Daily Times

Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his ‘new South Asia policy’, in which he sought to ambitiously end the Afghan war, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived on a whirlwind diplomatic tour of the region. In a surprise visit to Afghanistan, Tillerson played to the Kabul gallery, castigating Pakistan ‘to take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they’re confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organisations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan.’

In Pakistan, the US Secretary of State received a frosty welcome, vis-à-vis a mid ranking Foreign Office official. During a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, also attended by the Foreign, Defence and Interior Ministers as well as the Army Chief, it was reiterated that Pakistan is committed to the war on terror. Tillerson acknowledged Pakistan’s importance, its sacrifices and role it can play in finding a solution to achieving peace in Afghanistan but repeated President Trump’s accusation.

In August, when releasing his strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, Trump called out Pakistan for its role in ‘harbouring of terror groups’. “We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars, at the same time; they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting … that must change immediately.” Pakistan reacted angrily to the charge, claiming it was being used as a ‘scapegoat’ for the problems in Afghanistan. Even now, after Tillerson’s departure, Khawaja Asif, the Foreign Minister, speaking to a local TV Channel, refuted the charges of harbouring terrorists.

Tillerson’s job is unenviable. He is occupying a post once held by illustrious statesmen like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, John Foster Dulles, David Dean Rusk and Henry Kissinger, to name a few. Unfortunately, Tillerson is serving in tumultuous times and under a tempestuous leadership. Perhaps he is not cut out for the job. Till 2016, he was chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, an American multinational oil and gas corporation. ExxonMobil has a history of lobbying for climate change denial and against the scientific consensus that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The company has also been accused of human rights violations, influencing American foreign policy and its impact on the future of nations.

Under Rex Tillerson’s watch, ExxonMobil cooperated closely with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. From 2003 to 2005, a European subsidiary of ExxonMobil, Infineum, operated in the Middle East providing sales to Iran, Sudan and Syria. If that is not conflict of interest, then what is?

It is ironic that today Tillerson is at the helm of US Foreign Affairs. Under Rex Tillerson’s watch, ExxonMobil cooperated closely with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. From 2003 to 2005, a European subsidiary of ExxonMobil, Infineum, operated in the Middle East providing sales to Iran, Sudan and Syria. If that is not conflict of interest then what is?

Tillerson has had a stormy career so far as Secretary of State. He attempted to reduce inefficiencies within the State Department, which has been described as a ‘botched reorganisation’ that has created a hollowed out and dysfunctional department, reportedly leading to micromanaging and poor morale among career diplomats.

In October 2017, news reports surfaced regarding a deteriorating relationship between Tillerson and Trump. In an apparent tiff over Trump’s proposed ten-fold increase in the US nuclear arsenal, reportedly Tillerson called Trump a ‘moron”. Whether that is true or not, all is not well between the President and his Secretary of State. Trump has criticised Tillerson over his handling of the standoff with North Korea, while Senator Bob Corker, the Chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, remarked that Trump was ‘publicly castrating’ Tillerson.

It is the US government, which has to do soul searching. Every country looks after its national interests first. Pakistan’s detractors the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership has found safe havens in Afghanistan, from where they strike at targets in Pakistan with impunity. Despite requests to the US and Kabul, no action has been taken yet.

The extraction of the Canadian-US family from captivity was a clear message by Pakistan —”Do not mess with us!”

It is obvious that the man from ExxonMobil was only the messenger. The Indo-US coalition is conspiring to oppose the rise of China. The elevation of President Xi Jinping to a higher level of self actualisation, being named in the Chinese Constitution and the mega project of One Belt-One-Road being formalised, both are sleepless. Napoléon Bonaparte had predicted: “China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move the world.”

China has awaken and both India and the US are at their wit’s end. They have roped in Afghanistan to do their dirty work thus the witless threat by Ashraf Ghani against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The US should stop using India and Afghanistan to browbeat China and Pakistan. In Afghanistan, where after 16 years of war, sacrificing thousands of lives and spending trillions of dollars, if even now US officials have to sneak in and out and meet Afghan leadership in military bunkers, blaming Pakistan for their woes is unreasonable.

The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF. He is a columnist, analyst and TV Talk show host, who has authored six books on current affairs, including three on China

Published in Daily Times, October 28^th 2017.