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We could bring you to your knees warns Musharraf
LONDON: General Musharraf has mixed rank self-righteousness with a remarkably stark warning to the West that it could be 'brought to its knees' if Pakistan withdraws its cooperation in the so-called war on terror.Launching a fierce and finger-wagging attack on the West's growing doubts about Pakistan's role in fighting Islamist terrorism, Musharraf said the US and UK had to understand Pakistan is the West's "main ally...If we were not with you, you won't manage anything". In his strongest warning ever on the issue, Musharraf declared, "You'll be brought down to your knees if Pakistan doesn't co-operate with you. That is all that I would like to say. Pakistan is the main ally. If we were not with you, you won't manage anything. Let that be clear. And if ISI is not with you, you will fail." But sources here said Musharraf's passionate defence of his country and its infamous intelligence agency early on Saturday morning was yet again undermined after Mumbai's police chief firmly blamed the ISI for planning the 7/11 train blasts. In an extraordinary coincidence, Musharraf issued his blunt warning to the West to cease doubting Pakistan's role and commitment to fighting terrorism just a couple of hours before the Mumbai blasts were formally alleged to have been masterminded by the ISI. Commentators said that Musharraf's attempt to silence Western critics of Pakistan came across as blustering over-defensiveness after the Indian allegation. Musharraf's firm denial of Pakistani two-facedness in the war on terror came just days after a leaked British report criticized the ISI for fomenting Islamist radicalism by indirectly helping the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Late on Thursday, an angry Musharraf challenged British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the issue and received a public assurance that the British government does not doubt Islamabad's commitment to fighting terrorism. But Musharraf, who remained in the UK over the weekend, has let it be known he is riled about Western doubts over Pakistan 's role in the war on terror. With a visible sense of entitlement, Musharraf said the US and UK should acknowledge a "historic debt" of gratitude to Pakistan because it had helped "win the Cold War" for the West. Blaming the West for creating al-Qaeda, he said it had been foolish for the West to arm and train the mujahideen to fight the Soviets and then leave them to turn their rage - and weapons - on their creator. Insisting that Pakistan was left "high and dry" by the West and left to deal with the purposeless mujahideen on its own, Musharraf argued that it was unfair to blame his country for all the evils of the world. The stern rebuke and warning to the West comes as Musharraf assumes an increasingly combative and hectoring tone on the ever touchier subject of Pakistan's real role in the war on terror. Late on Friday, the General delivered the same message in a speech to students and academics at Oxford University. He demanded that the West to offer assistance rather than criticism to Pakistan's battle against terrorism. And he blithely batted aside criticism from Amnesty International that his government was illegally detaining innocent people on suspicion of terrorism, secretly imprisoning them and transferring them to US custody for money. Posted by: john 2006-09-30 |
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