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The New Year dawns with its mirror ball of world events twirling overhead, flashing out reflections of our recent past.
But how many of us, in western countries, are tempted to close our eyes to scenes we find too disturbing to take in?
For instance, last week’s massacre in Rawalpindi. Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was painfully, almost absurdly predictable. But look closer, and we can’t help but recognize our own complicity reflected on the mirror ball’s all-seeing sphere.
That’s because our governments, not just the broken regimes of Pakistan and Afghanistan, must share the blame for this act of terror, and for the blow it inflicts on the world’s diminishing hopes for stability in southwest Asia.
Western nations have timidly watched the Musharraf and Karzai governments haemorrhage both credibility and authority, allowing militants to gain strength. At fault are the blowback-prone policies of the Bush administration, as Benazir’s assassination so chillingly shows.
The al Qaeda network has demonstrated, six years on from 9/11, that it can strike at will, even within its Pakistani sanctuary: a country described by George W. Bush as a loyal ally in his war on terror. The attack reveals, as well, that the White House has no contingencies for the loss of Benazir, no other means of persuading President Musharraf to return Pakistan to democracy.
Let’s cast a CSI’s eye over the crime scene, and consider the evidence against the litany of blunders since 2001. There’s only one realistic conclusion: it’s time to change course, time for nations like Canada and Britain to challenge Washington’s domineering, results-barren command.
Initial blame for Bhutto’s murder has been directed at an al Qaeda-linked militant from Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border. Baitullah Mehsud was mentored by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a notorious Afghan Taliban leader, who in the 1980’s received vast amounts of U.S. arms and cash – via Pakistan’s military intelligence service, the ISI.
Today, Haqqani’s son, Sirajuddin, is the Taliban’s most feared commander. Like his father, he enjoys sanctuary in Pakistan, with the ISI’s knowledge and likely connivance. This, despite the Bush administration pumping $10 billion into Musharraf’s military machine, the ISI's master.
There is ample evidence that Musharraf has deployed his US windfall (or other guns and money freed up by Washington’s largesse) not against al Qaeda or the Taliban, but in fighting his own domestic foes, notably rebels in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.
Compounding this, the ethnically Pashtun Taliban have formed an alliance with Musharraf against the Baluch insurgents. That’s why Mullah Omar and his Taliban ruling council, or shura, enjoy safe haven in the town of Kushlak in Baluchistan, just north of Quetta.
From Kushlak, they direct and supply military operations across the border in Afghanistan. Thus U.S. aid to Pakistan indirectly assists Taliban groups targeting Afghan civilians – and NATO forces, including Canadians and Americans.
The blowback doesn’t stop there. Indeed the Bush administration has redefined the phenomenon. “Boomerang blowback” is the only way to describe Washington’s relationship with warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
One of America’s most wanted Afghan terrorists, Hekmatyar was once the Reagan administration’s most favoured anti-Soviet guerrilla leader. He turned on the West, and joined the Taliban. These days, he’s allied to al Qaeda, issues regular anti-American rants, and is rebuilding his Islamic Party from the cover of the ISI’s safehouses in Pakistan.
Hekmatyar is a serial beneficiary of blowback: with backing from Pakistan’s military, he has bamboozled Washington through every phase of the Afghan war.
Why should we care? Because Canadians, Britons and Americans are stalked by all these militants – and not just those in Pakistan, or on the battlefields of Kandahar and Helmand. The ultimate goal of the people who killed Benazir Bhutto is to export terrorism around the world.
So as that mirror ball twirls, let’s do more than just wish for a happier New Year. Let’s earn it – by demanding action from the West’s political elite.
While southwest Asia spins out of control, and NATO troops sacrifice their lives for us, our leaders must do more than acquiesce to a White House that has demonstrated only its unworthiness to command.
Nowe adays in afghanistan the rates of every thing is going very high because of the killing Binazeer Bhutto,so this the responsibality of releted officials to avoid this growing up difficulties.
We know it, that CIA and ISI cooperating very close since 1979, it is known too, that Mullah? Gulbuddin Hikmatyar killed one member of Setami Milli during his study time, he was put into jail for it and he escaped after certain time sitting in jail, also he left the country to Pakistan during the time of Sardar Daoud presidency.
Mr. Zulfaqar Bhutto was president of Pakistan at that time, Mullah G. Hikmatyar was welcome very warm by Pakistan Authority. Mullah? Hikmatyar was known as brutal during his study time. He and Mullah? Ahmad Shah Masoud belongs to the group of Ekhwani Muslimin( Moslim Brother), but those separated later on, because both of them wanted to be on the top.
Sardar Daoud coup was carried out with help of communists 1973, therefore it was expected, that the communist will get more influence in government in the future and they will start a coup with support of former UdSSR against Sardar Daoud later on, therefore started ISI with support of CIA against Daoud regime. Mullah Hikmatyar was on right time in Pakistan, he enjoyed the support of Mr. Z. Bhutto fully. In month April 1978 happened the expected coup against Sardar Daoud.
From that time started official and open the support of Mullah Gulbuddim Hikmatyar by ISI and CIA, he tried to put the villages at boarder to Pakistan under pressure for leaving their villages to Pakistan, he wanted to reflect to USA and Pakistan, that he is the accepted Islamic leader in the future, all of them join me with enthusiasm against former Communist regime.
