Strategic Partner or Self-Serving State: Pakistan’s Engagement in the War on Terrorism

Abstract

September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were one of the most tragic incidents in the history of the United States that claimed close to three thousand lives and caused widespread economic devastation. It was an international outrage that the world was outraged over the incident and its condemnation was rampant across states in the entire globe, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation members. Shortly after the attacks, the U.S officials and media passed the blame on the shoulder of Al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden. In reaction, the United Nations Security Council has approved various resolutions encouraging the world to act in the war against terrorism and bring those who commit it to justice. The United States also wanted to have the international backing in combating the menace of transnational terrorist networks. Given that Osama bin Laden was living in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule, Washington was demanding that the Taliban should surrender Osama bin Laden and destroy terrorist learning centers. In spite of the diplomatic moves by Pakistan and other nations to induce the leadership of the Taliban to surrender, the demands were not heeded. The Taliban wanted to be shown evidence of the involvement of bin Laden before acting. The collapse of the negotiations, coupled with the mounting pressure in the United States of America to act with decisiveness, eventually culminated into the efforts to plan a military intervention in Afghanistan to attack Al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime.

Keywords: September 11 Attacks, Al-Qaeda, Taliban Regime, War on Terror, United Nations Resolutions, US Foreign Policy.