Is still there any doubt about clash of civilisations?

by hussain | December 4, 2008 at 12:42 am

157 views | 1 Recommendation | 0 comments

Many people around the world would or do not believe that noose is being tightened around Pakistan under an international conspiracy just like Iraq on the pretext of terrorism, but with the passage of time it is becoming clearer that a plot is being implemented to destabilise this only nuclear country among the Islamic states with the twin objectives of depriving Pakistan of its nuclear capability and subjugating Muslims.

A new dimension of the so-called war on terror is emerging with the passage of time and new tactics are being adopted to achieve the twin objectives. As Afghanistan was invaded by the US on the pretext of 9/11, Iraq has been ruined on the false information about possession of the weapons of mass destruction of the Saddam Hussein regime.

While Iran is being constantly pressured for the past few years on the allegation of developing weapons of mass destruction, every tactic is being used to press Pakistan, which is apparently described as the US ally in the so-called war on terror and itself a victim of the international terror plot, to yield to the demands of its enemies led by the United States.

Ironically, the United Nations too has also been turned into a tool in the hands of the United States to achieve the desired objectives and is being used by the US rulers at their will. First it was used by Washington to subdue the states and now it appears that this international forum is going to be used to target individuals, for the only 'crime' of being Pakistanis.

In a latest development, reports say that names of four former officials of Pakistan's top intelligence outfit -- Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) -- have been given to the UN Security Council to put them on the list of international terrorists.

It is yet not clear as to how the UN Security Council is going to act on the US demand, it is food for thought for the rulers of Pakistan as well as other Islamic states and those of some neutral actors in the comity of nations as what would be consequences such actions.

The US has given four names of former ISI officials, including Lt-Gen (retd) Hameed Gul, to the UN Security Council to put them on the list of international terrorists.

Government of Pakistan is aware of this move, which is considered here by some as part of an international conspiracy to target the ISI, whose reformation has already been sought by Washington.

The US embassy in Islamabad claims to be completely unaware of this move while the foreign office spokesman also did not come up with any explanation on the matter despite being approached on Tuesday.

However, Lt-Gen (retd) Hameed Gul confirmed to this correspondent that he was included in the list of those four or five former ISI officials whose names had been provided to the UN secretary-general by the US government to be included in the list of international terrorists.

Gul admitted that he had already met the foreign affairs secretary to discuss the issue. A Foreign Office source also told this correspondent that the issue had already been referred to the prime minister’s office but despite the lapse of a few weeks, no decision had been taken by the government so far. It is not clear whether or not Islamabad wants to pursue intense lobbying to stop this thing to happen.

A diplomatic source in Washington, however, told this correspondent that it would not be easy for the United States to get all these names enlisted in the list of terrorists because it would require the consent of the all the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq was contacted on Tuesday to give its response on the matter but The News has not heard anything from his side till the filing of this report on Wednesday night. Off the cuff, Sadiq said he had heard or read about this but was not sure about the case.

The Pakistan embassy in Washington is not in the know of this move. Pak envoy to US Hussain Haqqani, when contacted, said he had no comment to offer as no such thing was routed through the Pakistani embassy.

However, another diplomatic source there confided to this correspondent that the US State Department had formally conveyed to the UN Security Council four to five names of former ISI officials, including Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Gul, for inclusion in the list of international terrorists under Resolution 1267 of the Security Council.

In such a situation, those enlisted in this list of bad guys will be prevented from travelling outside the country of their residence while their assets would also be monitored and even frozen at times.

Lou Fintor, the US embassy spokesman, when contacted also said the embassy did not know anything about this. He said if this was true, then such a thing would have been dealt by the State Department and taken up directly with the UN there in Washington.

Lt-Gen (retd) Hameed Gul, however, admitted that he was aware of the move but was not sure if the prime minister had taken a decision on the issue. Believing that this is a move to target the ISI, he warned if the government of Pakistan did not protect him and others on the recommended list of terrorists, he would directly write to the UN secretary-general.

He said the government should immediately move to protect the ISI from this indirect attack from Washington. He said the United States and some other Western nations were against him for the simple reason that he did not support their war on terror which, he said, was based on Washington’s greed for energy.

He said the US and its allies in the war on terror had turned the world upside down and had made it far more dangerous than what it was before. He volunteered to present himself before any neutral enquiry commission. He said he also had the option to go to the country’s court of law but hastily added that he did not have trust in Pakistan’s judiciary.

When asked how he had come to know about this, he said, he was informed of this by a highly responsible person, who had personally seen the written US request. He hoped the government would not show callousness towards its own individuals and institutions like the ISI which, he admitted, was the first line of the country’s defence. Therefore, he must be protected from any external onslaught.

