An Alternate View

hi

Ahmed Rashid has spent 23 years of his journalistic career, writing on Afghanistan. His book on Taliban got published recetnly, incidently, before much was triggered by that Frakestein monster that our Pak military has produced. This milittary of ours works under the assumption that 60% ethinic majority has the

right to dominate the whole country. And they did

their best to apply this rule in Afghanistan in the last 2 decades. And they ended up pimping

their homeland and prestige for `few` (well, they

would even question that!!!) bucks. On CNN, a

shameless smile spread on the face of General

Musharraf, when Amanpur asked him about the `deal`

with USA.

Anyway, here is Ahmed Rashid`s address---an

eye-opener, i should say about this frankestein army:

I am deeply grateful to the Council of HRCP, its

elected representatives and members for awarding me this coveted prize. I would especially like to thank HRCP Chairman Afrasiab Khattak, General Secretary Hina Jilani, Director I.A. Rehman as well as Asma Jehangir and Dr Mobashir Hassan. I have no words to describe my feelings at the moment because this is for the first time, after more than 20 years in journalism, that a Pakistani organisation with such enormous credibility as the HRCP, has acknowledged my work, on covering Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. No amount of international recognition can make up for being acknowledged in one`s own country, in one`s own home and by one`s own peers who I so deeply respect. I am

deeply moved and enormously grateful. HRCP`s work in increasing awareness about human and minority rights, poverty and political and press freedoms in Pakistan has no parallel.

I would also like to pay tribute to Nisar Osmani, a journalist of impeccable credibility who faced down three military regimes and who was a mentor and a friend to so many young, aspiring journalists like myself for decades. We have every reason to remember him here today as Pakistan goes through another period of turmoil and crisis. I would also like to pay tribute to the other two recipients of this prize Zamir Niazi and Razia Bhatti of Newsline who advanced

the cause of a free Press, investigative journalism and support for the democratic process. I would also like to thank my parents and my sisters who have been a constant source of inspiration and especially my wife Angie and our two children who have put up with my long absence from home.

I have covered the brutal, tragic conflict in

Afghanistan for the past 23 years. That conflict also took me to Central Asia for the first time in 1988. My persistence has been due to the enduring courage, warmth and formidable character of the freedom-loving Afghan people who today, even after all these years of

war, are still facing an unprecedented assault on

their independence, culture, history and faith in

Islam as a religion of peace and equal rights for men and women. But my persistence in sticking to this story for so long has also been my desire to journalistically write about and unveil the secretive decision making process of Pakistan`s Afghan policy over the past 23 years. During the past ten years Pakistan has been involved in the war in Afghanistan alongside one or another of the Afghan factions and most Pakistanis have been unaware of this involvement

and the implications it is having in the body politic

of our country. This is what I would briefly like to

speak to you about today.

Much as I respect and admire the Afghan people, as a

Pakistani I can only want, first and foremost, the

best for my own country. For too long we have all

stood as silent spectators and watched as Pakistan`s

political and economic development and progress is

sacrificed on the altar of a foreign policy wanting to

support one or other Afghan faction and committing

excesses of interference, which has only encouraged

other neighbouring states to step up their

interference in Afghanistan.

Pakistan played a heroic role in supporting the Afghan

people`s resistance to the invasion by Soviet troops

in 1979. At great risk to its own integrity Pakistan

hosted millions of Afghan refugees, allowed its soil

to be used for Western military supplies to the Afghan

Mujahideen and internationally advocated the

territorial independence and integrity of the Afghan

state. Why is it today that every ordinary Afghan you

speak to has not a kind word to say about Pakistan? In

fact since Kabul fell to the Mujahideen in 1992 our

policies have created a wave of criticism and even

hatred for Pakistan amongst many Afghans. The majority

of Afghans blame us for being the single biggest

contributor to the continuing war in their homeland.

Today we stand isolated in the community of nations

due to our Afghan policy. We stand isolated in the

region as all our neighbours condemn our policies,

while they send munitions to opposing factions in

Afghanistan.

