Posted on 10/08/2002 2:01:36 PM PDT by swarthyguy
If George Bush's "war on terror" were remotely rational, or even roughly reasoned, then its next target might be Pakistan, not Iraq. It should be said that the US is not justified in pre-emptively and unilaterally attacking either country - or any other sovereign state for that matter. But on the basis of Mr Bush's own "axis of evil" criteria at least, Pakistan sits squarely in the theoretical firing line. When it comes to weapons of mass destruction, Islamabad's unregulated, uninspected nuclear bombs put it way ahead of Iraq and Iran. When it comes to delivery systems, the US was obliged only last weekend to rebuke General Pervez Musharraf's regime for its alarming show-trial of a medium-range missile. Pakistan, or elements of Pakistan's intelligence and military services, had well-established links with the Taliban in next-door Afghanistan; Mullah Omar was widely seen as a Pakistani creation. Leading al-Qaida figures, and possibly Osama bin Laden, are supposedly holed up in Pakistan. Accelerating terrorist outrages, including attacks in Karachi on westerners and Christian worshippers, have followed al-Qaida's cross-border retreat. From here it is but a short jump to the shipping lanes of Yemen and the airwaves of Qatar's al-Jazeera. And according to India, Pakistan is still the prime, deliberate exporter of terrorism in other directions, into Kashmir and Gujarat. By most "war on terror" measures in fact, Pakistan, with its ruptured economy, unstable politics and military government is a state both failed and rogue that is over-ripe for regime change.
Canny Gen Musharraf's strategic leap into Mr Bush's febrile camp one year ago explains his survival so far, his apparent immunity from US prosecution. Last month's timely handover of top al-Qaida suspect Ramzi Binalshibh was the latest down-payment on an expedient deal that keeps the 82nd Airborne at arm's length and the soft loans coming. But that said, all the evidence suggests Pakistan's many-headed terrorism and security problems are if anything worsening as the religious parties agitate, assassination plots brew, and public opinion, according to one poll, swings against extradition of terror suspects to the US.
Gen Musharraf, for whatever reason, has plainly failed to fulfil his solemn June pledge to bring a "permanent" end to the infiltration of militants into Kashmir. Over 600 people have died there in the course of the current state elections. Last spring's referendum, which made Gen Musharraf president with sweeping powers, was an undemocratic embarrassment. His exclusion from public life of many of Pakistan's established politicians is another. For these and other reasons, how certain can he be that a US administration obsessed with al-Qaida, losing its grip in Afghanistan, possibly emboldened by Iraq, and pricked on by Delhi will not eventually turn on him?
The answer is that he cannot be certain, for US policy is neither rational nor reasoned. Far better all round, therefore, that Gen Musharraf honour his personal promise to return to barracks and leave politics to the politicians after this week's general election. Only a strong, popular, democratic government, working with but not for the military, has any long-term chance of rehabilitating Pakistan economically, defanging the terrorists, and persuading India to end its threats and start a meaningful dialogue. Only fair, unrigged elections can bring the sort of regime change Pakistan really needs and stymie the threat of escalating US interventionism. If Gen Musharraf reneges and the election is stolen, the Pakistani people will know who to blame.
Eliminate the Saudis and the prime financier and motivator of terror is eliminated.
In a pinch, Iraq will do. For now.
There are Al Qaeda cells right here in the Unied States, including some led by people who apparently amy be very high up. Maybe we should attack ourselves.
Christians have been undergoing a wave of attacks and forced conversions in INDIA since Christmas 1998. Sikhs, Muslims, and other minorities are also being oppressed.
The January 2 issue of the Washington Times reported that INDIA is sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Sindh, a Pakistani province.
And it is INDIA that conducted the first nuclear tests in the region a few years back.
So who is the terrorist country that should be a target of the war on terror?
BTTT
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