Kashmir News Network (KNN) welcomes Pakistan's admission of the fact that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is behind the tragic kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. JeM is a terrorist organization based in Pakistan and supported by that country's notorious intelligence agency, the ISI. This admission has probably come out because of the FBI's participation in the investigation. The fact that only a few days back Pakistan's Foreign Minister Sattar accused India for this kidnapping proves the fickle mentality and deviousness of Pakistani establishment.

KNN strongly believes that the kidnapping is nothing but a drama staged by General Musharraf. It is another ploy by Musharraf to earn brownie points from the United States and its Secretary of State Colin Powell. General Musharraf and the ISI have stage-managed this whole spectacle for international media consumption. General Musharraf knows very well that he cannot travel to the United States and face US media and administration if Mr. Pearl is still missing. And thus KNN strongly believes that Mr. Daniel Pearl will be released, rather made available to the US authorities in the next couple of days so that General Musharraf can ride that wave during his next week's visit to the US.

KNN has learnt that even back in 1980s, the ISI shielded mujahideen camps from the CIA and successfully hoodwinked them into believing the money that President Reagan was pumping was going to all the groups. In fact, it was being preferentially channeled to fundamentalist parties like Hekmatyar's Hizb-i-Islami. Similarly, even though the FBI has now joined in the investigations of Daniel Pearl's disappearance, the ISI is trying to hoodwink America again with this charade. This dangerous game is nothing new to Pakistan's military dictators who are hand in glove with Islamic fundamentalists. After all his talk about ending jehad, Musharraf has allowed the JeM to continue waging jehad from its Bahawalpur headquarters, as Pearl himself found out before he was abducted. In addition, the Lashkar-e-Taiba group continues to operate out of its sprawling base in Muridke, near Lahore.

KNN would like to caution the US administration and media about Pakistani dictator Musharraf's untrustworthiness. America's interests are being undermined by dubious 'allies' like Pakistan, which is the real center of the 'axis of evil'. The war against terror has been repeatedly compromised by Musharraf's double dealing since last September. KNN expects that the US media will see through General Musharraf's designs and grill him about all these cover-ups and facades during his visit to the US.