The pressure is mounting on Pakistan to send troops to Iraq. The "alliance of the willing" is unravelling as well as depleting and needs to be strengthened. The few odd countries who were beseeched or bribed to send a limited number of soldiers to assist U.S. occupation forces, are having second thoughts about staying. Apart from a few casualties in battles, a new crisis has arisen. Iraqi insurgents have now resorted to kidnapping citizens of these nations with threats to behead them unless their soldiers are pulled back from Iraq. The respective governments may refuse to comply on the principle of "no bargaining with blackmail by criminal terrorists", but the families of the unfortunate victims and the people in general do not consider them expendable. A couple of countries have, therefore, withdrawn post-haste to save individual lives and others may follow suit.
The Government of Pakistan is in a dilemma. Hitherto they have managed to stay on the fence with the argument that unless the Iraqis themselves request, we will not go. Now the transitory government of Iraq has extended an invitation. Moreover, our ambassador in USA Ashrraf Jahangir Qazi has been appointed UN representative in Iraq and it becomes obligatory on us to ensure his safety and security while he is doing his job. This could be as good an excuse as any and clear the way for sending a contingent of troops. But the issue is not so simple. The government is well aware that the public opinion led by MMA is against any type of collaboration with America in Iraq as long as their troops remain in the country. It is maintained that the present government is not sovereign because it has not been popularly elected and has been installed to serve prolonged U.S. occupation. It is difficult to assess what percentage of Iraqi people accept the administration led by Prime Minister Allawi as genuinely local. At least the militant extremists under the influence of al-Qaeda have vowed to destabilise it by ever increasing violence, suicide bombing and kidnappings for political of financial ransom.
Only last week two Pakistani nationals - an engineer and a driver - working for a Saudi-Kuwaiti company were taken hostage and have been executed by gruesome beheading. No specific motive is discernible unless it is an advance warning to Pakistan and other countries thinking of deploying forces in Iraq. It is appreciated by the Islamic world that they need to play an active role in restoring peace and help reconstruction Iraq, where presently more Muslims are being killed than non-Muslims. A collective action, therefore, is the obvious answer. But OIC and Arab League have thus far failed to decide on a modus operandi. This dragging of feet is inexplicable. Surely the neighbouring Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Syria, across the borders, should be most concerned. Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister did broach the subject with Saudi rulers but no information is available whether any headway was made.
It is apparent that a joint security and peace keeping force under UN aegis would be the ideal solution. One wonders why USA and UNO are not considering this option. May be Ashrraf Jahangir Qazi, in his capacity as the designated UN representative in Iraq, could bring this about. Perhaps he can make it a precondition before taking up his onerous assignment. Now that US soldiers are not too active in combating violence, the onus has fallen on Allawi who is trying to regroup the disbanned Iraqi army and police force. The presence of foreign Muslim troops to help him maintain law and order may enable him to plead for early withdrawal of US-UK occupation forces. Most Iraqi young men are unemployed and need jobs. The army and police organizations being reconstituted offer them the best opening and they are flocking for recruitment. The insurgents, therefore, find them ideal targets with a view to discourage them and weaken Allawi's government. Irrespective of the cause they are fighting for the resistance is losing sympathy and support in the Arab countries and around the world. What type of Jehad is this where the victims of violence and bloodshed are mostly Iraqis and innocent foreign civilians? It is the height of inhumanity.
What USA has gained or lost by invading Iraq is a billion dollar question. In Vietnam America suffered a humiliating defeat. In Iraq technically they won the war but have lost the peace, also failing to achieve their objective of strengthening the foothold in the Middle-East. On the contrary never before in history US clout has been so weak and the prestige so low.
Musharraf is now between the devil and the deep sea. He would like to send Pakistani troops to Iraq because Washington expects it of him and he could justify the move on the grounds that the government in Iraq is being run by the locals and not American occupation authority. But at the same time he is aware that public sentiment in the country is not in favour of the idea and the Parliament is not likely to give consent. A solution can be found if UNO gets directly involved and formally raises a multi-national peace keeping force inviting Pakistan to join along with other international countries - Muslims or otherwise.
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