By Majed Iqbal- "The terrorist attack on Mumbai is an audacious challenge to India's Nation State. While maintaining calm and unity, we must all resolve to break the back of India's enemies. Clearly, the terrorists have declared a full-scale war on India and sought to sever the country's economic nerve with their meticulously planned carnage across the metropolis".
The words echoed by India's Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani could sum up how the Indian nation is feeling after the unfortunate events in Mumbai that took place in the last week of November as well as providing us with glimpses of where the anger is being directed at.
The blame game over who was responsible for the attacks turned into internal chaos as Indian ministers came in the firing line. Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil and national security adviser MK Narayanan submitted their resignations amid growing pressure on the Indian government to explain why it was unable to prevent the strike in which at least 172 died.
Pakistan immediately became the first target for Indian officials to point the finger of blame on which began from the onset of the crisis with hardly any investigation done. India's Deputy Home Minister, Shakeel Ahmad, told the BBC it was "very clearly established" that all the attackers were from Pakistan. "Whether they had government backing or whether there was any official involvement in it - it will come to light after proper investigation," Mr. Ahmad said.
Both the Pakistani government and the military were quick to warn India against jumping to hasty conclusions and Political leaders went out of their way to condemn the attacks and offer "unconditional support" in the investigation, promising to take action if any Pakistani link is established.
Pakistanis met the entire blame and rhetorical media reporting with deep skepticism.
Defence analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi responded in the local Pakistan Daily Times newspaper. "It is interesting that Indian security agencies failed to detect such a massive operation during its planning stage, but wasted little time in fixing the blame on some Pakistani group? India needs to face the reality of home-grown radicalism, and realize the futility of blaming Pakistan for its troubles."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented on the events as America sought to leverage its authority on this area where political goals are hugely vested for it. She said "Pakistan and others must act with urgency and resolve to bring the Mumbai attackers to justice. This is especially a time for Pakistan to do so. That message has been delivered and will be delivered to Pakistan". she told reporters in Delhi.
From the recent Mumbai events, the Marriott Hotel bombing in Islamabad, the Political instability of the Pakistani Government, the turf wars in Karachi, the incursions in the North west Frontier Province, an apparent ‘fear' of Nuclear weapons falling into ‘wrong hands', Zardari's begging venture around the globe for credit, alleged groups targeting India and a growing and deeply embedded call for Islam in Pakistan- all these issues have been used as an ace card to present Pakistan as a failed state on the brink of collapse.
The Mumbai events found a continued opportunity to apply pressure on Pakistan by labeling it as a state which sponsors Terrorism indirectly. Such comments have provided added fuel to growing perceptions internationally, depicting Pakistan as a new safe heaven for Al-Qaeda.
Bill Kristol, Fox Television commentator recounts that in a 90-minute, mostly off-the-record meeting with a small group of journalists in early July, President Bush "conveyed the following impression, that he thought the next president's biggest challenge would not be Iraq, ... It's Pakistan." We have "a sort of friendly government that sort of cooperates and sort of doesn't. It's really a complicated and difficult situation." Bush said.
Obama confirmed this position when in August 2007 at the Woodrow Wilson Centre he said: "There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again . . . If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."
This was followed by comments this year on July 15th in which he argued that more focus and resource were required on both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Regular dosage of criticism by Afghan officials and the mayor of Kabul, Hamid karzai have added to denting the image of Pakistan. As far back as 2006, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanezai was making statements like "The terrorists who come here for suicide attacks are attending training bases in Pakistan and are getting all their equipment there," said Mr. Stanezai.
The US has been itching to get into Pakistan for some time, first using remote controlled Predator aircraft to attack targets within Pakistan almost on a daily basis. Secondly the US has spent $10 billion on Pakistan's military since 2001 and more specifically in trying to make Pakistan's Frontier Corps into a fighting unit for the US military.
As the events continue to unfold, any keen observer can see that Pakistan is now the subject of debate and discussion in an almost déjà vu scenario to Iraq before 2003. The dodgy dossier detailing a potential Iraqi strike within 50 minutes is now on par to Pakistan's nuclear weaponry falling into wrong hands and holding the world to ransom.
It is time for Pakistanis to wake up and realize that they should no longer believe in lies that they are a prized ally in the War on Terror. They are now the target state in the War on Terror.
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