subject: A Looming Superpower Clash Triggered by Pakistan [print this page] A Looming Superpower Clash Triggered by Pakistan
The U.S.-led war against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan has deteriorated into a growing open conflict with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and threatens to rapidly develop into a full-blown war with Pakistan. Signs of such an upcoming clash between Pakistan and the U.S. can already be seen.
In anticipation of such a full-scale clash with America, Pakistan is seeking an enhanced role for China on its side, thereby triggering a possible superpower clash, involving the U.S., China, Russia, NATO powers, and other regional players.
Historical Background
This will not be the first time that this region will be the battleground of military rivalry and clash between superpowers; it also happened in the 19thand 20th centuries.
The first superpower clash for strategic ascendancy in Central Asia, known as the "Great Game," was witnessed between the British Empire and Czarist Russia in the 19th century. However, it fizzled out by the early 20th century, ultimately ending during World War II, with the two rivals collaborating against the Axis powers.
World War II led to the emergence of the Cold War and a military standoff between the United States and the USSR. This standoff deteriorated into an armed conflict involving proxies in Afghanistan. This superpower clash ended in a military defeat for the Communists in 1989, with the Soviet troops forced to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Pakistan, U.S. Heading Towards a Showdown
The ongoing deterioration between the U.S., on the one hand, and the ISI-led Pakistani government, on the other, is on the verge of developing into an open clash.
Indeed, a clash has begun, both on the battlefields and in the intelligence arena, as indicated by the following:
The Intelligence Level: ISI is Sabotaging U.S. Intelligence Efforts
In response to a case filed in a New York court by the relatives of U.S. citizens who were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the ISI has launched a series of counter-attacks against U.S. officials in Pakistan, as follows:
i) ISI Forces Departure of CIA Station Chief from Pakistan
Jonathan Banks, the CIA's station chief in Pakistan, was forced to leave the country as a result of his identity being revealed by an ISI leak.
ii) ISI Forces the U.S. to Recall Diplomat Elizabeth Rudd from Peshawar
Another U.S. diplomat, Elizabeth Rudd, who was working in the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, was forced to leave Pakistan, allegedly over threats from the Taliban last November. It is believed that the ISI revealed her identity, creating a security situation surrounding her.
iii) Pakistan Arrests U.S. Official Raymond Davis Over Killing of Pakistani Spies
Raymond Davis, an official of the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, was arrested for killing two Pakistani nationals. The Pakistani leaders have said that the two Pakistani nationals were innocent citizens. However, a report in a Pakistani daily has revealed that the two were members of Pakistani intelligence.
