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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (46230)	5/21/2004 6:00:34 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

Pakistan and India N-states: Powell By Anwar Iqbal WASHINGTON, May 20: US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that there is no doubt about both India and Pakistan being nuclear states and hoped that they would continue the peace process began in January. "They both are nuclear (powers) and there is no question about that. They both have nuclear capability," Mr Powell told reporters outside his office here after meeting Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri on Wednesday. Later in the evening, Mr Kasuri told a group of Pakistani journalists that that should end speculations in the media that the United States was pressing Pakistan to abandon its nuclear programme. "We have now moved to the next stage and are now seeking a new five-plus-three arrangement," the foreign minister said while explaining Islamabad's plan for seeking legitimacy for its nuclear programme. The 187-nation Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty recognizes only five nations - the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China - as nuclear powers. Mr Kasuri said Pakistan respected this nuclear regime but was seeking an arrangement that would also bring international recognition for other three known nuclear-weapon states - India, Pakistan and Israel. "We do not want more nuclear powers. It is not in our interest to have more nuclear powers," said Mr Kasuri while assuring the international community that Pakistan had completely uprooted the network responsible for smuggling nuclear technology to other nations. Earlier, Mr. Powell told Dawn that the executive and legislative procedure for designating Pakistan a non-Nato major ally had already started. Mr Powell proposed making Pakistan a non-Nato ally during a visit to Islamabad on March 18. Last month, the US administration sent the required 30-day notice to Congress and could grant the new status to Pakistan once that procedure completes. "The proposal is moving its way through our process. And I don't have the timelines in mind, but it's working its way through our executive and legislative process," Mr Powell said. He said that during a "very successful" meeting with Mr Kasuri, he also discussed the ongoing operation in South Waziristan against the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants who continued to "drift back and forth" across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. There was a need to continue cooperation against the remnants of these terrorist groups, he said. Later at a separate briefing, Mr Kasuri also emphasized the need to continue the fight against terror, but said Pakistan also needed to look after its own interests. Commenting on a recent statement by a US commander in Afghanistan that Pakistan should launch a military operation against militants in South Waziristan rather than asking for registration, Mr Kasuri declared: "We will not kill our people for the sake of anybody." Some of the foreigners settled in South Waziristan, he said, had married locals and have children from them. Mr Powell said his meeting with Mr Kasuri focused on South Asian issues, including elections in India. Both agreed that they did not think that the change in government in New Delhi would derail the peace process between India and Pakistan. Though India's new government led by the Congress Party has not yet officially taken office, both Mr Powell and Mr Kasuri said they thought initial policy statements from New Delhi were encouraging. "We both agreed that these were positive signals and that we need to continue with that," said Mr Kasuri. Mr Powell said he had no cause for concern that political change in India would alter the peace process. "I think, as the minister said a minute ago, the activities between India and Pakistan - the road-map that they have been following - seems to still be very much intact, and we expect that both sides will continue to walk down that path." Mr Powell said he and Mr Kasuri also discussed how to resolve the cases of Pakistanis held at Guantanamo Bay, and the nuclear proliferation ring exposed in February. "We're very pleased at what the Pakistani government has been doing and we look forward to continuing our exchange of information about the activities of Dr Khan and his associates," he said. "We also discussed Pakistan's concern about detainees and how we are continuing to work closely with each other to resolve outstanding issues concerning Pakistani detainees," he said.

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (46230)	5/21/2004 9:16:50 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Respond to of 50167

