Posted on 05/27/2002 2:27:09 PM PDT by lyonesse
Blowing in the face of ground reality and sane counselling, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Monday denied there was any infiltration taking place across the Line of Control into India, that "Pakistan was doing nothing across the LoC."
This, as he declared to an already paranoid world community that the "danger of war was not yet over," and challenged an "enemy country" to that war. Almost declaring jehad, a belligerent Pakistani President said, "If war is thrust upon him, the Muslim is not afraid of it. He enters the battlefield raising the slogan of Allah-ho-Akbar."
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf addresses the nation - AP
Whetting the jehadi's voracious appetite for terrorism in Kashmir, the General said, "I want to tell the world and give the assurance that no infiltration is taking place across the Line of Control. But I want to make one thing quite clear. A liberation movement is going on in Kashmir. Pakistan cannot be held responsible for any action against Indian tyranny and repression."
At a time when the international community is rushing counsels of restraint to the subcontinent on the fundamental premise that Pakistan must address India's concerns over cross-border terrorism, the General's statements on Monday appeared to leave limited options, both to New Delhi as well as to the world.
Aghast Indian officials reacted saying, "Even if you use a microscope you can't find anything positive about his speech." They further said that the general's January 12 speech at least had some positive indications, whereas this has none.
"Perhaps Pervez Musharraf believes that Western leaders are intellectually challenged and therefore hopes to impress them with a speech like this," an official said.
"He wants war and he will probably get war," says strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney, articulating a growing body of opinion within the country that now expects the Government to take decisive and firm action against growing Pakistani bluster and belligerence.
While the January 12 speech of the President contained elements the global community interpreted as "positive" and New Delhi responded with hope, Gen Musharraf seemed unrelenting in his anti-India rhetoric on Monday.
Dr Chellaney feels Gen Musharraf's speech was "highly provocative instead of being conciliatory, almost daring India to go." The international community, he said, has been urging India to give the General more time, expecting him to make conciliatory gestures. "Now he denies what the world knows. He accuses India instead and tries to put the ball in India's court," he said.
Dr Chellaney wonders why the Government "waited so many months under international persuasion that this man (Musharraf) is changing." After Monday's speech, the expert feels, "If anybody believed he was India's best bet, then that belief stands shattered." The speech, he felt only underlined the General's "proclivity to engage in bluster."
In a desperate attempt to deflect the world's attention on the situation along the border in a language that leaves little room for civility between New Delhi and Islamabad, Gen Musharraf said the world "must take note of atrocities being committed by Hindu extremists in Kashmir, Gujarat and elsewhere against Sikhs, Christians and their own Scheduled Castes."
In a post-script to this provocative remark, he added, "Kashmir resides in the heart of every Pakistani."
Characteristic bluster marked the General's messages to New Delhi as he wrote war. "We are not a nation to be intimidated by the enemy's threats," he thundered. "We don't want war but if war is thrust on us, we will reply." The implications of repeated references to the "enemy country" were not lost on many as the General prepared his country for a "critical juncture" in its history. Referring to India's charges of Pakistani involvement in the December 13 attack on Parliament, the May 14 Kaluchak massacre and Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone's murder, Gen Musharraf said, "All these allegations and aggressive overtones... create war hysteria."
Unrelenting in his aggression, he said, "Despite such provocations we have exercised restraint. But this should not be construed as our weakness. We have built up our defences and continue to do so."
In the face of international recognition that terrorists from Pakistan are acting against Indian interests the General's assertion that, "Pakistan will never allow the export of terrorism to anywhere in the world," is unlikely to impress world majors.
As the international community digests the General's blatant defiance of its counsel, the GoI is expected to firm up its response to the General's challenge on Tuesday. The perceived need here - to decisively deal with Pakistan's growing belligerence - would naturally have to be factored into whatever response New Delhi fashions on Tuesday. Especially, since the Pakistani President while turning away from charges of crossborder terrorism has reiterated Pakistan's "moral, diplomatic and political support to the liberation of Kashmir."
I'm not associated with this guy.
We should be grateful that the NY Times isn't as blatant as this writer in its prejudices.
Not that Pakistan's in the right. ;^)
Running his mouth out of both sides at once-- again.
Ditch this loser. He and his ISI thugs have been playing us for years.
He came close. He said -
"There is nothing happening on the Line of Control," he said. "That is what I would like to repeat. And I would like to repeat again: Reciprocation is important."Source: Kashmir infiltration is over, says Musharraf"As a first step, the (Indian) military should leave the towns and cities of Kashmir and be in the outskirts"
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