Wikileaks Invites Discussion in Pakistani Press on Nukes and Sovereignty

The current bits of news, volatile, mercurial coming out of the latest Wikileaks cache is surprisingly easy to bear.  Nothing untoward has happened.  All the players have played their parts. International politics between the U.S and Pakistan continues in recognizably similar ways as it did yesterday, and the day before.  Of course, strategic politics has nakedly come to the fore and understandably so.

Indeed, each partisan is doing its best to preserve necessary ties while claiming priority for its own prerogative.  The right is blaming President Zardari, pointing to Saudi King Abdullah’s rebuke (veiled threat?) that “when the head is rotten, it affects the whole body.”  The left and the center are talking about sovereignty as they have always done.  In response, the U.S. has argued for the continued cooperation of sorts that it enjoys with Pakistan, without backtracking from its criticism of the Zardari government and without disavowing the moves it reportedly made against Pakistan’s nuclear, military complex.

The rightist English language newspaper, The New’s front page piece chiding Zardari drew an equally strong response from the executive.: He claimed that King Abdullah is like his older brother. That’s it.  “Call me names, he seemed to say, and I will turn the other cheek.”

Consider, though that Zardari needs to brush this offense from his shoulder. Saudi Wahhabis help fund the Taliban in Pakistan, as much as in Afghanistan. Perhaps the King spoke to appease the homebred Wahhabis, perhaps not. There is no doubt that Zardari bowed before King Abdullah in order to staunch as much of the runaway support of the right as he can.

The left is trying to speak to the better angels in Pakistan’s politics.

And the better angels, here? The Pakistani military and its sanctioning bodies-the people of Pakistan. (Note how many are clamoring for the seeming clarity and purpose of General Musharraf’s rule!)  Upon the disclosure that the U.S. had been trying to get rid of a cache of enriched uranium in Pakistan for fear that it would wind up at the disposal of militants, the left leaning English daily Dawn raise the specter of Pakistan’s contested sovereignty.  It’s front page headline: “Pakistan’s nuclear capability a source of strength: PM”  At the same stroke as defending Pakistani national pride, Prime Minister Gilani tied together the fate of Pakistan with the fate of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

A strong assertive move, here that, perhaps, made some room for the following news: a father who allegedly lost his son and brother, alleged victims of CIA sponsored drone air strikes demanded $500 million in restitution.  Or else, he will sue the CIA Director and the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

These moves raise up the haunted ghost of U.S. intervention into Pakistani affairs. Little surprise then, that the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron  Munter published a piece this morning in the right-leaning newspaper The News, announcing in part that:

Pakistan is an important strategic partner of the United States. Of course, even a solid relationship will have its ups and downs. We have seen that in the past few days, when documents purportedly downloaded from US Defence Department computers became the subject of reports in the media.

Moreover he claimed, the U.S foreign policy team:

…will continue to work to strengthen our partnership with Pakistan and make progress on the issues that are important for our two countries. We can’t afford anything less. I am in close contact with Pakistan’s leadership to make sure we continue to focus on the issues and tasks at hand. President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and I remain committed to being trusted partners as we seek to build a better, more prosperous world for everyone.