The USA should realise that its adventurism ill befits its role as the world’s sole superpower. The other countries of the world do not find it a good global policeman, with the result that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the real strongman of that country, has bitterly criticised the USA.
Russia was until the end of the 20th century the USA’s main challenge, and the collapse of its predecessor, the USSR, caused the USA to inaugurate the New World Order. While Mr Putin’s remarks might be ascribed to this, the conclusion of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar the same day, Thursday, was of the view that the USA would be to blame if Pakistan failed in the war on terror. Mr Putin has another motive, with his remarks coming during an annual televised call-in following his United Russia party’s poor showing in the recent parliamentary elections, ahead of his own bid for a third presidential term next year, after having served from 2001 to 2009, giving way to the current President because of term limits.
He has used this result to serve as a reason of a more forward foreign policy. This, it seems is because the Russian people have rejected the isolation from the world stage that took place after the USSR’s collapse. Ms Khar’s remarks came in the course of testimony to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security in the course of its deliberations on the review of relations with the USA that had been mandated by the Cabinet Committee on Defence after the Salalah massacre.
It should be noted, particularly by the USA, that Mr Putin and Ms Khar were rated friends of the USA, and their criticisms are the result of hard experience, not knee-jerk anti-Americanism. For Mr Putin to say that Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown with the help of Nato planes and special forces merely acknowledges recently documented history. Ms Khar’s criticism reflects the correctness of Mr Putin’s conclusions, for it shows how even an old ally like Pakistan, has found the US overbearing.Another common factor is that between them, Mr Putin and Ms Khar represent the only possible approaches for Nato (including the USA) to Afghanistan. The Pakistan route has been rendered untenable because of the Salalah killings, and the USSR has a number of issues directly concerning it to take up with the USA. Pakistan is not alone in its disillusionment with the world’s only superpower. – Nation
