Our Ally In The "War On Terror"
Our Ally In The "War On Terror"
Jon Gold
11/30/2008
The planning of the recent Mumbai "terrorist attacks" are said to have originated in Pakistan. There are allegations that Pakistan was involved in the 9/11 attacks as well. Since 9/11, Pakistan has been considered to be an ally, or partner in the "War On Terror." Why would the U.S. become an ally with, and reward a country that was allegedly involved in the 9/11 attacks? Wasn't it Bush who said, "we will make no distinction between those who committed these acts and those who harbor them?" Could it be because during the Bush Administration, Pakistan policy was "essentially being run from Cheney's office?"
Despite revelations that expose Pakistan's lie that it is not engaged in terrorism, the Bush administration has been coy about acting against islamabad, preferring to buy out its ally with promises of financial reward, without publicly seeking any commitment of ending its role. [Times Of India, 10/4/2001]
As administration officials, led by State Secretary Colin Powell, praise Pakistan for its help in the war on terrorism, FBI agents responding to Indian leads are quietly investigating Pakistan-based terrorist groups connected to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 hijackings. [WorldNetDaily, 1/30/2002]
One possible explanation for the commission's reluctance to cover the ISI angle could be that the panel investigated, found nothing solid, and decided not to embarrass a key ally in the "war on terror." [UPI, 7/26/2004]
Pakistan's role as both the buyer and the seller was concealed to cover up the part played by Washington's partner in the hunt for al Qaeda leaders, according to the officials, who discussed the issue on the condition of anonymity. In addition, a North Korea-Pakistan transfer would not have been news to the U.S. allies, which have known of such transfers for years and viewed them as a business matter between sovereign states. [MSNBC, 3/20/2005]
"We are receiving good cooperation from the government of Pakistan. They are a partner in the global war on terrorism and they have been working with us to go after al Qaeda and Taliban remnants," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. [Reuters, 6/20/2005]
Pakistan is a key U.S. ally in the War on Terrorism. Musharraf said Pakistan was working closely with Afghanistan in that effort, taking steps to secure its border to prevent militants from crossing between the two countries. [FoxNews, 6/25/2005]
U.S. and Afghan officials have long complained that, despite Pakistan's status as a key ally in the war on terrorism, Taliban and allied militants have been able to launch attacks in Afghanistan from Pakistan and escape back there. [Reuters, 7/20/2005]
Eight American helicopters that will carry supplies and rescue teams to remote areas hit by a weekend earthquake landed here Monday as the United States pledged $50 million for relief in a gesture that officials hope will show sometimes skeptical Pakistanis that Washington is a true ally. [MSNBC, 10/10/2005]
Despite hard evidence that Pakistan was deeply involved in exporting nuclear technology, the Bush administration embraced President Pervez Musharraf as an ally against al-Qaida. [Guardian, 10/15/2005]
Pakistani officials have strongly condemned the strike. The White House declined to comment on the attacks on Sunday, except to praise President Gen. Pervez Musharraf as well as Pakistan as "a valued ally on the war on terror." Officials at several U.S. agencies have not immediately provided details about the attack. [Associated Press, 1/15/2006]
Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terrorism. But it has lodged a protest with the United States over the airstrike that angered many in this Islamic nation of 150 million. [Associated Press, 1/21/2006]
Aziz has condemned the strike near the Afghan-Pakistani border, saying the United States failed to notify Islamabad beforehand. But during a speech Monday at the Heritage Foundation, Aziz played down deteriorating relations, calling America "our friend and ally." [Forbes, 1/24/2006]
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Pakistan became the United States' chief regional ally in the war on terror. [Rawstory, 2/13/2006]
However, Pakistan's long border with Afghanistan has made it a key ally in U.S. military and anti-terror operations there, particularly the continuing search for 9-11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. [Seattle Times, 3/2/2006]
Convinced of Pakistan's role as a key ally, if only to stop it from imploding, such arguments have not made an impact on the administration. But evidently the U.S Congress feels differently. [Times Of India, 6/12/2006]
"The sale is part of an effort to broaden our strategic partnership with Pakistan and advance our national security and foreign policy interests in South Asia," Reside said. "Pakistan is a long-term partner and major non-NATO ally." [Associated Press, 6/30/2006]
Bush considers Musharraf a valuable ally in fighting terrorism, but the Pakistani leader faces strong anti-American sentiment at home. [Reuters, 9/20/2006]
