Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

West responsible for terrorism: Gen. Musharraf
Daily Times, Pakistan ^

Posted on 09/13/2006 4:19:28 AM PDT by Srirangan

West responsible for extremism: Musharraf

* President says Pakistan not inherently prone to terrorism or extremism
* Blames 1979 US mission in Afghanistan for militancy in region


BRUSSELS: President General Pervez Musharraf has blamed the West for breeding terrorism in his country by bringing in thousands of mujahideen to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and then leaving Pakistan alone a decade later to face the armed warriors.

Musharraf told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Tuesday that Pakistan was not the intolerant, extremist country often portrayed by the West, and terrorism and extremism were not inherent in Pakistani society. “Whatever extremism or terrorism is in Pakistan is a direct fallout of the 26 years of warfare and militancy around us. It gets back to 1979 when the West, the United States and Pakistan waged a war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,” Musharraf told EU lawmakers.

“We launched a jihad, brought in mujahideen from all over the Muslim world, the US and the West…We armed the Taliban and sent them in; we did it together. In 1989 everyone left Pakistan with 30,000 armed mujahideen who were there, and the Taliban who were there,” he said, adding that Pakistan had “paid a big price for being part of the coalition that fought the Soviet Union.”

Musharraf said that the scourge of terrorism had been eliminated from Pakistan and that efforts were underway to root out extremism, but this would take time.

Musharraf also urged Pakistani expatriates to invest in Pakistan and to send maximum foreign exchange to boost the country’s economy. The president stressed that they play a role in enhancing the dignity and prestige of the country. He said that Pakistan and Belgium had strong economic ties, which needed further expansion.

He added that Pakistanis living in Belgium should further the country’s development. Musharraf also stressed on the need for the Pakistani community to impart modern education to their children. He informed the Pakistani community about the steps taken by government to boost the country’s economy, to provide basic facilities and to counter regional instability.

Gen Musharraf met with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt later on Tuesday to discuss trade ties between their countries, and the situation in Afghanistan and Lebanon.

Mr Verhofstadt told reporters that Gen Musharraf had urged the EU to play a bigger role in finding a solution to the Middle East crisis.

European Commission President Jose Barroso announced after talks with Musharraf that Europe would increase development assistance to Pakistan from 2007. agencies


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: pakistan; terrorism
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

1 posted on 09/13/2006 4:19:29 AM PDT by Srirangan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

I know this guy has his own agenda and anything he says is suspect, but consider this thought experiment:

You go back to Jan 31, 1981, in a time machine, kidnap Reagan from his bedroom in the middle of the night, bring him back to now, bring him up to date on recent history and the current situation (leaving out the details of his own life, death and actions), and then take him back to his same bedroom, the same night.

What would he do? I'm not writing a science fiction story here, just a thought experiment.

What would Reagan do if he knew then what we know now?

I don't know the answer to the question but I'm sure one possibility would be: let the fight in Afghanistan drag on, without any US participation.

Another possibility: help the Russians.


2 posted on 09/13/2006 4:34:07 AM PDT by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

I didn't know Mushariff did stand up comedy!

What other talents does he hide?

Pakistan was born from its own intolerance and has been a terror state for all of its life.

Who does he think he's kidding?


3 posted on 09/13/2006 4:38:33 AM PDT by Adder (Can we bring back stoning again? Please?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

Maybe his countries support of the taliban and his security forces training and supporting terrori9sts have a loyt to do with it.


4 posted on 09/13/2006 4:38:37 AM PDT by Americanexpat (A strong democracy through citizen oversight.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

Bump


5 posted on 09/13/2006 4:38:52 AM PDT by BunnySlippers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

Cough,cough,bullsh!t,cough,cough


6 posted on 09/13/2006 4:41:13 AM PDT by Robe (Rome did not create a great empire by talking, they did it by killing all those who opposed them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

In the best John Candy voice I can muster:

Thank you!


