US Ambassador Designate to Pakistan: Tough Talker, New Hunter
Nour Rida
In the wake of hearings in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations this week to assign new ambassadors to the different countries worldwide, Pakistan gets its share as a veteran diplomat in hot-spots such as Iraq and Serbia will be in office soon.
The flood-stricken country of approximately 7 million victims and 20 million affected of the natural disaster is to receive the next US ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter who will replace current Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
During the hearing held on Thursday September 23, Munter pledged "ceaseless engagement" to combat the country's "anti-Americanism", saying Washington needed to do a better job explaining its motives.
Munter added that the United States should pursue a long-term commitment to help Pakistan fight "extremism" and recover from devastating floods.
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Munter said that US officials needed to be better listeners and "build a lasting relationship with Pakistani counterparts based on honesty and mutual respect." This "déjà vu" policy of "better hearing the counterpart" was suggested by CENTCOM's Red Team earlier in June 2010 but the players vs. the US government and its foreign policy were different.
CENTCOM in a report by Mark Perry recommended a mix of strategies that would integrate two organizations (Hizbullah and Hamas) into their respective political mainstreams rather than the one-dimensional U.S. position that simplistically characterizes these groups as "terrorists", only a more diplomatic means to hit the target.
Moreover, the scenario of American foreign policies of democracy have saturated the different regions of the world with only more terrorism and greed to satiate the Ego-centric US and its interests under pretexts of humanitarian aid and support.
Be it Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or other countries, all have witnessed American blood baths, disasters, wars and invasions charged with hatred and oppression for Muslims and gluttony.
The US efforts allegedly to enhance people's living standards, eliminate their disasters befalling them, and raise the standard of political action to the level of "democracy", are nothing but hegemony schemes to fulfill America's wants and needs.
In Iraq, a fifth of the population has become illiterate after "democratic" invaders have killed 1 million people, including thousands of scientists and intellectuals. With 7 years already on the invasion, only more instability was brought about the country and its people by the "Democratic Ideal".
Millions of tragic stories about widows, orphans, poverty, rape, killing and violence brought about by the Americans are imprinted in the memories of the lands between the rivers.
The same applies to Afghanistan and Pakistan which have been torn by violence and war and the daily killing by American drones.
Back to Munter's testimony, where he added during the hearing "Let's be honest about this. We need to overcome historical skepticism among Pakistanis about American motives in South Asia, and this will require ceaseless engagement, energy and outreach."
"We will not always agree with Pakistan on every priority, but we will work through our differences as partners, with our eyes on a vision we share of the strong, independent Pakistan at peace with its neighbors and free of terrorism," he said.
Were not these words very similar to those US officials uttered amid the American "heroic" toppling of the Saddam regime in 2003? Or in the American fight against the "Taliban" Afghanistan, their interference in Yemen or elsewhere? This while the US government claims putting its utmost efforts to bring stability at the time its drones "mistakenly" strike residential areas and kill civilians among which are children and women.
"And, of course, this partnership has a crucial security element. Pakistan's security is vital for us and for the region, and a secure and stable Pakistan will strengthen security globally," he added. How can Pakistan security be vital while the CIA and US military drones breach and respire Pakistani air and feed the Pakistani lands with bombs and missiles purportedly while fighting insurgency? This definitely does not sound like havens to the people of Pakistan.
Moreover, the same US Army's Combat Aviation Brigades that target civilians are the same ones that have been delivering aid to the Pakistanis in inflicted areas. According to the US Embassy in Pakistan, the US President Barack Obama announced an additional 75 million dollars in food aid to help Pakistan cope with floods. Then again, at least 28 people were killed in three US led drone strikes in the remote areas of South and North Waziristan.
Munter added: "It will require wisdom and the ability to listen" where it seems the two requirements are tools in favor of realizing the "American dream".
US officials and designates have turned to calling for "public diplomacy" in dealing with foreign relations, only a "key", a more twisted way to encircle the target and strike it. This while the relation between the US and its foreign "counterparts" remains to be like a one-night stand that ends soon due to diverging national interests and values and as soon as the target is no longer an asset as far as long-term U.S. interests and values are concerned.
