blackwater in pakistan

Conspiracy theories have always had high currency in our part of the world and ritual cynicism towards America is quite usual. Recent reports claiming the presence of CIA’s contractual army – Blackwater – in Pakistan have bolstered concerns within the Pakistani public about US involvement in this country’s affairs. It’s high time, though, that the government came clean with the public about the extent of US involvement in this country’s security affairs.
.
Blackwater is a private mercenary company which is known to have worked with the CIA on various occasions, including the Iraq war. Rumours claiming that Pakistan is its new home have triggered quite a lot of commotion. It all begin with reports claiming that Blackwater (now known as Xe) had been operating in Pakistan as a vital tool for America’s counterterrorism program

Jeremy Scahill, the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, recently wrote an elaborate piece on the possible involvement of Blackwater inside Pakistan.

According to a report in The New York Times, Blackwater has been actively involved in CIA’s counterterrorism program in Pakistan. The group primarily works from hidden bases across the country. So far, Blackwater has only been associated with arming the drones:

"Blackwater contractors assemble and load Hellfire missiles and 500-pound laser-guided bombs on remotely piloted Predator aircraft, work previously performed by C.I.A. employees. They also provide security at the covert bases"

Irrespective of the extent of Blackwater’s work in Pakistan, the list of things being denied by the Pakistani authorities is growing ridiculously long. The possible agreement between Pakistan and the CIA over drones has been dismissed as a speculation far too many times. Not only have the Pakistani authorities gone as far as denying any mutual contract, but have also extended meek condemnations as attacks continued. This has not only incited more anti-American sentiments, but has also raised grave questions about the integrity of the authorities and the military.The fact is, even as the government continues denying it various dealings with the United States, Pakistanis are becoming more sceptical and harder to convince.

Whether Blackwater is established in Pakistan remains a mystery. In the meantime, drone attacks continue to get more aggressive. Regardless of the truth behind the conspiracy, gaining back the Pakistani public’s faith is where the real battle begins. The authorities will either take this opportunity to come clean and stop the double game, or repeat the mistakes of the past. The current situation on the ground in Pakistan demands the government to define the nature, extent, diversity, and commonality of objectives with the US once and for all.

After all, living in a state of denial and mistrust will destabilise Pakistan to a far greater extent than US intervention.