An article written today, by Richard Lardner, in The Austin Statesman caught my attention because it is a very good example of foreign policy and American politics. Pakistan is trying to influence America’s position regarding the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan through shady financial donations to political campaigns and meetings with White House and State Department officials by Pakistan spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence. Specifically, Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind) , the co-chairman of the House Pakistan Caucus. Despite his criticism of the Obama administration’s lack of involvement, Obama remains stern in his position to let the issue be resolved between India and Pakistan. Sanjay Puri, chairman of the U.S. India Political Action Committee, boldly states “India is a strategic partner with the U.S. and that takes front and center, far more than the issue of Kashmir”.
The dispute between India and Pakistan, and the U.S. involvement, or lack of, is an example of foreign policy exercised today. While sending “billions of dollars in counterterrorism aid and development money to Pakistan each year” to fight Al-Qaeda presence in the Pakistan side of Kashmir, India is the country the U.S. is increasingly considering its ally. Because India’s interests are aligned with our American ideals of democracy and our national interests in dealing with China’s rise in the economic and military fields, we are choosing not to be directly influencing India regarding settling the Kashmir issue. In addition, the U.S. is distancing itself from Pakistan after finding Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and finding out Osama lived there for six years.
During the cold war, Pakistan was our ally, but since the rise of Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden’s direct statement of being against America “because of America’s support of India on the Kashmir issue”, and because of increasing Al-Qaeda presence in the Pakistani side of Kashmir, the U.S. has increased alliance with India. Since the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., our foreign policy has been to restrain militancy in the world (the War on Terror). The purpose of the increased fighting in Kashmir by Al-Qaeda was to drive a wedge between India and Pakistan’s attempts at peaceful solutions and provoke a nuclear war, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in January 2010.
I found this article interesting because it covers many areas of US politics and foreign policy. It provides examples of how money influences congressional committee policies, and how, sometimes, that money has been purposely channeled from foreign governments in order to influence American foreign policy. It also demonstrates the U.S. use of diplomacy to influence foreign governments through sending Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, to India to increase the alliance between the two countries, and the use or withdrawal of foreign aid to influence the Pakistani government.
I agree with the way the U.S. is handling this specific issue. I am all for a strong military force to act as a deterrent to other nations, but I feel that the U.S., being the only superpower at this time, has much more at its disposal in dealing with foreign governments and protecting our national interests. This article was an example of how the U.S. is handling foreign issues without military force.
No comments:
Post a Comment