As the World Turns...

- Dr. Ramesh N. Rao

Caught Between the Mullahs and the ‘Merican Might

Helping the United States in a potential attack on Bin Laden and the Taliban would be almost inevitable if Washington concludes Bin Laden orchestrated the September carnage. Where will it our “suave” and clean-shaven General Musharraf? Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, leader of one fraction of the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam party that was a promoter from the earliest days, said that he would “appeal to the Pakistani government that it should warn the U.S. and not allow it to use our airspace or any other facilities for a possible strike on Afghanistan. If America uses our soil then it means that we have lost our dignity and sovereignty... if that happened 14 crore Muslims (of Pakistan) would retaliate against Musharraf's government”. Hai Allah!

Musharraf has shown himself reluctant to confront all but the most extremist fringe of Islamic groups. A meeting of Pakistani political leaders spanning the spectrum agreed in August that Musharraf should not allow U.N. monitors on Afghan soil to enforce the sanctions on the Taliban designed to force the handover of Bin Laden. That is because details have emerged over the past years of ISI involvement naming ISI officers who worked with the Taliban from 1994 to open a trade route into Central Asia that Pakistan badly wanted. Musharraf in July defended Pakistan’s backing for the Taliban arguing that they control almost all of Afghanistan and because they are overwhelmingly ethnic Pashtuns, who he sees as natural allies. Does one now understand the dilemma for Musharraf? Backing a U.S. attack on the Taliban would enrage a substantial part of Pakistanis. Inside his own army, which sets policy on Afghanistan, an estimated 20% of the men are Pashtun.

If he does not help Washington though, the consequences could be worse. Pakistan’s support for the Taliban has already left it isolated, weakening a deeply indebted economy that mostly survives on a flow of foreign assistance, and the money sent in by expatriate Pakistanis.