Musharraf
in the Line of Fire
By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
St. Cloud, Minnesota
Poor Musharraf. He can’t seem to do anything
right for the master in Washington. Being an obedient
servant of the Empire has been rough on him. This
present-day Gunga Din finds himself at his wits
end. To date he has delivered over 700 live bodies,
allegedly terrorists kicking and screaming, all
without due process, but that’s not enough.
It’s never enough. He could do more.
Out of nowhere popped in Dick Cheney, the Vice
President of the United States. He had just given
a lecture to John Howard, the Prime Minister of
Australia, on the necessity of “staying
the course” in Iraq and had solidified his
racial bond with the fellow Anglo-Saxon. After
that he disappeared only to surface in Pakistan
on Musharraf’s doorsteps. The President
in Islamabad must have been taken aback.
Dick is not a man to waste much time on pleasantries.
He got right to the point. Why were the Talibans
on the move? The CIA man who had separately dropped
in on Musharraf produced the damning evidence.
There they were the terrorists being trained in
camps located in Pakistan. Right under Musharraf’s
nose. And under the noses of the ISI. The maps
and pictures don’t lie.
Musharraf was flabbergasted. Once again he was
told that he is not doing enough. The Pakistani
President gave the usual excuses about the history
of the region. Dick Chaney went ballistic. He
read the riot act to Musharraf, either deliver
Bin Laden’s head on a silver platter or
else. He was not going to pussyfoot around like
Richard Armitage, the State Department man with
somewhat more diplomatic finesse, who delivered
the last threat to Pakistan.
Poor Gunga Din. The Empire is never satisfied.
Do more. Musharraf just could not believe that
he was, once again, in line of fire, this time
from his friends in Washington.
The message was clear to Musharraf. Either he
delivers or he is going to wind up like Zia-ul-Haq.
He must fight America’s war on terrorism
single-handedly with a few, second hand and obsolete,
equipment given to him. As the head of the local
sepoy brigade he is expected to deliver. Meanwhile,
back in Washington the new Congress has taken
its own measures to punish Pakistan. The promised
aid package cannot be delivered unless the American
President certifies that Musharraf is doing his
job. The word taken back by Cheney would be anything
but hopeful for the Islamic Republic.
When Dick Cheney laid down the law Musharraf snapped
to attention.
He immediately organized a raid in Quetta, and
nabbed Mullah Obeidullah Akhund, said to be a
high-ranking Taliban official. Cheney’s
visit had indeed produced results even before
his departure.
The servant of the Empire had come through with
flying colors. At this point it is not known whether
anyone expressed gratitude for the quick results.
Reports on ABC News emphasized that the main reason
for the sunrise move against the Taliban activist
was the presence of the Vice President in the
country.
The 700 alleged terrorists picked up and handed
over by Pakistan to the United States are scattered
all over the world. Some are said to be frog-hopping
in Guantanamo dressed in orange jumpsuits, others
serving as punching bags in Bagram or experiencing
rendition in Morocco. No records exist on these
prisoners. The master in Washington does not want
a paper trail. Not too many people have raised
the question about records. Western states pride
themselves in record keeping except, apparently,
on those picked up in terrorism sweeps. They are
virtually all Muslims, therefore, as “dark-skinned
natives” they are non-persons, and don’t
count.
Musharraf must have heaved a sigh of relief at
the departure of the Vice President, a man who
cannot be outsmarted by anyone, least of all by
a “native” of a banana republic. However,
Musharraf knows what’s good for him given
that the two former Prime Ministers are waiting
in the wings for his job as the election draws
near. His job is on the line. Either of the two
could be put on the throne in view of their frequent
visits to Washington. He certainly would not like
to meet the fate of Zia-ul-Haq.
Pleasing the master is absolutely essential at
this point since two bills have been passed by
the Congress demanding certification as a condition
for the negotiated economic and military package.
Musharraf finds himself between a rock and a hard
place.
The Empire’s Gunga Din is doing a heck of
a job pleasing the master. No “mutiny”
can be expected like the one in 1857 by the present-day
sepoys. It would not be tolerated. Not very long
ago the Washington Post saw Musharraf as a dog
on a leash doing the master’s bidding. “Here,
boy,” as the fingers snap: “Go, fetch
another!” He is expected to deliver terrorist
after terrorist. Of course, every once in a while
few crumbs are thrown his way.
However, not everyone is happy, particularly in
the media. The Investor’s Business Daily
recently asked: Why are we “continuing to
outsource the key battle in the war on terror
to this Muslim (italics mine) general?
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