7 posted on 09/13/2006 4:42:29 AM PDT by leadpenny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

The entire world of islam is solely responsible for terrorist, and only the entire world of islam can stop it. No one else can stop it but islam.


8 posted on 09/13/2006 4:43:11 AM PDT by tkathy (Einstein: Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan
“Whatever extremism or terrorism is in Pakistan is a direct fallout of the 26 years of warfare and militancy around us. It gets back to 1979 when the West, the United States and Pakistan waged a war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,” Musharraf told EU lawmakers.

History buffs, please help. Is he laying this at Carter's feet?

9 posted on 09/13/2006 4:43:22 AM PDT by Samwise (All that is needed for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Adder

Who does he think he's kidding?

The same sheeple that the win-at-any-cost anti-american democrat liberals manage to keep in their fold. They'll believe anything that supports their belief that the U.S. is responsible for the world's problems.


10 posted on 09/13/2006 4:45:16 AM PDT by rj45mis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

I always thought Pakistan was created to separate the terrorists from India.


11 posted on 09/13/2006 4:52:03 AM PDT by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

Will there be a time when we take out Pak's nukes and let India have at them?


12 posted on 09/13/2006 4:54:39 AM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan
Is the west responsible for letting Islamists permeate his ISI secret service?
13 posted on 09/13/2006 4:56:41 AM PDT by aynrandfreak (The Left hates America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: samtheman
I think he would do exactly the same thing. Because if you were aware of anything during his administration it would the the frenzy of the cold war with Russia.

The communist push was as world wide as radical Islam is today. President Reagan was determined to halt it's advance on this continent. El Salvador, all of those little countries below Mexico were in upheaval fighting off communist rebels. He was determined to break the back of the Soviet bear.

Today it's our turn to deal with our enemies, we can only hope we are as successful as Reagan was in dealing with our enemies of his day.
14 posted on 09/13/2006 4:57:10 AM PDT by MissAmericanPie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: samtheman
Often thought that myself.

The book "The Hidden War" is a Russian journalists view of their Afghan war. The first thing I thought reading it was "My God, they are more like us than not". The second was the Afghan war was much more personal for them. Russian civilians were killed in border raids.

I agree, if Regan knew what we know now, I doubt he would have financed the war. The only question is what would have happened to the USSR?
15 posted on 09/13/2006 4:57:54 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Samwise
when the West, the United States and Pakistan waged a war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,

Who is the "west" he refers to here (since it is not the US)?

16 posted on 09/13/2006 4:58:36 AM PDT by beachn4fun ("To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” … George Washington)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: beachn4fun
Who is the "west" he refers to here (since it is not the US)?

No clue. I don't have the secret decoder ring.

17 posted on 09/13/2006 5:10:45 AM PDT by Samwise (All that is needed for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

“We launched a jihad, brought in mujahideen from all over the Muslim world, the US and the West…We armed the Taliban and sent them in; we did it together. In 1989 everyone left Pakistan with 30,000 armed mujahideen who were there, and the Taliban who were there,” he said, adding that Pakistan had “paid a big price for being part of the coalition that fought the Soviet Union.”

And how does that explain Pakistani schools that end up turning British Muslims into terrorists?


18 posted on 09/13/2006 5:11:44 AM PDT by FostersExport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Samwise

Pretty much. The question then becomes was Carter duped by Zbigniew Brzezinski, NSA, who had a personal agenda to see the Soviets suffer at any cost. Why? His family suffered as of result of the soviet occupation of Poland. Zbig was the guy who bent Carter's ear and got the Islamic movement funded and armed. At the time apparently we were terrified of Russia owning Afghanistan. It's so valuable and all. ??


19 posted on 09/13/2006 5:16:31 AM PDT by kinghorse (I calls them like I sees them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Srirangan

So how come it's the West that is to blame when it was the Soviet Union that destabilzed everything?


20 posted on 09/13/2006 5:25:37 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum (Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson