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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lola who wrote (6358)	10/5/2001 4:24:33 PM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 27758

Not quite Lola. Kill the leader (slow & painfully) and another nut will surface in time. Kill 'em all.

To: Lola who wrote (6358)	10/5/2001 4:25:08 PM
From: blue_lotus	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27758

Pakistan's double game (UK newspaper The Guardian) guardian.co.uk Blair should beware of Musharraf Leader Friday October 5, 2001 The Guardian The 180-degree turnabout in the Pakistani military regime's Afghan policy since September 11 appears almost complete. General Pervez Musharraf has withdrawn his diplomats from Kabul and is on the point of formally cutting ties with his former Taliban proteges. Pakistan has signalled willingness to meet envoys of Afghanistan's ex-king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, who hopes to head a government of national unity, and Gen Musharraf is already setting out his ideas about the "multiethnic" composition of a post-Taliban administration. Islamabad says it is now convinced by the US evidence implicating Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida gangsters. It meanwhile continues to pledge full support for the US "war on terrorism". All of which suggests that in Pakistan, the US and Britain have discovered a flexible and reliable ally and that Tony Blair, when he meets Gen Musharraf in Islamabad today, can look forward to an encouraging meeting of minds. In point of fact, matters are somewhat more complicated. So volatile is the political situation inside Pakistan, and so strong are anti-American sentiments among militant Islamist groups, that the Pentagon is being forced to look elsewhere (principally Uzbekistan) for operational land bases. The hope that Pakistan's western airfields could be used for anything more than refuelling and temporary stopovers has been vanquished by growing security fears. Far from admitting his pro-Taliban policy was disastrously misconceived, Gen Musharraf (who vetoed a covert CIA-run operation to capture Bin Laden in 1999) still opposes western backing for the Northern Alliance. Influential elements within the Pakistani army and the inter-services intelligence directorate, the Taliban's mentors, appear to have a foot in both camps. Then there are Pakistan's continuing links to terrorism in Kashmir to consider. After nearly 40 people were killed in Srinagar this week, a furious India demanded immediate action against the Pakistan-based group deemed responsible. This reasonable request met with familiar obfuscation in Islamabad. For his pains so far in this crisis, Gen Musharraf has picked up a likely $600m in US aid, a lifting of nuclear weapons-related sanctions, extended IMF credit and debt relief, and now a big diplomatic bouquet from Britain. But he is still playing a double game. Mr Blair should beware of too warm an embrace.