Islamabad Church Attack: A Reminder of Misplaced Priorities in War against Terror

 

Kashmir News Network (KNN) condemns the loss of innocent lives in Islamabad in the attack on a church in the diplomatic area. The attack is not an isolated incident, and the response to it likewise needs to consider the entirety of the situation in the country. It is common knowledge that most of the surviving Taliban and Al Qaida members have established themselves in Pakistan since last fall. Persistent recent reports suggest a spurt in Al Qaida communications occurring, mostly in Pakistan, and pursuant towards regrouping.

 

The battle in Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kot region earlier this month was a direct result of this regrouping. Al Qaida and Taliban fighters had crossed over from nearby Pakistan to establish a base there, with apparent local collusion. Reports indicate that the survivors of the battle have escaped back into their sanctuaries in Pakistan. In November last year, in one of the most implausible decisions by the US administration of the war, Pakistan was allowed to evacuate thousands of its fighters and ISI commanders from Gurdez town when that town came under siege. Numerous media reports indicate that Pakistani fighters who fought along side the Al Qaida last fall belonged to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammed. One can only guess how much those forces were involved in the Shah-i-Kot skirmishes.

 

These same forces were clearly involved in the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The manner in which that investigation has been handled suggests that Pakistan's ISI has much to hide, and continues its long-time links to Al Qaida. Pakistani leadership statements, particularly a recent one by General Musharraf who called Daniel Pearl's investigative journalism "intrusive", do not provide any confidence in the ability of the nation to de-entangle itself from the Al Qaida.

 

In the 1990s, the Clinton administration perpetuated the myth that Pakistan was not a "state-sponsor of terrorism", while lumping countries like North Korea, Libya, and Syria into that category. It ignored the growing signs of impending doom in ISI's sponsorship of terror in Kashmir through nuclear blackmail, its creation of the Taliban, and the close collaboration with Al Qaida. The result was September 11 of last year. Despite the tragic and catastrophic lessons learnt, the Bush administration is following down the same path, pointing its guns everywhere but at the center of the storm. Iraq, Philippines, Georgia and Yemen are not crucial right now in smoking out the Al Qaida and finishing off its ability to strike. Its main base is now in Pakistan. No amount of economic aid to Pakistan or "intelligence sharing" will change these facts. It is well-known that economic aid never filters down to where it is needed in that country.

 

KNN strongly believes that America's security interests, both domestic as well as overseas, are at serious peril if the Pakistani terrorism machinery is not dismantled without any further delay. President Bush needs to come out with a stern warning for General Musharraf that America's patience is at an end. General Musharraf should own moral and political responsibility for the dastardly church attack instead of issuing formulaic messages of "deep sorrow and regret". President Bush has a decision to make: does he want to follow in Clintonian footsteps, or does he want to truly rid the world of terror as he proclaimed after September 11. In order to head off new September 11s, President Bush can either decide to take the steps necessary to dismantle the ISI, Pakistan's military that provides the logistics for the terrorists, and its nuclear arsenal or he can perform symbolic saber-rattling and take on Saddam Hussein. The decision lies with President Bush.