War Against Terrorism
War Against Terrorism
War Against Terrorism
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Introduction
The event of 9/11 has put many nations of the world into a
terrible crisis. It was followed by the US and coalition forces
bombardment and invasion of Afghanistan and had
worsened the security environment of South Asia. The
adverse situation generated by the US-led Global War on
Terror (GWOT) has left overwhelming impacts and more
agony to Pakistan than any other country of the world. The
primary concern of this research paper is to trace out the
repercussions of the US-led war against terrorism on
Pakistan. Though it is difficult to measure the advantages
and disadvantages of the war against terrorism for Pakistan,
however, a comparative analysis of the gains and losses has
been done critically. For better understanding, the
researcher has divided this paper into three main domains
i.e. political/security repercussions, economic repercussions
and social/cultural repercussions. Before proceeding further
it is better to have a look on the circumstances that led to the
close partnership between Pakistan and US in the postSeptember 11 scenario.
Formation of Pak-US Partnership in the Post-9/11
On the morning of September 11, 2001 four passenger airplanes were hijacked by nineteen hijackers over the US and
subsequently hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon (US
Military Headquarters). 1 The death toll from the attacks was
estimated from 2992 to 3,117 including victims from about
eighty (80) countries. The nineteen men who were said to be
responsible for the 9/11 attacks were Arabs, who had
affiliation with Al-Qaeda network, led by Osama bin Laden,
who was a militant operating from Afghanistan since 1996
and had started a Holy War against the US policies in the
Muslim world. 2
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Bob Woodward, Bush at War (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002), 103.
Woodward, Bush at War, 31-32.
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5
6
7
75
Pervez Musharraf, In the Line of Fire: A Memoir (New York, London &
Toronto: Simon & Schuster Inc., 2006), 201 (During an interview with Jon
Stewart of The Daily Show on September 26, 2006, Musharraf repeated the
same statement).
Interview by author with Wendy J. Chamberlin, (former U.S. Ambassador to
Pakistan), President of the Middle East Institute, Washington D.C., March
18, 2011.
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11
12
13
77
15
16
78
18
79
20
21
Ashraf, et.al. (eds.), Peace and Security in South Asia, Report of the
International Conference held at the Institute of Strategic Studies
(Islamabad: September 19-20, 2002), 73. For detail see Polly Nayak and
Michael Krepon, US Crisis Management in South Asias twin Peaks Crisis,
Report No. 57 (Washington DC: The Henry L. Stimson Centre, September
2006).
Ashraf, et.al. (eds.), Peace and Security in South Asia, 55.
Jon Lunn, Claire Taylor and Tim Youngs, Pakistans Political and Security
Challenges (London: International Affairs and Defence Section, House of
Commons Library, Research Paper 07/68, September 13, 2007), 3.
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Lunn, Taylor and Youngs, Pakistans Political and Security Challenges, 34.
Naseem Ahmed, General Musharafs Taliban Policy 1999-2008, The
Dialogue V, No. 2 (April-June 2010): 111.
Musharraf, In the Line of Fire, 232-33.
Touqir Hussain, US-Pakistan Engagement: The War on Terrorism and
Beyond, IPS Report (Washington DC: U.S. Institute of Peace, Special
Report 145, August 2005), 6.
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26
27
28
82
29
30
31
83
35
84
37
38
85
41
86
87
49
50
88
52
53
54
89
56
Abbas, Pakistans Drift into Extremism, 15-20. See also Ashley J. Tellis,
Pakistan and the War on Terror: Conflicted Goals, Compromised
Performance (Washington, DC: A Report of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, January 2008), 4-5.
Abbas, Pakistans Drift into Extremism, 85-86.
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Conclusion
In short, the US war against terrorism has affected the
internal, external policies and the future of Pakistan. The
partnership with the US helped Pakistan to overcome sanctions,
end its isolation and revive economic as well as military
assistance. Initiation of composite dialogue process with India
under US pressure was also a political gain for Pakistan. Pakistan
also got the status of non-NATO ally and that of Front Line State
from that of a rogue regime, terrorist state and failed state. It also
succeeded to restore its membership in the Commonwealth,
which was suspended after the military coup of October 1999. On
the other hand Pakistan had to revise its traditional Afghan policy
and found difficulties in diplomacy while supporting the freedom
struggle of Kashmir. It increased anti-Americanism in Pakistan
and escalated extremism in the society. The US and all major
powers are also concerned about the rise of religious extremism in
Pakistan and about the safety of its nuclear assets. Moreover,
currently, shift of war on terror to its western frontiers also pose
serious challenges to its national security and domestic stability.
While keeping the national interest in mind, Pakistan needs to be
more careful, to understand the most compelling security
challenges facing the region and not allowing any other country to
gain tactical advantage of the current situation.
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Interview by author with Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies
Centre, The Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C. March 15, 2011. Also
see Testimony of Lisa Curtis before the Armed Services Committee on
Security Challenges Involving Pakistan and Policy Repercussions for the
Department of Defense, (U.S. House of Representatives, October 11,
2007).