This shows just what year after year after year of terror and assasination attempts will do to a person. Pakistan's leader, Musharraf, told a German magazine that the Taliban should be recognized by the West and that the group should be changed from within.
I can understand Musharraf's frustration but I have several reasons to dissent here:
1. We have a proven history of the way that the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and how they harbored the world's worst terrorism in that country during that time.
2. The Taliban have shown no regard for human, civilian life.
3. The Taliban represent the harshest, most extreme form of islam and violence is a mainstay of that ideology.
Sure, the Taliban are threatening to Pakistan but at the same time, Musharraf has fought a concerted effort against them. Sure, he has seen them strike further and further into the heart of Pakistan but whose fault is that? And finally, there is no love lost between the nations of Pakistan and Afghanistan, thus Musharraf's call for pacifying the Taliban basically, in his mind, would mean a Taliban return to Afghanistan and a departure from Pakistan - his "olive branch" is one of selfish desire to rid his land of the scourge.
Full story is here.
I can understand Musharraf's frustration but I have several reasons to dissent here:
1. We have a proven history of the way that the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and how they harbored the world's worst terrorism in that country during that time.
2. The Taliban have shown no regard for human, civilian life.
3. The Taliban represent the harshest, most extreme form of islam and violence is a mainstay of that ideology.
Sure, the Taliban are threatening to Pakistan but at the same time, Musharraf has fought a concerted effort against them. Sure, he has seen them strike further and further into the heart of Pakistan but whose fault is that? And finally, there is no love lost between the nations of Pakistan and Afghanistan, thus Musharraf's call for pacifying the Taliban basically, in his mind, would mean a Taliban return to Afghanistan and a departure from Pakistan - his "olive branch" is one of selfish desire to rid his land of the scourge.
Full story is here.
Taliban should be recognised: Musharraf
ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - President Pervez Musharraf has said the best strategy against the Taliban is to recognise them and try to change them from within. He sought a change of strategy in Afghanistan, favouring ‘political overtures’ to win over the majority Pashtun. President Musharraf said this in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday.“When I came on the scene in 1999, I told everyone, including President Bill Clinton that the best strategy against the Taliban is to recognise them and try to change them from within. Nobody agreed.”“Then they came the problems with Osama bin Laden. Everybody asked me to help the West to get him arrested or deported, but by then it was too late. I sent four or five missions to Mullah Omar to resolve the problem,” he added. He referred to Democratic Presidential front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama who have vowed to take a tougher stance towards Pakistan and said “all these politicians you have mentioned do not have access to intelligence information that could provide them with an accurate view of the situation.” “When these people get access to that kind of intelligence, I am sure they will not take a different approach than their predecessor.” Musharraf, who described US President George W Bush as a ‘friend’ he will ‘miss very much’ after his tenure ends, said he would never allow US forces to operate on Pakistan’s soil. He also said Pakistan’s nuclear assets are ‘safe’, terming as totally baseless the concerns of IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.
Musharraf said Pakistan and the US fully shared coordination on anti-terrorism, and mentioned his recent meeting with US intelligence officials who conveyed him that President Bush considered President Musharraf 'a most sincere friend'.
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