Ahhhh...Musharref, Musharref, just shut up and do what you're told to do or else no more cookies for you !!! <g>
Musharraf warns against failure in Afghanistan
irna.com
London, Oct 27, IRNA - Pakistani President General Pervaz Musharraf
remains adamant that the war in Afghanistan should be as short as
possible and warns that a political strategy should follow any
failure by military means.
In a rare interview with a Western newspaper, Musharraf voiced
fears of "anarchy and atrocities" filling a power vacuum in
Afghanistan if a post-war settlement is not rapidly put in place with
a broad-based government, including moderate elements of the Taliban.
"The operation must be as short as possible. We must try to
achieve our objectives through military means, and if we are unable
to do that within a certain duration, switch to a political strategy
that would give us the same objectives," he was quoted saying by the
Daily Telegraph Saturday.
His call for a limited war contrasts with US and UK military
officials suggesting that military actions can take years to achieve
its objectives.
The Pakistani president warned in his interview that without a
plan to hand when the US calls a halt to the action there "could be a
power vacuum" in Afghanistan.
"If it is not filled there will be anarchy and atrocities of the
type after the Soviets left and before the Taliban came," he said. He
suggested that a settlement should be home-grown and as inclusive as
possible, including representatives of the majority Pukhtun
(Pathans) .
Musharraf said there were both Taliban and non-Taliban within the
Pukhtun, and within Taliban "there are hardliners and there are
moderates."
"In the present circumstances, I really don't see how moderate
Taliban could be totally removed from the scene. They are part of the
environment of Afghanistan," he said. |
