Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that if a terrorist attack were successfully carried out in the U.S. and traced back to Pakistan, the consequences for Pakistan would be ''severe."[1] Her statement came approximately a week after the capture of failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, who is a naturalized American citizen of Pakistani origin.
In another recent statement which drew sharp criticism from Pakistani leaders, Clinton observed that the whereabouts of top Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders are well known to officials in the Pakistani government, noting: ''I believe that somewhere in this government are people who know where Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda is, where Mullah Omar and the leadership of the Afghan Taliban is, and we expect more cooperation to help us bring to justice, capture, or kill, those who attacked us on 9/11.''[2]
Clinton's statements have attracted strong criticism in the Pakistani press, with many newspapers in Pakistan stating that the failed Times Square bombing was actually planned by the U.S.in order to keep up pressure on Pakistan and force it to cooperate in the war against terror. The Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Nawa-i-Waqt, which leans toward the military establishment, noted that there is a ''conspiracy'' behind the arrest of Faisal Shahzad, adding that several Pakistani/American citizens are acting as American agents and that he could be one of them.[3]
In recent weeks, a senior Pakistani editor and another columnist have accused Clinton of considering a nuclear attack on Pakistan, and a number of articles and editorials have alleged conspiracies behind the Times Square attack. In a May 10, 2010 editorial titled ''Hillary Clinton's Threat,'' the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Express accused U.S. officials, including Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, of issuing harsh statements as part of a plot to target Pakistan. The editorial cited unidentified Pakistani defense analysts, who observed that the 9/11 attacks were an excuse for the U.S. to station its troops in Pakistan, while the real target is Pakistan and its nuclear weapons.
In a May 14, 2010 op-ed titled "What Will [the] U.S. Do if Drone Hits Fail to Pacify [the] Taliban," in the Peshawar-based The Post, resident editor Hafiz Sanaullah accused Clinton of not ruling out a nuclear attack in the Pakistani tribal region in the event of a Taliban-engineered attack on American soil. He also alleged India-U.S. cooperation against Pakistan, accused Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi of working for Indian and American interests, and stated that Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Hussain Haqqani was working for the U.S.
In a May 14, 2010 article in The Frontier Post, a Peshawar-based daily, prominent Pakistani columnist Sajid Ansari described the failed Times Square bombing as a plot by the American CIA and the Israeli Mossad to invade Pakistan. Under the title "'Times Square Bomb: Plan to Attack Pakistan?'' Ansari observed: ''Now [the] U.S./CIA and Mossad have possibly 'set up' a plan to attack Pakistan, on the pretext of ['the] 'Times Square bomb' – and they will, as they don't have time because President Barack Obama has asked them to 'to finish the job' by July 2011.''
Following are excerpts from the articles:[4]
"Hillary Clinton's Threat," Roznama Express Editorial, May 10, 2010
"Our Defense Analysts Even Go to the Extent of Saying that 9/11 Was an Excuse... and Pakistan, Because It Has [an] Atomic Arsenal, is the Real Target''
"Hillary Clinton, who had been the first lady of the U.S.A. for eight years, has warned of 'severe consequences' if Pakistan is found to be involved in any incident like the Times Square attack in [the] future. The U.S. Secretary of State for foreign affairs issued this threat at a time when the investigations [into] the incident still have not been able to uncover if it was an individual attempt of Faisal Shahzad, an American citizen of Pakistani origin, or if he was in contact with some extremist group. If the findings [show] that it was an individual attempt there is no justification to threaten whole Pakistan of... 180 million people; and even if it was an attempt by a certain extremist organization, taking revenge for a wrongdoing of a few dozen people against all the people of Pakistan is not justified.
''In an interview with an American television channel, Hillary Clinton admitted that Pakistan is cooperating in the war on terror with America, though it is not enough and Pakistan has to do more. America expects Pakistan to do more, according to her. Hillary Clinton insisted that Faisal Shahzad was trained in Pakistan, along with her [acknowledgement] of Pakistan's cooperation and an increase in it on the levels of government, intelligence agencies, and military establishment...''
''U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake has said Pakistan should extend the operation against terrorism to Punjab, from where anti-India jihadist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is operating. He stressed that the Lashkar-e-Taiba is not only a threat to India and the U.S. but to Pakistan itself; so Pakistan should eliminate terrorists camps in Punjab. Analysis of this statement brings weight to the opinion of defense analysts who claim that the U.S. and India want Pakistan to move its troops from the eastern border [with India] to the Afghan border in order to create hope for NATO and U.S. forces fighting against the Taliban inside Afghanistan; otherwise they will face defeat. But in Pakistan, even children know the consequences of removing the army from the eastern border. Some of our defense analysts even go to the extent of saying that 9/11 was an excuse; Afghanistan is a [way]station,; and Pakistan, because it has [an] atomic arsenal, is the real target.
