WIKILEAKS REVELATIONS - IT IS NOT PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR ASSETS THAT ARE LEAKING, IT IS THE U.S. STATE & DEFENE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LEAKING LIKE A SIEVE

Amongst the 250,000 or so documents currently being released by Wikileaks, some disclose a typical standard concern about Pakistan's Nuclear Program, especially the possibility of it falling in the hands of terrorists. This mantra has been put out by some self serving analysts and dubious think tanks for nearly ten years now.

In this time, Pakistan's nuclear assets have been securely guarded by its Military and there has not been a single instant of leakage from its nuclear facilities, yet the Mantra continues like Yogi's chant.

International scientists know that it is not easy to steal nuclear assets, especially when well guarded and in disassembled form. But even if we were to assume for a moment (though highly unlikely) that possibility, it would still require a team of highly skilled Scientists to assemble and launch a bomb and there is no way Al-Qaeda or Taliban have or are likely to have such capability with their brute and coercive ways.

It is not Pakistan's nuclear assets that are leaking, it is the U.S. State and Defense Departments that are leaking like sieve. Diplomatic and other missives stolen by a person of the rank of Private, shows the total lack of security at these departments.

Wikileaks has exposed the sheer incompetence of U.S. Administration to keep its secrets safe. In future, foreign leaders will take everything that U.S. says with a pinch of salt. U.S. may also be forced to replace many of its Ambassadors in foreign lands who with their utterances, have made themselves useless in their present posts. It is time to withdraw many US Ambassadors from abroad who do not respect their host countries and their leaders.

The more serious revelation is the U.S.'s continued arrogance on world stage. Belittling foreign heads of states, foolish Ambassadors making undiplomatic comments about their host countries and their leaders. Barack Obama was supposed to change all that, he had promised to make America a more humble world leader and bring civility to its activities. But with Hillary Clinton in change of State and Gates in charge of Defense, it is business as usual.

Instead of running Assange out of continents with dubious (U.S. encouraged) criminal charges by Sweden, U.S. should learn some lessons from this fiasco and improve its image abroad. As a first, step replace all the tainted Ambassadors and send some fresh faces abroad, who can earn the confidence and respect of foreign leaders.

General McChrystal - Good Riddance, Now it is time to bring in a new Defense Secretary

General McChrystal's insubordination and inappropriate comments about his superiors and especially the Commander-in-Chief earned him a well deserved sack. Anything less would have been perceived as a weakness on President Obama's part.

Letting McChrystal off the hook would have opened doors to insubordination from other military officers. What is surprising however, is the rumor that Defense Secretary Robert Gates pleaded for a lesser punishment. If this is true, then it is a matter of great concern. How can the Defense Secretary not ask for full and proper punishment. In fact, it is President Obama's open mindedness to invite the General to the Oval office to explain his conduct, otherwise he could have just asked the Defense Secretary to relieve him of his command.

Robert Gates has served many a President, but he may have too much baggage from the past. In these changed times, President Obama needs to appoint a new Defense Secretary to implement his policies, someone whose thinking is completely aligned with the President.

The war in Iraq may be winding down, though the after effects of a total withdrawal are yet to emerge. However, things are not going well in Afghanistan. McChrystal may have befriended the Afghans, but his surge is not working. Taliban are a different breed altogether, each time NATO forces launch a major attack, they simply melt away and regroup to start the fight elsewhere another day. Instead of reducing, their numbers are increasing.

It is time to rethink the Afghan strategy entirely. No foreign force has ever defeated the Afghan people, and this war IS against the Afghan people, be they under the garb of Taliban. It is time to wind down the war and implement an exit strategy based on a political settlement. For that, the President needs to put on his thinking cap and he also needs new leadership at Pentagon.