The war on terror! On Pakistan,my view point....on google search 'iqbal latif' reveals the following.. google.com mediamonitors.net In a similar fashion by shunning suggestions of lobbyists between the key dates of the 11th and the 13th Sept, (who had vested interests to punish Pakistan) Mr. Bush astutely went for the jugular vein of 'terrorism incorporated' by utilizing America’s old ally of Pakistan as a front to attack the Al Qaeda. He issued an ultimatum "with us or against us" and once the Pakistanis showed their willingness to cooperate he worked hard with them to eradicate the radical elements festering in Central and South Asia. It was this strategy (on the 13th of September, 2001) that had led to special US intelligence groups to land in Islamabad and to plan the war on terror. Abu Zubayda and Ramzi are from the top echelons in the Al Qaeda hierarchy and with this catch it will be revealed to US intelligence as to whether Osama is alive or dead. Ramzi had a $25 million bounty upon his head. He was the mastermind of the 11th Sept attacks. He oversaw the transfer of money to Zacharia Moussawi and sent messages to Atta under the pretext of being the girlfriend of the latter. If anyone is cognizant of Osama’s whereabouts, it will be Ramzi, who is right now in the safe hands of US intelligence and in the custody of ‘sources’ who will make sure he talks. His confession will ensure the dissolution of a number of cells and will be a significant blow to Al Qaeda. The anti-Pakistan lobby continue to incessantly accuse Pakistan of not holding the ability and willingness to deliver however if this arrest does not prove that ability and willingness, than what else will? With the arrest of Ramzi, the detractors of Pakistan have egg on their face for it shows that Mr. Bush remains determined and will continue to cooperate with Pakistan to expunge the terrorists from the face of the earth. Under Clinton, the USA was in a slumber. The Cole and Al Khobar attacks should have warranted a war on terror. It is only due to the resolve of the USA under the likes of Bush, Rumsfeld, and Cheney that we find Al Qaeda being dismembered and the world becoming a reasonable place for peaceful people. With the arrest of Ramzi, the following half-truths against Pakistan are laid to rest. The perennial myth regarding the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence service) and how it remains a state within state. This is a blatant falsehood and perhaps before Musharraf ascent to power it was far more influential however it has been firmly brought in line with the present objectives of the country, which is the elimination of terror. The dismissal of the hawkish ISI chief, Mehmood, allowed America to tap into the repository of intelligence on the set up, which was critical in the building and sustenance of Taliban. The ISI changed sides dramatically by betraying its creation, the Taliban, completely and this reversal may be hard to believe however it has helped in the eradication of possible future terror and cut off the cardinal links between extremist Islam and terror groups. The crucial arrest of Ramzi would have not happened had the ISI not given its full cooperation. The “Pakistani” street was allegedly said to be vehemently against Mush and partial to Al Qaeda. However this generalization of the Pakistani sentiment is proven wrong daily for one can clearly discern on the television that the captured Al Qaeda terrorists are surrounded by hundreds of Pakistanis. Were the Pakistani street truly abetting the terrorists they would actively demonstrated their resentment rather every sane Pakistan is relieved to see elimination of terror from the streets of Karachi. This presumption of the pundits to have lingering questions concerning lukewarm Pakistani support has been contradicted time and time again! Like in the earlier arrest of Abu Zubayda the Pakistani authorities displayed their mettle and resolve whilst proving that the reward played no part in their consideration. Pakistanis are not short-changed for millions of dollars and no amount of cajoling by Bin Laden or Al Qaeda at large would have persuaded the authorities to halt their search and seizure. Indeed six Pakistani police officers were seriously injured in the prolonged capture, which took over three hours and occurred in an affluent district in Karachi. There could have been no better gift, to the families of the victims of the atrocious attacks on September 11, on the solemn one-year anniversary recently marked by the world than the apprehension of the mastermind. It is truly poetic justice that on the first anniversary the man behind the tragedy was under arrest and held by the Americans authorities in Pakistan. The enemies of Pakistan will be shocked whereas the American friends of Pakistan are happy to see an old ally zealously tearing apart Al Qaeda like they did the ‘old politburo’ from USSR. Pakistan is and will remain a key ally in the eradication of threats to the global order and unlike India who has always consistently maintained a neutral stance that is characteristic of that nation. Even before independence it was the incipient Pakistani leadership, in the form of Mohammed Ali Jinnah (known as Quad-e-Azam) the Muslim League, who firmly cast their lost with the allies in WW2 whilst Nehru and Gandhi of the Indian Congress remained neutral throughout and were not so keen on its outcome. Pakistan’s loyalty to the Anglo-American West has been tested throughout history. Muslim League devoted itself to the war effort in 1940's as compared to indifference of the Indian Congress and during the Cold War era, Pakistan remained a staunch ally of America whilst India led the “Non Aligned nations”. India has only begun its recent rapprochement with America because it has finally realized that America is the sole super power of the global order. In every crucial test of loyalty Pakistan has trumped India and Americans must realize that it is Pakistan who has always been the dependable ally, the blow hot blow cold kind of relationship has destroyed the confidence of many a Pakistanis, it is high time now that America raises the ante and treat Pakistan as most favoured nation to help build its education and health infrastructure.