US slow in fulfilling its promises towards Pakistan: NEW YORK TIMES

DAWN INTERNET EDITION  (dawn.com)

 
03 April 2002  Wednesday  


NEW YORK, April 2: Few countries have done as much for Washington in war 
against terrorism as Pakistan but the Bush administration has been slow to 
deliver on its promises. 

In an analysis the New York Times points out that the Pakistani government 
has demonstrated how firmly it is in the camp of cooperation, most lately 
in allowing the FBI and CIA to conduct a raid with Pakistani police here 
last week that rounded up more than 30 men with suspected links to Al 
Qaeda. 

The raid also demonstrated how valuable that cooperation can be: one of 
those apprehended, Abu Zubaydah, is suspected of being a top lieutenant of 
Osama bin Laden. 

Noting that the Bush administration has recognized the contributions of Gen 
Musharraf, inviting him to Washington and commending his courage, however, 
the paper said it has been slow to deliver on promises of police 
assistance, and has not removed duties and quotas on Pakistani textiles, a 
move that would give a vital lift to the economy of this impoverished 
country. 

"Without some tangible benefits like those, there is a question of how long 
the Musharraf government can continue to mobilize public opinion behind its 
anti-terrorism policies," the paper said. 

Washington has also at times taken actions that seem to undercut Gen 
Musharraf. Ten days ago, for example, it ordered all dependents of embassy 
employees to leave the country, out of concerns about security. "This is 
certainly not a good sign," the interior minister, Moinuddin Haider told 
the paper. 

"If everybody starts packing up and going home, it doesn't make a very good 
impression," he added. "We have to show some courage." 

That Gen Musharraf has survived this close alliance is a lesson that 
Washington hopes other leaders can learn, particularly President Megawati 
in Indonesia. 

Most recently, there has been a noticeable absence of protest in Pakistan 
over the role of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the 
raid. No major newspapers have editorialized against it, and Gen 
Musharraf's mainstream political opponents have not criticized it. 

The paper said that there is certainly a radical element opposed to Gen 
Musharraf's policies. It is loud and violent and it has allies among 
Pakistan's military and intelligence corps. But for the moment the key 
military officers have stayed in line, and the Islamic political parties 
and radical leaders have failed to turn out anything but paltry crowds for 
anti-Musharraf or anti-American rallies. 

This is not to deny the existence of a deep current of anti- Americanism in 
this Muslim country of 140 million. The hostile sentiment arises not only 
because of America's policy in Israel, but much closer to home because of 
American policies in the region. 

After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States arrived in 
force, training, arming and equipping guerrilla groups, including the 
Mujahideen. When that war was over, the United States basically abandoned 
the region, the paper said. 

"Pakistan was left with drugs and Kalashnikov," a western diplomat told the 
paper. "Pakistan felt betrayed." 

The Times said: "In now siding with the United States, Gen Musharraf and 
his advisers have not erased this resentment, but in the main, Pakistanis 
appear to put national interest over past grudges. Religious extremism and 
sectarian violence have rent this nation. 

"We have taken a very strong stand, because we believe that to have 
security in Pakistan we cannot have extremism here," said Haider, the 
interior minister. 

It is not a risk-free policy, as Haider knows personally. His older brother 
was assassinated in Karachi last December. That attack was widely seen here 
as a retaliation against the government's policy of siding with the United 
States and cracking down on extremist groups in Pakistan. But the 
government vows to carry on. "Our resolve to continue this policy remains 
firm and strong, because it is good for Pakistan," Haider told the paper. 
Still, he would like to see a little more cooperation from the United 
States. 

The Musharraf government has given Washington a list of what it needs for 
its war against terrorists, starting with simple things like computers and 
printers for the provincial police, who are in the front line, the paper 
said. 

-- 
Saima Alvi
Research Assistant
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Opposite Sector U, DHA, Lahore-54792
Tel.: 5722670-79; Ext.: 2165