Pentagon Psalmists’ return to Asia Pacific
by Atul Bhardwaj on 14 Jun 2012 16 Comments
Last week, Leon Panetta, Pentagon’s chief hit-man was in Asia, signaling ‘Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow!’ This bogey was meant to gather gullible Asian leaders, persuading them to come to the aid of the American empire in grave danger of being overrun by China. ‘Broken Arrow’ was a code reserved by the American forces in the Vietnam War to signal extreme danger to their positions.  Panetta’s appeal for help has had such an impact that great strategy pundits from India, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia Australia, Japan, South Korea and others have joined Pentagon psalmists’ chorus - chanting imprecatory prayers - predicting disgrace and shame to the Chinese.


Post 9/11, the world was introduced to a similar imprecatory number against Islam. A little over a decade ago, Bush had stood up to tell the world about the ensuing ‘clash of civilizations’. Now all that war on terror lies buried under the cacophony of Osama’s death pronouncement and the din of ‘Arab Spring’.

The latest American mantra pivots around the Oceans in Asia Pacific region. Dr John Chipman, Director General and Chief Executive, IISS says, “one of the most important subjects in the Asia‑Pacific is the idea of protecting maritime freedoms and the acceptance that this is an international and global role, not only a regional and particular role.”

Fresh words are being woven and new alliances are being sewn together; only to pull wool over Asian eyes. Dangerous needles are being pricked into Asian minds to prove that their salvation lies in preventing China from uprooting the treasure tower embedded in the South China Sea. Scarborough Shoal - a disputed territory between China and Philippines – is now the chief reason for Asia to be “in a state of strategic flux.” As Sanjay Baru tells us, America is “seeking to provide an element of stability to this flux, and inject a measure of certainty to an uncertain world.”

Today, Panetta talks about shifting an additional 10% of American forces to Indo-Pacific than what it has committed in the Atlantic. Towards the fag end of their empire in Asia, British too had tried to use huge forces at their disposal to protect “the crescent of land that stretched from Bengal, through Burma, the Southern island. It was hinterland of the Straits of Malacca, one of the greatest arteries of oceanic trade that separates the Indian Ocean from South China Sea.” (Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper, Forgotten Wars: The end of Britain’s Asian Empire, 2008). Bayly and Harper also tell us that during these years the Americans used to make fun of the British South East Asian Command (SEAC) under Lord Mountbatten as nothing but an acronym that stood for “Save England Asian Colonies”.


Today, America finds itself in British shoes. It is paranoid about the longevity of its empire. It’s declining money power and reduced ability to spend on military is making it seek military hardware and manpower from within Asia-Pacific. It is playing the same old game and making sure that Asians are once again buffoon(ed) into fighting against each other.

It is a paradox that in the era of advancing life expectancy, the collective memory of the human being is on the decline. It is only sixty years ago, Panetta’s predecessors had entered Asia pacific with an atomic bang, making the Japanese experience the horrors of weapons of mass destruction and colonization.

Just prior to dropping of the atomic bomb, the communist cadres in South East Asia and British Indian army soldiers were used as cannon fodder to defeat the Japanese colonial designs. And all they got in return for fighting the Japanese was a fresh tranche of brutal British imperialism.


By 1946 Japan had been mollified and the threat of communism was the new clarion call on which Asia was to rotate. How does one forget the US role in ensuring the division of Korea and the use of ‘Agent Orange’ in Vietnam? They used Soviet Union in WW II only to make it an enemy. Islam was used against godless communism and then made into a dreaded monster after 9/11. They used China in the Cold War and now China is the enemy. This is an endless game that can no longer be brushed aside in terms of, “there are no permanent friends or enemies, but permanent interests in international relations.”

The people of Asia must expose this farce and say that there is only one permanent interest - not to
expose global poor to wars initiated at the behest of the leech-like descendants of Rockefeller and Rothschild. The people must come together to prevent their younger generations from being used once again in frivolous wars. Wars indulged in by these banking monsters representing 1% of the global population. For this tiny minority, war is a necessity. They will create reasons to display their masculinity and keep the global 99% in a perpetual state of shock and awe. Thus, there is no use blaming Americans, now we know the real culprits behind the wars.

For these global elite, the multitudes are expendable earthworms and cockroaches. Nations and Gods are all strategic commodities to be used and thrown away like disposable crockery. Protection and perpetuation of property rights is all they live for and make us die for. They will not change; let us at least, not allow ourselves to be used.

