[Nasional-e] The most dangerous place on earth

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The most dangerous place on earth =20
Jim Hoagland The Washington Post  Friday, October 25, 2002=20
Pakistan
=20
WASHINGTON The discovery that North Korea has been secretly enriching =
uranium for the nuclear weapons program it promised to freeze in 1994 =
demonstrates the dangers of putting faith in a confirmed and practiced =
liar. So does the news that Pakistan provided the nuclear technology and =
perhaps uranium to Kim Jong Il's regime.
.
Pakistan's role as a clandestine supplier shatters the Bush =
administration's efforts to paint that country as a flawed but =
well-meaning member of the coalition against terror. Pakistan today is =
the most dangerous place on earth, in large part because the =
administration does not understand the forces it is dealing with there =
and has no policy to contain them. Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan is a base =
from which nuclear technology, fundamentalist terrorism and =
life-destroying heroin are spread around the globe. American and French =
citizens and Christians of any nationality, including Pakistani, are =
indiscriminately slaughtered by fanatics as occasion arises. This =
nuclear-armed country is in part ungoverned, in part ungovernable. The =
Bush administration's response is to protect the life and reputation of =
President-for-life Musharraf and pretend that he is moving toward =
democracy. Huge amounts of American aid pour into Pakistan - even as =
Washington's ability to monitor how that money is spent or stolen =
declines sharply. This response pushes toward a disaster that Bush =
officials - and a Congress that has been negligent to cowardly in =
exercising oversight on Pakistan - will one day say they could not have =
seen coming. The truth will be that they ignored warnings that were in =
plain sight, as the first Bush administration did on Iraq's Saddam =
Hussein.
.
The second Bush administration sees the dangers that "axis of evil" =
members Iraq and North Korea pose. It is fashioning considered, =
realistic responses. But it seems paralyzed by the perceived need to =
secure Musharraf's help in fighting Al Qaeda and stabilizing =
Afghanistan. Official Washington will not even tell the truth to or =
about Musharraf, much less hold him accountable for his lies and =
subterfuge.
.
U.S. policy today amounts to giving money to Pakistan. This is a country =
where American diplomats are limited to one-year tours and not allowed =
to bring dependents. Nongovernmental organizations that normally would =
help the U.S. Agency for International Development gauge how aid money =
is being spent have closed down out of fear. The remaining AID personnel =
would take their lives in their hands by insisting on effective =
monitoring.
.
Elections rigged by Musharraf this month were praised extravagantly by =
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher as "an important milestone in =
the ongoing transition to democracy." That praise cannot be applied to =
the process or to the outcome, which gave new prominence to a =
fundamentalist Islamic coalition that promptly said it would seek to ban =
coeducation.
.
Rewards rule in all areas. The sanctions on U.S.-Pakistani =
military-to-military cooperation imposed in 1998 after Pakistan's =
nuclear tests were personally lifted last week by Central Command's =
General Tommy Franks, who attended a joint exercise involving a grand =
total of 330 troops.
.
This came on Oct. 17, as David Sanger of The New York Times led the way =
in identifying Pakistan as the source of North Korea's uranium =
enrichment process. A secret barter arrangement was suspected during the =
Clinton administration. It continued after Musharraf came to power in =
1999 and was finally confirmed last summer, U.S. officials report.
.
Pyongyang sent missiles and missile technology to Islamabad in return =
for nuclear technology. There are strong indications that both nations =
have helped Iran develop nuclear and missile programs as well.
.
Asked about Pakistan's supplier role, Secretary of State Colin Powell =
said on television last Sunday that Musharraf had promised him that =
Pakistan was not engaged in this trade now. Powell then refused to talk =
about Pakistan's past role and would not even explain his silence on it. =
Talking about the past would have exposed Musharraf's pattern of lies =
and evasions, which Powell has increasingly tolerated as they have =
become more flagrant. The secretary knows that Musharraf lied publicly =
when giving pledges last spring to end cross-border terrorism - pledges =
that he has broken. Musharraf even lied about whether President George =
W. Bush had talked to him about that subject in a September meeting in =
New York.
.
The past provides no reason to hope that Musharraf is telling the truth =
about not helping North Korea now. He has paid no price for lying to =
Powell about ending terrorism in Kashmir or about cooperating fully in =
crushing Al Qaeda. The only consequences for duplicity have been rewards =
and protection. Why in the world would he suddenly change an approach =
that is working on every level for him? The Washington Post =20


