In a daring step to protect
its frontiers, Iran has shot down two U.S. drones on a spying mission over its
territory. It has therefore made it abundantly clear that no matter the
consequences, it will brook no violation of its sovereignty.
To counter America's aggressive
designs in the region, Iran has been gearing up for any untoward eventuality, upgrading
its air defenses and producing a homemade drone named Karrar.
It's a pity that Pakistan,
which has relatively more advanced technology than Iran, has never had the
courage to bring down the intruding drones. It's an even a greater shame that
the U.S. takes such outrageous liberties with a nuclear power and a military that
has to its credit the demise of a former superpower (the USSR in Afghanistan).
While there is no shortage of
Pakistan Air Force officers remarking that it would be child's play to shoot
down the drones, the PPP-led federal government has quietly given the U.S.
carte blanche to bomb the tribal areas. That voices of such gallant officers are
being disregarded shows the lengths to which the government has gone to curry favor
with the United States.
Moreover, the example of Iran
should be regarded as the acid test of how, in a worst case scenario, America
would react. We now know that the U.S. can do nothing in response to countries
like Iran or Pakistan when they destroy its drones. The U.S. can boast of
having armed forces equipped with cutting edge technology and a military budget
which exceeds that of the entire world, but the impact of these is minimal against
such bold resistance. Its military has suffered the humiliation of helplessness
at the hands of the Taliban, who lack much of what is needed to wage war.
In any case, serious
retaliation from the Pentagon against practical steps of opposition should not
be expected.
