Who will bell the cat?

Published March 4, 2026 Updated March 4, 2026 08:29am

THE United States has a long history of attacking countries, breaching inter-national norms of diplomacy, and shame-lessly violating state sovereignty. Do these actions not warrant condemnation and imposition of sanctions against the US? Many in the international community would agree, but would rather move away wondering who will bell the cat.

Iran was once again on the negotiating table and its foreign minister had formally announced that good headways had been made in the fresh round of parlays. But the unholy nexus of US and Israel still attacked Iran, sabotaging the whole process. Should the world not question the credibility of any future negotiations or diplomacy with the US? After all, it simply does not follow any established norms. Then, should the US be trusted?

The latest happenings should work as a wake-up call for the Muslim world. Arab leaders have often fallen prey to the trap laid out by the US-Israel machinery. They have given land for naval and air bases for American US forces in the name of ensuring their security. But, security against whom? Israel? That is a joke, really.

Sheikh Taimur Nawaz
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

Regional climbdown
04 Mar, 2026

Regional climbdown

WITH the region in flames, Pakistan must calibrate its foreign policy accordingly; it has to deal with some ...
Burning questions
Updated 04 Mar, 2026

Burning questions

BY most accounts, the protest was not massive. Nor was it unexpected. And yet, it ended in gruesome bloodshed. The...
Governance failure
04 Mar, 2026

Governance failure

BENEATH Lahore’s signal-free corridors and road infrastructure lies a darker truth: crumbling sewerage lines,...
Iran endgame
Updated 03 Mar, 2026

Iran endgame

AS hostilities continue following the Israeli-American joint aggression against Iran, there seems to be no visible...
Water concerns
03 Mar, 2026

Water concerns

RECENT reports that India plans to invest $60bn in increasing its water storage capacity on the Jhelum and Chenab...
Down and out
03 Mar, 2026

Down and out

ANOTHER Twenty20 World Cup, another ignominious exit — although this time Pakistan did advance past the first...