A new phase in Pakistan-US ties began when ZA Bhutto was ousted by Gen Zia. The PPP accused the Carter administration of having a role in a conspiracy against him
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he Carter presidency lasted only four years. However, some of the developments on the global scene during this period and the policies he adopted to handle those continued to influence US choices and international affairs in subsequent periods. The year 1979 was to prove one of the most important in the 20th Century. It is still remembered for the Camp David Accords as well as the impact of an anti-monarchy revolution in Iran that soon turned anti-US under Ayatollah Khomeini’s leadership. Additionally, the invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet forces created a major crisis. The consequences of US policy of keeping Soviet Union tied down in Afghanistan are yet to be overcome.
In terms of US relations with Pakistan, a new phase began after July 5, 1977, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government was ousted. When he was executed in 1979, many in his Pakistan Peoples Party accused the Carter administration of having a role in a conspiracy against his government. Bhutto himself had earlier accused the United States of conspiring to overthrow his government and sending large sums of money to support street agitation against him. He had publicly accused the US then secretary of state, Cyrus Vance, of being part of the conspiracy. He continued to mention the American conspiracy during his murder trial.
Declassified documents from this period have revealed no evidence that the Carter administration was supporting the opposition. Significantly, Benazir Bhutto never took this position even though throughout her political career many party members blamed Carter and burned US flags. In fact on some occasions she expressed her disapproval of the practice.
As Soviet intervention in Afghanistan grew, so did the concern of the Carter administration. The concern over nuclear nonproliferation began to decline. The Carter administration soon began supporting resistance groups in Afghanistan. It also approved $400 million in aid for Pakistan, although Pakistani leadership dismissed it as insufficient. Speaking shortly after the US announcement, on January 18, 1980, Gen Zia described it as “disappointing,” in a meeting with US journalists in Islamabad, mocking it as “peanuts” sent by Carter. He remarked that the amount was too small to be significant in meeting Pakistan’s defence needs but might be enough antagonise the Soviet Union.
Later, in his State of the Union address, President Carter expressed deep concern over Soviet aggression and emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s freedom and security for the US. This brought Pakistan and the US closer again. At the invitation of the US government, Gen Zia visited America, and on October 3, 1980, met President Carter at the White House. Carter appreciated the friendship between the peoples of the two nations. Zia described President Carter as understanding, humanitarian and freedom, “a beacon of light for the free world.”
According to media reports from that time the two leaders also praised each other’s religious identities. After his presidency was over, Carter continued to give Bible lessons at his hometown church, emphasising love for all people, service, equality and the uplift of oppressed classes.
President Carter often said that the greatest happiness he found was in bringing joy and smiles into other people’s lives. Some Saudi leaders would reveal later that in order to halt the Soviet aggression, they worked with the US government to promote fundamentalist Islam and funded some jihadist groups.
In 1979, some radical groups tried to seize the Kaaba. The situation deteriorated fast and eventually required armed intervention. Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed this as an international conspiracy in which the US government was complicit. This was followed by attacks on American embassies, including a horrific attack in Islamabad, where a part of the embassy building was set on fire.
Did the Carter administration err in fostering religious jihadist ideology to resist Soviet Union in Afghanistan? Significantly his Republican successor, Ronald Reagan, vigorously continued these efforts. Some Afghan resistance leaders were invited to the White House by President Reagan, and described as “mujahideen.”
There was no shortage of US weapons for the mujahideen. The fact that most of the supplies had to be channeled through Pakistan, allowed the establishment a degree of choice and influence over resistance leaders and factions.
As Soviet intervention in Afghanistan grew, so did the concern of the Carter administration. The salience of nuclear proliferation concerns declined.
Once there were indications that the Soviet Union would have to withdraw from Afghanistan, the principal concern became: who would the jihadist momentum target next?
There is no denying that President Jimmy Carter played a historic role in countering Soviet aggression in Afghanistan and was the architect of the US Afghan policy pursued by successive governments after him. Could/ should he have prepared for the aftermath and laid plans for ti too? It can be argue that had this been done there would have been no 9/11 and the Taliban would not have gained such prominence.
From the US standpoint, Jimmy Carter must get credit for initiating a policy that stopped the Soviet Union in its tracks and would eventually cause the collapse of what Ronald Reagan famously referred to it as the “evil empire.”
Middle East
Carter’s achievement in the Middle East was monumental. His efforts to end wars between Israel and Arab states resulted in the Camp David Accords. Israel withdrew from the Sinai desert and there has been no war with Egypt since then. Other neighboring states - Jordan, Syria and Lebanon – too, have avoided open warfare.
Even the Palestinian resistance has been significantly contained. Hamas has been confined to Gaza and Al-Fatah to West Bank.
It can be argued that had all parties acted in good faith, the peace ushered in by the Camp David initiative resulted in a Middle East where democracy and human rights flourished.
Elsewhere, Iran’s Velayat-i Faqih regime and Russia remain hostile to the US. More recently Iranian and Russian influence in Syria has diminished.
Carter’s legacy of active diplomacy has been a cornerstone of the US policy in the Middle East.
Failure in Iran
Unable to come to terms with the Islamic Revolution in Iran and seeing no diplomatic way out of the hostage crisis, President Carter ordered the risky Operation Eagle Claw, which failed. Carter carried the regret throughout his life. The crisis profoundly affected the American public, tarnishing Carter’s popularity despite his prior widespread acclaim.
The person
On a personal level, Carter had a reputation for being simple and kind-hearted. It was said that he would stroll through the White House in jeans and sweaters and disliked extravagance. He had a solar panel system installed on the White House roof to save electricity (removed by his successor, Ronald Reagan).
Upon taking office, he had pardoned thousands of young people who had refused to participate in the Vietnam War.
Carter once said he had made a personal vow early on to never lie. In an interview with Playboy magazine, he admitted, “Yes, I have committed adultery in my heart many times,” even though his career was free of scandal. He regarded the widening gap between the rich and the poor as the most serious global issue.
While voting for Kamala Harris, Carter did not shy away from expressing goodwill toward Donald Trump. He considered the Camp David Accords the most memorable achievement of his life, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Among his numerous accolades were the American Peace Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the UN Human Rights Award, the Indira Gandhi Prize and the Liberty Medal.
Beyond awards and formal recognition, Carter holds a special place in the hearts of civilised people worldwide for his simplicity and compassion.
The writer is a senior journalist, columnist and lawyer and president of the Liberal Human Forum. He can be reached at arrehan@hotmail.com