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General Loudmouth and his empty words

General Loudmouth and his empty words

Author: Husain Haqqani
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 3, 2003

Musharraf's promise-action gap means Western public opinion doesn't trust him  Western governments describe Pakistan as an ally in the ''global war against terrorism'', and General Musharraf has President George W. Bush's endorsement for being ''tight in the war against Al Qaeda''.

But doubts characterise public perceptions about Pakistan's role. A recent article in Time magazine asked, ''Is Pakistan a friend or foe?'' New York Times ran an editorial titled ''A troubled ally''. And a recent opinion piece in Washington Post was captioned ''Doubts about an ally''.

Several new books contain charges ranging from past sponsorship of Al Qaeda to an official cover-up in the Daniel Pearl murder to revived backing for the Taliban.A politically savvy government in Islamabad would have tackled each allegation, both in terms of changing policies that invite such charges as well as in reassuring the world that Pakistan has made a clean break from its ''soft state'' days preceding September 11, 2001.

But Musharraf's regime treats international public opinion with the same contempt it has for the Pakistani electorate. He, however, does not appear to realise the credibility problem he faces. In Pakistan, the general's word is questioned only in very gentle terms. But the global stage brings harsher scrutiny.

During his recent visit to Canada, an article in the country's most influential daily, Globe and Mail - captioned ''Ottawa's unwelcome visitor'' - greeted Musharraf. Written by Professor David von Praagh, it began with the words, ''Today, Canada has the distinction of welcoming the leader of what, by any fair reading of mounting evidence, is a state supporting terrorism.''

It ended with the following advice for the Canadian prime minister, ''The best thing that Prime Minister Jean Chretien can do is inform General Musharraf that Canada has an important stake in what happens in Afghanistan and in the war against terrorism in general. The worst thing Mr Chretien can do is accept an expected Musharraf lecture about Western mistreatment of Muslims, and leave the impression that Pakistan does not present a big problem.''

It seems Chretien did not heed von Praagh's advice. But democracies respond to public opinion and it is only a matter of time before policies of western governments starts matching perceptions of their thinking classes.

While in Canada, Musharraf didn't help his case by telling Globe and Mail he now believed Osama bin Laden to be alive and ''moving freely between Afghanistan and Pakistan''.

According to Globe and Mail, ''General Musharraf compared the pursuit of Osama bin Laden to that of Che Guevara, the Latin American Communist revolutionary who was chased through the jungle and shot to death in 1967 by Bolivian troops working with the CIA.'' Asked whether bin Laden is alive, he replied: ''Yes, indeed. I am reasonably sure.''

Compare that with the general's previous pronouncements that bin Laden was dead. ''I think now, frankly, he is dead for the reason that he is a patient, a kidney patient,'' Musharraf said in an interview with CNN on January 18, 2002.

But soon after the capture of bin Laden's deputy Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Musharraf started saying he believed bin Laden was alive.

In the Globe and Mail interview, he insisted blame for the failure to capture bin Laden must be shared, ''If I'm to blame, President Bush is equally to blame.''

The general described the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as impossible to seal - an explanation used by the US and Pakistan during their support of the mujahideen against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

His statement that ''the hunt for Al Qaeda leaders was going slowly until Pakistani intelligence efforts were improved in the border areas'' also invited cynicism from those who think Pakistan has been controlling the show in Afghanistan for two decades and is not short of intelligence there.

The cynical view is Musharraf is painting this picture only to secure American-made helicopters and military technology. At a time when their intentions are seen with suspicion, Musharraf and his colleagues would serve their interests better by saying less and meaning whatever they say. Too clever by half pronouncements only invite ridicule.

The author is visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC. He earlier served as adviser to Pakistani prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto
 


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