WP, pg 1: Pakistan Losing Grip On Extremists

[DeepModem Mom]

Pakistan Losing Grip on Extremists
Attacks on Officials Linked to Al Qaeda

By John Lancaster and Kamran Khan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 29, 2004; Page A01


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A recent series of assassination attempts on high-level officials here is the result of a growing and deadly alliance between Pakistani extremists and second-rung al Qaeda operatives from Arab countries and Central Asia who use the border area with Afghanistan as a refuge, according to senior Pakistani intelligence sources....

***

The decision to apply stronger pressure on militants poses a delicate challenge for (President) Musharraf, who is eager to confront the domestic terrorist threat and has recently won international praise following a series of high-profile al Qaeda arrests in Pakistan in June and July.

At the same time, Musharraf is reluctant to challenge extremist groups he still regards as potential levers in the conflict with India over control of Kashmir, even though the groups theoretically have been banned, analysts said....

***

(A senior Pakistani intelligence official) asserted that Musharraf had limited room to maneuver against domestic extremists, given the depth of public anger over U.S. policy in the Middle East. "I think the time has come for others to do more for Pakistan than for Pakistan to do more," said the official. "I think our commitment on terrorism is absolutely unparalleled, and it needs to be acknowledged."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42456-2004Aug28.html

[0007]

1. Musharraf is so screwed and to think junior is taking a bath with him

....but then again junior loves dictators that lie and kiss his ass, not ones that tell him he's lower than human trash and an imbecile.

[teryang]

2. Another crock of doo doo

"Musharraf, who is eager to confront the domestic terrorist threat and has recently won international praise..."

Musharraf is the world's most dangerous supporter of international terrorism and nuclear proliferation. The WP is a propaganda podium for the white house.

[Leilani]

3. Pakistan is a tinderbox

& we better hope it does not blow up.

Pakistan has nukes.

Enough said.

[Toots]

4. Why should Musharraf care what the people think?

He was never elected in the first place. He took power through a military coup and I'm sure that is why the Bush* Cabal love him so much. "Strong Leader" and all that. Bush* took office by coup as well so two birds of a feather. As long as the US supports him he will do whatever the US wants him to do regardless of what the Pakistani people want.

[hedda_foil]

5. Whoops, Junior! There goes the Osama surprise.

Under these circumstances, there's no way Mushareff is going to be able to deliver Osama or even a "name" AQ leader (as opposed to someone nobody's ever heard of) this fall. It's too likely to topple him.