By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal
There are moments in the life of nations when questions, long suppressed beneath the weight of power and narrative, rise with an urgency that cannot be ignored. Today, one such question confronts the conscience of the international order: is it the exclusive right of the United States of America to live in security, sovereignty and independence, while the same aspirations in other nations are treated with suspicion, hostility or even force?
The United States has, over decades, constructed for itself one of the most formidable arsenals known to humankind. It justifies this accumulation as a necessary shield for its security and sovereignty. Yet, paradoxically, it continues to view with deep apprehension the efforts of other states to develop similar means of defence. This contradiction lies at the heart of much of the instability that defines contemporary global politics. If America claims the right to protect itself through strength, can it, in good faith, deny that same right to others? And if it harbors fears of potential threats from nations that possess, or seek to possess, such capabilities, is it not reasonable that those nations, in turn, might perceive an even greater threat from America itself?
History offers sobering lessons. The tragic episode of Iraq stands as a stark reminder of how fear, when shaped by flawed intelligence and amplified by political will, can lead to catastrophic consequences. The assertion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction became the moral and strategic justification for a war that dismantled a state, cost countless lives and destabilized an entire region. Yet, in the aftermath, it was acknowledged that no such weapons existed. The question that lingers, unanswered and perhaps unanswerable, is whether the immense human and material losses inflicted upon Iraq were ever justly accounted for. Can such a breach of trust be easily forgotten, or does it not cast a long shadow over every subsequent claim made in the name of global security?
It is equally perplexing that the United States does not exhibit the same degree of apprehension towards several of its allies – countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Australia and India – many of which possess significant military capabilities, including advanced and, in some cases, nuclear weapons. Why are these arsenals perceived as stabilizing, while similar capabilities in other nations are deemed destabilizing? Is the distinction rooted in objective criteria, or does it arise from the fluid and often subjective boundaries of geopolitical alignment?
Recent developments further underscore these contradictions. The inability of the United States to persuade its allies to join a military confrontation against Iran has evidently created a moment of strategic discomfort. Instead of introspection, however, there appears to be a tendency to redirect attention towards new theatres and new narratives, with countries like Pakistan being drawn into the discourse of suspicion. Such shifts not only strain diplomatic relations but also risk undermining the very alliances that have been carefully cultivated over decades.
Within the American policy establishment itself, there are voices of dissent and uncertainty. Some officials have expressed reservations about the justification for military action, even to the extent of resigning from their positions. Others continue to articulate concerns about emerging threats from the capabilities of various nations. This divergence raises an important question: which voice represents the true measure of American policy – the cautionary voice that urges restraint, or the alarmist one that amplifies fear? A nation as influential as the United States cannot afford ambiguity in matters that carry global consequences.
Pakistan’s case is particularly instructive in this regard. Since its inception, Pakistan has maintained a relationship with the United States that has often been characterized by cooperation and alliance, even in the most challenging of circumstances. From the cold war to the “war on terror”, Pakistan has stood alongside America, sometimes at great cost to itself. To now cast Pakistan as a source of threat is not only inconsistent with historical reality but also detrimental to the prospects of a constructive partnership.
The world today stands at a delicate juncture, where the choices of powerful nations will determine whether the future is defined by cooperation or confrontation. For the United States, this is a moment to reaffirm its commitment to the principles it has long championed: justice, fairness and respect for the sovereignty of all nations. Security, in its truest sense, cannot be achieved through the accumulation of weapons alone, nor through the perpetuation of fear. It must be built upon trust, understanding and a willingness to see the world not as a collection of adversaries, but as a community of shared destiny. For God’s sake, let this world remain a cradle of peace, not a battleground of suspicion. And let reason prevail over fear, before fear once again leads humanity down a path from which return is both painful and uncertain.
(The writer is a parliamentary expert with decades of experience in legislative research and media affairs, leading policy support initiatives for lawmakers on complex national and international issues, and can be reached at editorial@metro-Morning.com)
#SecurityForOne #SuspicionForOthers #MuhammadMohsinIqbal #Geopolitics #DoubleStandards #USForeignPolicy #GlobalPeace #PakistanUSRelations #StrategicStability #MetroMorning #PakistanNews #OpinionPiece #ThoughtLeadership #WorldAffairs #PakistanRole
