All Roads Lead To Waziristan
It was affirmed by a Pakistani general yet again today that Pakistani troops have fired on American troops which had entered the country's North-West border region in pursuit of members of the Taliban. The military fulminates against the unwanted intrusion of U.S. forces, the sullying of its territory by the presence of foreigners.They, Pakistan's armed forces, are serenely capable and determined to look after themselves.
As for Afghanistan which continues to smear the sterling reputation of their good neighbour by insisting that it harbours terror groups among its hill tribes, such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban, consider the source. It's no great secret any longer that Pakistan's military and its secret service have long since been infiltrated by Islamist sympathizers and activists.
It is the government, it was Pervez Musharraf - with his sometimes confused and always conflicted loyalty, having to balance the demands of his military, hoping to retain their loyalty, against his acknowledged interest in the well-being of his country, a Muslim country seeking to solidify its democratic credentials - hoping to be able to retain the fiction of support to the U.S. in the "war on terror".
A war on terror that not so subtly made its presence on the world stage through the kindly auspices of prior and current Pakistani government administrations. But then, a funny thing happened on the way to the future. The government finally came to the realization that it was battling an internal fight, a covert civil war, and delicate balance was required to keep it underground.
When, however, the would-be sharia-led insurgents became too demonstrably arrogant in polite Pakistan society, the government had little option but to bang it down, thus eliciting rancour from the tribal chieftans which no amount of agreements afterward for "cease-fires" could prevent the growing determination to bury inept moderation once and for all.
Attacks against army units and the countryside became more frequent as the militant strongholds in the northwest regions became more confident, better equipped, more efficient at attacks and the number of civilians and army personnel they were able to dispatch. And then those of the ilk of Baitullah Mehsud, delivered a very noticeable attack, right in the centre of Islamabad.
One might ask, without the active collaboration of insiders could this truck mega-bomb ever have penetrated the inner reaches of the city, to breach the defences of the army and the secret service dedicated to protection of the government, foreign embassy personnel, and the Pakistani civil elite? Was there a planned meeting of the new government at the Marriott Hotel, or was there not?
What a delicious combination for a deadly attack. Destroy the very symbol of Western oppression and economy, and with it the country's complicit, U.S.-bowing government. Where did that inside information emanate from? In any event, not at all a bad score, killing and wounding Americans including U.S. military personnel, the Czech Ambassador, and hundreds of Pakistani civilians.
The Taliban had, after all, warned the new government to stand off, stop playing nice to the United States by sending Pakistani military to their mountain hideouts. There would be a price to pay, beyond the already 60-successful suicide attacks this past year. And remember Benazir Bhutto's triumphant parade through the streets in advance of her heralded election victory?
Asif Ali Zardari has found it prudent to denounce American intervention in Pakistan's business on the North-West Frontier. Which is what he must do, under the circumstances; claiming indignation at the occasional cross-the-border U.S. intrusion in public, while assuring the U.S. it has his complete confidence in private, and thank you very much for that financial support, badly needed in a reeling economic downturn.
Benazir Bhutto's widower, understandably, has no immediate wish to join her just yet, in that great hereafter.
Labels: Political Realities, Terrorism, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Monday, September 22, 2008
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