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Journalism of Courage
Pakistan8217;s misadventure on nuclear proliferation with countries like North Korea, Libya, Iran and Iraq and the speed with which General Musharraf pardoned Dr A.Q. Khan has left many questions unanswered. Including, of course, the extent of the complicity of the Pakistani establishment in it. What is equally shocking is that countries like Japan, Britain, Australia, Israel and Germany have preferred to remain mute spectators to these developments. One can appreciate Great Britain8217;s silence, since its foreign policy is almost drafted in the White House, but what about the others?
Japan has been the most vociferous against any nation treading the nuclear path, having physically suffered from the nuclear holocaust. Australia, New Zealand and Europe never missed an opportunity to threaten those they characterised as proliferators. Yet, not a whimper out of them this time!
But the most clinching proof, yet, of Pakistan8217;s involvement in nuclear proliferation came from the father of the Pakistani nuclear bomb himself. Shockingly, he held out a veiled threat that should he be put on trial, he8217;ll spill the beans and prove the involvement of military officials and political leaders in his nuclear misadventures. He was hurriedly pardoned and an embarrassed Musharraf went about appeasing President Bush. He fished out 500 Al Qaeda suspects from thin air, including Khaleed Sheikh Mohammad, Abu Zubaydah and Ramji Bin Al-Shibh, and simultaneously cracked the whip on 4,000 madrassas. He even went to the extent of appealing to Muslim nations to consider granting diplomatic recognition to Israel.
The US has generously reciprocated these gestures and helped Pakistan in rescheduling 2.5 billion in outstanding debts to the West, besides several other acts of generosity. But it would be a mistake to assume that America8217;s roar was tamed to a mew by Musharraf8217;s cooperation. One suggestion is that the silence of the G-8, Israel and others, over Pakistani proliferation, is in exchange for US control over Pakistan8217;s nuclear trigger.
Coming to India, while a peaceful neighbour could be a boon for shining India, it may be worth this country8217;s while to take a close look at America8217;s body language in the days ahead.