"We are in uncharted territory here," said Sajjan Gohel of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a counter-terrorism think tank here. "It hasn't happened before. The ISI has always been a murky organization. There have always been suspicions of a nexus between them, terror groups in Pakistan and Al Qaeda. But here you have a guy from the UK giving testimony that is very relevant because the ISI is supposed to be the key ally in the hunt for [Osama] bin Laden. And it's concerning that a country that is supposed to be an ally in the war on terror is intimidating witnesses, almost 'Godfather'-style." [LATimes, 9/20/2006]
Pakistan is considered a close ally of the United States in the struggle with militant groups. Sometimes, however, Pakistan appears reluctant to go after the Taliban, who controlled neighboring Afghanistan until 2001 and recently have intensified their insurgency. [Seattle Times, 9/22/2006]
Musharraf has been a reliable partner, Bush said. "All I can tell you is that, shortly after 9/11, Secretary [of State] Colin Powell came in and said, 'President Musharraf understands the stakes and he wants to join and help root out an enemy that has come and killed 3,000 of our citizens,'" Bush said. [Chicago Tribune, 9/23/2006]
The ministry reiterated Britain's long-standing position that Pakistan is a key ally in the fight against terrorism. [Washington Post, 9/28/2006]
Pakistan became a U.S. ally in the war against terrorism after it severed support for the Taliban militia in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. [Associated Press, 1/12/2007]
Washington's ally has always contended that Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri could be either side of the rugged, porous border with Afghanistan. [Reuters, 1/12/2007]
The legislation acknowledges that "since September 11, 2001, the government of Pakistan has been an important partner in helping the United States remove the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and combating international terrorism in the frontier provinces of Pakistan." But "there remain a number of critical issues that threaten to disrupt the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, undermine international security, and destabilise Pakistan." [Dawn, 1/24/2007]
He acknowledged Pakistan's help in the US-led Afghan war. "Pakistan was right there after US and coalition forces began major combat operations in Afghanistan with substantial assistance to the US," The News quoted Admiral Giambastiani as saying on his return from overseas trip, including stops in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. "They are good and strong partner in the war on terrorism," he added. [dailyindia, 2/9/2007]
The skirmishes are politically sensitive because Pakistan's government, regarded by the Bush administration as an important ally against Islamic extremists, has denied that it allows U.S. forces to strike inside its territory. [Bismarck Tribune, 2/11/2007]
Pakistan has proved itself to be an indispensable ally of the partnership in war on terror the BBC documentary said adding President Musharraf wants US to change course in the Middle East by addressing not just the symptoms but the root causes of terrorism. [Pakistan Times, 2/11/2007]
The incident and the conflicting versions of what happened underline the diplomatic sensitivities involved in Islamabad - a key US ally since the 9/11 terrorist attacks - explaining how an American soldier came to die on its soil. [Times Online, 5/14/2007]
The United States enlisted Pakistan as a front-line ally in the anti-terror war after the 9/11 attacks, but since then discomfort with Islamabad's commitment has grown. [Washington Post, 5/21/2007]
Boucher arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a visit that also includes urging embattled ally President Pervez Musharraf to hold "free, fair and transparent" national elections. The polls are expected late this year. [sundaytimes.co.za, 6/14/2007]
Musharraf abandoned Pakistan's support for Afghanistan's Taleban regime after the 9/11 attacks on the United States and became a central ally in Washington's fight against Al Qaeda and other Islamists. [khaleejtimes, 6/16/2007]
Keeping in mind this view, the speculations that the US was playing mediator in a potential deal between Benazir Bhutto, known to be the most pro-west leader in Pakistan, and Musharraf, its military ally for the past six years, may not be that outrageous after all. [thenews.com.pk, 6/16/2007]
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says General Pervez Musharraf (pur-VEHZ' moo-SHAH'-ruhv) has been a good ally in the war on terror. But she adds that the US is concerned about rising violence and slowness in creating more political openness. [WIBT, 6/18/2007]
In both periods, news coverage emphasised Pakistan's connection to key American concerns, viewing it, alternatively, as a staunch Muslim ally as a frontline in the "War on Terror," as a critical player in nuclear politics, as a key conduit in the narcotics trade, and as a major recipient of American aid. [dailytimes, 6/26/2007]
Musharraf, a close U.S. ally in the war on terror, seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999. "On the democratic processes in Pakistan, we do not require advice from outside," said the statement. [bakusun.az, 7/6/2007]
Musharraf, a key US ally who has escaped several Al-Qaeda-linked assassination attempts, was unharmed and the shots did not hit the aircraft, the officials said on condition of anonymity. [France24, 7/6/2007]
Musharraf, a key US ally who grabbed power in a 1999 coup, has survived at least three other militant attempts to kill him. [Rawstory, 7/7/2007]
