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Pak Arms Donation Signals Stake in Afghanistan
Pakistan's donation this week of arms and ammunition to the Afghan National Army signifies yet another move to strengthen its influence in the post-Taliban government in Afghanistan and ensure it remains friendly to Islamabad, experts in Islamabad say. Pakland makes a donation of arms and ammunition to Afghanistan. They're loading a barge with coal to donate to Newcastle, too. And there's a planeload of chocolate on its way to Hersey, PA... The donation of a large quantity of arms and ammunition to help the government of President Hamid Karzai raise its own army is in addition to the 100 million U.S. dollars that Pakistan has committed for reconstruction activities in its neighbouring country. The weapons include 5,000 submachine guns, 180 mortars, 75 rocket-propelled grenades launchers and 10,000 mortar bombs. "For me? Oh, you shouldn't have!" The official statement said that the Feb. 16 delivery of weapons is part of Islamabad's âcommitment to support and strengthen the central government, including the raising of the national army of Afghanistan''. Pakistan would be also helping train Afghan army personnel, hoping these moves will raise its stock in a country whose Taliban-led government it had backed until after the Sep. 11 attacks, which promoted Islamabad to make a diplomatic U-turn and distanced itself from the Taliban. Former foreign secretary Dr Tanvir Ahmed Khan said Islamabad's latest gestures show Pakistan's resolve to strengthen and consolidate the Karzai government, and help him expand his writ that is now challenged by dozens of warlords. Many of them financed by Pak entities — and some, we suspect, financed by Pak itself... It would be in Pakistan's strategic interest to have beside it a friendly government in Afghanistan, since Islamabad would not like to have other nations, including Iran, Russia and rival India, gain a foothold in the region. It's that "sphere of influence" thing. Pakland has delusions of becoming a great power... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-02-21 |
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