Pakistan to face consequences in case of another attack on US, India: UK scholar

[Omar1984]

Pakistan to face consequences in case of another attack on US, India: UK scholar

* Predicts Obama admin will pressurise Pakistan even harder
* US could impose sanctions on Pakistan if attacked

By Muhammad Bilal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan can face dire consequences if terrorist attacks like the 9/11, or the ones in Mumbai, occur in the United States or India again, a noted British scholar said on Saturday.

Dr Anatol Lieven, professor at the Department of War Studies, Kings College London, was speaking at a public talk on US president-elect Barack Obama’s administration and the war on terror.

The event was organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies, which was attended by various defence analysts, envoys - including the Saudi Arabian and Syrian - and a number of former Pakistani ambassadors.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas was present as well.

US pressure: The professor said there was no possibility of a radical change in the foreign policy of the incoming Obama administration and it would continue pressurising Pakistan even harder to clamp down on terrorists. Lieven said the Americans believed that the presence of Al Qaeda’s major players in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas was a constant threat, not only to them but the world at large.

Sanctions: He said if Al Qaeda struck the US or London, the US would hit Pakistan hard. The scholar said the US might not necessarily bomb Pakistan, but could impose economic sanctions that would be equally disastrous in the country’s current financial crisis.

“The consequences will be dire. Believe me,” he maintained.

Lieven feared the US might invade the Tribal Areas to flush out terrorists, saying it could deploy its own troops there - a strategy he termed ‘very dangerous’.

The British scholar said the US would be encouraged to attack Pakistan if India witnessed strikes similar to the Mumbai terrorist attacks again. He respected the decision taken by Pakistan’s previous regime to join the US-led war on terror following the September 11 attacks, saying it would have been ‘ridiculous’ to refuse cooperation.

“US does have the capacity to destroy Pakistan,” he added.

Lieven, however, said the US did not provide much financial assistance to Pakistan, as it had extended to other countries, because it was the frontline state in the war against terrorism. To a question, the professor answered that the Pakistani government could press the Obama administration to help resolve the Kashmir dispute.

He said Obama would try to defuse the Indo-Pak tensions and make efforts to engage India and Pakistan to carry on talks on Kashmir. He praised President Asif Ali Zardari’s desire to move forward on the composite dialogue process, but said the Indian response was lukewarm. Lieven also shared his views on the possible US strategy for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Beskar]

Acts like 9/11 on the American soil? When exactly did we carried out an attack on their soil anyway? Such Bullcrap. On the other hand, the whole muslim WORLD is facing dire consequences for a sin they never really committed.

 

[IceCold]

Well there could be a possibility if a terror attack struck US main land, they may very well blame it on Pakistan and the reason they would raise is Pakistan's inability to root out AQ and taliban from the tribal areas.
Now we know that there isn't much truth in these allegations because Pakistan did more then any country including the US itself in the WOT, lost more number of soldiers in the line of duty then the combined US/NATO loss, however the fact remains there that when it comes to the US reacting, no one much cares about logic and reasons, they just do it. We have seen it in the case of Iraq and how many WMDs were found there in actual.
The question is what are we going to do about it, so far it appears that we are willing to be used as always and when the time comes, we might even be discarded as always and maybe this time around, we get a hit too. But i do not think that this might be the case for India as well.

 

[waraich66]

Question is why US and Israel think tank always living under fear of another 9/11?

What they are doing in GAZA this time reation of jehadi groups will be much greater then 9/11.

Justice delayed in justice denied.

Palestine problem is major breeding ground for jehadi groups, if this problem resolved then there is no reason left for these jehadi groups to continue attacks on US and Israel intrests.

 

[maximus]

Well, such blatant threats about the destruction of the whole state is something I'm hearing for the first time. AQ/Taliban are just pawns for achieving other malign interests. It's a clear cut threat and provocation to prove their intent. I think that a war is inevitable in the long run anyway. Pakistan should be fully prepared to meet the challenges. These people are hell-bent on destroying Pakistan and they aren't hiding it under the tables. Pakistan's only sin is the possession of nuclear weapons.The Americans, Brits and Zionists won't rest until they have achieved their objective. These particular states envisage a puppet Pakistan that not only obeys to their command, but also adheres to Indian demands. Something that isn't very likely to happen and they realize it. The other main aim is to denuclearize Pakistan. These people are having sleepless nights. Each day is one to many. We shouldn't fear our own destruction. That's something we cannot prevent from happening. I suggest that we target the nearest puppet police states and level them to the ground. That in itself would be the destruction of the US and UK. That part of the equation is something we do hold leverage over.

 

[Cheetah786]

Areas of Interest

Insurgency and counter-insurgency
Terrorism
Islamist movements
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran
Russia and the former Soviet Union
US political culture and strategy

Educational and Professional Background
Anatol Lieven has a BA in history and a PhD in political science from the University of Cambridge. From 1986 to 1998 he worked as a British journalist, mainly in the former Soviet Union and South Asia. During this period he covered the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan, the Chechen war of 1994-96 and other conflicts.

In 1998-2000 he edited Strategic Comments at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. From 2000-2005 he was a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. In 2005 he became a senior research fellow of the New America Foundation, a position he continues to hold. Anatol Lieven writes a monthly column for the Financial Times, and is published frequently in other newspapers and journals. He is a member of the editorial board of the National Interest.

In recent years Anatol Lieven has worked chiefly on aspects of the “war on terror”, including contemporary US global strategy and its background in US history and political culture. In 2004 he published America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism (Oxford University Press and Harper Collins), a study of the history and nature of American nationalism and its impact on US foreign policy. His latest book (co-authored with John Hulsman), Ethical Realism: A Vision for America’s Role in the World, was published by Pantheon in 2006 and is appearing in paperback in 2007. It contains an analysis of America’s present strategic position, and recommendations for future strategy, drawing on the philosophical insights of Reinhold Niebuhr and Hans Morgenthau.