Let us not beat about the bush here. For the past ten

years successive elected and non-elected governments

in Islamabad have poured munitions and logistic-

backing in support of first one and then another

Afghan faction. Quite separately during the past seven

years, between 50-60,000 young Pakistani militants

have gone to fight in Afghanistan. Many have died

there never to return, many have participated in the

worst ethnic and sectarian massacres that have taken

place in Afghanistan`s history. Pakistani interference

has contributed to the enormous human suffering in

Afghanistan.

Pakistani munitions have helped destroy Afghan cities

and villages and given the justification for other

neighbouring countries to do the same. I ask you here

today, with such policies have we embraced the Afghan

people or have we created more hatred for ourselves

and tension in the region. As Afghanistan`s largest

neighbour, should Pakistan have a policy and a role as

a peace maker by treating all Afghan ethnic groups

equally or should we continue to take sides in their

war?

Today Afghanistan is utterly destroyed, there is no

functioning state, the humanitarian crisis there is

the gravest in the world, the country is the center

for the export of Islamic extremism across the region,

terrorism, heroin and weapons. The reason is not the

fault of the poor Afghan people, but the ambitions of

a handful of ambitious warlords and the continued

interference of outside powers who fuel this war. I

can safely tell you, cut the supplies of military

equipment to all sides and the war machines will dry

up within months.

What has been the result of these policies for

Pakistan`s internal dynamics. In the 1980s we suffered

from the spread of what was then called ``the

Kalashnikov culture``. Today I do not need to tell you

that the situation is much worse. For the past ten

years every single ministry in Islamabad, every single

domestic policy programme, even our desperately needed

economic revival are partially being held hostage by

our Afghan policy - whether it is trying to encourage

foreign investment, dealing with the sectarian issue,

promoting modern educational programmes or ending our

diplomatic isolation. As citizens don`t we have a

right to know how much of our money is being spent in

Afghanistan, ntervening in a useless war? We should

also remember that the much talked about process of

the ``Talibanisation of Pakistan`` is not purely an

Afghan phenomena. This process started in Pakistan

where some Afghans attending religious schools imbibed

an interpretation of Islam that was against the ethos

of our founding fathers. I have shown in my book how

we exported this process to Afghanistan and now it is

being re-exported back to us. We should not blame the

Afghans for this, we should blame ourselves and

correct our mistakes.

Why are we pursuing such policies? We are told that we

need a friendly regime in Kabul so that we can acquire

``strategic death,`` counter India in the region,

promote Islam — but what kind of Islam I ask you–and

that the whole world is wrong by crtiticising us and

we alone are right. I have consistently argued that

stability, progress and self-respect in Pakistan

cannot come from pursuing the chimera of strategic

depth in foreign fields. That is first built at home

with modern, progressive policies and a foreign policy

aimed at making friends and creating new markets. We

need peace in our borders, democracy, education, jobs

and a rock solid economy to give our people faith in

the country. In the 1965 war against India, Iran

provided us true strategic depth by allowing our war

planes and ships to use their ports and airbases, but

today Iran is bitterly antagonistic to Pakistan

because of our Afghan policy. Today, the Central Asian

Republics are busy extraditing all Pakistanis, be they

businessmen, traders or students accusing them,

unjustifiably in most cases - of promoting radical

Islam and unrest in their countries. India has now

fully jumped into the Afghan fray by providing

military equipment to an opposing Afghan faction. I

ask you, is this the way to make friends or create new

export markets for our goods or tame the dangers of

sectarianism and religious extremism or promote

democracy?

How can a country like Pakistan faced with such

monumental economic, ethnic, sectarian and political

problems justify its policy of involvement in the war

next door? This has only been possible because of the

total silence and acquiescence of Pakistan`s

politicians, the partial silence from civil society

and the media and the insistence of the military in

maintaining the status quo while refusing to consider

policy alternatives. These are the kind of issues I

have been raising for the past ten years. What is

desperately needed today is courage by all Pakistanis

to question where these policies are taking us and to

demand information and debate of what they mean for us

and the future of our children.

I would like to end now, but not before offering an

apology. In my personal and humble capacity I would

like to apologise to the brave Afghan people for the

consequences of Pakistan`s recent policies in

Afghanistan. I would like to unconditionally apologise

for the deaths of countless Afghans, which have been

caused by Pakistani interference. I would like to

apologise for the part that we have played in the

destruction of your cities, your culture, your

traditions and your freedom to choose your own

government. As a small tribute to the Afghan people I

would like to return this award of Rupees 100,000 to

the HRCP, with the stipulation that they use it for

the benefit of Afghanistan`s suffering women and

children. This award is named the courage in

journalism award.

