Adil Najam
What do Pakistanis think about how Osama Bin Laden met his end, the implications of that end?
There are as many opinions on what happened in Abbottabad as there are Pakistanis. Maybe more. But there is no sense whatsoever where the government of Pakistan (or any of its major institutions) stand on what happened – or stood when it was happening. For 36 hours now the world has been waiting to see what Pakistan does and says – the silence and incoherence from Islamabad has not just been embarrassing, it has been damning. Finally, key institutions in Pakistan have begun trying to piece a narrative together – unfortunately it is way too late and the narrative itself rather lame.
When I put up a short post on Osama Bin Laden’s death soon after the news broke, I had hoped that in time more details would become available and we would get more clarity on what happened and how. We do now have more detail. But certainly not more clarity. The story about what happened in Abbottabad now lives in Spin-abad. Everyone – from governments, secret agencies, the media, the Twitterati, and your spinster aunt – are taking a spin. Many are taking multiple, sometimes contradictory, spins. Everyone except the Pakistan government.
That, of course, is a surprise – not only because the Pakistan government does have a lot of explaining to do, but even more because it is in the interest of the Pakistan government to do that explaining itself rather than have someone else do it for them. Yet, up until it was already too late, Pakistan seems to have abdicated that responsibility. In fact, President Barack Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry seemed to be making that (half-hearted) case for Pakistan more than anyone in authority in Pakistan. Given that President Obama had informed President Zardari before the speech from the US President, one would have assumed that the Pakistan President and his media handlers would have their own statement ready to go on the air minutes, if not seconds, after President Obama’s speech. This is not about spin and PR, this is Diplomacy 101: Own and define the narrative as soon and as clearly as you can before someone else defines it for you – especially if the narrative is likely to be unfavorable.
But the narrative, itself, is not the core of Pakistan’s challenges. The problem is the facts on the ground and the government’s inability and unwillingness to explain them. Pakistan is used to the feeling of the world ganging up on it. But there are good reasons for the questions being asked of Pakistan by the world today. There are even better reasons for the questions being asked of Pakistan by Pakistanis today. Whether the government comes clean to the world or not, it is vital that it respond to Pakistanis. The first is a matter of national image (no trivial issue, that), but the latter is a question of citizen trust in national institutions (an existential element of statehood).
The fact is that there is a Pakistan case to be made on this issue. And it needs to be made to Pakistanis much more than to the rest of the world. It is a case that forcefully stresses that a world, and a Pakistan, without Osama Bin Laden in it is a vastly better world than one with him in it – this is a villain who orchestrated events that have left more than 30,000 Pakistanis dead in extremism and terrorism. It is a case that legitimately highlights the sacrifices that Pakistan and Pakistanis have, in fact, made in the fight against terrorism. Most importantly, it is a case that honestly analyzes what happened in Abbottabad – it is not a surprise that Osama Bin Laden was found in Pakistan and in a large urban area (just like nearly every other major Al Qaida figure captured) – but an explanation is owed on why Pakistani intelligence failed to make the connections that led to him, an explanation is owed on exactly what Pakistan’s official role in the final operation was (or was not), and an explanation is owed on exactly what Pakistan’s strategy on countering terrorism is, who is running it, and why it is not working well enough or fast enough.
In a country and an ‘establishment’ as divided as Pakistan, this cannot be an easy conversation; it is not supposed to be. It is time to ask honest and tough questions of everyone. It has long need a necessary conversation; now is the time to have it.
Pakistani military has let its people down. It is impossible that they were unaware of Americans especially when they flew from Tarbela airbase. Whatever maybe the hidden story, one thing is clear.
Pakistani military establishment has made a big mistake. There is still time to overcome that. The world knows about the deeds of Americans. They have blood of hundreds of millions on their hand. Also Pakistan has the resources to give Americans a very tough time in Afghanistan. India can be rein in too very easily.
The only problem is that the generals are either too afraid or insane. There is nothing black and white in this world. Diplomacy is a dirty game and US and India are champions of hoodwiking. In fact, every country in the world takes care of its own interests and use all means to justify its actions. What the Pakistani military is doing? Is it sleeping?
Interesting picture in the post.
Guess the US military is like Pakistan military. The General has the seat at the head and the US president crouches at his feet :-)
Good post, Sir.
Where have the government’s spin masters been: the decieving duo of Farahnaz Isphahani and Hussain Haqqani, always busy in putting forth US view.
And also where was the whole spin and PR machinery of the ISI and military. No squeak from them.
Shame on you Hussain Haqqani, Shame on you ISI.
If Pakistan knew about this raid and Bin Laden then the Pakistanis would have whisked away Bin Laden before the Americans got there.
If Pakistanis knew about Bin Laden but not this raid, then the Pakistanis would have fired on the non-stealth US helicopters.
Only viable theories left are:
1. Pakistanis knew about the raid but not Bin Laden.
2. Pakistanis had Bin Ladens frozen dead body and got an additional couple of billion dollars as kickback for helping Obama in poll numbers. (my pick).
This is a must read. Politely worded but hard hitting.
And very tough too. Specially your last two paragraphs. You are right, easy or not, we need to ask why government is keeping quiet just to appease some right wingers and THIS is the time to have some military intelligence heads role.