What a Noxious Shot?

Amid perilous episodes of lawlessness on the soils of Iraq which are escalating day-in and day-out, giving jerks and jolts to the people by burns and blazes erupting from bangs and blasts of high potency–to be specific over 300 men, women and children put to death by the US marines with their toxic gunship helicopters at the holy city of Najaf in one go on Friday–a spokesman of Pakistan’s foreign office stoutly shielded the Iraq policy with the words; that Islamabad is not ready to send its troops to Iraq “in the present circumstances.”

“The situation there is volatile and unstable”, he said in his weekly briefing to newsmen in Islamabad at the onset of the week.

If analyzed with pragmatism, it turns obvious in fact despicable that the spokesman was ambiguous, vague and non-committal about non-deployment of Pakistani troops in Iraq, while almost all the Muslim countries have categorically declared that they shall not send off their forces to the US-held country.

It is, virtually ironic that the spokesman was still evasive on the issue and tried to beat about the bush in order to make room for change of opinion at any time as per the future developments.

There should, nevertheless, be no misperception about the fact that the people of Pakistan are opposed to the dispatch of Pakistan’s troops to Iraq. There is no other view in the country on this count. It’s, thus paradoxical that the Government, prima facie is ostensibly still receptive to the pressure from Washington.

Haziness in its public posture on the issue rays the result of its catch-22 due to the lack of clarity in comprehension of the issues involved in the dispatch of troops to Iraq while US forces are still there.

We appreciate the principled stand taken by different Muslim countries especially Egypt and Iran to the effect that there can be no role of their forces for Iraq as long as the coalition forces remain on the soil of the war tattered country.

Saudi Arabia has also made it abundantly clear that the idea of Muslim countries’ force for Iraq was mooted as a replacement of the US and its’ other coalition partners’ troops and–”not to supplement any alien.

It’s, therefore, incomprehensible as to why our FO spokesman should mince words on the issue. There is, in fact, no raison d’être or logic for the Foreign Office to depict excuses and phony notions in favor of any furtive and covert agenda–”if at all exists–”on the issue.

We would refuse to accept any sketch vis-à-vis the dispatch of Pakistani troops to Baghdad sans the exit of US-led forces from Iraq. Else it will have far-reaching implications for the long-standing relations between Iraqi people and the Pakistanis.

We are firm believer of the fact that it is an apposite and suitable time that Pakistan should come out with a firm and outright pose that it will not send its troops to Iraq till the time the coalition forces make an instantaneous exit from the Iraqi soil.

Now, with the advent of every new dawn, the reality which is turning into an established truth, beyond any shadow of doubt is; that the presence of US and coalition forces is a main cause of carnage in Iraq.

And such a scenario shall stay intact–”till the time US decides to quit the realm with dignity and honor–”by returning sovereignty to the people of the sacrosanct territory–”Iraq, which, by all perceptions is their bona fide birth right–”alike any other nation on the Orb.

Pakistan should, hence, better stay away from the persistent chaos–”which is marked by swelling mayhem and turmoil in Iraq–”in the best interest of the nation as an entirety.