Many villages reacted against him, the villages wanted to start resistant against communist regime from their villages and defend their villages, but Mullah Hikmatyar wanted to have more registration of Afghan refuges in Pakistan, so, he could collect more money and more weapon from CIA and ISI, therefore he used brutality against civilian, he killed lot of civilian by using barbaric methods, he is hated in Paktia, Paktika and Khost areas very much, this why he can not be in those areas now.
All former Mujahiddin leader acted criminal, but Mullah Hikmatyar was not prudish among them by killing of innocent.
He was lovely guy of ISI and CIA at that time, we believe it, he has still close connection to ISI and CIA.
We have many type groups of criminals in Afghanistan and in Pakistan and Mr. Musharaf actions regard Ms Bhutto and Mr. Nawaz Sharif was not because of human being or because of democracy reason, that he let both of them into country.
We believe it, that it did and it does exist organized plan for such created disaster and the politicians of west countries lost their views over the created disaster now and they lost their way and they do not know any more, what they have to do next?
Hi Arthur Happy New Year.
This Pakistan mess is grim.no doubt about it.
Although Afghanistan replied to this link and question on your previous post,what do you think when Ms. Bhutto states on David Frost that Bin Laden had been murdered and then BBC censor's it?
And why didn,t anyone in the Media follow up on this.
In an interview with David Frost Ms. Bhutto said Osama Bin Laden had been murdered.Frost did not follow up on the statement but then BBC censored the statement.What's going on here???????
http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/2007/12/bbc-censore......
To hear the censored version click on the link right below the screen.
Ted,
I've viewed the clip. Personally, I think it was a misstatement on her part. It just seemed too smooth a delivery. She would have known that she was dropping a bombshell on the world. It would have shown in her face.
Also, check out her biography on Wikipedia. Looks like there is some very compelling evidence that the charges of corruption against her were true.
Arthur, do you have any further information about the corruption charges and the bin Laden statement?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto
All those so called leader of Mujahiddin killed innocent people during the former UdSSR occupation, but the politicians of USA and west countries closed their eyes at that time, even now:
- Mullah Hikmatyar had in Pakistan private jails, he put most civilians into such jails, he used the fountain for elimination of the people, no body came out alive from his jails, he used to put hot oil on the chests of the innocent people, in fact he is murder, he killed mostly Pashtunen from villages.
- Mr. Fahim group and Mr. Hikmatyar group was enemy to each other, this group used huge pots with hot oil for the punishment of innocent people, mostly Pashtunen, because they saw most Pashtunen as Hikmatyar follower, they burnd people in hay storages.
- Mr. Saiaf was behind Hazara, he saw as Wahabist the Hazara as none Muslim, he killed lot of innocent people.
- Mr. Dostum is known as killer, criminal, he demonstrated his barbaric style in Kabul during the time 1992- 1995 and later on in Mazari Sharif.
All of them violated the women and destroyed the Kabul city.
Those murder and criminal (except Hikmatyar, he is in mountains now) was used as opposition with the former King people in 2001.
Former King clan was the father of Taliban creation, they advised the Taliban, what they should do further and UNOCAL supported them, Mr. Khalilzad and Mr. Karzai was adviser of this company at that time.
Like by Binazir Bhutto, no body knows, who killed her, so, it is by Taliban the same situation, every one wants to ignore their appearing and the sources of their support.
If the politician were honest, then we would not have such unbelievable disaster in Afghanistan and in Iraq. We are afraid, the situation in Pakistan will becomes more worst, then USA will insist on it, that because of Nuclear weapon in Pakistan we have to act in Pakistan too, Mr. Bush is working on such possibility, then we will have horror in all these regions at the end.
awryouimparwizim
Abdullah Hojalan head of PKK was arrested by a group of Turkish commando soldiers, arrested out side of Turkey, arrested in another country and brought back to Turkey to justice.
The way it happent was that a Turkish small plane lands off in another country, a group of commando soldiers gets out and caught the man at that air port. Band his hands and brought him to Turkey by that small plane.
I don’t want to say that Abdulla Hojalan was a terrorist, but I definitely want to say that Ejevet, the prime minister of Turkey at that time, was a serious man. He *wanted* to get him and he did that.
Once Turkey deployed 20,000 soldiers in 1 night along the borders of Syria and Turkey was about to start a fight with Syria, and again it was about Abdulla Hijalan, He was staying in Syria the way Gulbuddin Hikmatyar is being hosted in Pakistan.
Turkish Foreign minister and Defense minister both went to Syria for talks about him. Finally Hojalan left Syria and went to Russia, again lots of pressure on Russia started ,Turks made Russia to send him to Italy, Italy could not sustain all the pressure from Turkey, people destroyed all Italian made products in 1 day, they started to through out TVs and refrigerators from their homes down to street.
Until they "got him"
Ejevet said, that he used CIA help in tracking Hojalan and their help to find him...
Those are real politicians, who *really* does what they say. Can I believe that Americans can’t catch Mola Omer? Or Ladin? Or Hikmatyar?
I really feel fool sometimes not to believe our OLD-MEN on the streets describing it a COMPLEX and saying it is all America, they produce it and they use it and they ....
Karzai is just a tied man; we Afghans are all tied up. Money is governing our country, America defines what is good and what is bad for us, because they pay, they FUND, they “sponsor” (your term Mr. Arthur)
Hikmatyar needs to be brought to justice, I hope not by Americans, but by Afghans, so I will be able to tell and be happy to tell my people on radio that justice is coming back.
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