NEW DELHI – Former RAW Chief AS Daulat has confessed that he used to urgethe US to put pressure on Pakistan, but the US would say that they do putpressure on Pakistan, however, beyond a certain point they become‘helpless’.
He said in his book “Spy Chronicles” that US has some leverage overPakistan but they are unable to move forward beyond a certain point,probably where the national security interests of Pakistan comes.
He said India has screwed up its relationship with Russia and that “thereis none with the Chinese” while adding that the relations with theneighbours have also deteriorated.
He said that US’ belief that India could act as a counterbalance to Chinain the region is a ‘wishful thinking’ not only because India is not in aposition to do so, but also that it would not like to offend China bybecoming a proxy for any other country.
He said that Americans had a key interest and influence in Kashmirspecially in the 1990s, however, it changed after 9/11 when previouslycalled the ‘freedom fighters’ came to be known as terrorists. He said thathe generally agrees that both India and Pakistan are beyond ‘arm twisting’done by the US.
Agreeing with Durrani, Dulat said that the US is happy to see ‘khatpat’(agitation) between India and Pakistan and that both the countries shouldwork together to find a solution on their terms, rather than on the termsof the US.