Will US Nuclear Politics Surrender Before Economics and Cyber Media?

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The South Asian Nuclear Dynamics

Jawad Raza Khan

At 0530, 16 July 1945, in a remote site of the Alamogordo Air Base, New Mexico, the first full-scale nuclear test was made. For the first time in history there was a nuclear explosion. And what an explosion! This is how General Leslie Groves describes the very first weapon of mass destruction in an official document of War Department Washington on 18 July 1945.

General Groves, who had a reputation as a great driving force for projects took over the responsibility of the famous Manhattan Project in September 1942 . He was involved in most aspects of the atomic bomb’s development. He directed the collection of military intelligence on the German nuclear energy project and helped in selecting targets in Japan. Although, Groves wrapped the Manhattan Project but failed to prevent the USSR from conducting a successful espionage program, resulted in stealing nuclear secrets from US nuclear sites.

Just after eighteen days of the mentioned letter on Aug 6, 1945 – First atomic bomb dropped, on Hiroshima, Japan. History openly indicates that US “The Peace Lover” couldn’t wait for the 20th day after harnessing the nuclear capability and killed nearly 0.25 million civilians in the “Name of Peace”. On the other hand, most of the Western historians are found linking the Nuclear bombing of Japan with the Japanese full scale daring action on American naval base in Hawaii “The Pearl Harbour” on December 7th 1941, but after nearly five years “strange isn’t it”. On one pretext or the other, all efforts are still on to persuade mitigating the use of WMD for ending the 2nd World War. Hundreds of analysis and documentaries are made to do or undo the horrific act of brutality carried out by the President Truman and party.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), the predecessor of President Truman, also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States (1933–1945). He was the only US president in the history of US who was elected thrice for the presidential term. Preposterously an unprecedented mourning was seen all across USSR after the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (April 12, 1945), as Roosevelt was believed to be a man who could have averted The Cold war, which took the toll of human beings in the next forty years after the end of WW-II. Russian dictator Stalin in his message to Truman conveyed “The American people and United Nations have lost a great politician of world significance and a pioneer in the organization of peace and security after the war”. The point under lined is after the war and this not quoted by none other than but Stalin and again it took just 3 months 24 days for Truman to bomb Japan after the death of Roosevelt that to “after the war”.  

The concept of One Government was in thin air, even before Aug 1945, the famous Yalta conference headed by Roosevelt was in pursuance to the said goal in consultation with the Allies; even the King of newly founded Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz was also met and taken care off. Nuclearization of the planet added a catalyst to it and from then on it was planned and executed with more zeal and vigour by the world powers. The basics of the world order was designed on General Grove’s recommendation which suggested that “this weapon must be in control of US only, till the time others are not anxious about peace as we are”. Although by mid October 1945 it was believed in US administration that the nuclear secret has already been out of box and Russians are fast and furiously working on it. From here the story of proliferation took off and within 70 years this world has witnessed more than nine nations mastering or nearly mastering to make a dreadful bomb.

Crux of the above mentioned can be put up like this “US killed nearly 0.25 million people in Haroshima and Ngasaki by using nuclear bomb for peace and since then to ensure nobody else can make or use WMDs to disturb the world peace,  they have again killed more than 0.3 million people in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan”.

As a matter of fact, in past 70 years the socio-politico and especially nuclear- politico environment of the globe has drastically effected by the economic factor. On the other hand, the policy envisaged by US with regards to the nuclearization of the world in 1945 is still followed in true letter and spirit by Pentagon and White house. The tools are definitely changed but the plan and its execution for One Government is still on!

Another feature of the human race which is radically transformed is media and especially with the advent of cyber media the possibility of controlling the hearts and minds has turned to minimal. The combination of economic and cyber media has made the job of hiding facts a difficult preposition. Propagation of Occupy Wall Street protest and its live streaming through YouTube will bear the testimony of both the facts. Despite of the fact, that US authorities have been extremely successful in blacking out the event on print and electronic media, even than whole of the world knows that more than 36000 men and women are marching back and forth on “Brooklyn bridge” on 12 hourly shift basis.