In the wake of hearings in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations this week to assign new ambassadors to the different countries worldwide, Pakistan gets its share as a veteran diplomat in hot-spots such as Iraq and Serbia will be in office soon.
The flood-stricken country of approximately 7 million victims and 20 million affected of the natural disaster is to receive the next US ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter who will replace current Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
During the hearing held on Thursday September 23, Munter pledged "ceaseless engagement" to combat the country's "anti-Americanism", saying Washington needed to do a better job explaining its motives.
Munter added that the United States should pursue a long-term commitment to help Pakistan fight "extremism" and recover from devastating floods.
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Munter said that US officials needed to be better listeners and "build a lasting relationship with Pakistani counterparts based on honesty and mutual respect." This "déjà vu" policy of "better hearing the counterpart" was suggested by CENTCOM's Red Team earlier in June 2010 but the players vs. the US government and its foreign policy were different.
CENTCOM in a report by Mark Perry recommended a mix of strategies that would integrate two organizations (Hizbullah and Hamas) into their respective political mainstreams rather than the one-dimensional U.S. position that simplistically characterizes these groups as "terrorists", only a more diplomatic means to hit the target.
Moreover, the scenario of American foreign policies of democracy have saturated the different regions of the world with only more terrorism and greed to satiate the Ego-centric US and its interests under pretexts of humanitarian aid and support.
Be it Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or other countries, all have witnessed American blood baths, disasters, wars and invasions charged with hatred and oppression for Muslims and gluttony.
The US efforts allegedly to enhance people's living standards, eliminate their disasters befalling them, and raise the standard of political action to the level of "democracy", are nothing but hegemony schemes to fulfill America's wants and needs.
In Iraq, a fifth of the population has become illiterate after "democratic" invaders have killed 1 million people, including thousands of scientists and intellectuals. With 7 years already on the invasion, only more instability was brought about the country and its people by the "Democratic Ideal".
Millions of tragic stories about widows, orphans, poverty, rape, killing and violence brought about by the Americans are imprinted in the memories of the lands between the rivers.
The same applies to Afghanistan and Pakistan which have been torn by violence and war and the daily killing by American drones.
Back to Munter's testimony, where he added during the hearing "Let's be honest about this. We need to overcome historical skepticism among Pakistanis about American motives in South Asia, and this will require ceaseless engagement, energy and outreach."
"We will not always agree with Pakistan on every priority, but we will work through our differences as partners, with our eyes on a vision we share of the strong, independent Pakistan at peace with its neighbors and free of terrorism," he said.
Were not these words very similar to those US officials uttered amid the American "heroic" toppling of the Saddam regime in 2003? Or in the American fight against the "Taliban" Afghanistan, their interference in Yemen or elsewhere? This while the US government claims putting its utmost efforts to bring stability at the time its drones "mistakenly" strike residential areas and kill civilians among which are children and women.
"And, of course, this partnership has a crucial security element. Pakistan's security is vital for us and for the region, and a secure and stable Pakistan will strengthen security globally," he added. How can Pakistan security be vital while the CIA and US military drones breach and respire Pakistani air and feed the Pakistani lands with bombs and missiles purportedly while fighting insurgency? This definitely does not sound like havens to the people of Pakistan.
Moreover, the same US Army's Combat Aviation Brigades that target civilians are the same ones that have been delivering aid to the Pakistanis in inflicted areas. According to the US Embassy in Pakistan, the US President Barack Obama announced an additional 75 million dollars in food aid to help Pakistan cope with floods. Then again, at least 28 people were killed in three US led drone strikes in the remote areas of South and North Waziristan.
Munter added: "It will require wisdom and the ability to listen" where it seems the two requirements are tools in favor of realizing the "American dream".
US officials and designates have turned to calling for "public diplomacy" in dealing with foreign relations, only a "key", a more twisted way to encircle the target and strike it. This while the relation between the US and its foreign "counterparts" remains to be like a one-night stand that ends soon due to diverging national interests and values and as soon as the target is no longer an asset as far as long-term U.S. interests and values are concerned.
