Faisal Shahzad’s Impact on Policies and Perceptions

Much has been written about the impact of Faisal Shahzad’s failed attack in New York City’s Times Square. Most Indians thought that Faisal’s links to Pakistan would increase U.S. pressure on the ‘epicenter of terrorism’, thereby validating India’s perspective. It was hoped that Faisal would help India to get where Kasab and David Headley could not: terrorist groups within Pakistan which act as auxiliary units for the Al-Qeada against the U.S. and India. Indian media is replete with quotations like “U.S. warns Pakistan of severe consequences.” However there is little evidence to show that the nature of U.S.-Pakistan Partnership will change much in the coming days. Views of Bruce Riedel and General Petraeus also validate this contention.

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According to Bruce Riedel, even though there is “a very serious possibility that the next mass casualty terrorist attack on the United States will be postmarked ‘Pakistan’…the U.S. options to act against Pakistan are severely limited.” The best option, according to Riedel is “to get Pakistan to do more now” in its fight against extremism by providing more weapons and technological aid. Bruce Riedel was insightful in stating that “We cannot win this struggle without Pakistani support. So it’s bringing the Pakistanis onto our side 100 percent and that is the ultimate challenge here.” A challenge that the Obama Administration has been attending to, with debatable success, since assuming office in January 2009.

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Responding a question on whether the failed Times Square attacks would jeopardize the increasing military-to-military cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan, General Petraeus was of the opinion that if anything it “may strengthen the relationship.” In defense of this position, General Petraeus added that, “In fact, the Pakistani intelligence services, or its police, quite quickly carried out some operations related to this.” General Petraeus also added that “There’s a bit of misperception that the Pakistani Army and Frontier Corps have not conducted operations in North Waziristan.”

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The U.S. has ruled out any cut in aid for Pakistan. Secretary Clinton in a interview to CBS said that though the U.S. wants and expects more cooperation form the Government of Pakistan, but there has been a sea change in Pakistan’s commitment to fight terrorism.

There are no signs of much change in the official U.S. policy towards Pakistan. But there is something else at the micro level that can substantially change. A change that Wajahat Ali, an American Muslim, writes about on his blog. According to Wajahat, after the identity of the terrorist suspect was unveiled, “What I did know, with a sinking feeling, was that many moderate, peaceful Pakistani Muslims like me were further doomed to collective mistrust and suspicion.” Wajahat voices his concerns by adding that, “Sometimes, I feel Muslim Pakistanis are like Daffy Duck, always cursed to have the anvil drop on our heads, regardless of our patriotism, lack of criminal record, good credit score and groomed facial hair. The moderate and innocent majority collectively bear the brunt of the sins of a deluded minority, such as Faisal Shahzad.”

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Changing policies are relatively easier than changing perceptions. Though the Faisal Shahzad episode did not change the official policy towards the Government of Pakistan, it did reinforce negative perceptions towards American Muslims, especially for those with connections to Pakistan. Entrenchment of negative perceptions will not help in the fight against terrorism while policies (of the U.S. and Pakistan) continue to the same.
Though the efforts of the Government of Pakistan were commended by Secretary Clinton and General Petraeus, the contributions of Aliou Niasse have been overlooked. Aliou Niasse, a vendor in Times Square, was the first to spot the smoking pathfinder and alerted two other vendors, who later brought it to the notice of the police. Aliou Niasse is a Muslim immigrant from Somalia.