As if the pressure on Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attack was not working, in a related development, a US commission in its report titled 'World At Risk' has 'predicted' that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world bythe end of 2013 and has highlighted Pakistan as the weakest link in the world security.

It is interesting that even if a dog bites somebody anywhere in the world, Pakistan is held responsible for that and every effort is made to dub the country as 'a failed' or 'an irresponsible' state but nobody talks of any other country, which makes it obvious that Pakistan's image of being a nuclear Islamic state is intolerable for those who matter in the world affairs.

Although recent attacks in Mumbai and failure of the Indian security agencies in averting the attacks despite warnings by the US puts obvious question mark on the ability of the Indian security apparatus to protect the country's nuclear weapons from falling in the hands of the terrorists, yet nobody talks of any threat.

This approach of the world leaders, think-tanks and nations makes it clear that Pakistan's only fault is being an Islamic state having nuclear weapons.

The outgoing US President George Bush had immediately clarified after talking of a clash of civilisations soon after the 9/11 but the subsequent events have clearly shown that he meant the clash of civilisations and the clarification or denial whatsoever was false.

It is time for the world community to the impending global disaster because of unjust approach in the world affairs and threats and conspiracies against some states for their Islamic identity because despite making much hue and cry about the protection of the human rights, it seems that rulers of some state even do not consider Muslims as human beings what talk of their rights.

Terrorists are “likely” to use nuclear or biological weapons in the next five years, a US commission highlighting Pakistan as the weakest link in world security warned Tuesday.

Without urgent action, “It is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a

terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013,” the bi-partisan commission said in its report “World at Risk.” The report, ordered by Congress and based on six months of research, warned the incoming US administration of Barack Obama and says, “America’s margin of safety is shrinking.”

The report was due to be presented to President George W Bush Wednesday, the White House said, and also to vice president-elect Joseph Biden, according to officials from Obama’s transition team.

The main dangers highlighted by the commission on the prevention of weapons of mass destruction proliferation and terrorism are the rapid spread of atomic technology in countries such as Pakistan and Iran and poor security in biotech industries worldwide. Although Pakistan is a close US ally, its inability to control swaths of territory, violent political instability, and a nuclear standoff with neighbouring India make the Islamic nation the most lethal tinderbox of all.

“Were one to map terrorism and weapons of mass destruction today, all roads would intersect in Pakistan,” the report said. “There is a grave danger it could also be an unwitting source of a terrorist attack on the United States, possibly with weapons of mass destruction,” the report said.

Speaking on CNN, one of the authors of the report, former senator Bob Graham, called Pakistan the “intersection of the perfect storm.”

The commission said terrorists were more likely to be able to obtain biological than nuclear weapons, with anthrax a particular danger, and warned that threats were “evolving faster than our multi-layered response.” But despite the message in “World at Risk” that the United States is unprepared, the White House welcomed what it said was proof of Bush’s strong security record.

“Under President Bush’s leadership, extensive progress has been made on securing the world’s weapons of mass destruction and protecting our citizens from a WMD attack,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. “Our WMD preparedness has been transformed,” Stanzel said in comments sent by email. Congresswoman Jane Harman, the Democrat heading the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Terrorism Risk Assessment, also downplayed the warnings.

“It’s time to retire the fear card,” she said in a statement. “We need to educate and inform the American people, not terrify them with alarming details about possible threats to the homeland ... Congress has in fact done a great deal to minimize and mitigate WMD threats.” The commission was led by Graham, a Democrat, and former congressman James Talent, a Republican. Speaking after the report’s release, Graham repeated his commission’s dire prognosis in an interview with CNN.

Chances of preventing terrorists from acquiring such horrific weapons are “getting thinner and thinner,” he said. “What it will take is a few scientists prepared to become terrorists.” The commission was tasked by Congress in 2007 as part of the security response to the hijacked airliner attacks of September 11, 2001 against New York and the Pentagon. The main recommendations of the commission, aimed principally at the incoming Obama White House, are: safeguard uranium and plutonium stockpiles and step up measures against nuclear smuggling rings; toughen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; ensure access to nuclear fuel for countries committed to developing only peaceful atomic technology; prevent new nuclear equipped countries including Iran and North Korea from possessing uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing capabilities; tighten security in domestic bio-sphere institutes and laboratories urgently; call for an international conference of countries with major biotechnology industries; secure nuclear and biological materials in Pakistan; constrain a growing Asian arms race; agree with Russia on extending essential monitoring provisions of the strategic arms reduction treaty due to expire in 2009 and create a White House advisory post on weapons of mass destruction proliferation.