India-Pakistan: This is not Cricket

Anything to oblige khamkhwa.

Did Musharraf Order the Hit on Pearl?

By Tom Plate
LOS ANGELES _ A new book by a major French philosopher asserts that the shocking murder of Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Daniel Pearl was not an isolated terrorist act but a well-planned assassination operation by the Pakistan government under the control of President Pervez Musharraf.

If this turns out to be true, U.S. support for Pakistan is fundamentally misconceived and dangerously immoral. Bernard-Henri Levy, author of the controversial book, is a high-profile French Left Bank philosopher, not a British historian of the just-the-facts-please empiricist school. Thus, ``Who Killed Daniel Pearl?`` is marred by speculative leaps and the kind of feral antagonism toward Pakistan (which he labels ``the house of the devil``) heretofore found mainly in India.

However cantankerously, though, the Levy book, a best-seller in France and just now released in the United States, does raise a tough issue about Pakistan: Who`s really in charge? Levy, along with official Indian authorities, contends that the gruesome hit on Pearl was the work of the Pakistani secret police (ISI). If so, Musharraf`s integrity must be questioned, because the former general claimed, during his September visit to the United States, that the ISI is now under control _ his control. As Levy writes, accurately in this passage: ``The ISI was the backer of the Taliban`s seizure of power in Afghanistan. It nurtured Islamic militants who crossed the border into Kashmir to pursue a terror war there against Indian rule. Omar Sheikh, as part of that operation, carried out kidnappings of Westerners in Kashmir.``

If Musharraf was the trigger that set off the heinous torture and assassination of Pearl, who was tracking ISI links to al-Qaida, the implications for U.S. policy would be terrifying. Pakistan, an Islamic nation of 151 million bordering on giant India, is far more strategically vital than neighboring Afghanistan or even occupied Iraq, now so draining on the U.S. military. And were the governance of Pakistan _ a nuclear power _ to fall into the hands of militant Islamicists, it would destabilize South Asia overnight. China and India would not like that _ they both want regional stability.

To their credit, they have recently held, for the first time, high-level negotiations to dampen their long-smoldering border dispute. The talks were positive and should continue until they are successful. Both New Delhi and Beijing _ with their daunting economic problems _ have no desire to see the region deteriorate.

And both also regard Pakistan as a problem. ``Pakistan is on the top 10 threat list,`` flatly says nuclear proliferation specialist Joseph Cirincione, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ``and people are not talking about it.`` An especially frustrated India believes the United States is in dangerous denial about Musharraf and Pakistan, which experts believe has stockpiled about 30-50 nuclear bombs.

It has also sent nuclear technology to North Korea and probably Iran (Pakistan denies the allegations). Even if innocent of Levy`s charges, Musharraf knows more than he`s telling about Pakistan`s dark side and may not be doing all he can in return for the greatly increased Western aid.

At the same time, the alternatives to a Musharraf government are extremely unsatisfactory. The prior parliamentary ``democracy`` was a rotted house of corruption, and a right-wing religious government would be threatening to everyone, including India.

Reducing U.S. support for Musharraf politically as well as economically could plunge South Asia into serious turmoil. The general may not be the ideal leader _ but he is the best available option at the moment. While Pakistan is a serious problem, removing Musharraf is not the solution.

As Levy writes, ``The great fight of our time is between moderate Islam and radical Islam. And the front line of this fight goes right through the middle of Musharraf`s brain.`` Now is not the time to attempt diplomatic brain surgery on the general, whatever his drawbacks. However, Musharraf is obligated to give the world a better explanation about the Pearl case, should not have rejected India`s latest 12-step diplomatic initiative and owes the U.S. government a positive response to the request that it come to the negotiating table with India without preconditions.

(UCLA Professor Tom Plate is the founder of the Asia Pacific Media Network.)

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Ref khamkhwa. #18

[arjun_m, gujjubaniya , jay, rationalfaith , rsaxena....galaxy of stars, in one place and who is missing? oh yeah...urstruly, harimau and satsriakal..wish they could come and complete the quorum....;) ]

The article is inane and the interacts are lame so there is no reason for me to post anything.

