The Argumentative Amartya?

Pakistan denounces New Delhi bombings as ``terrorism``

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (AFP) Pakistan strongly condemned Saturday`s bombings in Indian capital New Delhi as a ``criminal act of terrorism,`` a foreign ministry statement said. ``Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in New Delhi, which have resulted in the loss of a number of innocent lives,`` the statement said. ``The people and government of Pakistan are shocked at this barbaric act and express deep sympathy with the families of the victims,`` it said. Islamabad also called for a thorough investigation to punish the culprits. ``We hope that a thorough investigation will be carried out and the perpetrators of this act of terrorism will be brought to justice.`` At least 50 people were killed Saturday in serial blasts in New Delhi, India`s home minister and senior government officials said.

Re: #80

[Pakistan denounces New Delhi bombings as ``terrorism``]



South Asia Analysis Group

Paper no.283
24. 07. 2001

MUSHARRAF AND TERRORISM

by B.Raman

In our earlier paper titled ``Musharraf, bin Laden & the Lashkar`` disseminated on July 1 and available at www.saag.org/papers3/paper266.html, we had, inter alia, stated as follows about the links of Gen.Pervez Musharraf, the self-reinstated Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), the self-styled Chief Executive and the self-promoted President of Pakistan, with Osama bin Laden`s Al Qaeda, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), terrorist organisations active in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

``Musharraf denies any links of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) with the LET and other jihadis. What more, he denies their very presence in Pakistani territory. On June 24, a fortnight after the famous rebuke of the Ulema of June 5, which was more shadow-boxing than reality on the eve of the Washington visit of Mr.Abul Sattar, Major-Gen.Rashid Quereshi, the media spokesman of Musharraf, was asked about the activities of the LET and other jihadi organisations. He replied without batting an eye-lid: `` No group operating in Kashmir has any base in Pakistan.`` (``The Hindu`` of June 25).

``In the past, Musharraf had been saying that if there was progress on the Kashmir issue in the bilateral talks with India, he might appeal to the jihadis to deescalate their activities. Now, his spokesmen have been saying that since these are indigenous Kashmiri organisations, Pakistan has no influence over them just as they have been telling the US that Pakistan has no influence over the Taliban and bin Laden.

``Pamela Constable of the ``Washington Post``, who was one of the foreign correspondents briefed by Musharraf last week on the forthcoming summit, has reported as follows: ``Musharraf brushed aside questions about whether he would rein in armed Islamic groups that support fighters in Kashmir, insisting that the Kashmiri insurgency is ``indigenous``.

``It is, therefore, likely that whatever be the outcome of the forthcoming summit, Pakistan will continue its proxy war against India through its jihadi surrogates even while denying any links with or control over them. Any optimism of a reduction in violence and cross-border terrorism as a result of the summit would be misplaced. Musharraf will continue to play his double game

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overtly friendly, warm and seemingly accommodating and covertly continuing to make our security forces bleed. To expect anything different from him and to lower our guard against him could be suicidal. India will continue to pay a heavy price for its failure to evolve and implement consistently an effective counter proxy war policy. The policy of ``kabi naram, kabi garam`` (sometimes soft, sometimes hard) doesn`t pay against Pakistan. It will only confirm Musharraf in his perception that India is a soft State, which lends itself to easy manipulation.``

During his televised breakfast discussions with Indian editors at Agra on July 16 and his press conference at Islamabad on July 20, Musharraf described the terrorists operating in J & K as ``indigenous freedom-fighters`` and denied that they were based in Pakistan or that they were receiving any assistance from Pakistan. A similar stand was taken by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi, during a TV interview on July 22 when he was asked about the post-summit massacre of some Hindu pilgrims going on their annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave by the Al Umar Mujahideen and the massacre of the Hindu residents, including women and children, of a village in the Doda district of Jammu by the LET on July 22.

