Who Wudda Thunk It?
The playboy husband of the late, much-mourned former prime minister of Pakistan, current President Asif Ali Zardari has astonished his detractors by presenting himself as a new man. Truly a remarkable transformation for one whose name was synonymous with corruption. None other than Mr. Tenpercent; his extortionate habit while in office in various government posts under then-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto earning him contempt, and after her assassination a surprising victory heading the Pakistan Peoples' Party.
Yet here is the successor to the much-derided and -detested General Musharraf, behaving in a responsibly statesmanlike manner, making peaceful overtures to India, to Afghanistan and adhering to the sensible support given him by the new American administration. Despite the white-hot anger of his own military and secret service, President Zardari took immediate responsibility for the Mumbai attacks, backtracking only marginally, when it became politically expedient.
It is President Zardari who has gone much, much further than General Musharraf's attempts to finally stamp 'paid' to the heritage of incandescent hatred between Pakistan and India. Where previous administrations all encouraged violent covert action by Islamist groups against India in Kashmir, President Zardari has backtracked, authentically searching for peace between the two nuclear-armed countries.
The man has given encouragement and support to Afghan President Hamid Karzai in their common battle against Islamist terrorists - a battle newly engaged by Pakistan, and long fought by Afghanistan. It was Pakistan which was responsible in large part for inciting Islamist extremists to take over and control Afghanistan. Pakistan had its eyes on expanding its territory into Afghanistan, in a hegemonistic move that never lived to see success.
The current president of Pakistan leaves no doubt that he sincerely searches for amicability between his near neighbours. He well knows the insidious presence of Taliban-supporting elements in the country's military and secret service. He is well acquainted with their methodology and intent, and knows very well that he is now himself in their cross-hairs.
The optical system of a telescopic gun sight is carefully focused, awaiting opportunity.
He has acknowledged his country's errors in having fostered Islamist terror groups. "Let us be truthful to ourselves and make a candid admission of the realities ... The terrorists of today were the heroes of yesteryears, until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well." It is no longer government policy to encourage, to arm, and to point the direction in which terror groups should engage. But this is a large, cumbersome and powerful instrument to disengage.
And this suddenly courageous man, anxious to do the right thing for his country, his geographical placement and the world at large, appears to be doing his utmost to achieve a consensus over domestic and foreign policies. His nemesis: the country's military-industrial complex. Suddenly he has cut his administration loose from supporting the Taliban, and by extension, al-Qaeda, bringing to the fore a reality, hitherto merely given lip-service.
Pakistan has much to atone for, not the least of which has been the proliferation of nuclear secrets to unstable and dangerous governments. A.Q. Khan is still held in high esteem in the country, no longer facing house arrest, free to crow about his accomplishments as a conscienceless scientist. But in its own self-interest it realizes its own fragility in facing its very own existential threat as a democratic country.
The alternative is an utter, chaotic upturning of all that the country has attempted to achieve. It has finally understood it can no longer give free reign to the hitherto-ungovernable, fiercely tribal region along its Afghan border and the South Waziristan tribal district where its troops are now battling the fundamentalist Islamic militias it must now defeat, achieving sovereign control of all of Pakistan.
To the alarmed chagrin, perhaps, of those within the Pakistani military and secret service who once protected them.
Yet here is the successor to the much-derided and -detested General Musharraf, behaving in a responsibly statesmanlike manner, making peaceful overtures to India, to Afghanistan and adhering to the sensible support given him by the new American administration. Despite the white-hot anger of his own military and secret service, President Zardari took immediate responsibility for the Mumbai attacks, backtracking only marginally, when it became politically expedient.
It is President Zardari who has gone much, much further than General Musharraf's attempts to finally stamp 'paid' to the heritage of incandescent hatred between Pakistan and India. Where previous administrations all encouraged violent covert action by Islamist groups against India in Kashmir, President Zardari has backtracked, authentically searching for peace between the two nuclear-armed countries.
The man has given encouragement and support to Afghan President Hamid Karzai in their common battle against Islamist terrorists - a battle newly engaged by Pakistan, and long fought by Afghanistan. It was Pakistan which was responsible in large part for inciting Islamist extremists to take over and control Afghanistan. Pakistan had its eyes on expanding its territory into Afghanistan, in a hegemonistic move that never lived to see success.
The current president of Pakistan leaves no doubt that he sincerely searches for amicability between his near neighbours. He well knows the insidious presence of Taliban-supporting elements in the country's military and secret service. He is well acquainted with their methodology and intent, and knows very well that he is now himself in their cross-hairs.
The optical system of a telescopic gun sight is carefully focused, awaiting opportunity.
He has acknowledged his country's errors in having fostered Islamist terror groups. "Let us be truthful to ourselves and make a candid admission of the realities ... The terrorists of today were the heroes of yesteryears, until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well." It is no longer government policy to encourage, to arm, and to point the direction in which terror groups should engage. But this is a large, cumbersome and powerful instrument to disengage.
And this suddenly courageous man, anxious to do the right thing for his country, his geographical placement and the world at large, appears to be doing his utmost to achieve a consensus over domestic and foreign policies. His nemesis: the country's military-industrial complex. Suddenly he has cut his administration loose from supporting the Taliban, and by extension, al-Qaeda, bringing to the fore a reality, hitherto merely given lip-service.
Pakistan has much to atone for, not the least of which has been the proliferation of nuclear secrets to unstable and dangerous governments. A.Q. Khan is still held in high esteem in the country, no longer facing house arrest, free to crow about his accomplishments as a conscienceless scientist. But in its own self-interest it realizes its own fragility in facing its very own existential threat as a democratic country.
The alternative is an utter, chaotic upturning of all that the country has attempted to achieve. It has finally understood it can no longer give free reign to the hitherto-ungovernable, fiercely tribal region along its Afghan border and the South Waziristan tribal district where its troops are now battling the fundamentalist Islamic militias it must now defeat, achieving sovereign control of all of Pakistan.
To the alarmed chagrin, perhaps, of those within the Pakistani military and secret service who once protected them.
Labels: Technology, Terrorism, Traditions
posted by Pieface | 6:17 PM
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