Friday, March 16, 2007
US advised not to push Pakistan too far
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: ââ¬ÅPicking a fight with old, loyal ally Pakistan is both morally wrong and fraught with untold dangers. The US has forgotten how it forced another compliant military ruler, Egyptââ¬â¢s Anwar Sadat, into policies his people hated,ââ¬Â writes noted Canadian journalist and commentator Eric Margolis.
In a commentary on a liberal blog, Lew Rockwell, Margolis writes that the fast-deteriorating situation in the region is provoking ââ¬Åfurious finger-pointingââ¬Â. Washington and NATO are angrily blaming Pakistan for sheltering and abetting Taliban and its allies.
According to Margolis, Cheney went on to Pakistan to ââ¬Åthreatenââ¬Â President Pervez Musharraf with a cut-off of US aid - and perhaps much worse - if he did not crack down further on Pashtun tribesmen who were aiding Taliban and other Pashtun and nationalist resistance groups. The western powers are following Indiaââ¬â¢s lead over Kashmir by accusing Pakistan of ââ¬Åcross-border terrorismââ¬Â.
In the 1980ââ¬â¢s and 1990ââ¬â¢s, Margolis recalls exploring the tribal agencies of Waziristan, Khyber, Mohmand, Orakzai, and Malakand. ââ¬ÅTheir warlike, fiercely independent tribes joined Pakistan in 1947 under constitutional guarantee of total autonomy that excluded government soldiers from the tribal agencies. Intense US pressure forced Musharraf to violate Pakistanââ¬â¢s constitution by sending troops into the tribal territories,ââ¬Â he adds.
According to Margolis, many Pakistanis oppose the US occupation of Afghanistan, support the Taliban and think better of Osama Bin Laden than George Bush. ââ¬ÅMusharraf is thus caught between Washingtonââ¬â¢s growing demands and his own people, who increasingly accuse him of being an American tool. Washington simply does not understand it has pushed the isolated, unpopular Musharraf too far already. If he is blown up or overthrown, Pakistan and its 40-60 nuclear weapons, could turn into an even bigger and more dangerous hotbed of anti-western activity. . . Meanwhile, Washington is increasingly blaming its Afghanistan fiasco on whipping boy Pakistan, just as the Vietnam defeat was blamed on infiltration from Cambodia and Laos.ââ¬Â
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\16\story_16-3-2007_pg7_6
US advised not to push Pakistan too far
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: ââ¬ÅPicking a fight with old, loyal ally Pakistan is both morally wrong and fraught with untold dangers. The US has forgotten how it forced another compliant military ruler, Egyptââ¬â¢s Anwar Sadat, into policies his people hated,ââ¬Â writes noted Canadian journalist and commentator Eric Margolis.
In a commentary on a liberal blog, Lew Rockwell, Margolis writes that the fast-deteriorating situation in the region is provoking ââ¬Åfurious finger-pointingââ¬Â. Washington and NATO are angrily blaming Pakistan for sheltering and abetting Taliban and its allies.
According to Margolis, Cheney went on to Pakistan to ââ¬Åthreatenââ¬Â President Pervez Musharraf with a cut-off of US aid - and perhaps much worse - if he did not crack down further on Pashtun tribesmen who were aiding Taliban and other Pashtun and nationalist resistance groups. The western powers are following Indiaââ¬â¢s lead over Kashmir by accusing Pakistan of ââ¬Åcross-border terrorismââ¬Â.
In the 1980ââ¬â¢s and 1990ââ¬â¢s, Margolis recalls exploring the tribal agencies of Waziristan, Khyber, Mohmand, Orakzai, and Malakand. ââ¬ÅTheir warlike, fiercely independent tribes joined Pakistan in 1947 under constitutional guarantee of total autonomy that excluded government soldiers from the tribal agencies. Intense US pressure forced Musharraf to violate Pakistanââ¬â¢s constitution by sending troops into the tribal territories,ââ¬Â he adds.
According to Margolis, many Pakistanis oppose the US occupation of Afghanistan, support the Taliban and think better of Osama Bin Laden than George Bush. ââ¬ÅMusharraf is thus caught between Washingtonââ¬â¢s growing demands and his own people, who increasingly accuse him of being an American tool. Washington simply does not understand it has pushed the isolated, unpopular Musharraf too far already. If he is blown up or overthrown, Pakistan and its 40-60 nuclear weapons, could turn into an even bigger and more dangerous hotbed of anti-western activity. . . Meanwhile, Washington is increasingly blaming its Afghanistan fiasco on whipping boy Pakistan, just as the Vietnam defeat was blamed on infiltration from Cambodia and Laos.ââ¬Â
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\16\story_16-3-2007_pg7_6