In its issues of February 13,1995, and March 27,1995, the ``News`` of Pakistan had carried two detailed investigative reports by Kamran Khan, a well-known Pakistani journalist, on an international terrorist network consisting of the HUM (then known as the Harkat-ul-Ansar) and other Islamic terrorist organisations operating from Pakistani territory with the knowledge and connivance of the Pakistani authorities. He reported that about 200 HUM members from Pakistan had died in clashes with the Indian security forces in J & K since 1991 and that its cadres were also active with the Abu Sayyaf group in Southern Philippines and with the terrorists in Chechnya. He also brought out the links of these organisations with Ramzi Yousuf, now undergoing imprisonment in the US for his role in the New York World Trade Centre bombing in February, 1993, and their role in the explosion at a holy shrine at Mashhad in Iran on June 20,1994, killing 70 people and in training Saudi fundamentalist elements opposed to the ruling family.

Subsequently, a number of other reports from equally well-known Pakistani journalists and published in the Pakistani press brought out in great detail the role of the Pakistani Army and the ISI in sponsoring terrorism against the Indian security forces in J & K in order to achieve their political objective of annexing J & K without the direct involvement of the Pakistan Army.

During the Kargil war of 1999 too, Musharraf used these terrorist groups to initially occupy the mountain heights before sending the Pakistan Army. In the transcript of the telephone conversation between Lt.Gen.Mohammed Aziz, then Chief of the General Staff (CGS) at the GHQ, and Musharraf, then on a visit to Beijing, which was released by the Government of India, Musharraf was assured by Aziz about his effective control over the terrorists in the following words: ``The scruff of their neck is in our hands.``

The US State Department`s annual report on Patterns of Global Terrorism during 2000 released by Gen. Colin Powell, US Secretary of State, on April 30,2001, gave the following detailed account of Pakistani involvement with the terrorist groups in J & K and Afghanistan:

* ``The Government of Pakistan increased its support to the Taliban and continued its support to militant groups active in Indian-held Kashmir, such as the Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), some of which engaged in terrorism.
* ``Islamic extremists from around the world--including North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central, South, and Southeast Asia--continued to use Afghanistan as a training ground and base of operations for their worldwide terrorist activities in 2000. The Taliban, which controlled most Afghan territory, permitted the operation of training and indoctrination facilities for non-Afghans and provided logistics support to members of various terrorist organizations and mujahidin, including those waging jihads (holy wars) in Central Asia, Chechnya, and Kashmir.

* ``Throughout 2000 the Taliban continued to host Usama Bin Ladin despite UN sanctions and international pressure to hand him over to stand trial in the United States or a third country. In a serious and ongoing dialogue with the Taliban, the United States repeatedly made clear to the Taliban that it would be held responsible for any terrorist attacks undertaken by Bin Ladin while he is in its territory.

* ``Massacres of civilians in Kashmir during March and August were attributed to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) and other militant groups.

* ``Pakistan`s military government, headed by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, continued previous Pakistani Government support of the Kashmir insurgency, and Kashmiri militant groups continued to operate in Pakistan, raising funds and recruiting new cadre. Several of these groups were responsible for attacks against civilians in Indian-held Kashmir, and the largest of the groups, the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, claimed responsibility for a suicide car-bomb attack against an Indian garrison in Srinagar in April.

* ``In addition, the Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, continues to be active in Pakistan without discouragement by the Government of Pakistan. Members of the group were associated with the hijacking in December 1999 of an Air India (author`s comment: it was actually the Indian Airlines) flight that resulted in the release from an Indian jail of former HUM leader Maulana Masood Azhar. Azhar since has founded his own Kashmiri militant group,Jaish-e-Mohammed, and publicly has threatened the United States.

* ``The United States remains concerned about reports of continued Pakistani support for the Taliban`s military operations in Afghanistan. Credible reporting indicates that Pakistan is providing the Taliban with materiel, fuel, funding, technical assistance, and military advisers. Pakistan has not prevented large numbers of Pakistani nationals from moving into Afghanistan to fight for the Taliban. Islamabad also failed to take effective steps to curb the activities of certain madrassas, or religious schools, that serve as recruiting grounds for terrorism. Pakistan publicly and privately said it intends to comply fully with UNSCR 1333, which imposes an arms embargo on the Taliban.

