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Trump and Modi must cooperate on PoK

opinionTrump and Modi must cooperate on PoK

Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and President Donald John Trump are the elected leaders of the world’s two biggest democracies. They have become friends, and are expected to meet once again this month, when the PM visits New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Should President Trump also speak on that occasion, the world will be watching both leaders, as both together as well as separately make a signal contribution to stability in the world. Hopefully, President Trump will resist the blandishments of the multi-billion dollar Wahhabi lobby in his country and avoid mentioning matters internal to India. What took place in Kashmir, where an enactment grounded in the “Two Nation” theory (which claims that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations and can never live peaceably within a single country) was eliminated with characteristic boldness by the PM. The way in which President Trump refused (albeit at the last minute) to allow himself to become a victim of the Wahhabi lobby and its efforts at weakening US resolve in the battle against extremism and terror was demonstrated by the statespersonlike decision to call off talks with the Taliban. These are a group of armed extremists who serve as bonded labour to GHQ Rawalpindi, and who deprive girls and women of not simply education, but work in the territory in Afghanistan that they control as a consequence of the serial errors made by Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. Indeed, Bill Clinton may be termed with accuracy as the Father of the Taliban, as it was during his two terms in the world’s most consequential office that the Taliban was formed and given the support needed to take over almost the whole of Afghanistan. The consequence was the spawning of a terror machine that hit at its own benefactor on 11 September 2001, although by then Bill Clinton had left the White House and was busy building up his bank balance from sources across the world. GHQ Rawalpindi’s camp follower, Zalmay Khalilzad sought to make President Trump believe that the word of that band of extremists could be trusted. Were the Taliban to take over Afghanistan once again, the only certainty would be that another terror attack on the scale of 9/11 or bigger would in a short while be certain to hit the US. Even the most casual investigation into the Taliban reveals that elements of ISIS, Al Qaeda and other extremist and terror groups have found safe haven within its ranks. Inserting the Taliban into Kabul, as sought by both the Wahhabi lobby and Khalilzad, would have resulted in the implosion of the democratically elected government of Afghanistan headed by President Ashraf Ghani. Whether it be the current Afghan President or challengers such as former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, these are men of stature and moderation who deserve more than getting thrown under the bus. In the dismissal of National Security Advisor John Bolton, President Trump has once again demonstrated wisdom. Just the departure of Bolton is likely to lead in a fall in oil prices, that have been kept at an unnaturally high level because of anxiety that “War First” (rather than America First) Bolton would somehow be able to engineer a conflict with Iran that would destabilise the entire region and throw the world economy into recession. It was John Bolton who pushed hardest for not just the war in Iraq but the post-war mess that was created as a consequence of the George W. Bush administration seeking to act in the mould of Lord Curzon and rule over the Iraqi people. The absurdity of a US national (the clueless Paul Bremer) being made Administrator of Iraq by an administration that boasted of the “liberation” of Iraq was among the many Euro-colonial actions suggested by Bolton and others of his persuasion within the inner councils of the Bush administration. Even the so-called “Iraqi” representatives within the Green Zone were US citizens who had left Iraq decades ago and returned only as carpetbaggers. President Trump has wisely avoided getting into a conflict with North Korea that could devastate Japan, and a war with Iran that could send Saudi Arabia into civil conflict between the Shia population and others. Had Bolton had his way, both these wars would by now have taken place. Now that he has left, the chances are high that President Trump will ensure that Iran remains committed to the Nuclear Deal while at the same time being given opportunity for rapid economic development. Donald J. Trump is a peacemaker and not a warmonger, and the summary ouster of “War First” Bolton demonstrates that fact. In time, it is expected that Trump will see the wisdom in Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s determination to take back control of PoK from the extremist military that has controlled this important corner of India since Lord Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Mountbatten persuaded Jawaharlal Nehru to declare a ceasefire in 1948 before General Cariappa had taken back the whole of Jammu & Kashmir from Jinnah’s forces. Only the triumvirate of Kabul, Washington and Delhi can make this happen, as indeed it will during the term in office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

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