In its March 3, 2008 editorial, the Pakistani right-wing Urdu daily Roznama Ausaf accused the U.S. of backing Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, with the aim of destabilizing Pakistan. The publication of the editorial followed a similar statement by Pakistan's acting interior minister, Hamid Nawaz, who claimed that the U.S., Afghanistan, and India were behind the recent wave of suicide attacks in his country. [1]
The following are excerpts from the editorial: [2]
"The U.S. and Afghanistan Are Backing the Organizations that Seek [to Perpetrate] Terrorism and Violence in Pakistan"
"[According to Acting Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz], there is a growing [suspicion] that the U.S. and Afghanistan are backing the organizations that seek [to perpetrate] terrorism and violence in Pakistan.... [The] security situation in Afghanistan is improving from day to day, while that of Pakistan is deteriorating... The Indian and Afghan intelligence apparatuses [are] likewise involved in terrorism in Pakistan.
"[In the wake of the 9/11 attacks], the U.S. created situations in Pakistan which exposed the terrible face hidden [behind its mask of] friendship. It should have praised and helped Pakistan for the role it played [in the war] on terror. Instead, [the Americans] are trying to destabilize Pakistan [in order to promote] their own interests.
"The U.S.'s past [history] indicates that, [in its dealings with other countries], it initially extends its hand in friendship. However, once its objectives are achieved, it not only leaves its [ally] country to fend for itself, but also keeps interfering in its domestic affairs, so that its independence is reduced to a sham. Afghanistan and Iraq are recent examples of [this] American aggression and lust for power."
"The Americans Lit the Candle of Democracy on Human Skulls in Iraq and Afghanistan"
"The Americans lit the candle of democracy on human skulls in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its flames also crept towards Pakistan, and the nation has been burning in these flames for several years now. The series of suicide attacks [in Pakistan] indicates the existence of a force that is trying to achieve its objectives by destabilizing [the country]...
"The Pakistani nation and government are not so oblivious of what is happening around them that they cannot confront the challenge of the enemy's conspiracy. It is as plain as day that no Pakistani group, nor the 'local Taliban,' [can possibly be] behind these terrorist operations and suicide attacks - because no Muslim could even think about taking such a step, let alone commit such horrible acts, and stain his hands with the blood of innocent Muslims who were praying to Allah in the mosques...
"Therefore, every member of our nation now realizes that Pakistan's enemies are pursuing a premeditated plan aimed at destabilizing [the country]. This is why the U.S. is so clearly interfering even in [Pakistan's internal] politics. The U.S. has been defeated by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and in order to convert its defeat into victory, it is pushing Pakistan onto the battlefield...
"The U.S. is [therefore] determined to bring to power individuals who will obey its orders and turn Pakistan into a battlefield. The statements of U.S. Secretary of State [Condoleezza Rice] indicate that the Americans are finding the recent political changes in Pakistan difficult to swallow. They still hope that the new government will promote their interests and put national security on the back burner..."
We Must Abandon the U.S.-Led War on Terror
"There have already been whispers that America [must be] involved in terrorist operations in Pakistan. However, this is the first time that a government official [namely Acting Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz] has acknowledged not only U.S. involvement, but also [the involvement] of Afghanistan's and India's intelligence agencies... A number of Indian consulates are operating along these lines in Afghanistan; they are responsible for the deteriorating situation in Baluchistan and in the North West Frontier Province. While trying to weaken Pakistan internally, India [continues] to hold fruitless talks with Pakistan on the Kashmiri issue, with the blessing of the U.S.
"In light of all this, the government should not only change its policies. It should also present the ambassadors of these countries with evidence of their interference in its internal affairs, and tell them that [this interference] will not be tolerated.
"What we need to do is to abandon the U.S.-led war on terror, whose only goal is to serve American interests, and to begin peace talks with the local [Taliban] groups. The U.S. must be told that A-Qaeda and the Taliban are based in Afghanistan, and that the war should therefore be fought over there, not in Pakistan..."
[1] www.dailytimes.com.pk, March 16, 2008.
[2] Roznama Ausaf (Pakistan), March 3, 2008.