* ``In South Asia, the United States has been increasingly concerned about reports of Pakistani support to terrorist groups and elements active in Kashmir, as well as Pakistani support, especially military support, to the Taliban, which continues to harbor terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, al-Gama`a al-Islamiyya, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.``

the article is definitely a personal attack on sen. nowhere does the author display even a basic understanding of development economics. instead of going about in a round about manner about somebody you dislike in an article like this she should have just stated what the real grouse is. but then that wouldn`t be bitchy enough to attract the readership... wouldn`t it?

#59 by kaalchakra

[One shouldn`t let any hypothetical ``ideal`` or ``the best`` become the enemy of the reasonably good. People who fall into the habit of letting that happen, become depressed, socially or intellectually paralyzed, or instinctively anti-social. Sometimes they even become dangerous. ]


One shouldn`t let inane circumambulations become the enemy of his/her otherwise moronic pseudo-pedantic utterances made in a faux philosohical vein.

Because it becomes clear to others that the vagueness is a convenient attempt to deny critical accusations that may be forthcoming.


Another way to put this is - if you have to pontificate, have the courage to do so in a more direct manner.

#61 by godot

[He actually despises me and hates my guts.]

Aww..feeling shattered about your feelings not being reciprocated? Never mind, its not the end of the world.

[But he loves the dhoti-clad...without their dhotis, that is.]

Try wearing a dhoti, you`ll then get the attention you`re so desperately clamoring for.

Re: # 84

Harish

He says ``mmmwwwwaaaahhhh`` to you and loves you without your dhoti...which is fluttering on a pole in Kashmir.

#85 by godot

[He says ``mmmwwwwaaaahhhh`` to you and loves you without your dhoti...which is fluttering on a pole in Kashmir.]

Awwww...still no response? You`ve got to try harder beta. Did you follow my suggestion? If you did and there`s still no response, then I`m sorry, I can`t help you.

The Witness

The bailiff’s raucous shout brought me back to reality with a start –

“Amartya Sen, haazir ho….!!!’

“The accused is already present here, your honor!”

I turned around to get a better look at my accuser – the sight was anything but inspiring. She flashed me a smile – the teeth appeared crooked – everything in that courtroom appeared so crooked.

The judge glared at both of us – he did not look friendly at all – he firmly held a mallet in one hand and was busily flipping through a printed book – at first glance it looked like Samuelson’s text book – but later I found out it was the latest edition of copyright laws. I had a feeling the judge had some serious problems with it – for one thing, he was holding it upside down!

“Who the hell are you and how come you became my accuser anyway?!”

“My dear, don’t worry about me. The focus is on you! You are the one being charged here!”

“And what the heck am I being charged of… and come to think of it….where the heck am I?”

“You want charges? I’ll read you the charges!”

The lady prosecutor appeared ready to tear somebody up! I suddenly came to the uncomfortable realization that somebody could be me. She was in full steam. She turned to the judge.

“Your honor, the crimes of this heinous creature are just too many to enumerate. Just look at him!”

All eye turned toward me suddenly. I was not ready – I was just about to start picking my nose – my mouth stayed open with surprise as words – like hot oil – were poured all over my head!



“I denounce that he did not renounce.”

“Why the heck did he have to write that book, so that I would have to read it!”

“He creates imaginary allegories – they should have been real allegories – or at least reel allegories! He sits on the fence – how dare him! And how dare he exploit our poverty and not be accused of it himself. How dare he be politically-correct – what’s wrong with being incorrect?”

“He never hung around to talk about the muck in my backyard from my backyard.”

“Why the hell could he not be like John Nash and spend two decades getting psychiatric treatment?”

“Am I saying that you have to be a little ‘mad’ to be brilliant? No. I firmly believe you can be mad without being brilliant – this court is full of such creatures!”

“Paying taxes is voodoo!”

I looked on in amazement!

“This beastly creature – he actually pays taxes where he legally resides!”

“Why could he not sweat like a pig himself?”

For a moment, I had a sinking feeling. Little did I know I had some defenders rooting for me, too. One of them interjected –

“Objection, your honor! What is the big deal with the green stuff…. Don’t we all like it?”

Another one stated – “Your honor – she is simply green with envy!”

A rowdy member of the audience chimed in “She is also all green inside!”

“What a waste of flesh…. Bring on that searchlight!” Somebody murmured, looking at me.

