After Osama,
Pakistan's 'Begging Bowl' May Stay Empty
"CIA
Director Leon Panetta has said that Pakistan is either incompetent or involved.
In the Britain, given what is seen as its duplicity as far as terrorism goes,
questions are being asked regarding the handing out of aid to Pakistan."
An old and somewhat haggard looking man identified as Osama bin Laden watches himself on television, from a screen grab on a video tape found in his Pakistan hide out. It was one a a series of videos released by the Pentagon, part of a trove of data found in the raid to kill or capture him.
The Pakistan government’s
rather desperate efforts to save face after the operation against Osama bin
Laden, which we now know was carried out by the U.S. unilaterally, have fooled
no one. Pakistan and its security apparatus have become something of a laughing
stock, with media around the world highlighting the discovery of the world’s
most wanted man just a walking distance from a leading military academy. The
ISI has bravely accepted failure, while the military and government say the
hilly terrain around Abbottabad and the special equipment used by the Americans
prevented intrusion from being detected. And in an especially pathetic effort,
the president [Zardari], in an obviously ghost-written
article, has emphasized past collaboration with the United States and
Pakistan’s sufferings as a victim of terror.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
There is no disguising the
embarrassment that hangs all around - and after the initial stunned reaction when
leaders were informed of what had happened less than 100 miles away from the
capital, there is finally a greater willingness to face reality. There's no
real choice but to do so - given the widespread way the facts have been
highlighted, with U.S. officials making only a passing reference to Pakistani
assistance in the terror war. The most crucial questions probably arose after
the Foreign Office statement. These questions include how secure Pakistan,
particularly its nuclear weapons - really are, given that helicopters were able
to fly undetected deep into our territory. We need some answers, especially
since it's highly unlikely that the U.S. will, after the success of this
mission, take serious note of Islamabad’s warning that such operations must not
be repeated.
Meanwhile, like the rest of
the world, people at home ask what Pakistan’s role in the whole business has
been. Intelligence veterans like General Hamid Gul
have described the lack of information about Osama’s presence in Abbottabad as "amazing."
And CIA Director Leon Panetta is no less surprised. He has said that Pakistan
is either incompetent or involved. In the Britain, given what is seen as its
duplicity as far as terrorism goes, questions are being asked regarding the
handing out of aid to Pakistan. The same concerns have been raised in other
countries. None of this is good news for Islamabad. The almost laughable claim
of a "great victory" by the prime minister may turn into a significant
defeat. The begging bowl he holds out, citing militancy as one reason why we
need aid, may not fill quite so fast - and there will inevitably be far more
pressure on Pakistan to prove that it is in fact committed to combating
terrorism, rather than playing games that threaten to land us in very deep
trouble.
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