Let me assure you that I am not in particular

courageous. I have just tried to do my job while

covering a war, the end of which I consider as a vital

to Pakistan`s stability, progress and self-respect in

the international community. I hope you and other

Pakistanis, in particular the silent politicians, have

the courage to speak out so that we make friends not

enemies beyond our borders and build a truly stable,

democratic and progressive homeland

Thank you for your patience.

Bangladesh return to fold of islamists coalition rather than meaning less pandering to Calcutta based Expatriate bangal,planning to control this independent country under its haegemony

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/oct/03/03102001ts.htm#A1

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/oct/03/03102001ts.htm#A1

Massive victory for BNP-led alliance

Alliance gets two-thirds majority

by Special Correspondent

The BNP-led four-party alliance won a landslide victory in the eighth parliamentary election by bagging 202 seats out of 299, according to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission yesterday.

With more than two-thirds majority in the House the alliance is poised not only to form the next government but also has enough strength to change the Constitution without support from the opposition.

The BNP that waged movement and fought the October 1 election jointly with the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party (Manzur) and the Islami Oikya Jote is pledge-bound to form a coalition government with them after the announcement of official results through a gazette notification by the government.

The BNP has a share of 186 seats and the Jamaat-e-Islami 16. The Awami League won 62 seats while the Jatiya Party (E) got 14 seats and Independents 3. JP (Manju) and Krishak Sramik Janata League of Bangabir Kader Siddiky got one seat each.

The Election Commission will hold re-election in 16 constituencies where polling was postponed due to violence or other irregularities. There would be fresh election in the Cox’s Bazar-3 constituency where election had to be postponed because of the death of the BNP candidate, Advocate Khalequzzaman, during electioneering.

This is for the second time that the BNP got such a massive mandate. In the 1979 parliamentary elections, the party captured 207 seats out of 300.

The Bangladesh Awami League secured 293 seats out of 300 in the 1973 elections, official records show.

The results of Bandarban constituency are being airlifted from remote centres as those were delayed due to inclement weather.

A total of 1,933 candidates, including 1449 from 52 political parties, contested the election from 299 constituencies. In 1996, 2,574 candidates contested the election.

In the last election, 81 parties were in the fray. This time 37 women contested for 47 seats, as against 36 in the last general election.

BSS adds: Begum Zia, who is poised to be the next prime minister of the country, won all five seats she contested attaining the highest number of votes in a Bogra constituency.

Most of the heavyweights of Bangladesh Awami League (AL), including party chief Sheikh Hasina (in one seat), presidium members and former ministers had to undergo the pains of defeat in the general elections.

But a few of them, who contested from more than one seat, also got the taste of victory.

AL President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina contested from five constituencies but was successful in four seats. Presidium member Abdul Momin, Suranjit Sengupta, General Secretary Zillur Rahman and former MP Sheikh Helaluddin, succeeded in one seat each, although they contested from more than one seats.

The party’s organising secretary and former Home Minister Mohammad Nasim contested from three constituencies but was defeated in two seats. Presidium member and former Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed contested from three seats but lost all.

Chief whip of the last Jatiya Sangsad Abul Hasanat Abdullah lost both the seats he contested.

But defeat could not touch Abdur Razzak, presidium member and former Water Resources Minister, who fought in two constituencies and won both. Former Commerce Minister Abdul Jalil staged a comeback as parliament member winning for the first time after 1971.

Much talked-about former AL MPs Joynal Hazari, Dr. Iqbal, Kamal Majumder, Moqbul Hossain and Shamim Osman were all defeated.



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Mumbai-Delhi plane hijacked

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By: A Chalomumbai Correspondent



October 4,2001



An Alliance Air Boeing 737 flight from Mumbai to Delhi was hijacked late tonight, acccording to Civil

Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain. The Minister said a hijack distress call had been received by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in New Delhi where the plane had landed at around one A.M.

