New year dissolutions

A Pakistani soldier refused to back off on American instructions and shot at the lone superpower’s troops. In a familiar drill, airstrikes were ordered, an F-16 was swung into operation, a 500-pounder dropped, and a round of claims and counter-claims commenced.

The bomb fell in Afghan territory, said Pentagon officials, in that grey zone blurred by the Durand Line. Nope, it fell in Pakistani territory, shot back President Musharraf’s spokesman. A blatant violation of Pakistan’s ‘independence and sovereignty’, decreed NWFP’s legislature.

What an unexpected surprise to get 2003 going. We always knew this was going to be one of America’s busiest years in recent memory, we were aware that the Bush White House was calling up reservists and taking inventory of bombs and bayonets. We expected Washington’s War on Terror to expand to new, more exotic locales. And, believe us, we were ready with our world atlases to embark on crash courses in geography as America’s special forces staked out uncharted terrain.

What we could never have anticipated was that American troops would veer away so imaginatively from their axis-of-evil priorities and take the war eastwards — that we’d instead have to turn the pages to spot Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, site of the encounter.

Indeed, that we’d have to toss aside quickies on Iraqi and North Korean dictators, and grope for thick tomes on the Durand Line and demands for Pushtoon unity.

Well, well, are War on Terror’s frontline allies reverting to disenchantment? Whispers from Washington refer to fear about Pakistani troops harbouring sympathy for Taliban remnants. Despatches from Baghdad, however, have been slower. But it’d take a brave gambler to bet that Saddam is not enjoying this little distraction.