Is the U.S. purposefully trying to destroy any ability for the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to domesticate the Taliban through peace talks? It seems that’s the case.
On Nov. 1, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban, had its leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, killed by a drone strike in Northern Pakistan by the U.S., according to the BBC.
It seemed Mehsud wished to bring the TTP into the political fold as a political party in Pakistan, BBC reported. The talks had been postponed once before due to his second in command, Wali-ur-Rehman, being killed by a drone strike by the U.S. in May, according to Al Jazeera.
We don’t really know why the Americans killed these men when they were planning on having open dialogue with the Pakistani government. Perhaps they found these diplomatic talks were a ruse by the TTP to lower the guard of the Pakistani security services to strike in key locations, or lower the amount of Pakistan Military personnel in the TTP’s territory. In all likelihood the reasoning behind the U.S. drone strikes is far more devious.
The U.S. is being asked by the Iraqi government for personnel, money and weapons to combat the Sunni extremist groups in their country, according to the BBC. The U.S. makes huge profits from the military industrial complex sector. The U.S. cannot even give away their tanks because they are producing so many the U.S. army doesn’t even want them, according to National Public Radio.
This relates to the killing of the TTP leader for two reasons. First, the Americans are pulling out of Afghanistan, but this does not mean it does not want to have its hands in this region of the Middle East. Killing the leader of the TTP who wanted diplomatic dialogue will anger the TTP and keep them a threat to Pakistan, thus making Pakistan dependent on the U.S. Second, the U.S. can use the TTP as a reason for the Pakistani government to buy more arms and equipment from U.S. companies.
Why kill the leader of the TTP in particular? Well, the recent choice of a new leader to the TTP holds the answer. The TTP has chosen Mullah Fazlullah as their new leader, who has in the past planned audacious and extremely violent attacks in Swat Valley, Pakistan, according to the BBC. Fazlullah is against peace talks with the Pakistani Government, which in culmination with his planning of violent attacks on civilians and security forces alike, determines that the U.S. is trying to make money on the tragedy of others.
For those who argue that the TTP is a horrible organization, and the U.S. killing them is just, you are wrong. If the U.S. truly wanted to stop the TTP from committing these attacks, then they would use other strategies such as peace negotiations that would end the attacks.