The author is a retd. Naval officer; he edits the quarterly magazine Purple Beret

User Comments Post a Comment
Some days back the American "Psalmist" was among the Indian "Vadaist" to get them on board to fulfill their plans.It is now up-to the Indians that whether they jump on board this band wagon to fulfill their own desires (from the 60 odd years) against one of the neighboring country (take a wild guess) or if they let the sanity prevail this time around.I am a little skeptical about Indians,the past is full of events where they had not let go any opportunity coming their way to harm that neighbor.History is full of such examples of the Indian hostility towards Pakistan, a South Asia expert Stephen Cohen of Washington’s Brookings Institution recently told his audience: “Not a few Indian generals and strategists have told me that if only America would strip Pakistan of its nuclear weapons then the Indian army could destroy the Pakistan army and the whole thing would be over.” This comment proves that the Pakistani Nuclear weapons are what is holding India at bay and are extremely essential for the stability and peace in South Asia.
observer
June 14, 2012
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India has not only let down its own people but the rest of Asia in joining with america against china. When will we ever learn. But again what can you expect from a country led by a italian.
jan
June 14, 2012
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Looks like never!
observer
June 14, 2012
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What do you want? Allow China to take over? They have already taken over Tibet,they are taking over Nepal,would take over Pakistan and so on.Acceptable? You appear to be unduly blinded.India has to look after her short term and long term interests.This has nothing to do with short or long term designs of any other country.
Jitendra Desai
June 14, 2012
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Observer,

Err...India partly fulfilled her desire in 1971...what do you think...and the remaining part of the desire is getting fulfilled in afghanistan...what till the pashtuns erase the durand line and form a pashtunistan....and the sindhis split karachi and form a free sindh and the balochis a free balochistan....what will be left of na-pakistan will be the rump of punjab which will be like Dhobi ka kutta na ghar ka na ghat ka....;)
asha
June 15, 2012
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China taking over Pakistan.....hmmm....that is a new one,J.D are feeling ok?
observer
June 15, 2012
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asha, same old wet dreams,huh!The real Indian jumped out of you at the first chance,moments like these make my resolve more stronger and makes me say thanks to the Pakistan's creators and to say how correct they were for getting a separate home land/s for the majority of the Muslims living in sub-continent.Relax,take a chill pill and watch the great game!
observer
June 15, 2012
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@observer
oh we are watching the great game with keen interest when drones make their weekly forays over "sovereign" pakistan and all we hear from your generals and civil rulers is some weak a*s statements in the press about violation of your so-called sovereignty, thats it....is this what you fought for, become a land that allows any nation to violate you as they please for the sake of a few crumbs and use u like a disposable condom...nice achievement....looks like you got what you deserved...
Passerby
June 15, 2012
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......hmmm,if i am not mistaken,the snake oil salesperson was visiting your country few days back,so i think it is your time now to be the hero and that is what i meant when i said to watch the great game,so once again ,relax,take a chill pill and watch the great game.
observer
June 15, 2012
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India does not need to hold hands with America. It can stand on her own. India and China has had a long standing peaceful relationship The only conflict has been on the borders created by the British. It is time to talk and solve the problems and not join america. Any one who joins america will end up in dire straits. Look around, it is obvious.
jan
June 15, 2012
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@ Surprised at Chinese take over? Go back to fifties.Yoou were taken over by USA.Now they have lost interest in you.They instead greet you with drones.Wait for China to take over such role in next 50 years.
Jitendra Desai
June 15, 2012
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Like i said twice before and for the last time i will say,relax,take a chill pill and watch the great game.
observer
June 15, 2012
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Observer,
You can prescribe chill pill to everybody but what ointment will help you after you have been thoroughly mauled by USA and China .... Read General Padmanabhan's book "India Checkmates America" and you will know why pakistan will soon be history....
Asha
June 16, 2012
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Isn't this the same General who lost hundreds of his men in 2002 by their own land mines which they were try to lay for a war with Pakistan,if so then you be the judge ,why would one read a book of an incompetent man!
observer
June 16, 2012
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Observer,

You must be smoking something very strong when you write these comments....You come from a country which has brave generals like Niazi, Zia ul Haq, Musharraff and you are commenting on General Padmanabhan....LOL....why is that all your generals either are killed by civilians or run away to shoddy arabia or London to escape the law in Pakistan....think about it....BTW did you try the home remedy for your burning bottom....
Asha
June 20, 2012
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so that is all the insults you could come up with,tsk tsk!i am pretty sure that you can do a lot better,keep trying.
observer
June 20, 2012
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