Bush or Obama-Spot the difference!

On the eve of 2nd December, 2009 when President Obama spoke about Afghanistan’s policy; it was hard to determine the difference between former President G. Bush and current President Obama. It seemed more of rhetoric than anything else. The same old cock and bull story; but a little twist in the tale was:

The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.

The surprising element here is that despite repeated assurances by Secretary of State and by other U.S officials present at the Capitol Hill that Pakistan’s Nukes are in safe hands; has been rebutted by the President. An alarming point that President mentioned was the increase in the drone attacks in Pakistan; irrespective of what the Pakistani government says; and in case they say!

What came as a more surprise to many was the announcement made by the President that, U.S will be increasing its troops by 30,000 in Afghanistan and will start withdrawing by July, 2011. In U.S Congress and Senate, Democrats are strictly against the increase in number of troops in Afghanistan, whereas Republicans are against the withdrawal of troops in any time soon. So such an announcement has made both the parties confused and Obama has made his life difficult because now he has to convince both the parties to let go their staunch stance over Afghanistan.

It is funny how American Presidents have been making sweeping intelligence statements in their speeches; from the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to this statement:

This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al-Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat

If the President is so sure of Al-Qaeda’s presence then why the check posts present at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan were emptied and that also just before a day, the operation started.

We will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan. We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.

It is very true that U.S success in Afghanistan is linked with Pakistan but unfortunately President Obama took Indian counterpart into confidence over the new AfPak policy and later Pakistani authorities; that is why according to Pakistani Foreign Minister U.S should stay in Afghanistan for at least 5 years whereas U.S President wants to pullout within 18 months; India despite being a non-neighboring country of Afghanistan has more than 12 consulates in Afghanistan, everything is so contradicting!

In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear. America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan’s democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan’s security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.

Though according the Shaheen Sehbai’s article in The News, on 3rd December, 2009; he has reported that right after the speech; President Obama authorized the expansion of war in Pakistan, possibly in Quetta.

The speech was considered as rhetoric by many observers saying that they are used to such statements from Capitol Hill; but not many were expecting President Obama to go against his own party’s stance by increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan. This war is already being seen as another U.S failure just like Vietnam. Somehow the other; it seems that Americans do not learn from the history.

An American woman holds a placard to protest the new Afghan Policy and rejects it as old plan and set of lies

The U.S intelligence failed in finding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq; they failed in finding Osama and Mullah Omar in Afghanistan for last 8 years, now. They supported Dictators in Pakistan; they do nuclear pacts with India and suggest that they are our allies! There is contradiction everywhere in American policies, intelligence reports and their conduct. The claimed that are supporting democracy in Pakistan and not one personality but unfortunately they are backing on President Zardari; and supporting him.

Americans are after Iranian nuclear program; and that is only because of the Zionist lobby. There is no substantial proof or strategy of what America is doing to the outside world; they have always been doing it and will do so till the establishment and think tanks in America change their mindset. For me, president Obama has been more or less similar to former president Bush because it was learnt in the previous regime that war is not the only solution for the area. President Obama was one of the very few leaders who came to power with such support but the way he is going it does not seem that he will be able to maintain the support.

With reports coming that Donald Rumsfeld allowed the escape of Osama in 2001 shows the U.S mindset; it is the Americans that started the war in 80’s against Soviet Union and it should be Americans that end this war; rather than blaming on the other countries. America should not forget that there are thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan; and it is due to their action against Soviet Union; America should remember that it has caused enough destruction to this world and has always been part of war, some way or the other.

I think it is time that America becomes a real super power and apologize to Pakistan and the world for causing so much trouble especially in our country; for making our country men lose their lives and their families. It is time that Americans realize that enough destruction has been done; I wish Americans had spend as much money as they did at war, rather on the economic up-building of the Afghanistan; the place would had been a lot better than today!