``#24 by arjun_m on November 7, 2003 6:25am PT
I`m sure this will come as a SHOCK to the usual deluded pakis

``We have purchased these missiles from North Korea. We have also had a transfer of technology of these missiles. We now manufacture ourselves these missiles in the same organisation that Dr A. Q. Khan headed,`` he said.
``Therefore, I don`t know how many times he has visited, but maybe his interaction was in this respect,`` Musharraf said. He said Pakistan now had no arms collaboration with North Korea. ``


Sirjee,

You are talking to some in vain. But you choose to fight. In vain.

There are very many on the other side who are... errrr...Honest. Those who listen are not in power. They never will be.

Those in power will blantantly lie. And will laugh it off. Your good ``friend`` calls himself usr``truely`` :). Muslim way of honesty. I hope he accually fasts. He is a classic case like Ayatullah. Lived in France... not Saudi OR that great Male``shia``. Then comes back and spits on the thalee that fed him. Calls them Satan.

There are humans and then there are hindoos...... Typical of ``yours``. As every one on Chowk agrees.

Sorry. Spade is a spade...Spade.. Spitter is a spitter.

Why do you ask honesty out of you know who??


Yogiraj Patil

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Jihadic continuum,

Most pakistanis on chowk insist that the kashmir jihad is different from the others. The ban of LET in australia is based on the evidence that two jihadists, david hicks and another french guy who came to australia did infact train in POK. May be it time for the pakistanis to accept that the madrassas produce generaised jihadis, seeking death and are willing to kill any one whom their leaders designate as kafirs.

The sectarian killings of karachi, the taliban, the mujahideen and the kashmir jihadists all come from the 200000 marassas of pakistan, with a large portion joining the pak army. The treatment of indian soldiers in kargill is the proof of the jihadic mindset of the pak army.
Weell, cricket, what has that to do with a jihadists.

Saw this on unplugged - and checked out The NEWS` website and it is true.
WHy do pakistanis always resort to racism when dealing with Indians.
the website is http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2003-daily/07-11-2003/oped/o5.htm

I guess, as my friend says it appears to be hardwired into the system - so every generation resorts to the same image and racism.

The author of the article says ``This being a money matter, and the Hindu ``Banya`` being extremely sensitive on such matter...``

I wonder why the pakistanis like ROMAIR and others donot say anything about this but are cry fowl when in the US .....

#8 khotasikka

bhidooo, kya sayee baat bola rey...

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Mr. Gul

I was attacking your religious beliefs?!

You can surely read English, so the fault must be somewhere else....yes, it is in your dhimmihood :)

arjun_m, gujjubaniya , jay, rationalfaith , rsaxena....galaxy of stars, in one place and who is missing? oh yeah...urstruly, harimau and satsriakal..wish they could come and complete the quorum....;)

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...quit whining you little runt...

RationalFaith, your faith does not seem to have instilled any rationality in you. I put you in the same league as #6 and #11. How petty minded to attack religious beliefs. You feel so offended because your entire coloured image of Pakistan falls apart because of my beliefs.

``Oh Lord, forgive them for they do not know what they do``.

I am disappointed.

``The whole world knows Pakistan sponsors the Kashmir insurgency and yet you have the gall to say India blames Pakistan unreasonably?``

Ijaz_Gul is probably another nickname for AhmedZai. The difference is that under the Ahmedzai nick he makes no claims to any education or intelligence. As Ijaz_Gul he claims to rub shoulders with Putin, Bush, and Osama bin Laden every day :)

Yet, you will rarely find a person as ill-informed. Tragically, he also claims to be an Islamic dhimmi -that too, a Christian :(

Yet another pak stereotype,

The author has put the offer from pakistan to treat the injured from kashmir at par with the indian offer. This shows the pak.org brian washing the author suffers. This would have been at par with the indian offer if india had said that hindus or ahmadias will be treated. The offer was unconditional, and surprisingly it was not the the children of hindu bonded labourers, affectionately called ``hari`` in pakistan who came to bangalore.

The old rehetoric of nuclear armed rivals is no more used because the yanks have taken the bomb. It is rather puzzling that the nuclear armed rivals who fought 3 wars has gone out of the pak vocabulary.

