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| India-Pakistan |
| Congressman: US must re-impose sanctions on Pakistan |
| 2003-02-22 |
| Concerned over fresh revelations that Pakistan continued its covert support of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, a prominent US Congressman has said Washington must re-impose sanctions on Islamabad, which continues to have ties with Taliban and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Revelations over the last couple of months show that Pakistan has been transferring equipments to support North Korea's nuclear weapons programme in exchange for ballistic missiles, Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone said. I don't know if he's jiggling Bush's elbow, or if it's another — and stronger — hint to Perv to get his house in order... Pointing out that head of the US State Department's Bureau of Nonproliferation John S Wolf was reviewing Pakistan's role in supporting North Korea's nuclear programme, Pallone said he hoped Wolf will come back with a recommendation that sanctions on Pakistan be re-imposed. "Though Pakistan has been an ally to the US in our war on terrorism, I support immediate steps by the administration to ban all military sales to Pakistan and to re-impose Symington sanctions on Pakistan for assisting a foreign nuclear weapons programme," the New Jersey Congressman wrote recently in a letter to US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Pallone also asked Powell to advise US President George W Bush to publicly acknowledge Washington's commitment to nonproliferation by re-imposing sanctions on Pakistan. Question is, do we still need Pakland enough to turn a blind eye to their stupidities? Accusing Pakistan President Musharraf of not cracking down on crossborder terrorism, the co-founder of the Congressional India Caucus said the Bush Administration should review its foreign policy towards Pakistan to prevent further escalation of terrorist activity that could cause a threat to South Asian region and possibly the United States. Pallone, in his letter, cited reports that madrassas continue to exist in Pakistan, educating members of militant Islamic groups and that the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) - a group with known ties to both the Taliban and militant groups in Kashmir - was working to regroup and strengthen the Taliban in Pakistan. "Musharraf has not lived up to his promise to ensure that madrassas in his country would be eliminated in an effort to achieve an end to terrorism," Pallone said. Shutting down the madrassahs would set the fundos off big-time — Perv caught some high-intensity heat over minor, commonsense efforts to bring them under control. I don't think it's something he can do, even if he wants to. But this certainly serves as another warning. They ignored Nancy and got all huffy. Maybe some congressional interest will get their attention. But I doubt it. They only really talk to each other. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 Pakistan's contribution to the anti-Taliban war was almost worthless. All of the B-52 attacks had to be made from bases on American soil, half the world away. The terror state of Pakistan also convinced the Bush government to offer a Taliban presence in a nominal "broad based government," during the war. Then there was the humiliating armistice agreements forced by Bush-Mushareff on the NA. American troops in Afghanistan, are fighting the very same jihadis that Bush protected. |
| Posted by: Anon 2003-02-22 15:12:43 |
| #1 I think that cracking down on Pak is a question of timing. We had to make a deal with the devil to get into Afghanistan. Once we deal with Iraq, then we can readjust and get the hell out of this hell hole and dry it up. Follow the money...who is propping up Pak? The US and Sauid Arabia. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-02-22 11:39:57 |