I've been posting way too much crap today, so this will be the last one
for today. Samantha, while your sentiments are understandable, you're imo
overracting. Please reconsider.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 20:01:51 -0400
From: Philippe Lourier <philippe@lourier.com>
To: fork@xent.com
Subject: RE: World Trade Center
Here is a muslim perspective from Pakistan [1]. Gives an analysis of
the synergies between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan and
bin Laden. The author urges that Pakistan "distance itself from all
kinds of Jihadis". One recurring theme is that the extremists may
have awaken a sleeping giant --PL
[1] http://www.hipakistan.com/htmls/news/news_detail.html
Repercussions for the Muslim World
Hi Pakistan
Wednesday, 23 Jamadi-us-Saani 1422 (12 September 2001)
ISLAMABAD: Accusing fingers are being raised against Osama bin Laden
and his hosts Taliban, besides Islamic Jihad, for an unprecedented
and horrifying attack on America which forced most powerful man in
the world, US President Bush, from coming back to the White House and
who said that "America will hunt down and punish" the terrorists.
Time has come for the Jihadi adventurists and their associates to
face the wrath of the mightiest of the world whom no one can now stop
from cleansing the menace and its apologists and quite ruthlessly in
the wrongly accused Muslim world. Never had in its history the United
States had ever faced such a catastrophe, not even during the attack
on Pearl Harbour, with power symbols falling down one after the other
from New York to Washington, including the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, in what appears to be a well coordinated terrorist attack
by using the passenger planes.
Whoever had perpetrated this well coordinated and most provocative
adventurist terrorist attack has in fact provoked the sole superpower
to retaliate at will wherever it wants and with no one to stand in
its way, and against the interests of the Muslim world. In, at least
one attempt, the terrorists have shown how much even the United
States is vulnerable to the retaliation by highly desperate and the
extremely hopeless and the most frustrated among discriminated and
radicalised sections in the Muslim world. What the alleged revenge
seekers among the most detested militant elements ignored is the fact
that they, if they are really involved, have in fact provoked the
mightiest superpower in the human history to go berserk. Experts
after experts in the US media left no ambiguity in implicating the
"Islamic terrorists", especially Osama bin Laden, and the need for an
"integrated action" against the perpetrators and backers of
terrorism. Most disturbed in the Muslim World was Yasser Arafat, the
PLO Chairman, who knew the adverse repercussions and rightly
expressed his deeply and genuinely felt grief for the American people.
Despite a senseless display of some thoughtless jubilation among a
very small number of Palestinian youth, the Palestinian leadership
look genuine in condemning the most horrendous act. On the other
hand, Taliban Foreign Minister Wakeel Ahmad, despite condemning the
terrorists, looked unconvincing to the world since he defended bin
Laden at the same time who is now increasingly being accused of
planning such a well coordinated act. The American experts, from
former secretary of state Henry Kissinger to ambassador Richard
Holbrooke, implicated the Islamic militants, especially bin Laden,
for the ghastly act. The emphasis was squarely laid on the door of
rogue states, Taliban regime in Afghanistan in particular. It was
alleged that the previous attack on the World Center, destruction of
two US embassies in Africa, attack on US Cole ship in Yemen and an
aborted plan to shoot down 11 passenger airplanes over Atlantic were
planned and executed by Osama bin Laden or his associates.
The greatest sufferer of the US retaliation against a variety of
"Islamic terrorists" are going to be the most unfortunate
Palestinians and, more probably the "proud Afghans" being led by
Taliban who will now be facing an unprecedented attack by the US and
its broadest coalition, maybe worse than that on Iraq. This
probability brings Pakistan into an embarrassing focus of an ally of
the harbourers of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban.
Although Pakistan has agreed to observe UN Security Council sanctions
against the Taliban, its pleas to engage Mulla Omar regime is going
to backfire and may cost Pakistan too heavily if Islamabad did not
now amend its Afghan policy drastically. To avoid a worst case
scenario, Islamabad needs to leave Taliban on their own if they don't
amend themselves, they are unlikely to since they refuse to listen to
Pakistan's good advice under the influence of the rogue Arab fanatics
in Afghanistan.
The showdown with the US and Security Council on Taliban that was
being expected to come in the next six months is now very close and
Islamabad must not in any way be backing up the rogue regime of
Taliban to avoid being clubbed with the militia. Not only the
Taliban, but also all kinds of Jihadis are going to be brought into a
very rigorous scrutiny, including those Jihadis in Kashmir who are
linked to Taliban and bin Laden.
President Musharraf, when he meets President Bush, will be facing a
very uphill task in distancing from the Jihadis and the Taliban in
particular. No one will now buy our argument in any way in defence of
Jihad, even if it is related to the most genuine cause of the
Kashmiris. This development will also toughen further New Delhi's
position on "cross-border terrorism".
The repercussions of this unprecedented terrorist attack on the
United States will have very deep repercussions on the relations
between the Muslim world and the West. From aggressive intrusion into
the sovereignty of the Muslim countries to the policy of immigration
and violation of all international norms in tracking down the
so-called terrorists in the Islamic world, the US has now got a very
justifiable pretext to teach a lesson to the culprits that may not in
fact affect the accused but the common people who will, in turn, look
towards the fundamentalists who are quite competent in bringing ever
increasing miseries to the common Muslims.
More importantly, and quite disturbingly, the massive terrorist
attack on the US will strengthen the conservatives in the US Congress
and the Cold War warriors in the Bush administration. A bipartisan
consensus will emerge in favour of nuclear and conventional response
against the rogue states and the terrorists who can only be handled
by unconventional means. The missile defence system will now be
pushed ahead regardless of the fact that it will erode three decades
of non-proliferation regime. Whoever has executed this terrorist
attack has in fact played as agent provocateurs to the advantage of
the hard-liners in the US. It's time that the Muslim world distance
itself from all kinds of Jihadis.
<br>
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