The days are over when Super powers use to enforce their version of story without any impediment or challenge to be faced. Even in a country like Pakistan, now protests are launched through active use of Facebook and have the power and capability to silent at least the war of words. Something like this happened in Karachi when a protest against US treats to Pakistan was launched after the Mullen episode. The protestors carried out an aggressive and vocal protest in front of US embassy Karachi, which ultimately forced the diplomats to engage with Pakistani youth. Now we as Pakistani citizens are observing Mr. Cameron Munter very often dancing on Pakistani music and mixed up with the youth of Pakistan with an exclusive invitation to the students only “indeed with an agenda behind it”.

With all important factors like cyber media and economics in background let’s analyze Pakistan’s nuclear capability on the famous General Groves statement “Nuclear capability for peace”. Again thanks to cyber media which can make a voice noticeable without any major effort else than putting it forward in an organized manner. As far as the facts are concerned Pakistan’s nuclear program started in mid 70s but it shaped into strong nuclear tests carried out in May 1998, only in retaliation to the Indian hegemonic designs converting into sarcastic bombardment of statements by responsible Indian politicians, especially after conducting successful nuclear tests in Pokhran.  With immense pressure on Pakistan not to retaliate by US, it responded India in the same coin and the world found Pakistan surprisingly more sophisticated and technically classier in the field of controlled nuclear sciences. Here it would not be justice if something is not written about the factor of strong ideological base of Pakistan which took over the imperatives of economics and a hungry deprived Pakistani celebrated joyfully the nuclear tests of his country. It is indeed more laudable if he knows that a worst will come now in terms of individual and state economy.

Now the slogan of peace through nuclear power from west was proved emphatically on ground by a country like Pakistan. You need not to rephrase or tailor the history to put the point across as events after that have given a very strong but peaceful message to the world.

• The concept of limited war was executed in the Kargil sector in 1999 only because south Asia was nuclear. Whole of the world was brought in as the two nuclear giants were having a face off for the disputed Kashmir. The escalation was not carried out thoughtfully on any other part of the Indo-Pak border and the conflict ended in peace.
• Terrorist attack on Indian parliament led to another eyeball to eyeball confrontation and both the countries amass their troops for more than two years. Again the Genie remained in the bottle and the world saw millions of troops marching back to their barracks without a bullet fired.
• General Kayani’s statement was indeed a strong message to US administration in the backdrop of Mullen statement when he said that US must not consider Pakistan as Iraq and Afghanistan, we are a nuclear power. The said statement again make the world mindful that any tempering with the borders of Pakistan will lead to a full scale war which cannot be restricted to conventional means and the peace prevailed between US and Pakistan.
• The only option for the world to avert the water war between India and Pakistan is to assist Pakistan in nuclear energy sector for which the basics are very much available with foolproof security measures. The energy crisis in Pakistan with the explosion of water bomb can be easily averted if the world is serious about the peace in this volatile region. The nuclear capability already attained by Pakistan can here also ensure peace.

With an exceptionally operative command and control system of Pakistan’s nuclear possessions with no history of a single nuclear incident, the world led by US and NATO must understand the importance of nuclear balance of power in this part of the globe. Giving dreadful and misleading statements for Pakistan’s nuclear installations will indeed be of no use, it’s time for US to concentrate on graceful exit from Afghanistan than beating about the nuclear bush. The underlines of US nuclear politics now has to be reassessed in the light of own economy and irrepressible properties of cyber media. The world must also understand that the Pakistanis wants to live in peace but with dignity and honour and their voice cannot be ignored as they are not less than 180 million in number. Pakistanis are indeed not ignorant of the importance of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals, which are now a guarantee not only to the regional but world peace, comprehensively in line with General Leslie Grove’s perception of US nuclear arsenals for Peace.

Jawad Khan is a political analyst based in Rawalpindi.