muse
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Mr. Musharraf may have well know the duplicity of the US, however; what he may have underestimated is the Pakistani politiicans desire for power, even if it means harm to Pakistan - Now it is Mr. Gen. Kiyani and Mr. Gen. Pasha turn, they are on a short leash, especially Mr. Gen. Kiyani - Batmannow is absolute correct in his assessment that instead of Pakistan first, it is now neocon US first - this must stop. It's bad for the US, it's bad for Pakistan. A combination of international powers have decided that the ISI is a thorn in their sides, that the ISI's primary mission is safeguarding Pakistani interests, seems a moot point to them, and why not, after all, they do not care about Pakistani interests.
Unless Pakistan is retrieved from the US, it's existence will continue to be hostage to the whims of a combination of powers who see opportunity in the Pakistani politicians lust for personal power.
Editorial from IHT
There's no time to lose for Pakistan's new spy chief
Published: October 2, 2008
For too long, Pakistan's military and intelligence service have played a cynical and dangerous double-game: accepting billions of dollars in American aid while also aiding the Taliban and other extremists who threaten the United States, Afghanistan and, increasingly, Pakistan's fragile democracy.
Pakistan's military chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has been under strong pressure from Washington and his own government to clean up the intelligence service. We hope his decision to appoint a new spy chief this week means that he has decided to finally put an end to that destructive game.
Kayani took over the army last November after Pervez Musharraf relinquished the role in hopes of holding on to the presidency. When Pakistan's new civilian leaders decided to oust Musharraf, Kayani distinguished himself by remaining on the sideline. The general has also pledged to reform Pakistan's intelligence service, which has long used the Taliban and other extremists to project power in Afghanistan and the Indian Kashmir. On that front, his record is less encouraging.
Kayani blocked an effort two months ago by Pakistan's civilian leaders to wrest control of the intelligence agency from the army.
American officials say members of the spy agency helped militants plan a deadly bombing of India's embassy in Kabul on July 7.
Kayani has now put his own loyalist, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, at the top of the intelligence service.
The two men must root out tainted officials and make clear that it is no longer Pakistan's policy to promote extremists of any stripe. They must also retrain their agents and military forces in counterinsurgency warfare.
Whether they are up to those tasks is unclear. If there is another incident like the Indian embassy bombing, the buck now clearly stops at Kayani's desk.
President Asif Ali Zardari is speaking out forcefully (in English, at least) about the need for Pakistan, not just America, to defeat the extremists. In August, the Pakistani Army opened a full-scale battle to rout militants in the Bajaur tribal area, a Taliban and Al Qaeda stronghold along the Afghan border.
There's no time to lose. The militants are fiercely holding their ground and using increasingly sophisticated tactics, weapons and communications to attack Afghanistan. The deadly bombing at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel last month is a chilling sign of the extremists' ability to directly threaten Pakistan.
Clearly, it not just Taliban and AQ that threaten Pakistan, now even editorial writers are emboldened to threat the Pakistan COAS. US elections around the corner, should the Repulican party of the neocon win this election, the world will be an even more dangerous place and Pakistan's existence, unless the Pakistani politicians especially the religious poilitical parties, are put back in their box, even if, by less than constitutional means, Pakistan's continued existence will remain in doubt.
Unless Pakistan is retrieved from the US, it's existence will continue to be hostage to the whims of a combination of powers who see opportunity in the Pakistani politicians lust for personal power.
Editorial from IHT
There's no time to lose for Pakistan's new spy chief
Published: October 2, 2008
For too long, Pakistan's military and intelligence service have played a cynical and dangerous double-game: accepting billions of dollars in American aid while also aiding the Taliban and other extremists who threaten the United States, Afghanistan and, increasingly, Pakistan's fragile democracy.
Pakistan's military chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has been under strong pressure from Washington and his own government to clean up the intelligence service. We hope his decision to appoint a new spy chief this week means that he has decided to finally put an end to that destructive game.
Kayani took over the army last November after Pervez Musharraf relinquished the role in hopes of holding on to the presidency. When Pakistan's new civilian leaders decided to oust Musharraf, Kayani distinguished himself by remaining on the sideline. The general has also pledged to reform Pakistan's intelligence service, which has long used the Taliban and other extremists to project power in Afghanistan and the Indian Kashmir. On that front, his record is less encouraging.
Kayani blocked an effort two months ago by Pakistan's civilian leaders to wrest control of the intelligence agency from the army.
American officials say members of the spy agency helped militants plan a deadly bombing of India's embassy in Kabul on July 7.
Kayani has now put his own loyalist, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, at the top of the intelligence service.
The two men must root out tainted officials and make clear that it is no longer Pakistan's policy to promote extremists of any stripe. They must also retrain their agents and military forces in counterinsurgency warfare.
Whether they are up to those tasks is unclear. If there is another incident like the Indian embassy bombing, the buck now clearly stops at Kayani's desk.
President Asif Ali Zardari is speaking out forcefully (in English, at least) about the need for Pakistan, not just America, to defeat the extremists. In August, the Pakistani Army opened a full-scale battle to rout militants in the Bajaur tribal area, a Taliban and Al Qaeda stronghold along the Afghan border.
There's no time to lose. The militants are fiercely holding their ground and using increasingly sophisticated tactics, weapons and communications to attack Afghanistan. The deadly bombing at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel last month is a chilling sign of the extremists' ability to directly threaten Pakistan.
Clearly, it not just Taliban and AQ that threaten Pakistan, now even editorial writers are emboldened to threat the Pakistan COAS. US elections around the corner, should the Repulican party of the neocon win this election, the world will be an even more dangerous place and Pakistan's existence, unless the Pakistani politicians especially the religious poilitical parties, are put back in their box, even if, by less than constitutional means, Pakistan's continued existence will remain in doubt.