"President Musharraf has put his life on the line and has been a very important ally in the war on terror," Snow said as Bush traveled here to make remarks on the federal budget. [Rawstory, 7/19/2007]
The call from Bush to his embattled ally in the "war on terror" comes after recent statements from US officials, and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, warning of possible US strikes in Pakistani tribal areas. [dailytimes, 8/3/2007]
"We have a cooperative arrangement with Pakistan; Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror," Ms Rice said. "The idea that somehow we have a greater interest in the capture and kill of high-value targets - I think is just not right." [Dawn, 8/7/2007]
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke at length late Wednesday with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf as the key U.S. anti-terrorism ally weighed imposing a state of emergency due to security concerns in the nuclear-armed nation. [Associated Press, 8/8/2007]
Pakistan, a key U.S. partner in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, has long viewed such incursions as a threat to its sovereignty. Islamabad protested loudly this month when Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama pledged to grant U.S. forces the authority to unilaterally penetrate Pakistan in the hunt for terrorist leaders. [Associated Press, 8/23/2007]
US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte offered broad support Wednesday for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf as Washington's key ally faces mounting opposition and Al-Qaeda-linked violence. [Rawstory, 9/12/2007]
A top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Congressman John Boehner has said Pakistan will remain a pivotal US ally and voiced his strong support for long-term assistance for the South Asian country. [thepost.com.pk, 10/10/2007]
President Bush urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Monday to "restore democracy as quickly as possible," choosing mild disappointment over punishment or more pointed rhetoric to react to the declaration of emergency rule in anti-terror ally Pakistan. [Associated Press, 11/5/2007]
But Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that military aid may not be affected because the Bush administration does not want to disrupt its partnership with Pakistan in fighting al-Qaida and other militants. [Associated Press, 11/5/2007]
Presidential candidates from both parties condemned the declaration of emergency rule in Pakistan but disagreed Monday on how to deal with one of the United States' few allies in the Muslim world. [Associated Press, 11/5/2007]
The crackdown by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf forces the Bush administration to walk a delicate line in dealing with a key ally in the war on terrorism, one armed with nuclear weapons in one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods. There are no good options. [Associated Press, 11/5/2007]
He was speaking three days after Gen Musharraf - a key ally in President Bush's "war on terror" - imposed a state of emergency. [BBC, 11/6/2007]
At a press conference on Monday, Bush said of the weekend coup, "We expect there to be elections as soon as possible." But while Bush admitted that Musharraf's actions would "undermine democracy," he insisted that the general is "a strong fighter" in the war on terror. [Salon, 11/7/2007]
President Bush and his senior advisers offered perhaps their most extensive defense Saturday of Pervez Musharraf as an ally in the battle against Islamic extremists a week after the Pakistani president declared emergency powers and began a crackdown on human rights activists, lawyers and journalists. [SFGate, 11/11/2007]
Bhutto's call, which could see Pakistan's two main opposition parties joining, raised a new threat for Musharraf. It further complicated matters for Washington, which has criticized Musharraf's recent crackdown on dissent but sees him as a dependable partner against al-Qaida. [Rawstory, 11/14/2007]
US envoys intend to warn their longtime ally that they believe his power is ebbing, that he must lift the two-week-old emergency decree and work with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and other opposition figures to stabilize the country. [LATimes, 11/16/2007]
Pervez Musharraf ended a tumultuous army career Wednesday that saw him go to the cusp of war with India and seize power in a coup, then find a lifeline in the calamity of 9/11 to turn Pakistan from a pariah state into a vital Muslim ally of the West. [Associated Press, 11/28/2007]
About Musharraf, Bush said, "He has been an absolute reliable partner in dealing with extremists and radicals, and it's a tough situation in the remote parts of Pakistan. But there are many examples of where the Pakistanis have, in cooperation with the US, brought to justice members of Al Qaeda's hierarchy. And I'm thankful for that." [dailytimes, 12/1/2007]
"We have not had a better partner in the war against terrorism than the Pakistani government," he said. [Reuters, 3/30/2008]
While spinmeisters such as Haqqani and Akram bandy around clich's like Pakistan being a frontline ally of US etc, critics says they continue duck questions on why a majority of the world's terrorist strikes, including 9/11, the US Embassy bombing in Africa, the attack on USS Cole, and innumerable terror strikes in India, are tracked back to Pakistan. [Times Of India, 11/30/2008]