What appeared to be a deranged little lady with a lapdog chimed in – “At least you are alive! Just look at me!”

The little lapdog growled – “some strange love…”

The bailiff held her back forcibly – ma’m, this ain’t your show – you have had your chance and you turned tail faster than a cat on a hot tin roof!

The lapdog went – “woof!”

A snotty professor-type from some small town jumped in – “Don’t read her words – read BETWEEN her lines – so what if it looks empty there – I can see it – I can MAKE myself see it – and this guy is all WRONG – after all, he was born on the wrong side of the border! That Nobel was rightfully mine – now where did I put away that bottle!”

He started a desperate search through all his hiding places.

A librarian-type jumped in – “I don’t like your summary!” He threw a book at the prosecutor – “Here, eat Tharoor!”

A man holding an axe turned to me and whispered – “You must be peeing in your pants reading this autopsy of your life long work.” His gaze went lower – I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

The mullah said – “Stop the bak bak! I truly don’t understand it – what’s Economics?!”

The courtroom was stunned – nobody had a clue to that baffling question – many hadn’t even crossed the threshold of zero percent interest rates!

But it was not long before the arguments resumed.

“You are facetious” – said a reporter. She pretended to ignore it!

The librarian threw another book at her. It went over her head.

The librarian went into a frenzy – as if a rabid dog had bit him. He threw a bunch of books at her. They all went over her head.

He wondered – “what to do next, what to do! It does not work – nothing works with this lawyer! Maybe I can throw in some pics – maybe THAT will open some eyes”!

He looked at the judge struggling with the copyright laws book. He resisted the impulse!

The judge continued to pore over the copyright book – he could use the services of a good lawyer, to advise him – or at least to wake him up!

The snotty professor-type from the small town spoke up – “Your honor, it is all the fault of the HH crowd – he should have converted to the right faith right away – preferably before he had the ability to decide for himself!”

Nobody paid him much attention – everybody was exchanging gaali-galauz at the lady prosecutor’s expense – the atmosphere was getting paradoxically festive – except perhaps for the lady prosecutor!

The prosecutor projected a hurt look, evidently the pain was a nuisance – this was supposedly a crowning moment – expose the big prize and the big catch of the season – to be bared, denuded, sliced, diced, and spliced – the hearty meal of the season to swallow!

Not the occasion to wallow – with no gain – only low pain!

The lady prosecutor turned to the judge and asked in an incredulous voice – “They expect me to be NICE!” She stomped out in a huff!

It was almost five – evidently the time to go home – the session was coming to a virtual end. Suddenly, loud explosions were heard outside – many people cleared out in a hurry – perhaps only to regroup elsewhere.

And then the scariest creature I had ever seen showed up just outside the door – perhaps also one of the most impudent creatures around – he showed zero respect for the authority of the court or for any of its pillars!

“And where the heck have you been – it’s almost night, Mr. Knight!” the judge looked ready to eat him alive.

That scary creature smiled – it was easy to see that he was no professional lawyer – perhaps not even a professional anything – he looked like he had hastily stepped out right in the midst of an unfinished job – perhaps cleaning toilets.

He stank so!

“Your honor, this is a court of law – or perhaps more accurately, your neighborhood chowk of law – I was just confusing the neighborhood with a plain hood! This is the chowk, where it is easy to loose way – for no matter how often the paths meet, they always continue to go their own respective ways.”

He said to me – “Don’t worry, you will be okay – those thrashings notwithstanding!”

I looked at him – suddenly, a ray of suspicion emerged.

“You DO know something of Economics – don’t you?”

“Not really, but nor does anybody else here….”

“What are you – a janitor?”

“At the moment, I am just another witness – moonlighting as the court reporter!”

I slumped back into the chair. As I looked overhead the sign in red near the entrance could be read bright and clear.

“Abandon hope – all who enter here!”

I closed my eyes. The clock struck five! They all left.

I was still alive!

Oh another typical moslem crap...Mr. Sen is very brilliant and he is true global citizen with vast knowledge about Indian civilisation. Whether he is awarded with Noble or not, that does not matter. When the administration fears of public voice, you can not suppress people to a level that they will not survive. That is the beauty of empoering people.