Terrorism on top of his Pak. agenda

By Amit Baruah

ISLAMABAD, MARCH 24 The ``core'' issue of Pakistani support to terrorism will occupy centre-stage in talks between the visiting U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, and the Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, tomorrow.

Mr. Clinton, who arrives in Islamabad around noon tomorrow from Mumbai, will be the first American President to visit Pakistan, albeit for five hours, in the last 31 years. Apart from terrorism, the U.S. President's agenda includes non- proliferation, regional peace and respect for the Line of Control (LoC).

The U.S. President's recent statement on the involvement of some elements of the Pakistani Government in violence in Kashmir and the remarks made by his National Security Adviser, Mr. Sandy Berger, reflect the very, very serious concerns that the U.S. has about Pakistan.

``It's a dangerous area, and we're worried about Pakistan....It's a country with deep-seated problems. It has terrorist groups that are operating out of Pakistan, and I think in some ways one of the great dangers in this region is the potential failure of Pakistan....'' Mr. Berger was quoted as telling American reporters in Jaipur. The message from Mr. Clinton will be : ``You've got to decide what's important here in terms of your own future.''

The U.S. official stated that Pakistan's military rulers ``obsession'' with Kashmir could prove ``very, very damaging'' to their country and could possible lead to its collapse. He was also quoted as saying that Mr. Clinton would urge the Pakistani leadership to ``create some conditions'' to bring India back to the negotiating table.

After arriving at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base at Chaklala near Islamabad, Mr. Clinton is scheduled to visit the Aiwan-e- Sadar to meet the President, Mr. Rafiq Tarar. The U.S. President will then have a working lunch with Gen. Musharraf where the two will hold talks and in which each side will raise their concerns.

The State-run Pakistan Television reported this evening that Mr. Clinton will be addressing the people of Pakistan live on PTV as per an agreement with the Musharraf Government. There is no scheduled press event - the direct address to the people will, presumably, reflect the President's concerns. At 5.45 pm tomorrow evening, the President is scheduled to depart Islamabad for Geneva.

Interestingly, an ``open letter'' written to Mr. Clinton by an American Task Force on South Asia had recommended that the President find an opportunity to ``address the Pakistani people directly over local media''. Like Mr. Sandy Berger, the Task Force stated that Pakistan was a country in danger of failing.

Among other recommendations of the Task Force (many of them seem to have been implemented by the Clinton Administration in respect of Pakistan), it said that privately the President ``should let Pakistan's leaders know that the United States will have little option but to designate their country as a State sponsor of terrorism (with all that entails in the way of sanctions under law) if they do not act more decisively against this threat.''

It also said that Mr. Clinton should ``voice strong criticism of their (Pakistan's) provocative posture toward the Kashmir insurgency, making clear that they and their country would not be better off if Pakistan foments a war over Kashmir or anything else''.

The depth of American concern towards Pakistan should come as an eye-opener for the country's military leadership. However, if recent statements are any indication Islamabad is unlikely to reduce its rhetoric on Kashmir and will persist in giving vent to the feeling that it has been ``let down'' after the Afghan war by the U.S.

All indications suggest that while Mr. Clinton will be given a patient hearing by Gen. Musharraf, the military leadership remains defiant. Whether that is based on a realistic assessment of Pakistan's strength and weakness, of course, is quite another matter.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Clinton grants $ 5 million to fight TB, AIDS