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A friend or foe in the war on terror?

TheStar.com - A friend or foe in the war on terror?

Pakistan's role in foiling plot sparks debate
Some see case as proof of lax terrorism policy
Aug. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
MICHELLE SHEPHARD
STAFF REPORTER

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has had to walk a political tightrope for the past five years.

Western leaders have accused him of not doing enough to root out terrorism at home, allowing the Taliban to flourish in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan and local militants to align with international groups such as Al Qaeda.

But in Pakistan he's often accused of being a lackey for the West and has survived at least two assassination attempts since he pledged his support to the U.S. following the 9/11 attacks.

Now with the revelation of Pakistan's role in thwarting the alleged terrorist plot to explode at least 10 airplanes in mid-flight, once again the country and its leader are in the crosshairs.

Some say Pakistan is not getting the credit it deserves for dismantling an attack that could have been more devastating than 9/11. Others suggest the fact that Pakistan once again has links to an international security case is a clear indicator the country is not doing enough to address the roots of terrorism.

Britain's Home Secretary John Reid did publicly acknowledge Pakistan's co-operation in the investigation yesterday and newspapers in Pakistan reported Prime Minister Tony Blair had called Musharraf personally to express his thanks. But for some that recognition came too late — a day after Pakistani officials publicly revealed their involvement in the investigation.

U.S. President George W. Bush and other American leaders had yet to recognize Pakistan's help. In his first statement since the arrests Thursday, Bush thanked the U.K. and Blair and added that the arrests served as a "stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."

"Those sorts of comments do not help at all," Ricki Akhder Hussein, a city councillor in Pakistan, said during a telephone interview yesterday. "Mr. Bush is ... adding fuel to the fire by portraying Muslim people in a horrific way, (saying) that Islam preaches terrorism.

"President Musharraf is trying to alleviate and eradicate the terrorism and this ought to be acknowledged by Blair and Bush and others. ... Pakistan is being very helpful in the eradication of terrorism and (is) not given the credit."

The United States is seen by many in Pakistan as a greater enemy than the Taliban, which ruled in neighbouring Afghanistan and was supported by Pakistan for bringing stability after years of war with Soviet occupiers and among rival warlords.

Violent street demonstrations followed Bush's visit to Pakistan this year and the deaths of 18 people in the U.S. bombing of a compound where Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was thought to be hiding.

The Toronto Star accompanied Pakistan's military this spring to an army outpost more than 3,100 metres high in the mountains on the border with Afghanistan — a chance to show foreign journalists the border was secured and the Taliban on the run. But in nearby towns, reports of a brutal Taliban regime supported by local Pashtun tribes were still trickling out.

If events in the coming weeks follow what happened after the July 7, 2005 bombings in London, when it was alleged that one of the bombers attended a madrassa in Pakistan, attention is likely to again turn to the religious schools.

It's yet another delicate issue for Musharraf. The thousands of schools are largely viewed in Pakistan as providing education for the poor and preaching Islam, not militancy.

Musharraf had vowed to expel all foreign students from the schools, but many remain, including Canadians interviewed by the Star in May at Karachi's best-known madrassa.

August 12, 2006 at 03:04 PM in Muslim background | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home