US policy toward Pakistan, in other words, is based on trust (if there is any). But too much trust is making Musharraf’s Pakistan a potential threat to long-term U.S. security.After 9/11, the United States needed Musharraf to help crack down on the Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives whose network spreads from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Musharraf, a general who overthrew an elected government eight years ago, understood that.
He has since sold himself as the indispensable dictator. He insists that his repressive leadership is all that prevents nuclear-armed Pakistan from exploding into fundamentalist turmoil.
Take just some of the latest developments. He has entered a pact with a tribal area (Bajur) to grant freedom from interference for a pledge not to shelter foreign militants — though similar deals with Waziristan have given the Taliban and al-Qaeda haven from which to mount attacks into Afghanistan. He has suspended his outspoken chief justice. And he is non-committal about ending his dictatorship as promised. Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden and his top aides continue to hide out comfortably in Pakistan.
Those who know ISI well, they know that eliminating Taliban from the root only required a week or less. But Musharraf’s army will not do that, they are the one who created Taliban. Musharraf is successfully ‘fooled’ USA and Bush administration as bush allowed him to be fooled.
The U.S. goal has to be to make Pakistan less fertile for terrorism. That, in turn, requires a long-term strategy creating more opportunities for Pakistanis. A model exists in neighboring India, where democracy and education have helped create a technologically savvy middle class with a bright future. Benchmarks could be used, starting with kicking out Musharraf ass, closed the door for military dictator-ship and promote democratic pockets.
Untill Musharraf is ruling in Pakistan, US will get only ‘empty-promises’ nothing more then from Pakistan. If US want results, there must be resulted oriented administration in Pakistan and I don’t think so musharraf and results can be combined ever. His 8 years rule is full of failure and the recent move to impose PCO and emergency clearly indicates he is not sincere to fight with Taliban, but rather he have a good plan to make US administration fool.
