SPEAKING to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about unrest in parts of eastern Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of using intelligence agents to stir chaos in eastern Ukraine, thus creating a pretext for Russian intervention.

The Russian foreign ministry accused the US of deploying ‘private American mercenaries’ from the US security firm Greystone to help the government in Kiev control the unrest in eastern Ukraine.

The public spat between the two major international powers led by their top diplomats gives an insight into the methods and tools deployed by these powers to achieve their national interests abroad.

One of these methods is the use of intelligence agencies by major powers to foment unrest, chaos and uncertainty in countries in an attempt to shape local, regional and international public opinion to support their interests.

Pakistan itself is at the receiving end of such a policy. Those who have opposed Pakistan’s participation in the war on terror and the Pakistan Army’s deployment in Fata have repeatedly presented the argument that this war is being fomented in Pakistan by America’s intelligence agencies.

America wants Pakistan to stop the Pakhtun tribes living in Fata from helping the insurgency in Afghanistan. Thus it is in the interest of America that it instigates a fight between Fata’s Pakhtun tribes and Pakistan’s security services through false flag attacks. Such an opinion has often been termed ‘conspiracy theory’ by some.

But the case of US spy Raymond Davis, who was arrested in Lahore, and Shakil Afridi points to a very real US intelligence footprint in Pakistan.

Now we have the example of Ukraine where major powers are accusing one another of fomenting unrest by using their respective intelligence agencies. That Pakistan’s rulers are unwilling to address the issue of US intelligence creating havoc in Pakistan is indeed sad and points to the extraordinary clout which Washington enjoys in Pakistan’s ruling circles.

But Pakistan’s media has a responsibility to influence the state’s policy by correctly identifying the root cause of the lawlessness and insecurity which engulfs the country.

Mr Kerry may be right about Russian special forces role in eastern Ukraine but it is time we demanded answers about the role of catalyst played by US special forces and agents in the chaos which is wreaking havoc in Pakistan.

Moez Mobeen
Islamabad