Posted on 09/08/2001 1:59:30 PM PDT by AM2000
Amid growing doubts about American inclinations, Pakistan has launched a no-holds-barred campaign to pressure the Bush Administration to lift the nuclear-related sanctions against it in tandem with those on India. The Pakistani lobby has drafted US legislators, corporate groups and commentators to press for a "fair, even-handed approach". Some commentators have plainly warned Washington of the dangers of a step-up in "Islamic militancy" in case Pakistan was discriminated against.
After a concerted bid by a bipartisan group of 24 legislators, a strong business lobby has now taken over. As many as 62 American companies doing business in Pakistan have dashed off a memorandum to President Bush, arguing that the curbs should be lifted in furtherance of the US’s own economic interests.
Those who have signed up the petition include such notables as IBM, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Dupont, Intel, Bayer, American Express, Citibank, Levi Strauss, Kodak, Sheraton, Caltex, DHL and Unisys.
The Islamic factor has been articulated by the corporate giants as well. Pakistan, they contend, is "a crucially important moderate friend of the United States in the Islamic world" and continued American engagement with it is vital for regional and global stability.
The US authorities may continue to frown upon Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s military rule, but the American business has showered praise on his bid to "reverse the economic slide, reduce corruption, provide better governance and bring democracy at the grass roots level through the devolution plan".
Former CIA chief James Woolsey is among the commentators to bring the Islamic dimension to the fore. Not lifting the Pakistani sanctions along with those on India will be seen throughout the Middle East as "discrimination of the first order". It could also push Islamabad towards increased reliance on its nuclear and missile programmes.
Writing in the International Herald Tribune, Woolsey, along with two others, says: "Islamic militancy, arms and drug trafficking and religiously motivated sectarian violence could have devastating consequences for India's economic prospects and cause trouble in important Islamic oil-producing countries. Risks to US forces and interests in the Middle East would be a virtual certainty."
The heightened activity by the pro-Pakistan groups comes close on the heels of the US slapping sanctions on a Pakistani entity along with a Chinese firm for missile proliferation last week. This action has given rise to a feeling that the Bush administration may opt to keep Pakistan wait awhile.
A group of 24 lawmakers has already petitioned President Bush on the question of "equal treatment" of India and Pakistan when it comes to lifting the nuclear-related sanctions. They, too, have taken recourse to the Islamic factor in support of their advocacy.
Blow off these putz camel-jockeys...
Tell the corporations (who only concern is the bottom line) to kiss my bottom...
FReegards.
Is this Pakistan talking or the Chinese? I mean, the chinese have gotten pretty good at making Idle threats against us for everything we do and of course Washington seems more than eager to comply with their hedonsim
The midget Pakistani standing on his big Chinese brothers shoulder, of course...
I would have thought that IBM or Levi would be more concerned with the Indian market than with the Pakistani. Pakistan has likely become a conduit for cheap Chinese (knockoff) goods and other smuggled stuff. Especially a company like IBM has a lot more at stake in India than it does in Pakistan. I don't get it....
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