 It is not too late for South Asian nations to sink their differences and stand on their own feet to achieve their true potential. The U.S. and others should be asked to take their Great Game elsewhere.
Before we embark upon a discussion on the Great Game the U.S.A. has been playing in South Asia, let us briefly examine the connotation of the term "Great Game", which described the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British and the Russian Empires for supremacy in Central Asia. According to the Wikipedia, the classic Great Game period is generally regarded as running approximately from the Russo-Persian treaty of 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. A second, less intensive phase followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The term "The Great Game" is usually attributed to Arthur Connolly (1807-1842), an intelligence officer of the British East India Company's Sixth Bengal Light Cavalry.
After the departure of the British from South Asia in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan and Bharat, the U.S. attempted to enhance its influence in the former British colonies. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) emerged from the Russian Empire following the Russian revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War of 1918-1921 and became a constitutionally socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991. Following the Second World War, both the USSR and U.S.A. entered into direct competition to gain global domination. In South Asia, both tried to woo Pakistan and India, especially because of their geographical location and conformity to the Middle East, which was known to contain fuel and energy reserves. The ensuing period, termed as the "Cold War" era, saw the two competitors, assuming the role of Super Powers indulging in a mad race to develop weapons, and the world was divided in the Communist Bloc led by USSR and the Capitalist Bloc led by U.S.A. For the U.S.A., India being the larger state was initially preferred but the USSR beat it in the courtship game. Pakistan, which was initially trying to maintain a neutral stance, was unfortunate in losing its founding fathers, the Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan in the early years. Their successors, due to lack of foresight, fell into the lap of U.S.A., which was looking for military bases in the North West of Pakistan to set up espionage and aerial reconnaissance facilities against USSR. Pakistan entered the U.S. fold, signing the South Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954 and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) in 1955. The U.S. offered military hardware, training facilities and a few other sweeteners to Pakistan, to woo it. The weak Pakistani leadership permitted U.S.A. in 1957 to establish a secret U.S. intelligence facility operation run by the American National Security Agency (NSA) in Badaber near Peshawar to monitor Soviet missile test sites, infrastructure and other communications. Badaber was an excellent choice because of its proximity to Soviet central Asia and conduct aerial espionage in an era of pre satellite observation. CIA operated its sophisticated U-2 "spy-in-the-sky" to gain vital photo intelligence of Soviet top secret military objects including the Semipalatinsk Site, the Dolon air base where Tu-95 strategic bombers were stationed, the Surface-to-Air-Missile (SAM) test site of the Soviet Air Defence Forces near Saryshagan, and the Tyuratam missile range (Baikonur Cosmodrome). CIA continued its top secret surveillance missions till May 1, 1960 when a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down near Degtyarsk, in the Ural Region, by a SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) SAM and the pilot Gary Powers was captured alive. The incident brought international embarrassment to U.S.A. but also brought the wrath of USSR upon Pakistan, which was threatened with dire consequences. Pakistan felt deceived since it was oblivious of the top secret U.S. activity and asked U.S. to shut down the Badaber facility.
This incident was mentioned with some detail here to highlight how South Asia has been serving as mere cog in the wheel in the U.S. Great Game for world supremacy. Pakistan paid a heavy price for being a U.S. "ally" as USSR became a sworn enemy and started supplying weapons and aid to India to deal with Pakistan. The CENTO and SEATO military pacts, of which Pakistan was a member, were not even worth the paper they were signed on. Pakistan and India went to war in 1965 and 1971, but contrary to the dictates of the pacts, the U.S. never came to the aid of Pakistan instead it imposed sanctions on both India and Pakistan, knowing fully well that only Pakistan was receiving U.S. aid while India continued to amass weapons from USSR. The 1971 War dismembered Pakistan and its eastern wing became Bangladesh with Indian and Soviet machination but U.S. remained an "innocent bystander". Pakistan however continued to be manipulated to serve U.S. interests as it provided U.S. the window to China when Henry Kissinger flew to the Chinese capital at the peak of the cold war rivalry. His visit enabled President Nixon to visit China and formed the basis for rapprochement after decades of hostility in a bid to outflank USSR. After serving its purpose, Pakistan was left in the cold, with threats and sanctions for its nuclear ambitions. In 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the U.S. once again turned its attention to Pakistan. It saw a major opportunity to defeat and embarrass USSR in a proxy war in Afghanistan and Pakistan unwittingly became drawn in the web. What followed is history and a folly for which we are still paying a huge price. Initially the Soviet ire targeted Pakistan indirectly, commencing an era of subversion, sedition and insurgency in Pakistan through bomb attacks and later, direct intervention by violation of Pakistan's air space and aerial attacks of suspected Mujahedeen training camps. CIA trained the Mujahedeen leaders in the Madrassas which became the training ground for future Al-Qaeda leaders who now threaten the world after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. The aftermath of the Afghan operations was that the U.S. packed its bags and left the Afghanis and Pakistan in a lurch. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 fragmenting into various Central Asian states but Afghanistan was left in a state of chaos with heavily armed warlords indulging in an internecine war while the drug mafia, Jihadi groups and illegal weapons permeated into Pakistan. On the other hand, U.S.A. assumed the dubious role of the sole world power, with unchecked and unbridled clout, muscle and authority. One of the first victims in the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan War was that the U.S.A. slapped sanctions on Pakistan in view of its nuclear program. The Jihadists became a threat to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh using base camps. The U.S./CIA run Madrassas were now the breeding grounds of Al-Qaeda and soon the world saw 9/11. There are numerous conspiracy theories regarding the rationale for U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan but the U.S. Great Game appears to be this time to gain access to the energy reserves of the now independent Central Asia States and their transportation through the shortest route via Afghanistan and Pakistan. As an offshoot, U.S. is preparing India to act as a bulwark against China.
South Asia comprises the world's poorest economies but one-fifth of the world's population. It is struck by poverty, disease, malnutrition and lack of education but unfortunately is placed a geographical location, which makes it strategically important for world power. If the U.S.A. and other European powers were genuinely interested in making the world a safer place, they would have endeavored to eradicate the root causes of terrorism, deprivation. However, they chose to exploit the people of South Asia and use the region for their power games. With hindsight, South Asia, if left alone, could have developed through teamwork, collaboration and cooperation under the aegis of organizations like SAARC. Perhaps even now it is not too late for the South Asian nations to sink their differences and stand on their own feet and achieve their true potential asking the U.S. and others to take their Great Game elsewhere. 
S. M. Hali is a film producer and a practicing journalist. He has contributed over 2000 articles, produced 125 documentaries and hosts a TV talk show. He is currently based in Islamabad.
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