Posted on 03/24/2003 10:06:53 AM PST by BOSTON BRAHMIN
WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- A Pakistani nuclear missile can now hit Tel Aviv, according to a former Pakistani intelligence chief who is "strategic adviser" to his country's Islamist politico-religious parties.
Gen. Hamid Gul, the retired head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, in his latest well-publicized (in Pakistan) statement, says, "we have the nuclear capability that can destroy Madras (India), surely the same missile can do the same to Tel Aviv. Washington cannot stop Muslim suicidal attacks. Taliban are still alive and along with "friends" they will continue the holy jihad against the U.S. America will destroy Iraq and later on repeat the same act of war against Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia."
A coalition of six extremist religious parties, MMA, now governs two of Pakistan's four provinces --- a direct result of the free elections the United States insisted be held after President Pervez Musharraf endorsed the Bush administration's war on terror. MMA leader and newly-elected senator Sami ul-Haq has also declared jihad against the United States and Israel. "If the U.S. attacks Iraq, the MMA alliance and all their supporters will attack Washington and Tel Aviv," he said.
Another redoubtable MMA leader, Fazlur Rehman, said, for his part, "the U.S. better take seriously the consequences of its attack against Iraq because we are fully capable of taking revenge." Arguably the most powerful extremist religious leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, head of Jamat-e-Islamai, warned president Bush he "will suffer the horrible punishment of God."
Pakistan possesses between 35 and 60 nuclear weapons with the missile capability (obtained from North Korea) to deliver them. The nuclear arsenal is designed as a deterrent to India's older nuclear capability. India conducted its first nuclear tests in 1974. This was the first time an influential Pakistani, well known for his visceral hatred of the United States and Israel, had mentioned another nation besides India as a possible target for Pakistani nukes.
A number of Pakistani generals are Islamist fundamentalists and resent President Musharraf's close alliance with the United States. It was a "shotgun wedding," some of them have said. Musharraf had no choice when Bush called him the day after 9/11 and asked him whether he could count on him to pursue the new war against Taliban and al-Qaida. Musharraf made a quick command decision, broke with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and gave the United States the use of several bases for Operation Enduring Freedom.
The all-powerful ISI's culture has long been anti-American, dating back to 1989 when the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan and the United States began punishing Pakistan for its secret nuclear buildup. Ever since the collapse of the Taliban in November 2001, ISI officers have spread the word among the tribal chiefs along their ill-defined Pakistani-Afghan border that "America will be coming after Pakistan's nuclear arsenal as soon as they have finished with Afghanistan."
How safe is Pakistan's nuclear arsenal? Shortly after 9/11, Musharraf ordered the country's nuclear weapons to be detached from their launchers and stored in six different secret locations with fail-safe security systems. But Musharraf has survived six assassination plots since 9/11 and the CIA is clearly concerned about the very real possibility that an Islamist general could take over one day --- and acquire control of the arsenal.
Pakistan has carefully refrained from signing the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. Nor is it committed to the non-first use doctrine. India and Pakistan pulled back last summer from a face-off between 1 million troops. There is little doubt if India were to humiliate Pakistan militarily over the long-standing Kashmir dispute, Pakistan would retaliate with a nuclear salvo. Senior Indian national security officials accept this possibility with equanimity. In fact, one of them, speaking privately a month ago, said, "we could easily survive one or two nuclear hits, but when we retaliate Pakistan would disappear from the map."
The North Korean crisis has been adjudged by Secretary of State Colin Powell as "not a crisis." Pakistan, in that perspective, is even less of a crisis.
And these Islamist politico-religious parties are now in power in two of Pakistan's four provinces.
This is what he is quoted as having said in a recent statement:
"...we have the nuclear capability that can destroy Madras (India), surely the same missile can do the same to Tel Aviv. Washington cannot stop Muslim suicidal attacks. Taliban are still alive and along with "friends" they will continue the holy jihad against the U.S. America will destroy Iraq and later on repeat the same act of war against Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia."
Arnaud Borchgrave's article focusing on this issue needs attention at the highest levels in the US, Israeli and Indian governments.
Pakistan has carefully refrained from signing the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. Nor is it committed to the non-first use doctrine. India and Pakistan pulled back last summer from a face-off between 1 million troops. There is little doubt if India were to humiliate Pakistan militarily over the long-standing Kashmir dispute, Pakistan would retaliate with a nuclear salvo. Senior Indian national security officials accept this possibility with equanimity. In fact, one of them, speaking privately a month ago, said, "we could easily survive one or two nuclear hits, but when we retaliate Pakistan would disappear from the map."
If the Islamicists gain control over Pakistan, look for a joint Israeli-Indian raid on the Pak nuclear arsenal. If I had to bet, I'd wager that it will come from Indian territory.
These doomsday jihadists had better be careful what they wish for (like, for instance, the destruction of Tel Aviv or any other Israeli city). Let them think about the combined power of the US, Israel and India being used against them. Israel alone could turn every one of their major cities into radioactive craters. It could also easily nuke the Aswan dam, which would immediately be followed by a radioactive wall of water coursing down the Nile. Add to this the power of the US and India, and the Islamicists had better think twice.
For example, the Sufi Muslim who lives three blocks away from my house, is about as apolitical as you can get in America (he once said "voting for or against politicians merely reinforces their self-image of relevance"), concentrates on internal mysticism and spiritual exercises to unify himself with God, and who can't refer to Osama bin Laden without calling for some particularly vile fate to befall the cretin (my fave was when he said "may the infidel dog be cooked in boiling goat feces") isn't an Islamist. He's an Islamic mystic.
Ramzi Yousef, the guy behind the 1993 WTC bombing, is an Islamist. His goal is less spiritual than political.
And he's right. It's arrogant and foolish to believe otherwise.
We CAN make them very expensive however.. We can raise the price to the point that very, very few will be willing to pay it.
Go ask the Taliban how much even protecting a terrorist is going for nowadays.
A devistating response is the only way to stop these guy's. Eventually they will get the message. Just like Pavlov's dogs..
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