Bush calls Fata most dangerous region

[A.Rahman]

Bush calls Fata most dangerous region



By Anwar Iqbal


WASHINGTON, April 12: President George Bush has said that Pakistan, and not Afghanistan or Iraq, is now the most likely place where a plot could be hatched to carry out any 9/11-type attack in the US.

In an interview with ABC News, Mr Bush described the tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as one of the most dangerous areas in the world today where “Al Qaeda had established safe havens and was plotting attacks against the United States”.

Asked to comment on an assessment of US intelligence reports that if there was another 9/11 plot being hatched, it was probably in Afghanistan and Pakistan and not in Iraq, Mr Bush said: “I would say not in Afghanistan. I would say in... .”

The interviewer interrupted him and asked “Pakistan?”

“Yes. Probably true,” responded Mr Bush. “And, you know, all the more reason to have the capacity to listen to … terrorists making phone calls. That’s why we need to have this Fisa law,” which allows phone tapping.

“We’re still under threat, and we’re still pressuring terrorists. And we’ve been pretty successful at bringing to justice the number-three person in Al Qaeda, with Pakistan’s help, by the way,” he added.

Mr Bush said the threat from Al Qaeda elements hiding in Pakistan also justified his efforts to increase the size of the US army and the Marine Corps.

Asked if he saw the next 9/11 coming from the region which included Afghanistan and Pakistan, why did he not send more troops to Afghanistan, Mr Bush said: “Because they (Al Qaeda) are not in Afghanistan. And if they were in Afghanistan, they’d be routed out of Afghanistan. We’ve got plenty of firepower to take on Al Qaeda cells in Afghanistan.”

“Then why is Admiral Mike Mullen so worried about that area?” he was asked.

“We’re all concerned about the area,” said Mr Bush. “This is the area in which Al Qaeda had had safe havens before. And any time you can find instability or anytime you can find vacuums, we’ve got to worry about it.”

Mr Bush said that in Afghanistan, the US was part of a larger coalition, which included its Nato allies who promised to send more troops to the country at a recent conference in Bucharest, Romania.

Bush calls Fata most dangerous region -DAWN - Top Stories; April 13, 2008

 

[A.Rahman]

In an interview with ABC News, he described the tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as one of the most dangerous areas in the world today where “Al-Qaeda had established safe havens and was plotting attacks against the United States”.

The latest comments of the American President, which are essentially part of the orchestrated campaign launched by some Western powers and their media, should serve as an eye-opener to those who have any illusions about American agenda vis-à-vis Pakistan. For the last one year, the US administration and media have been engaged in venomous propaganda against Pakistan on an issue where Americans could never think of any worthwhile success without active and willing support of Islamabad. Pakistan has done more than the United States itself in the so-called war against terror and in the process attracted self-injuries but despite that pressure is still being built against the country only because the end objective of the American imperialism is to deprive Pakistan of its nuclear capability.

It is strange that after seven years of destruction of Afghanistan and Iraq, it has dawned upon Mr. Bush that Pakistan poses the real danger and not Afghanistan and Iraq. This clearly shows that following their ignominious defeat in Iraq where the number of body bags is going beyond the acceptable limits, President Bush is finding excuses for an exit strategy. By trying to shift the focus from Iraq to Pakistan, he, in fact, wants to have a face-saving plea to run away from Iraq where all sorts of atrocities against defenceless Iraqis could not break their will and determination to resist foreign occupation of their motherland.

As for FATA, the region was one of the most peaceful and stable parts of Pakistan before American intervention in the area. It was only because of the US military strikes and operation by Pakistan army under pressure of the United States that sparked the vicious cycle of violence. The real cause of the trouble is American aggression against Afghanistan and its plans to continue with the occupation for an unspecified period. Americans must realize that with or without support of local or foreign elements from tribal areas of Pakistan, the resistance movement in Afghanistan is capable of sustaining itself till victory. This is what the history of Afghanistan tells us but the United States and its allies in NATO are not willing to draw any lesson from the history.

Any how, it is time that we put our own house in order as this is the only way to foil designs of our enemies. That the Americans are up to mischief is also evident from their extraordinary interest in the internal politics of Pakistan and formation of the Government, which they are desperately trying to influence to suit their own objectives. Finding that the strong national coalition that our politicians have put together is capable of thwarting their designs, they are now overtly and covertly applying pressures to undermine Pakistan’s capacity to safeguard its national interests.

We hope the new democratically elected Government would take up the issue of Pakistan-bashing with the American administration at different levels making it absolutely clear to Washington that enough is enough.

 

[niaz]

This is the one point where I agree with the US. Just look at the number of attacks on PA in the Waziristan and the Bajour region. Previouly, FATA used to be a haven for smugglers and hired killers; now it is the place where most suicide bombers and extremists originate. No doubt these people are Pakistanis and killing our own nationals should be avoided. But then, what is to be done??

PML(Q) tried both the negotiations as well as armed force, without success. Main reason being that due to the policies started by the bigot Zia and his side kicks such as Hamid Gul; militancy is too deeply entrenched in the hearts and minds of the local population. Therefore, there is a lot of local support for these inhuman killers. Let us see what miracle PPP/PML-N can bring about. My view is that it will be more of the same.

It makes me laugh when Isfandyar Wali claims that Pashtoons are "Peaceful people". Regret to say that history proves otherwise. There is no doubt that a lot of urban Pashtoons are very civilized and peacful. But the tribal belt; No Way.

Even today there is a fight using heavy guns between Shia and Sunni Pashtoons of the Parachinar region.

 

[Always Neutral]

Niaz I agree with you. I hope one day some Govt. appoints a neutral pakistani body to audit how the GOP policies in the last 30 years lead to this chaos.

Regards