Posted on 03/19/2004 2:37:33 PM PST by AM2000
WASHINGTON: The Bush administration has struck another Faustian deal with Pakistan to forgive its nuclear proliferation and enhance its ally status in exchange for help in the war on terrorism, according to US analysts.
Washington's declaration of Pakistan as a "Major non-Nato Ally" is being widely seen here as a quid pro quo for delivering Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. Despite protestations from the administration that such a tag has been in the works of "months and months and months," the timing of the announcement – during Colin Powell's visit to Islamabad amid a firefight – suggests an urgent barter, analysts said.
On his way back out of Pakistan en route to Kuwait, Powell tried to downplay Pakistan's upgrade saying "in some instances it is more symbolic than practical," and he didn't know "if Pakistan...will be able to take great advantage of it."
"It is part of a continuing relationship and we have been doing things to demonstrate to the Pakistanis that we are good, solid, long term partners," Powell explained, adding, "The same relationship we want to have with India."
It was not immediately clear if he meant Washington wanted to name India an MNNA too, but other state department officials pointed out that India had got its own rewards from the US in the form of a new strategic relationship and it should not be too concerned about the Pakistan’s upgrade.
"Remember we have always talked of de-hyphenating our ties with India and Pakistan," the official said.
Powell acknowledged though that the enhanced status will give Pakistan greater access to "excess defense articles and property that we might have."
Amid apprehensions in Indian circles that this might lead to resumption of major arms supplies to Pakistan, Powell said General Musharraf has not raised the question of sale of F-16s, and separately, a state department official in Washington too said the F-16s to Pakistan were not on the radar screen at this time.
Some experts said the MNNA deal reminded them of the agreement between the Reagan administration and Pakistan in the 1980s when Washington winked at Islamabad's clandestine nuclear program, to use the country as a staging ground for the Afghan war. That policy led to the birth of Islamist terrorist forces and also helped Pakistan complete its nuclear cycle and proliferate WMD.
"It looks like a deal," William Triplett, a former Senate aide and veteran analyst said of the MNNA status to Pakistan. "Of course we don’t know who, if anyone, is going to be produced in the next 24 hours. Even if it is Osama himself, Pakistan should be paid off on the economic side than with more weapons."
Even Pakistani experts were surprised at the timing of the announcement, with Hussain Haqqani, a former diplomat, pointing out that Musharraf always appeared to produce something on the eve of important meetings with the Americans.
In fact, the speculation in the analysts’ community was that Musharraf and ISI have always known Zawahiri’s whereabouts and MNNA was just the price for selling him down the river and delivering him.
Distrust of the Bush administration is so high that on the flight to Kuwait a journalist asked Powell, who is often said to serve as a ardent spokesman for Pakistan and Gen. Musharraf in particular, what he had to say to people that say Pakistan has dealt with A.Q. Khan with kid gloves and the United States deals with Pakistan with kid gloves.
"There’s a lot of skepticism that none of this will really come out and that the network (of nuclear proliferation) will just get covered up. No one else will get punished. And you come here and you give them non-NATO, major NATO, whatever status," the journalist observed.
"Thank you for that editorial comment in the form of a question," Powell responded testily. "But, I just don’t agree with you.
... Hussain Haqqani, a former diplomat, pointing out that Musharraf always appeared to produce something on the eve of important meetings with the Americans.
PTI[ SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2004 02:19:12 AM ]
NEW DELHI: Expressing serious concern over US decision to grant special "non-Nato" member status to Pakistan, Congress said it was a public repudiation of Indo-US strategic relationship.
"(US Secretary of State) Colin Powell gave a statement in Pakistan to grant a special Non-NATO member status to it. This is a matter of great concern for military as well as political considerations. It is the responsibility of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take the nation into confidence", Party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.
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