The Biden administration has been adopting one-after-another repressive policy targeting various nations in the world thus pushing those countries towards an alternative world order, where the United States may not remain the hegemonic master of the universe. Meanwhile, America’s global dominance is on decline because of wrong or hostile policies as well as wrong decisions. For example, in Afghanistan, local citizens have already started thinking that it was their blunder trusting the United States and joining Washington’s war against the jihadists. Similarly, despite America’s continuously military aid, a large segment of Ukrainians is seeing the war against Russia as an unending nightmare.
Months after entering the Oval Office, US President Joe Biden withdrew from Afghanistan thus pushing the country at mercy of the Taliban. This has been seen as a disastrous blunder by many analysts in the world. Responding to my question about Biden’s retreat from Afghanistan, Ambassador John Bolton said: “Well it was a grave mistake for the United States to withdraw from Afghanistan and they have NATO withdraw with it. As you said, I think the mistake was back with the Trump administration and its initial decision to negotiate with the Taliban, which undercut the government, which made people and the military, the government and the civil society as a whole, feel that the US government was more interested simply withdrawing from Afghanistan than achieving in real. I don’t think statements made by the Taliban, commitments they may have made in the negotiations, whether it’s Taliban or Haqqani Network, or Gulbuddin Hekmatyar whoever it might be. Wherever credible, I don’t think Taliban and its allies ever intended to adhere to some of the things that they promised, there’s a condition to get the United States to withdraw so, tragically what we see in Afghanistan right now was entirely predictable and, the negative consequences that the US feels now by bringing greater danger of terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan. The strategic vacuum that we left for Russia and China and the terrible consequences for the population of Afghanistan, we can all see everyday.
“So, I think the US’s response to this has to be, number 1: no recognition of the Taliban government directly or indirectly, I think we should certainly try to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan not to the Taliban government, not to have them had any control over the supply or distribution or assistance, really to any fund government provides and then urgently speaking with leaders to the Afghan resistance to see what assistance we might be able to give them, communication assistance, certainly this point non[lethal] military assistance, there are many things we can do but, we need to know and have close conversations with resistance.
“I think all of this for surprise and how quickly the Afghan government fell including many people in Afghanistan who obviously didn’t want Taliban to take over. So, many were caught by surprise, there are resistance leaders outside of Afghanistan now, soon they will have to return. We all remember the lion of the [inaudible] valley, Ahmed Shah Masood, his son is now a leader among the [inaudible] and others, we need to see more of a resistance structure now. That bring me to the issue of Pakistan, you have rightly said, it has been involved in turmoil in Afghanistan for many years and I remember a former American diplomat who worked on the Afghan question for many years, used to say that the government of Pakistan was the only government he knew of that consisted of arsonists and firefighters at the same time. The arsonists we’re the people who have supported a number of terrorist groups including and Pakistan’s dispute with India put also support of the Taliban and Haqqani Network and others. I think now in Pakistan itself, we have got a very complicated situation with respect to the government and who is in charge and what future political events we are gonna see but, I think the US prospective should be that it’s not in the long term interest of the government of the people of Pakistan to support terrorism.
“It may seem advantageous in the near term in certain circumstances, long term. It’s never going to work; it’s never going to benefit. Pakistan, it will cause as it, I think is causing now, trouble inside their own country. So, this is a conversation, we’ve had for many years with Pakistan, but I think, it takes on real urgency now because the Taliban are once again back in control across their border and I think helping to contribute to instability inside Pakistan itself. So, this is also something I think other countries in the region can help out with. But it’s going to be complicated. I say that because it’s been complicated before and I don’t think it’s going to be any simple to this time”.
Afghans have been thrown into unbearable sufferings following retreat of the US and NATO forces. America can now only put pressure on the country by prolonging economic sanctions. But such sanctions may not actually help in freeing Afghanistan from Sharia rule. The country has finally become a Sharia nation – and Afghans ultimately will have to learn living in such shocking condition. This Afghan scenario shall actually be a strong lesson for rest of the global populace to realize – joining America’s agenda would finally result in unending sufferings and miseries.
Similarly, when Bangladesh denied America’s request to join its anti-China bloc ‘QUAD’, Joe Biden began various intimidating tactics with the notorious agenda of cow-towing ruling Awami League and compel it in accepting Washington’s hegemonic blueprint not only by joining ‘QUAD’ but also by letting the US take control of St. Martin Island, where America wants to build massive military presence. No patriotic leader in Bangladesh would accept such dangerous desire of the United States, as presence of American forces in St. Martin Island would pose direct threats to Bangladesh’s neighboring nations such as India, Myanmar and China. As the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not accept Washington’s invitation to joining ‘QUAD’ and letting America take control of St. Martin Island, Biden administration began exerting pressure on the ruling Awami League government. At this stage, at the instruction of convicted terrorist Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) pledged to actualize any of the desires of the Biden administration, while Jatiya Party also made a similar pledge – by compromising Bangladesh’s national interest. Recently actions of the Biden administration, including strange sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and June 24 visa policy announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken were part of Washington’s latest blueprint of unseating Awami League government – by hook or crook and planting pro-Islamist BNP into power and turn Bangladesh into its vessel state.
What American policymakers do not understand is – for the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it is impossible to compromise Bangladesh’s national interest for the sake of any political gain. With the support of 170 million heroic Bengalis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shall strongly confront any undue Western pressure. By attempting to blackmail Awami League government, Biden administration may finally lose another long-time ally of the United States.