The Alliance Air is a subsidiary of the Indian Airlines. The plane is now parked at an isolated bay runway 27 of the airport. Police and fire vehicles have rushed towards the site. Unconfirmed reports put the number of passengers on board the flight at 52.

Nobody wants to ``Let Our Friend Pakistan Down``

It`s ``Our Friend Pakistan`` itself -- that insists on going down -- with its jihadi criminals running amuck -- inside and outside the borders -- with no rule of law -- while professing to fight a phony war against terrorism.

`To get any troops to Afghanistan, we`d have to go

through Pakistan. Would they let us? Not likely. The conquest of Pakistan would have to be first.

Will other Muslim nations just stand by? You see where I`m going.`

Looks like people just dont watch CNN.

Gopal: Why is race so important to you?? If it helps - the original bloodline of all of us was a two inch tall mammal that scurried around hiding from the dinosaurs. If that is going too far back, then we can jump 64 million years and lo and behold: the first little monkey climbs down from the tree in the Rift Valley in Kenya. He was great...great granddaddy to you and to me, and to Nicole Kidman and to Sonny Liston too. Hope this helps you solve your need to find a bloodline.

Ras, that was a beautiful poem. Thank you!

``The invasion approach is a flirtation with global war between Islam and the West.``(Tamim Ansari)



With all the civility and and decency that I can muster right now -- under the circumstances -- I would have to say that the above mentioned statement/article is full of asinine crap and shitty anal ysis.

Don`t Let Our Friend

Pakistan Down

By LANNY J. DAVIS

nce again, Pakistan has stepped up to the line at the request of the U.S. — at great risk to itself. And once again, the question must be asked: Will the U.S. remember, not only at times of peril, as now, but during fair weather?

Based on history, the answer is, unfortunately, unclear. Perhaps this crisis will finally convince U.S. policymakers there are better ways to treat a friend, even one whose system of government is at times not entirely to our liking.

Make no mistake, the courageous decision of Pakistan`s leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to support the U.S. campaign against Osama Bin Laden, including likely military action against Afghanistan`s Taliban, puts the nation itself — and the general personally — at great peril.

Since its founding more than a half-century ago, Pakistan has attempted to establish a pro-Western, moderate government that respects secular values, similar to Turkey`s model. But in recent years, especially after the fundamentalist takeover of Iran, Pakistan has been threatened by Islamic extremists seeking to exploit poverty and illiteracy as the fuel for anti-Western hatreds.

Now Pakistan is in a far weaker position to resist these extremists, who look to Bin Laden as their hero. Tragically, U.S. policies over more than a decade are arguably one of the chief factors.

These policies — harsh sanctions on economic and military assistance — were imposed after Pakistan developed nuclear weapons capability in 1990. Ironically, the sanctions kicked in shortly after Pakistan played a critical role, again to its peril, in helping the U.S. turn back Soviet aggression in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Among the legacies of that war for Pakistan: a rampant drug trade, the CIA-trained Bin Laden and, ultimately, the extremist Taliban on its borders.

In the wake of Sept. 11, sanctions against Pakistan (and those imposed as well on India for its nuclear weapons program) fortunately have been removed. It is late in the day, given the serious deterioration in the Pakistanis` economic condition, but perhaps it is not too late for them to recover — or for us to learn important lessons for the future.

First, economic and military sanctions should not be employed when there is no evidence they are achieving their goals — or, worse, evidence that they are producing results counter to U.S. long-term interests, and certainly not when they are doing injury to a loyal, reliable friend.

Second, the best incentive for Pakistan to return to democracy and civilian control is through broad economic and educational assistance and for the U.S. to show patience and understanding as Pakistan attempts to reconstruct a more enduring democracy free of corruption and autocratic rule.

Third, Kashmir, the festering source of tension on the subcontinent, must be the subject of greater U.S. involvement. Pakistan and India have made progress in recent months. The U.S. cannot afford to stand on the sidelines any longer.

Finally, and most importantly: We must learn to treat our friends as friends — and to remember their loyalty and support through the good times as well as the bad.

Mr Amit,

Please read the following and see

Who was serving whose interest!!!

just another thought!!!