Another brilliant article by Mr. Ijaz Gul

http://www.dawn.com/2003/11/06/op.htm#2

#7 by ijaz_gul on November 5, 2003 8:25pm PT

[However, Pakistan will continue to be blamed even for a mosquitoe bite.]

Spoken like a typical Paki. The whole world knows Pakistan sponsors the Kashmir insurgency and yet you have the gall to say India blames Pakistan unreasonably? Why else does every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting Islamabad regularly reiterate the need for Pakiland to do more to curb infiltration into Indian Kashmir while Paki faces wear forced smiles through red faces?

[The final outcome would not be to India`s advantage; for that matter to nobody`s advantage. Thats for sure.]

Not if India pre-empts the nuclear Paki strike and pounds Pakiland into a position where it is unable to retaliate. Didn`t George Fernandes say sometime back Pakistan would be wiped off the world map?

[On the internal front, hardliners like the extremists who keep popping up on these interacts like unwanted ads are doing a good job of hate for Pakistan. Please keep it up #4 and #6.]

Coming from a Paki, it sounds funny to say the least.

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Cricket is known to be a game played by ``Gentlemen``.

We remain in search of this nearly extinct species today

not only in South Asia but on a global scale.

Ras

gujjubania
## Majority of India agrees with Georgie on that one.

Yaar, why do you speak for everyone - in that respect you are just like the Sanghi chaddis.

You represent nobody. Not the hindus. Not the banias. Perhaps not even gujjus. So speak for yourself and yourself alone, alright ?

Its like these VHP and Bajrang idiots come up and say ``the hindus`` want a temple - ``the hindus`` want this and that. Aray, who died and made you king anyway?

I don`t want a confrontationist attitude with anyone. You have to understand how Pakistanis think. India should have a policy that gives Pakistan the illusion of getting something while actually conceding nothing. And wait for them to digest the thought that they will never get Kashmir. The more you push them around and shout hawkish nonsense, the worser the situation gets. But Pravin Togadia followers will not understand all this. They want to organize an army of nanga trishul waving sadhus to run across the LOC and ``take`` PoK.

India ka vaat lagarele tum log.

This is not Cricket. Well cricket as we know is no more a game of gentlemen and high integrity. There is sledging and God knows what else. But still it remains a sport.

Politics is a mean game of power and aggrandissement. Those who play it believe in the `law of the fishes`. There are no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests. So let us not expect morality and crib about the lack of it as the topic suggests.

Indo Pakistan relations are a constant which deprives the people of South Asia the true benefits of socio economic development. Though Pakistan`s case on Kashmir has been consistent since 1947, India`s position has changed and hardened contineously. So Pakistan should not expect any dramatics for the better. Periferal gestures like the Bus Yatra, Fishermen and Medical Treatment would continue. No more. However, Pakistan will continue to be blamed even for a mosquitoe bite.

Somehow war seems an inevitable end and George Fernandes and Co want to put all those latest acquired munitions and surveillance systems to purposeful use. When countries have superior weapon systems, there is always a tendency to use them. The final outcome would not be to India`s advantage; for that matter to nobody`s advantage. Thats for sure.

On the internal front, hardliners like the extremists who keep popping up on these interacts like unwanted ads are doing a good job of hate for Pakistan. Please keep it up #4 and #6.

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##
There was, equally, an element of comical inanity in the Indian offer to treat 20 Pakistani children free of cost in Indian hospitals. This was in extremely poor taste and betrayed a tendency to denigrate Pakistan even at the risk of looking silly. Pakistan is not a dirt poor African country to need a neighbour’s largesse to treat its sick children.
##

That the EA Ministry has chosen to make this a brownie point scoring device is sad. I can assure you folks, however, that the sentiments for Baby Noor were genuine.

The entire problem with the CBM ``war`` is that they are attempting diplomacy through the media. Which is foolish. You want to talk then you must talk *to* the other party and not *at* the other party.

Chapree public hai yaar. Akkal ghas khane gayela hai.

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This is all BS !!!! Big Yawn.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_442701,00300006.htm