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Afghanistan-Pak-India
No chance of radicals taking over Pakistan
2005-11-14
I think I have some idea of what Perv's been smoking. I wouldn't indulge, myself...
President General Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday that there was “no possibility” at all that radicals could take over Pakistan, especially in light of the recent local government elections.
Ummm... Right. I think that's what they said just before the Bastille was stormed. And I'm sure Nikolas said something along those lines to Alexandra...
... no possibility those rebels will fire at Fort Sumter; it's Federal property after all ...
“There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this country is a moderate country, and moderate forces have reasserted themselves, and religious forces have gone down,” the president said on CNN.
Pakistan's "moderates" are occasionally somebody else's wild-eyed lunatics...
Gen Musharraf rejected suggestions Pakistan was not doing enough to hunt down Osama Bin Laden, saying the country’s intelligence organisations were unified with the military in battling terrorism and trying to find the Al Qaeda chief. “They are my enemies,” he said of Al Qaeda. “Quite clearly, we are operating against them. And there is no doubt that we will keep operating against them. I’m not scared of that.”
They don't appear to be, either...
Gen Musharraf defended his recent attempts to engage Israel’s government, saying most Pakistanis support his policy. “When we are talking to the Israelis and the Israeli foreign minister, or I address the Jewish congress, I am very clear that this is the strategic direction that Pakistan needs to take,” Musharraf said. “The vast majority of Pakistanis, the media, the intelligentsia, the masses, have all accepted this. Nobody is questioning me at all.”
"Except for the turban and automatic weapons set, of course..."
Posted by:Fred

#7  Above link got messed up

Israel Chooses Indian PSLV To Launch New Spy Satellite
Posted by: john   2005-11-14 22:04  

#6   but how solid do you think this intel is?

This has been coming out in bits and pieces for some time now.
In the end, all you have is a credible case. Nothing absolute.

The Saudi purchase of Chinese ballistic missiles is another indicator. They lacked the nuke warhead those missile were designed to carry.
Guess which country was supplied with the warhead designs?

Gen Musharraf defended his recent attempts to engage Israel’s government, saying most Pakistanis support his policy. “When we are talking to the Israelis and the Israeli foreign minister, or I address the Jewish congress, I am very clear that this is the strategic direction that Pakistan needs to take,”

This is all about a desperate Pak attempt to derail Indo-Israel cooperation

In space...


According to multiple sources, India has begun discussions with the defense ministry and IAI regarding a possible purchase of a clone of the TechSAR satellite to enhance New Delhi's strategic intelligence and targeting capabilities.


and nuclear submarines


The first functional ATV will be launched by 2007 , It will be an SSGN and displacing some 6,500 tonnes and will be a derivative of Russia's new Severodvinsk-class(yasen) SSGN.

The ATV will also have the ability to carry up to eight ready to launch vertically launched "Strategic" cruise missile each with a range of 800 Km that will be armed with nuclear warhead, Although DRDO's ADE and DARE have since 1990 been trying to develop such a cruse missile called "SAGARIKA" it was decided in November-2003 that the ADE and DARE would co-developwith RAFAEL of Israel such a cruise missile and its vertical launched canister,inertial guidance, launch-control and solid-fuel rocket booster systems.The miniaturized nuclear warhead for the missile will however be developed solely by BARC and DRDO. The nuclear-tipped missile will be kept disassembled on-shore in peacetime and be deployed on the ATV only during "extreme national emergencies"




Posted by: john   2005-11-14 21:54  

#5  but how solid do you think this intel is?
Posted by: Red Dog 2005-11-14 20:47


This is all about Kingdom insurance against the loonies in Iran. Nuclear prolifertion in action.
Posted by: Besoeker   2005-11-14 21:30  

#4  thx John.

Saudi may have leased Pak nukes. It makes alot of sense... but how solid do you think this intel is?
Posted by: Red Dog   2005-11-14 20:47  

#3  Saudi funding allowed Pak to develop nukes.
During the rule of PM Benazir Bhutto, she was denied permission to visit Pak enrichment facilities but the Saudi Prince Turki had a full tour (he who pays the piper calls the tune).

Saudi is buying a lot of Pak assembled Chinese armor. Now this stuff is basically junk when compared to the American M1A1 tanks and Bradleys the Saudis possess but can't even use properly.
So why are they buying it?

The equipment is for a Pak brigade. Given US security guarantees, this Pak army presence is quite strange. It is not a tripwire force because Iran would not fear Pak and it is too small to deal with a serious Iranian or future Iraqi attack.

So why the brigade? It is probably there to secure vital pak assets - nukes - being kept in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi may have leased Pak nukes.
Posted by: john   2005-11-14 18:22  

#2  so it needs to be made clear to the Pak army that the consequences of continuing support for Jihad will outweigh any Saudi funding they receive. Clear answer- remove the source of funds. Wetwork req'd - messy scenes needed, thankyouverymuch
Posted by: Frank G   2005-11-14 18:09  

#1  Perv is actually correct.

There is zero chance of a takeover. The Pak state serves the army (not the other way around) and the army will tolerate no threats to its power and economic priviledges (it controls a substantial part of the Pak economy).

Pakistan's army has killed more of its own citizens that any other existing regime. They are ruthless when needed and will slaughter any serious threat without mercy.

The jihadists are a tool of the army and have always been so. There is a leaked ISI document from two years ago which was quite open about this. Occasional protests by jihadis were actually encouraged because they gave the impression of a state under threat. Pak leaders could then claim "Apres Moi Le Deluge" (after me the flood) and demand foreign aid from the US.

This has been a standard tactic from the very first pak prime minister Liqiat Ali Khan in 1948. He also pointed to the fundos waiting in the wings.
Jihad also dates from this time. Jinnah threatened the British with jihad and it was a Pathan tribal lashkar, with dreams of jihad which first invaded Kashmir.


Posted by: john   2005-11-14 16:37  

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