Why is Admiral Mike Mullen Angry with Pakistan? Rahul Bhonsle
In a development that took many observers by surprise, Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen who relinquishes office on 30 September 2011 in a Senate Committee hearing openly accused Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for backing the Haqqani network. The Group is blamed for an attack on the US Embassy in Kabul on 13 September and also the Wardak base in the beginning of the month. Mullen has stood by his statement even though this set the cat amongst the pigeons so to say in an already strained US Pakistan relationship with over sensitive Pakistan Army launching a multi pronged offensive to counter the allegations.
That the statement came just a few days after Admiral Mullen had a long meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani during the course of a NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting in Seville, Spain may have been even more galling for Kayani who had delivered a talk on Pakistan’s Role in the Global War on Terror. In what has been standard litany he held out the right of the country to formulate policy in accordance with national interests. That its policy works against the overall objectives of global counter terrorism in Afghanistan does not appear to be of great concern to the Pakistani army brass.
But the sense of the meeting between Mullen and Kayani who have met scores of time and are reported to have a good working relationship in the past was American demand to launch operations against the Haqqani’s deeply entrenched roots in North Waziristan and from where Mullen and the American establishment believed the attack was launched on the US Embassy.
Indian’s could understand the reason for American anger having faced not one but a series of attacks on the Embassy as well as Indian personnel in Kabul losing the Military Attaché’, a Foreign Service officer, an army medical officer working in the hospital and a number of other staff apart from Afghan civilians.
The Americans having a very well informed intelligence network traced the attack to the Haqqani network and could possibly establish links with ISI officials controlling operations in Afghanistan. In all probability Admiral Mullen confronted the Pakistani Army Chief General Kayani with some solid evidence of ISI’s involvement and close linkages with the Haqqani network asking for action against the group.
Kayani possibly continued to deny the links and also played the familiar tune of striking at a time of his own choosing. In this perhaps the Pakistani Chief himself has limited choice as some of his corps commanders and particularly Peshawar Corps commander, Lt. Gen. Asif Yasin Malik is against the operation. Whether this is a collegiate decision or some corps commanders are having differences with the Chief will never be clear. But suffice to say Kayani possibly rebuffed all attempts by Admiral Mullen for a commitment to launch operations in North Waziristan.
The deeply frustrated Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who has had a stellar reputation of generalship and diplomacy in the US defence establishment was possibly driven to desperation to identify links of the ISI with the Haqqani network which has now assumed dimensions of a hydra headed monster in Afghanistan with some even attributing the killing of High Peace Council Chair Burhanuddin Rabbani to it.
Quite expectedly the Pakistan government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Army came out strongly defending its credentials in the war against terror distancing the ISI from the Haqqani network with chief Pasha even stating that it had not given a single penny to the group. A Special Corps Commanders Conference was held where possibly the issue was discussed in the light of future US Pakistan relations.
At the political level an All Party Conference was held on 29 September where the civilian leaders were briefed by General Pasha with Generals Kayani and Wyne Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and technically the counter part of Admiral Mullen in attendance. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz chief and two times Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif was also present along with a galaxy of other political leaders signifying importance given to the meeting. Predictably leaders of all political parties unanimously adopted a 13-point resolution defending the ISI and Army and called for a new direction of peace and reconciliation to counter militancy. "Pakistan must initiate dialogue with a view to negotiate peace with our own people in the tribal areas and a proper mechanism for this be put in place," said the resolution.
While undeniably Pakistan has sovereign rights to take action within its own territory however as a part of the global coalition against terrorism it has to fulfill obligations to counter threats which arise against all other states as per UN and international mandate. It is here where Islamabad by viewing terrorism in terms of narrow interests from a, “corps commanders” perspective continues to falter strategically and where perhaps even General Kayani finds himself facing a stonewall within his establishment.
Underlying the intransigence and reluctance to take action against Haqqani network is not just sensitivity of the Pakistani establishment to accusations against the ISI but also a larger strategy in post 2014 Afghanistan. Of the three non state foils, Quetta Shura Taliban, Hizb e Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Haqqani network to project power in Kabul, the GHQ in Rawalpindi has perhaps the greatest faith in the Haqqanis. Hekmatyar is already in deep engagement with the government and may even attend the Bonn Conference in December while Mullah Omar may open an office in Qatar to attain quasi official status. Both these groups are talking indepdently to Kabul and others.
This leaves the ever loyal Haqqani network on which the Pakistani establishment can eventually rely to foster its agenda. Michael Semple writing in Foreign Affairs blog confirms that Pakistan has build around the Haqqanis what he calls, “Waziristan Militant Complex,” to target Afghanistan, an insurance if other groups leave Islamabad’s fold.
Admiral Mullen thus has to retire a frustrated Joint Chiefs, for Pakistan could not have obliged him sacrificing its own larger strategic objectives in Afghanistan.
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