|
Terrorism must be confronted with force: Perv
| Stern words from a man who's better at uttering stern words than confronting terrorism with force... |
| Hey, man. Gotta respect the sash. |
 President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday that wherever there was terrorism or any violence, it had to be confronted with force. Addressing the Philippine Congress, he said in places where militants had already embraced terrorism, the use of force was inevitable and there was no doubt about that.
| "Unless you can bribe them, recruit them, form alliances with them, whatever... |
President Musharraf also called on Muslim and Western nations to do more to rid the world of terrorism, urging them to eliminate problems such as poverty to keep Muslims off a radical path, but recommending force to crush those already sowing terror. President Musharraf asked minority-Muslims in the Philippines, which has been struggling to deal with terror groups, to reject extremism, and backed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's efforts to forge a peace deal with a large Muslim separatist group.
| In effect allowing them to set up their own autonomous area, from which to expand their influence... |
The Pakistani president called on Muslim nations "to do more to reject extremism and intolerance and promote socio-economic development that is lacking in many Muslim societies". He also urged Western nations to help settle long-standing political disputes "that have caused so much pain in the Muslim world", adding that the West should help extricate poor countries from misery. "I urge the Muslims of the Philippines to shun the path of confrontation, suppress extremism," President Musharraf said in his congressional speech, which drew loud applause from lawmakers. But he called on the government to respect Muslims' rights, tradition and culture to allow them to live in harmony in society. President Musharraf also said democracy was "firmly rooted" in Pakistan. He underscored the advance of democracy in Pakistan under his rule, citing the emergence of a vibrant local media, a parliament that checks excesses of officials and a greater role for women in governance.
Posted by: Fred 2005-04-20 |
