Author: Chidanand Rajghatta
- Times News
Publication: The Times of
India
Date: December 6, 2001
Pakistan is being compelled to initiate
wide-ranging reforms, including changes in its strategic posture, under
relenting pressure from Washington to abandon its failed militaristic policies,
according to U.S. officials monitoring the fast changing dynamics in the
region.
The changes include purging the
Pakistani establishment, including its intelligence agencies of radical
elements, clamping down on religious institutions advocating a perverted
form of jihad and diverting resources, particularly American aid procured
in lieu of cooperation over the war on terrorism, to the social sector.
Islamabad is also being asked to
re-evaluate its failed policies on Afghanistan and Kashmir that have brought
infamy on the country. Central Information Agency (CIA) director George
Tenet is the latest among a stream of U.S. officials who have visited Pakistan
to "persuade" Islamabad to initiate changes in policy, including those
concerning Kashmir.
In a not-so-furtive secret visit
to Islamabad last weekend, Mr Tenet pushed for deeper intelligence "cooperation"
with the aim of getting a better U.S. oversight on Pakistani agencies,
whose many maverick operations - including Kargil - have embarrassed
even the moderates in the Pakistani establishment.
Mr Tenet's visit will result in
greater U. S . intelligence and law enforcement presence in Pakistan to
keep track of jehadi elements and organisation. Already, the FBI
has been deployed at major Pakistani airports to monitor the movement jehadis
and terrorists.
In the past, terrorists involved
in major strikes in the west, including the first World Trade Center bombings,
assassination of CIA personnel, and the embassy bombing in Africa, have
moved freely in and out of Pakistan. Pakistan constitute the largest
number of foreigners arrested in the U.S. following the September 11 carnage.
Pakistanis also constitute the greatest number of "foreign fighters"
in Afghanistan.
The movement out of Pakistan of
suspected jahadi elements is now being severely curtailed following tightened
security. U. S. officials say they want Islamabad to totally circumscribe
militant activity, and U.S. intelligence agencies will seek even greater
domestic oversight once the hunt for Osama bin Laden is over.
U. S. officials contest the
view in some Indian quarters that Pakistan is getting economic freebies
without accountability. "They are not getting anything free.
There is plenty happening behind the scenes," one official said.
The $600 million aid package Washington
has cleared for Islamabad would almost entirely go towards the social sector
spending, except for a small portion for monitoring its borders with Afghanistan.
At the same time, Washington has agreed to help India monitor its border
with Pakistan to prevent terrorist infiltration.
Washington has carefully kept Kashmir
out of the debate "to give Musharraf some domestic breathing space".
But privately U. S. officials are advising Pakistan to break away from
its aggressive and militaristic Kashmir policy.
We think the message has gone out
that they are not going to able to get Kashmir by force, " the official
said, adding that it would be some time before changes in the Pakistani
policies begin to show. The administration, he said, was confident
Pakistan would follow the U. S. prescription "for its own benefit and survival."
