Old ally in new bottle

The conferment on Pakistan of the dubious distinction of a non-NATO ally by the United States needs to be viewed rationally. The cynics would no doubt claim that this was to be expected; and those who have been enthusiastic about the new India-US strategic partnership would look for explanations. At one level, Pakistan had never ceased to be an ally for the US, although it never conducted its policies in that fashion. America, on its part, looked on this alliance as one of convenience, required to serve its national interests at a particular point of time. The basic question that the US has to clarify is whether this alliance goes against India8217;s interests in any way. Fortunately, the nature of Indo-US relations has reached a level of maturity to ensure that this does not happen 8212; unless, of course, one side starts to take the other for granted.

In fact, the US 8212; and China for that matter 8212; maintaining close relations with Pakistan could be a factor in enhancing stability and peace in the region. This could help encourage Pakistan to shed its old stances and a foreign policy designed to destabilise its neighbours. But the transformation will not be easy. Whether Washington 8212; which is presently driven by its need for success against the Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden before the presidential elections 8212; is conscious of these contradictions or not, is difficult to say. We also need to remember that China would also be concerned to a degree about the emerging US-Pakistan military alliance, which in a way encircles it. After all, a major factor prompting China8217;s strategic support to Pakistan over the years, has been its attempt to weaken the latter8217;s military dependence on the US.

In military terms, the new designation implies that Pakistan would have access to large stocks of US weapons, those that are either rendered surplus or are no longer required. Most of this weaponry would be hi-tech by any standard. 8220;Excess8221; military systems being transferred to allies at prices marked below even what would be considered their book value, is a normal procedure in the US system and bypasses some of the restricting regulations otherwise applicable to countries like Pakistan, which has engaged in the most extensive nuclear proliferation operations in history. Pakistan8217;s military capability, therefore, should be expected to grow in the coming years at a far quicker pace than has been the case for a decade or so, while keeping defence expenditure low. Rather than complain about this we should simply factor the new development into our defence policy and carry on building closer relations with the US.