Posted on 09/20/2004 7:36:28 PM PDT by yonif
The United States could lose its war on terrorism unless it deals with the poverty and political disputes that give rise to militant extremism, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview on Monday.
"We are only involved at the moment in fighting terrorism frontally, the military perspective, the immediate response. But we are not addressing the root causes," Musharraf said in the interview on ABC News.
"I always say the root cause is political disputes, poverty and illiteracy," Musharraf said, adding that he does not think those issues are being addressed.
"I hope they are, otherwise we are not going to succeed. We may be winning battles, but we lose the war," he said.
Poor and illiterate people who feel aggrieved because of political disputes are easy targets for indoctrination by militant groups, said Musharraf, who has played a pivotal role in the U.S.-led war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Musharraf named the Palestinian issue as the principal political dispute that must be addressed because he said it had "the maximum negative perspective" throughout the Muslim world.
"There is unanimous sympathy for the Palestinians against the Israelis. And the United States is seen or perceived as an Israeli supporter and totally against Muslims," Musharraf said. "So I think this is the one which needs to be resolved immediately."
On the subject of his country's role in the ongoing hunt for al Qaeda militants and remnants of Afghanistan's toppled Taliban leadership, Musharraf described the Pakistani campaign as a success.
"We have operated in south Pakistan, we have busted their sanctuaries from three valleys, so we are very successful. However, there may be more elsewhere," he said, adding that the military operation continues.
Pakistani troops are engaged in an offensive in tribal regions just across the border from the southern Afghan provinces where U.S. troops are hunting al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his followers.
The Pakistan leader said he had no idea where bin Laden was hiding.
Musharraf spoke in New York where he will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush on the fringes of this week's U.N. General Assembly.
Sounds like Musharraf's paying another life insurance premium to me.
Poverty is the root of terrorism. Which is why 1 billionaire and 19 well off educated middle class men are responsible for the worst case of terrorism in the US.
The other root causes of terrorism stem from the governments of these hellhole nations. It isn't our fault that unemployment is high there, or that they are uneducated ignorant lunatics. Likewise, it isn't their business to decide who we support. There isn't another nation on Earth that has done more to help Islam, yet they still blame us.
First, they should go back and check the Koran. Israel's right to the land is even in the Koran, quite clearly. If they're too stupid to even read the only thing they supposedly live by, they don't deserve to live. Islam needs to learn to respect us, not vice versa. Either that, or die. Their choice. Our patience has run out.
If poverty and illiteracy caused terrorism then Tibet would be feared around the world.
Was going to comment similarly, but you said it much better.
poverty? Islam is the cause of their poverty, so the solution is to get rid of Islam, which incidently is the cause of terrorism as well, Islam Also the cause of Jew hatred, so you kil 3 birds with one stone by getting rid of that sick, twisted blood cult.
It don't take a rocket scientist to figure what's going on here.
The root cause of terrorism is that ragheads have too much money and use it to buy fleets of Mercedes and weapons to attack the west.
If we took the oil revenues away from these subhuman animals they would still be riding camels and stinking up their "mosques".
Moosh is just playing to his base.
Does anybody have any links to such quotes, especially from bin Laden?
I'm formulating a detailed response to a liberal hump overseas (you know the type - 'it's all because America supports the Jews!').
Same could be said here.
Yo! Pervez! Educate your people and improve your economy. It ain't our job!
Why don't we pull this guy's security detail and see what he makes of America's intentions then? Will his heart burn for understanding of root causes?
We are addressing the root cause of terrorism, by killing the terrorists. There is no rational reason for them doing what they are doing, and they must be killed. Pretty simple.
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