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<DIV>The most dangerous place on earth&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR>Jim Hoagland The=20
Washington Post&nbsp; Friday, October 25, 2002=20
<BR>Pakistan<BR>&nbsp;<BR>WASHINGTON The discovery that North Korea has =
been=20
secretly enriching uranium for the nuclear weapons program it promised =
to freeze=20
in 1994 demonstrates the dangers of putting faith in a confirmed and =
practiced=20
liar. So does the news that Pakistan provided the nuclear technology and =
perhaps=20
uranium to Kim Jong Il's regime.<BR>.<BR>Pakistan's role as a =
clandestine=20
supplier shatters the Bush administration's efforts to paint that =
country as a=20
flawed but well-meaning member of the coalition against terror. Pakistan =
today=20
is the most dangerous place on earth, in large part because the =
administration=20
does not understand the forces it is dealing with there and has no =
policy to=20
contain them. Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan is a base from which nuclear=20
technology, fundamentalist terrorism and life-destroying heroin are =
spread=20
around the globe. American and French citizens and Christians of any=20
nationality, including Pakistani, are indiscriminately slaughtered by =
fanatics=20
as occasion arises. This nuclear-armed country is in part ungoverned, in =
part=20
ungovernable. The Bush administration's response is to protect the life =
and=20
reputation of President-for-life Musharraf and pretend that he is moving =
toward=20
democracy. Huge amounts of American aid pour into Pakistan - even as=20
Washington's ability to monitor how that money is spent or stolen =
declines=20
sharply. This response pushes toward a disaster that Bush officials - =
and a=20
Congress that has been negligent to cowardly in exercising oversight on =
Pakistan=20
- will one day say they could not have seen coming. The truth will be =
that they=20
ignored warnings that were in plain sight, as the first Bush =
administration did=20
on Iraq's Saddam Hussein.<BR>.<BR>The second Bush administration sees =
the=20
dangers that "axis of evil" members Iraq and North Korea pose. It is =
fashioning=20
considered, realistic responses. But it seems paralyzed by the perceived =
need to=20
secure Musharraf's help in fighting Al Qaeda and stabilizing =
Afghanistan.=20
Official Washington will not even tell the truth to or about Musharraf, =
much=20
less hold him accountable for his lies and subterfuge.<BR>.<BR>U.S. =
policy today=20
amounts to giving money to Pakistan. This is a country where American =
diplomats=20
are limited to one-year tours and not allowed to bring dependents.=20
Nongovernmental organizations that normally would help the U.S. Agency =
for=20
International Development gauge how aid money is being spent have closed =
down=20
out of fear. The remaining AID personnel would take their lives in their =
hands=20
by insisting on effective monitoring.<BR>.<BR>Elections rigged by =
Musharraf this=20
month were praised extravagantly by State Department spokesman Richard =
Boucher=20
as "an important milestone in the ongoing transition to democracy." That =
praise=20
cannot be applied to the process or to the outcome, which gave new =
prominence to=20
a fundamentalist Islamic coalition that promptly said it would seek to =
ban=20
coeducation.<BR>.<BR>Rewards rule in all areas. The sanctions on =
U.S.-Pakistani=20
military-to-military cooperation imposed in 1998 after Pakistan's =
nuclear tests=20
were personally lifted last week by Central Command's General Tommy =
Franks, who=20
attended a joint exercise involving a grand total of 330 =
troops.<BR>.<BR>This=20
came on Oct. 17, as David Sanger of The New York Times led the way in=20
identifying Pakistan as the source of North Korea's uranium enrichment =
process.=20
A secret barter arrangement was suspected during the Clinton =
administration. It=20
continued after Musharraf came to power in 1999 and was finally =
confirmed last=20
summer, U.S. officials report.<BR>.<BR>Pyongyang sent missiles and =
missile=20
technology to Islamabad in return for nuclear technology. There are =
strong=20
indications that both nations have helped Iran develop nuclear and =
missile=20
programs as well.<BR>.<BR>Asked about Pakistan's supplier role, =
Secretary of=20
State Colin Powell said on television last Sunday that Musharraf had =
promised=20
him that Pakistan was not engaged in this trade now. Powell then refused =
to talk=20
about Pakistan's past role and would not even explain his silence on it. =
Talking=20
about the past would have exposed Musharraf's pattern of lies and =
evasions,=20
which Powell has increasingly tolerated as they have become more =
flagrant. The=20
secretary knows that Musharraf lied publicly when giving pledges last =
spring to=20
end cross-border terrorism - pledges that he has broken. Musharraf even =
lied=20
about whether President George W. Bush had talked to him about that =
subject in a=20
September meeting in New York.<BR>.<BR>The past provides no reason to =
hope that=20
Musharraf is telling the truth about not helping North Korea now. He has =
paid no=20
price for lying to Powell about ending terrorism in Kashmir or about =
cooperating=20
fully in crushing Al Qaeda. The only consequences for duplicity have =
been=20
rewards and protection. Why in the world would he suddenly change an =
approach=20
that is working on every level for him? The Washington Post&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><BR>---<BR>Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<BR>Checked by AVG =

anti-virus system (<A=20
href=3D"http://www.grisoft.com">http://www.grisoft.com</A>).<BR>Version: =
6.0.404 /=20
Virus Database: 228 - Release Date: 2002-10-15</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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