''U.S. Secretary of State for Defense [sic] Robert Gates found it necessary to issue a statement about the New York Times Square bombing attempt. While talking to [the] media he said that Pakistan will obviously be provided with further information about the case, if it is needed. He also said that Pakistan is in the driver's seat in the war on terror, and we want to facilitate it. He stated that the U.S. is working with Pakistan to destroy [the] roots of the Taliban, and is ready to supportPakistan. He also admitted that for the last two years Pakistan has sacrificed more than any of the U.S. allies have done. On the other hand, news from America tells that Faisal Shahzad is fully cooperating with investigators; he has confessed that he was trained to make bombs in North Waziristan; he told the American investigators that he was annoyed at the death of his close friends in drone attacks, and that his personal life was in crisis. Shahzad also said that he was concerned about safety of his family and that danger for his family had increased [following the drone attacks]...''
''The real story behind the [Times Square] incident will be revealed after [the] investigations, but the statements of [the] U.S. administration issued to the media are [a] cause of worry. Americans admit Pakistan has sacrificed a lot, and in the same breath they ask Pakistan to do more. This we cannot understand. Fresh statements from Hillary Clinton resemble some of the statements from Indian leaders. The government should take notice of her statement and ask the U.S. to explain why such a harsh statement was issued. We should tell the U.S. clearly that we will continue to cooperate only if our sacrifices are appreciated. Repetition of 'do more' should stop now.''
"What Will the U.S. Do if Drone Hits Fail to Pacify [the] Taliban?" Hafiz Sanaullah, The Post, May 14, 2010
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'Will [the] U.S. Turn North Waziristan into Hiroshima and South Waziristan into Nagasaki?''
''Will the U.S. turn North Waziristan into Hiroshima and South Waziristan into Nagasaki if drone attacks do not work to eliminate Al-Qaeda and the Taliban? What the media men could pump out from the mouth of Hillary Clinton was the hint at the possibility of [the] use of nuclear weapon on Waziristan. She has already threatened Islamabad of dire consequences, if [the] New York Times Square-like failed bomb plot incident is repeated, and if the involvement of Pakistan is proven.
''By saying so, she did not mind hurting the feelings of not only Pakistanis, but also Afghans. Any nuclear attack on Waziristan would equally affect Afghanistan and Pakistan.
''Hillary Clinton became so furious and emotional over [the] involvement of naturalized American Pakistani Faisal Shahzad in the New York Times Square bomb plot that she replied in [the] affirmative when the querying newsmen asked her about the possibility of [the] use of nuclear weapon of mass destruction in Waziristan. Hillary Clinton had [previously] gone to the extent of saying further that Pakistani government officials know whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar.
''The statements issued by Hillary Clinton and foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi over Faisal Shahzad's failed act of terrorism could lead one to presume that one is [the] Islamabad-based U.S. foreign minister and the other [the] New Delhi-based Indian foreign minister. Hillary Clinton threatened Pakistan [with] serious consequences, [that] even the Indian foreign minister did not dare to. More shocking was Shah Mahmood Qureshi's statement over the Times Square incident, when he said that it must have been the reaction to the U.S. drone attacks on Waziristan. Thus, he indirectly supported Hillary's apprehension prior to her threat to Pakistan... Our ambassador in the U.S., Hussain Haqqani, is known as the U.S. ambassador living in the U.S., for he is always heard defending the U.S. more than Pakistan.
''Now, Hillary Clinton has come out with an astonishing disclosure, that some Pakistani government officials know [the] whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar... If Pakistani officials [had] knowledge of [the] whereabouts of Osama and Mullah Omar they would have cashed by now [the] millions of dollars announced by the U.S. for their heads. And if Pakistani officials know [the] whereabouts of Osama and Mullah Omar, then the U.S. officials know it too.
''Pakistan's army is fighting in the entire tribal belt as part of the U.S.-engineered war on terror. The U.S. drone attacks are [an] addition. This year, in only four months, 33 drone attacks were counted by the tribesmen, as compared to 47 drone attacks last year. In these attacks, 481 Pakistani tribesmen lost their lives, and several others were injured. There is little doubt that some top Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders were killed, but their number is [counted on finger compared to the] hundreds of tribesmen who [have] lost their lives in drone attacks.
''Faisal Shahzad is an American citizen. His blame should not be shifted [to] Pakistan's shoulder, nor [should] Islamabad be threatened. Are you fighting [the] war on terror or playing the game to trap Pakistan? Frankly, tell.''
