[Globe & Mail,
Canada]
[Click Here for Jumbo Version]
The Nation, Pakistan
Obama's State of
the Union Speech Shows India's Undue Influence
"The
absence of any mention of America's crisis with Pakistan, something that lasted
all of last year and that shows every sign of being important in the months to
come, was a surprise. … Obama's decision to avoid critical issues like Kashmir demonstrates
that the Indian lobby in Washington has succeeded in its agenda."
EDITORIAL
January 27, 2012
Pakistan - The Nation - Home Page (English)
It was expected that U.S.
President and Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama would use the last annual
State of the Union address of his term primarily as an election speech. And so
he did. Yet the absence of any mention of America's crisis with Pakistan, something
that lasted all of last year and that shows every sign of being important in
the months to come, was a surprise. The omission also means that in his re-election
bid, President Obama won't venture to fulfill any his promises to help solve the
crisis in Kashmir, which is something that helped him win accolades when he first
stood for the presidency.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
His decision to avoid critical
issues like Kashmir demonstrates that the Indian lobby in Washington has
succeeded in its agenda. Even if they qualify more as electoral rhetoric than
fact, he did mention the killing of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in
Abbottabad and troop reductions in Iraq as successes. The U.S. may indeed be
withdrawing troops from Iraq, but it leaves chaos and sectarian strife behind. In
Afghanistan, too, the United States faced defeat at the hands of a militant
opposition with limited resources, albeit with apparently unlimited energy.
Map
of Jammu and Kashmir: Perhaps the most
ignored
and least understood potential flash
point
on earth. [click for map jumbo version]
[Editor's Note: India and
Pakistan have fought four wars over what was once the "princely state of Jammu
and Kashmir," and which, from 1846-1947, was ruled by a British Satrap
called a Maharaja. When
India and Pakistan became states, Jammu Kashmir became disputed territory
between the two. While Jammu Kashmir is majority Muslim, it wanted to maintain
its independence, which led to the first Indi-Pak war. Eventually, Maharajah Hari
Singh signed the Instrument of Accession
"acceding to the dominion" of India. Pakistan rejects the agreement
because of the area's majority Muslim population. Other countries that came
into being as a result of the Partition of India
were Burma, Napal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.]
For obvious electoral reasons,
President Obama avoided dotting any I’s or crossing any T’s, but he did
obliquely acknowledge the economic crisis with ephemeral mentions of job
creation and plans for his next term.
America's fiscal woes stem from
its profligate spending on the misconceived War on Terror. Of the mainstream
candidates facing him, many say that this war can be fought more cheaply, but
none go to the heart of the matter. The neoconservative agenda, which now
serves as America's foreign policy, is not only unsustainable politically, but economically
as well.
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The Nation, Pakistan:
Norway, Iran Shame U.S. Over 'Guilty Silence on Kashmir'
Frontier Post, Pakistan:
Obama Ignores Pakistan and Kashmir at His Peril
The Nation, Pakistan:
America's Lawless Position on Kashmir Favors India
The Nation, Pakistan:
U.S. Denies Pakistan's Right to Defend Itself
The Nation, Pakistan:
U.S. Can't Be Trusted to Sponsor Indo-Pakistan Talks
The Nation, Pakistan:
To Reduce Militancy, the U.S. Must Pressure India
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
U.S. Swallows Indian PM's 'Lies' on Kashmir
The Nation, Pakistan:
Obama Drags Feet on Kashmir to Mollify India
Outlook India:
'Thank God Cristopher
Columbus Lost His Way'
The Times of India, India:
Barack Obama Comes
to See the 'New World'
Rediff, India:
Musharraf Fumes Over Obama Skipping Pakistan
Mumbai Mirror, India:
Omaba
Jams Mumbai Taxi Drivers
Mumbai Mirror, India:
Tattoo Man
Puts Obama on His Canvas
The Telegraph, India:
How
the World has Changed:
We Create Jobs for U.S.
The Tribune, India:
Obama
Hardsells U.S.; Announces
$10 billion in Agreements
The Telegraph, India:
Diplomats
Laud Obama's 26/11 Speech
Indian Times Video:
Complete
Coverage of Obama's India Visit
President Obama's omission of
any mention of Pakistan, except for his promise to pursue al-Qaeda from "Pakistan
to Yemen," should not be taken to mean that Pakistan has been discounted from
the war on terror. America will continue to demand Pakistan's cooperation and
sacrifice without offering the appreciation they deserve. Pakistan's policy makers
should study the address as a roadmap for U.S. policy in the next Obama term, which
coincides with the endgame in Afghanistan, where America's withdrawal will set
the stage for the next phase of events.
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