Pakistani reluctance to fight terrorism

Pakistan's role in fighting terrorism has of late been questioned in American military and diplomatic circles. It seems increasingly that Pakistan is not doing enough to root out terror groups functioning inside Pakistan. If you go by what the Bush Adm says, Pakistan is an "important ally." However, I don't know of allies who sign peace deals with the Taliban. Thats what they've done in the past and have sought to do recently. They say they are signing peace deals with the "tribal elders." Well, most observers think that they are signing this deal with groups that are fighting American and NATO forces inside Afghanistan.

The Taliban in fact owes its emergence to Pakistan and its intelligence agencies. It was the Pakistani state that created the Taliban and supported it militarily to control Afghanistan. Many of its military officers were heavily involved in the Talibanization of Afghanistan. In fact, some of these military officers were caught by the American troops when they demolished the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But, curiously enough these Pakistani military men were given safe passage to Pakistan (apparently in a bid to save Pakistan's public face).

Given its past role in Afghanistan, Pakistan seems a very unreliable, unwilling "ally" to the Americans and NATO. In fact, Western analysts believe that the Pakistan intelligence agencies might in fact be encouraging the Taliban and providing safe houses for them inside Pakistan. The apparent reluctance on the part of the Pakistani authorities to fight the Taliban elements inside of Pakistan gives credence to this point of view.

The northwestern part of Pakistan is thought to be a hotbed of terrorists and some believe Osama and the top Al Qaeda leadership is hiding there. Its surprising therefore why the Bush Administration mollycoddles the Pakistani President, Musharraf. Its time for some tough talking. It should be made clear to Pakistan that they should do more to fight terrorism.

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, too voiced frustration at the Pakistani reluctance to fight Taliban elements inside Pakistan. Mr Karzai also said that if the Pakistanis can't do anything about it, the Afghan Army would cross the border and take action against these Taliban terrorists. That statement pretty much sums up the attitude of the Pakistanis on fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The Pakistanis also failed to turn over their nuclear scientist, A. Q. Khan, who voyaged the world selling nuclear technology to countries such as Libya, North Korea & Iran. My sense is they don't want to hand over him coz they know he would expose the complicity of the Pakistani military in proliferating weapons of mass destruction. In fact, the former slain Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, mentioned about Pakistan having traded nuclear tech secrets with North Korea in exchange for ballistic missiles from North Korea.

Most of the 9/11 terrorists spent time in Pakistan and lived in Pakistan. The funds for carrying out the 9/11 attacks were transferred from Pakistan by a Pakistani. The last time the Trade Center was attacked, it was by a Pakistani named Ramzi Yousef. Pakistan has been a haven for terrorists for a long time now and it seems being "an ally" of the US hasn't changed much.

The US gives Pakistan billions of dollars in both military and developmental aid. The military aid is apparently to fight terrorists. It seems that money is going elsewhere. The last time the US gave military aid to Pakistan (during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan), the funds were diverted to buy weaponry to fight its enemy India. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the exact same thing that's happening now. The Pakistanis don't seem to be working to fight the terrorists. I think its about time the Bush Adm asked them to fight the Taliban or allow the US and NATO troops to do the job. Signing peace deals with terrorists certainly isn't the way to go. Pakistan is no "ally" of the US and I certainly don't think mollycoddling is the way to get results from Pakistan.