Campaign will be short, hopes Musharraf

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 8. The Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has expressed the hope that the military campaign by the U.S. and its allies against the Taliban militia would be ``short, sharp and targeted'' and care would be taken to ensure that there are no civilian casualties.

Addressing newspersons here today, Gen. Musharraf appeared totally in command and confident of overcoming the extraordinary situation within his country arising out of the American retaliatory attacks to get at Osama and his associates.

Though at the beginning of the 75-minute press meet he appeared tense, as the conference progressed Gen. Musharraf was more at ease. He candidly responded to questions, including that on the U-turn in the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan, and justified it on grounds of `supreme national interests' and the changing ground realities.

Gen. Musharraf said the biggest concern of Pakistan was the nature of the dispensation to succeed the Taliban. In his opening remarks he said the emphasis should be on a broad-based political dispensation and that rehabilitation work for the Afghan people should be undertaken ``promptly and adequately.''

The Pakistan President lost his cool once when a reporter wanted to know if efforts would be taken to ensure that international aid for the Afghans does not make its way into the ``pockets of a few Generals''.

``Do not entertain such naive thoughts. Everyone has indulged in loot and plunder that you are talking about. Generals have neither done in the past nor would they in the future,'' a visibly agitated Gen. Musharraf told the reporter.

Unmindful of the protests and demonstrations in different parts of the country by pro-Taliban elements against the policy of his Government to side with the U.S., Gen. Musharraf claimed that internally, ``a vast majority of people is with our decision.''

The President reiterated that his country had agreed to co- operate in sharing of information and intelligence, providing airspace and logistic support to the U.S. ``No air base in Pakistan has been used in air strikes against Afghanistan,'' he categorically stated.

Asked for the basis of his optimism on an early end to the military campaign against the Taliban, Gen. Musharraf said his assessment was that the militia could no way match the technology and equipment of the rest of the world.

``I am reasonably sure that the action going on is targeted on terrorist camps'' in Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat ``and that is the desire of the forces involved in the action.''

Gen. Musharraf said the impression conveyed by the media that the towns of Afghanistan were the target of Sunday night strikes was not correct. ``It is an action against terrorists and not against the people of Afghanistan.'' Side by side, he said, ``astute diplomacy'' was going on, and hoped the environment would become normal and suitable.

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