Anatol Lieven has travelled extensively for research in Pakistan and other parts of the Muslim world. He intends shortly to begin writing a book on Pakistan, and will also work intensively on the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Doctoral Supervision
Anatol Lieven is interested in supervising PhDs in the areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran; Islamist terrorism and extremism; US strategy, both in the "war on terror" and globally; US political culture; and Russia and the former Soviet Union.

THis is why this guy is comming up with all this BS as he thinks he is an expert on this area and should get a job teaching about subject he has no clue.

 

[valkyr]

Acts like 9/11 on the American soil? When exactly did we carried out an attack on their soil anyway? Such Bullcrap. On the other hand, the whole muslim WORLD is facing dire consequences for a sin they never really committed.

i think OBL the darlin OS played the whole world for a sucker and must be laughing its guts out ..... quoting his own version of koran and giving credence to neo-crusaders .........

 

[valkyr]

Well there could be a possibility if a terror attack struck US main land, they may very well blame it on Pakistan and the reason they would raise is Pakistan's inability to root out AQ and taliban from the tribal areas.

I think that situation in FATA and NWFP have got too much coverage and with loss of Swat in adm terms to Taliban and its flaunting its ability to enforce its will upon the region, the situation for Pakistan took a turn for worse. Especially with reports that PA elements warned Taliban group of impending attack and US had intercepts of same and PM gladly announced successful ops against the group not knowing Bush had info of PA complicity. That was a bit of a problem.

The question is what are we going to do about it, so far it appears that we are willing to be used as always and when the time comes, we might even be discarded as always and maybe this time around, we get a hit too. But i do not think that this might be the case for India as well.

I agree the probability has gone up much higher from naught to highly probable ...... I have suspicion we may see some activity increment on your western border....... by the ways till now IA had not moved (except formations on routine winter exercises) but they have been held back and now troops from far off locations are slowly being sent forward in small batches ......... have seen some batches myself now ..... so IA is mobilising now ......

 

[valkyr]

Question is why US and Israel think tank always living under fear of another 9/11?

What they are doing in GAZA this time reation of jehadi groups will be much greater then 9/11.

Justice delayed in justice denied.

Palestine problem is major breeding ground for jehadi groups, if this problem resolved then there is no reason left for these jehadi groups to continue attacks on US and Israel intrests.

from my point of view the only solution acceptable to these jihadists will be vacation of palestinian land ..... now problem is that means even before Israel was formed ..... that is a bit impossible for Israel to even think of .... let alone consider

so i dont see any solution ..... any possible theories that you can think of that may see some solution to it? any plan/proposal? i mean it will be worth evaluating if you can post something to that effect

 

[Cheetah786]

People there is no chance in hell we could compete with the Americans if they wanted to attack us they do not need Indians help to attack us.

Having said that there was no chance Americans wanted to attack us this are all stories being created by people looking for there two minutes in spot lite and making some cash out of all this.

George bush out of office and sanity returning to white house i think new administration will be looking forward to getting out of mess and not getting deeper into one.

 

[valkyr]

People there is no chance in hell we could compete with the Americans if they wanted to attack us they do not need Indians help to attack us.

Having said that there was no chance Americans wanted to attack us this are all stories being created by people looking for there two minutes in spot lite and making some cash out of all this.

George bush out of office and sanity returning to white house i think new administration will be looking forward to getting out of mess and not getting deeper into one.

cheetah while you are right abt Bush thing the problem is that Obama is no less and neither is Hilary Clinton, both having descirbed Pakistan as epicenter for terror echoing Manmohans words.

there is a perception even in IA circles that political decision to strike was not made under US pressure as US wants to see how much can GoP and PA deliver and what is the equation. With obama clearly stating that the afghan theater and pakistan are the places to win the war against terror in, the situation is turbulent especially with induction of more US troops and infrastructure development as also now I am corroborating for first time that IA is moving, now their peacetime units have finally begun to move ...... so far the impending war was only in media .... and empty threats but now troops are moving .....

 

[valkyr]

hey fellow posters .......
i found this

Pak concedes India has got proof against Pak nationals-Pakistan-World-The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/..._handed_over_to_India/articleshow/3996904.cms

any thoughts on this? any thread about this? i have no idea, just landed back in india and onto my comp

 

[AliFarooq]

I smell another attack, Indians are going to take an advatage of this and plan another attack in India....

 

[Captain03]

idk y the u.s. would pressure us
the whole world knows that pakistan is the only nation that is actually successful in the WOT while us and britian still have to get a grip on afghanistan and iraq
we have killed, arrested, captured, and destroyed more terrorists than u.s. has ever did

 

[Anwar2]

The US has used its surrogates and our corrupted leaders to Scare us to Death from an impending Attack since late 2001.
If the US really had the capacity it would hold on to an Oil Rich Iraq by the skin teeth. Even there the US threw the towel, declared victory and handed the country to an Iran sponsored Maliki government.
If the US had the capacity it would have saved Georgia from utter humiliation, while its 250,000 troops were just 280 miles South in Iraq.
The so-called war on Terror has virtually bankrupted the USA. Now it is ranting the Zalmay Khalilzad US-India pincer doctrine to scare us more.
The wise thing to do is to announce truce in our Tribal areas and tell the US to fend for itself. If they still need us, they will have to pay the right price at the least; no more free bees and rantings of "Do More" free of charge.