by Khalid Saeed (Letters To The Editor, Crescent International Vol. 42, No. 3, Jumada' al-Akhirah, 1434)
The article by the former Chief of Pakistan Army has provided useful insights into US thinking in the Asia-pacific region and what it portends for South and Central Asia.
It is clear the US is deliberately provoking North Korea in order to justify its aggressive posturing in the Asia-Pacific region, as highlighted by General (retired) Mirza Aslam Beg in his two articles in the Crescent (March and April). The US aim is to encircle China and perhaps like the former Soviet Union, push it into an aggressive arms race. China, however, is not the erstwhile USSR; it has enormous resources and Washington’s plan is unlikely to succeed as Russia and China come closer together.
Khalid Saeed
Birmingham, AL, US