"Times Square Bomb: Plan to Attack Pakistan?" Sajid Ansari, Frontier Post, May 14, 2010
"I Foresee a Possible Pre-Emptive [Nuclear] Attack by [the] U.S. and NATO on Pakistan, in Collaboration with India''
''It may be true, in the wake of [the] 'Times Square Bomb,' [which is] possibly a 'set-up' plan made by [the] CIA and Mossad to create pleas and justifications to attack and invade Pakistan, as a last resort after failing to achieve their 'desired objectives' to de-nuclearize Pakistan, exactly as they did to Iraq on a fake CIA report of the presence of WMDs [weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq and the then-U.S. President [George W. Bush] acted as a stooge in the hands of CIA and Pentagon and attacked Iraq and later on confessed that it was an unconfirmed report. How easy it was to say that after killing millions of innocent Muslim civilians and bringing devastation to a country? George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their other accomplices must be tried at The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
''However, in [the] case of Pakistan, after failing miserably to lay hands on Pakistani nuclear sites and arsenals, through the... Pakistani Taliban and Indian army infiltrators in the cities of the... [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of] Pakistan, now U.S./CIA and Mossad have possibly 'set up' a plan to attack Pakistan taking the plea of 'Times Square bomb,' and they will as they don't have time because President Barack Obama has asked them to 'to finish the job' by July 2011.
''[In a previous article] I wrote that Secretary of State Ms. Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a joint statement on April 11... that Iran and North Korea represented exceptions to the limits on a U.S. nuclear response, as both had defied UN resolutions with their nuclear programs. Ms. Clinton clearly said, 'The United States cannot rule out using nuclear weapons if it comes under biological attack.'
"The vital question is why on earth both these top U.S. diplomats felt a need to issue such a statement. Therefore, I foresee a possible pre-emptive (nuclear) attack by U.S. and NATO on Pakistan, in collaboration with India, justifying to eradicate 'terrorism breeding' in Pakistan and a possible use of nukes by Pakistani 'terrorists.' Though I had rated attack on Pakistan as the second possibility, with the first probability being a possible nuclear attack on Iran, in view of the statements issued by Ms. Clinton and Robert Gates... now after the 'Times Square bomb' incident it is Pakistan which is possibly going to be attacked any time in next winter.
''The U.S. administration is adding 30,000 more troops, coming to Afghanistan in June, 2010, in addition to the 7,000 troops promised by NATO, and they already have 110,000, Therefore, logically speaking, what could these additional 37,000 troops do that 110,000 troops could not do, in nine years…? So why do they need 37,000 more troops…?
"Actually, they need these forces to enter Pakistan after a brutal attack by USAF, may be more than what they did at Tora Bora, using nukes as well, if need be.''
''The Probability of Faisal Shahzad Having Been Bought by the CIA and the Mossad, In a 'Set-Up' By [The Two Agencies], Cannot Be Overlooked''
''The U.S.'s three fleets, which I call the U.S.'s 'hegemonic floating terrorism,' stationed in the Persian Gulf were ordered to shift to the Arabian Sea last year, and they all have nukes on them. One of the USAF aircraft which was carrying nukes for these fleets flew across from the West Coast, overflying different Midwestern and East Coast cities, was vehemently criticized by the U.S. media for flying over U.S. cities with nukes on board.
"The question that comes to a normal mind is why the Pentagon decided to arm its fleets with nukes when no other super power in the world can challenge the U.S. However, after presenting the 'Times Square bomb' as a strong plea, and then having the top U.S. diplomat Ms. Hillary Clinton issue a serious warning... now it seems that the U.S. administration, CIA and Pentagon have decided to take on one country at a time, with Pakistan first – as the only Muslim country which has nukes, whereas Iran has yet to develop them, according to its official announcement.
"Therefore, AIPAC must have given instructions to deal with Pakistan first and Iran afterwards – and then there will be no country in the world to challenge Israel, the U.S. or India...
''Now let us analyze what could be the circumstances under which Faisal Shahzad made such an attempt, knowing that despite being a U.S. citizen, his identity of Pakistani origin might put not only him but also his family in the U.S and in Pakistan and his country of origin, Pakistan, in tremendous difficulties and problems. But still he did it, and confessed at once.
"Therefore, there could be only two possibilities which are; 1) Being a Pakhtun, Faisal Shahzad would have been very frustrated at the U.S.'s indiscriminate killing of Pakhtuns under the garb of 'war-on-terror' through drone attacks - , the same race which used to be praised by the same U.S. when they were fighting, (or were being used), against the USSR...
"If this is true, then it is high time for the U.S. to think that there is something wrong in her Af-Pak policy – as now there could be more Faisal Shahzads in the future.
"2) The probability of Faisal Shahzad having been bought by the CIAN and the mossad, in a 'set-up' by [the two agencies], cannot be overlooked'' Why did Shahzad lie that he got training in North Waziristan whereas the militants based in North Waziristan have denied that they even know of him or his name...
"The CIA and Mossad are known to be experts in preparing counterfeit videotaped messages, films, and even passports of other countries, as they have been preparing a lot of fake videos of Osama bin Laden, and Al-Zawahiri...''
[1] www.cbsnews.com, United States, May 9, 2010.
[2] www.cbsnews.com, United States, May 9, 2010.
[3] Roznama Nawa-i-Waqt, Pakistan, May 6, 2010.
[4] The original English has been lightly edited for clarity.
