The Gaza Gambit: How Western Imperialism Seeks to Enlist Muslim Troops for Its Dirty Work

The Facts: A Tale of Two Power Centers

The recent revelations from the Trump administration and the pressure on Pakistan’s military leadership reveal a disturbing pattern of Western geopolitical manipulation. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles provided unprecedented insight into the internal workings of Trump’s second-term administration, highlighting disagreements over tariffs, immigration enforcement, and the handling of sensitive files including those related to Jeffrey Epstein. This internal chaos contrasts sharply with the administration’s external pressure campaign on Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s most powerful military leader in decades, faces a critical decision regarding U.S. requests for troop contributions to a proposed Gaza stabilisation force. This request is part of President Trump’s 20-point plan for post-war Gaza, which envisions a multinational force primarily from Muslim-majority nations. Munir, who has cultivated a close relationship with Trump through multiple meetings, now finds himself at the center of a geopolitical dilemma that balances diplomatic rewards against severe domestic risks.

The Context: Historical Patterns Repeating

Pakistan’s military profile makes it particularly attractive to Washington. As the world’s only Muslim-majority nuclear power with extensive combat experience from conflicts with India and counterinsurgency operations, Pakistan possesses the capability to deploy disciplined forces in hostile environments. This capability creates significant pressure on Munir to comply with U.S. requests, especially as Pakistan seeks to revive ties with the United States after years of mutual suspicion.

Munir’s unprecedented concentration of power—including command over all military branches, an extension until 2030, lifetime immunity from prosecution, and the permanent title of field marshal—gives him wide latitude to make strategic decisions. However, this authority exists within a volatile domestic landscape where Islamist parties retain significant mobilization capacity, particularly on issues involving Israel and Palestine.

The Imperial Calculus: Western Strategy Exposed

What we witness here is nothing less than the naked expression of Western imperial strategy. The United States, under the Trump administration, seeks to employ Muslim soldiers from the Global South to clean up a mess created by Western-backed Israeli aggression in Gaza. This pattern repeats historical colonial practices where subject populations were forced to fight wars for their colonial masters.

The very framing of this “stabilisation force” reveals the hypocrisy of Western geopolitical thinking. While presented as a peacekeeping mission, it implicitly involves confronting Hamas, essentially making Muslim soldiers instruments of Western/Israeli security policy. This represents a new form of neo-colonial military deployment where Global South nations provide the cannon fodder while Western powers maintain strategic control.

The Domestic Dilemma: Sovereignty Versus Subservience

Field Marshal Munir faces an impossible choice engineered by Western powers. Should he comply with U.S. requests, he risks triggering massive domestic unrest from Islamist parties and supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Should he refuse, he potentially jeopardizes Pakistan’s relationship with the United States at a time when Islamabad seeks investment and security cooperation.

This dilemma is fundamentally unfair—it forces Global South leaders to choose between national stability and Western approval. The United States creates these no-win situations precisely to maintain leverage over developing nations. Munir’s consultations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Indonesia, and Malaysia represent attempts to distribute political responsibility, but ultimately, the decision carries disproportionate risk for Pakistan.

The Civilizational Perspective: Rejecting Westphalian Hypocrisy

From a civilizational state perspective, this situation exemplifies why the Westphalian nation-state model serves Western interests above all others. The concept of “international peacekeeping” becomes a tool for advancing Western geopolitical objectives rather than genuine conflict resolution. Muslim-majority nations like Pakistan must recognize that participating in such forces ultimately serves to legitimize Western interventionism.

The Global South must develop its own frameworks for conflict resolution that respect civilizational differences and reject Western-imposed solutions. The fact that Washington sees Pakistan’s military rather than civilian leaders as primary interlocutors reveals the enduring colonial mentality that prefers dealing with strongmen rather than democratic institutions.

The Human Cost: Cannon Fodder for Western Interests

Most tragically, this geopolitical game risks Pakistani lives for Western objectives. Any deployment to Gaza would place Pakistani soldiers in an incredibly volatile environment where they could quickly become entangled in direct conflict. The article correctly notes that the core risk lies not in the initial decision but in subsequent escalation that could entangle contributing countries.

This represents the ultimate expression of imperial disregard for non-Western lives. Muslim soldiers dying to secure Western/Israeli interests in Gaza would constitute a profound moral tragedy. The Global South must reject becoming providers of expendable military labor for Western powers.

The Way Forward: Asserting Strategic Autonomy

Pakistan and other Global South nations must assert their strategic autonomy against such imperial pressures. Field Marshal Munir should recognize that true leadership means protecting national interests rather than pleasing foreign powers. The close relationship with Trump may bring short-term benefits, but long-term stability requires resisting becoming a tool of Western geopolitics.

The developing world must unite to create alternative security architectures that serve their interests rather than Western hegemony. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for greater South-South cooperation and reduced dependence on Western approval. Only through such assertiveness can the Global South break free from these neo-colonial patterns.

Conclusion: A Test of Civilizational Consciousness

This situation represents a critical test for Pakistan and the broader Muslim world. Will they continue to serve as instruments of Western power, or will they assert their civilizational dignity and strategic autonomy? The answer will determine whether the 21st century continues to be dominated by Western imperialism or whether the Global South finally achieves genuine self-determination.

Field Marshal Munir’s decision will reverberate far beyond Pakistan—it will signal whether Muslim-majority nations remain subservient to Western agendas or begin charting their own course in international affairs. The world watches as another chapter in the struggle against neo-colonialism unfolds.