedconsiderable success in their mission. However, complete victory in thiscounter-terrorism campaign is yet to be achieved.With the killing of Bin Laden, US president Barrack Obama has said ' justicehas been done'. But a question is being raised whether it was the objectiveof the America's war on terror and whether the war on terror has come to anend. In fact, it is not. Bin Laden was killed but it would have been betterif America had captured him alive and presented to the world so that US lawand the international laws would take due course to decide what should bedone to this man who has committed such a big crime against humanity.The demise of 50 year old Saudi born terrorist mastermind has generatedflurry of reactions and opinions worldwide. The western countries and theirallies are definitely joyful because their biggest enemy has beeneliminated. America has heaved a sigh of relief which can be wellunderstood. Washington had been desperate in the past because it was amatter of embarrassment for the only super power not to be able to catch aperson even in a period of decade since hunt for him started. However,others have expressed cautious and calculated reaction on this incident forvarious reasons.Bin Laden's death at the hands of U.S. troops is being viewed from severalperspectives. The incident is likely to have multi-dimensional impact andrepercussion in war on terror, America's relations with Pakistan andAfghanistan, US policy on South Asia, the ongoing pro-democracy movements inthe Arab countries, perceptions of US power around the world, and also the2012 presidential election in the United States in which Obama is seekingreelection. Since bin Laden was killed in Pakistan territory, this incident,is likely to exacerbate an already strained and mistrustful relationshipbetween the United States and Pakistan. Although the United States andPakistan have been strategic partners and allies right from the Cold Warera, suspicions have crept into their relationship in recent days. For this,both Pakistan and the United States are responsible.The United States has lately claimed that Pakistan did not cooperatesincerely and wholeheartedly in the campaign to eliminate Al Qaeda and itssupporters, who may be hiding in and operating from some tribal areas ofPakistan. Some people have even suggested the United States to break off itsties with Pakistan. On the surface, these claims and accusations may appeargenuine. However, it would be unwise to draw any concrete conclusion on thebasis of a single incident. What we need to take into account is the factthat Pakistan has always been a front country in the war on terror since2001. Had Pakistan not cooperated with the United States in its mission inAfghanistan, Washington would be a total failure. What America and the NATOtroops have achieved so far in Afghanistan in their counter-terrorismcampaign, is partly due to Pakistan's cooperation. The credit of success,whatever it is, should partly go to Pakistan as well.Some analysts have even indicated that the United States may completelyabandon its partnership with Pakistan because its mission was accomplishedafter the death of bin Laden. It is this reason why Pakistan complains thatWashington is undependable partner. In fact, the problem started with theUnited States trying to bring in India into Afghanistan's issue. The UnitedStates, taking U-turn in its South Asia policy, wants India's involvement inAfghanistan to counter balance Pakistan. But India is reluctant to do so.New Delhi's reluctance is not because it is unwilling to take part incounter terrorism mission in Afghanistan but because India is well awarethat taking part in Afghan war would be risky that would have greater chanceof backlash at home. India is already involved in Afghanistan in the nameof assisting reconstruction in Afghanistan. Its aim is to instigateactivities to destabilize Pakistan from Afghanistan soil. India has alreadyopened consulate offices in some cities close to Afghanistan's border withPakistan where there is no India's interest other than incitinganti-Pakistan activities. Despite knowing this Afghanistan's Karzai regimehas given permission to do so in the expense of its neighbour's security.It would be a blunder, on the part of the United States, to bring India intoAfghanistan issue. India's involvement in Afghanistan would be to alienatePakistan that would be risky for the United States and other powers that arealready in Afghanistan. Without the assistance and cooperation of Pakistan,the war on terror in Afghanistan cannot be won. Perhaps, the world includingthe United States, too, is well aware of it. But it cannot be understood whythe western powers want to bring Indian into Afghanistan. Once India getsinvolved, the situation in Afghanistan would be complicated. India's rolehas never been to solve the problems in other countries and establish peace.But its role is always to mess up and fuel conflict and chaos. This can bewell substantiated by India's tract record. In the height of the Cold War,India was in the side of Soviet Union and openly and blatantly supportedSoviet invasion everywhere in the world including Afghanistan. However,Pakistan not only opposed Soviet Union's invasion and interference inAfghanistan but also actively provided moral and material assistance tothose fighting against the Soviet troops. Had Pakistan not wholeheartedlysupported, it would not have been possible to evict Soviet army fromAfghanistan so soon.Now situation might change in Afghanistan after bin Laden's death. With BinLaden's death, the Al Qaeda and its allies are definitely down but notcompletely out, which requires conscious and cautious approach to deal withthe new situation. The way India is trying to take advantage to malignPakistan from the new situation would be counterproductive in the war onterror. Pakistan itself is the victim of terrorism and it is waging adecisive war on terror. Islamabad has not been fully successful in defeatingand eliminating terrorism in its own territory. It is true that bin Ladenwas found and killed in Pakistan. But this does not provide any ground toblame Pakistan of being a safe haven for terrorists. One thing we must beclear that bin Laden would not have been tracked down unless Pakistan hadnot supported in this mission. There must be cooperation between Pakistanand US in tracking down bin Laden but it was kept secret because of itssensitivity and implication in Muslim Pakistan.In the new situation, the role of Pakistan has been more important than everbefore. Any kind of rupture in the US-Pakistan relationship and cooperationcould be detrimental not only for US and Pakistan but also for peace andstability in South Asia and for global peace and order. Against thisbackground, the US-Pakistan cooperation is expected to be stronger and moreresult-oriented in the final war on terror. Pakistan has been consistentenough in its stance and position viz-a-viz its foreign policy and war onterror. But the United States' policy seems to be wavering in the recentyears. The duel policy the United States has adopted in South Asia would becounterproductive to Washington in the long run because history has provedNew Delhi's problem of credibility and crisis of trust. The rest of SouthAsian countries have already felt a pinch of India's power and any kind ofalliance with big powers like the United States would further exacerbate thehegemonic policy of New Delhi which would be detrimental for the balance ofpower in South Asia and also beyond.

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