CIA Trained Pakistanis to Capture or Kill Bin Laden: Report

WASHINGTON, October 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secretly trained and equipped approximately 60 commandos from the Pakistani intelligence to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in 1999, but the plot failed because of a military coup in Pakistan, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Citing sources familiar with the operation, the report said the operation was arranged by then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the Clinton administration. In return, U.S. promised to lift sanctions on Pakistan and provide an economic aid package. The plan was aborted later that year when Sharif was ousted in a military coup.

The plan was set in motion less than 12 months after U.S. cruise missile strikes against suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan as a retaliation for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

The Pakistani commando team was up and running and ready to strike by October 1999. The operation, however, was aborted on October 12, 1999, when Sharif was overthrown by General Pervez Musharaf, who refused to continue the operation despite substantial efforts by the Clinton administration to revive it.

In addition to the Pakistan operation, President Bill Clinton the year before had also approved additional covert action for the CIA to work with groups inside Afghanistan and with other foreign intelligence services to capture or kill bin Laden, the Washington Post said. The U.S. accused bin Laden of masterminding the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11 as well as the attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

© Xinhua News Agency

Mr Amit,

I think every country does whatever is in its best interest may it be US,Pakistan or India and I dont think any one may it be Pakistan or India can dictate/spoon feed especially US(currrent superpower).

US would do first and foremost whatever is in its best interest and dont take my word for it.History says it all!!.

From a Paki friend

SameerJB

To the best of my knowledge only one good guy came out of the mess in Afghanistan and his name is Ismail Khan.

wHO IS iSMAIL kHAN?

Americans are well aware of the pitfalls in trying to wage a ground war in Afghanistan. Their strategy will be to work with the Northern Alliance on the ground, while employing air power where necessary. They will fund, arm and train the Northern Alliance and collaborate with them on joint missions. At the same time, they will put enough pressure on Pakistan to ensure that it does not try to help out the Taliban. It will also lure Taliban commanders away by offering financial incentives. They will also try to rally ordinary Afghans by sending in food aid and doing massive propaganda. Essentially, the Taliban will be cornered within Afghanistan and will be hunted down. The world wide coalition building will ensure that it does not degenerate into a West vs. Islam issue.

The real issue is whether USA gets outsmarted by Islamabad. Pakistan is playing a very shrewd and cunning role in this whole game. Their objective is to somehow preserve a friendly Taliban regime in Afghanistan by getting rid of Osama bin laden. They know that directly confronting the USA will backfire badly. Therefore, they have adopted the Chanakya style deviousness of appearing to be on the side of USA while doing everything possible to get the Taliban spared. They are totally against the Northern Alliance or any other regime in Afghanistan that cannot be controlled by Islamabad. They have cunningly made their own stability an issue, which is stopping USA from going ahead with its military plans. Their problem is that the Taliban are too obstinate to play along. The question is whether USA can see through this game and act in its own interests or not.

Interesting article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/magazine/30AFGHAN.html

One of my earliest memories is of the song ``Kabuliwala Aayah``, which my sister and brother would sing to me as a kid. I would always imagine Kabul as place of wealth & prosperity where large hearted, fun-loving people lives.

Sadly, the reality now is not the one that I had once imagined as a baby. Instead of Pictachoes and other dry fruits the Afgans are growing Opium.

Sometimes, I wonder whether the whole song was but the imagination of the poet or was there any truth in it ever.

Mona

I saw this guy other day on Charlie Rose on PBS. This letter has been circulating on various web sites, originating from www.tompaine.com.

Why did Afghans fought against Russians? All the problems of Afghans lie in answerinig this simple question.

How many Hungarians, Czech, Poles etc died to get rid of Russian occupation? What made Afghans a special case. The answer is illiteracy, faith, blind following, tribal culture. If you are ready and willing to be folled, Zia Ulhaqs will alaways be available.

It is easy to blame USSR, USA, Zia, ISI and Pakistan and keeping yourself aloof from any blame. On one hand they were/ are begging for food, depend upon duty free imports of refrigerators and air conditioners through Karachi (with no electricity in Afghanistan) and on the other talked about moving the chain from Torkhum to Attock. They certainly moved the refugees chain to Attock and beyond.

Neither Taliban nor Northern Alliance deserve any share in the future of Afghanistan. Either end the state or give it to UN mandate. To the best of my knowledge only one good guy came out of the mess in Afghanistan and his name is Ismail Khan.