In recent weeks, the Saudi government daily Al-Riyadh has published several editorials calling for supporting the current regime in Pakistan because of its importance in preserving security and stability in the region and in the world.
In another move to support Pakistan, Saudi King 'Abdallah recently issued a directive launching a drive to raise $80 million to help victims of the flooding in Pakistan; the drive has been heavily promoted in the Saudi government media.
It should be noted that this is not the first time the Saudi media has rallied to Pakistan's defense following Western accusations of involvement in terrorism. When suspicions emerged regarding Pakistani involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Saudi media hurried to absolve Pakistan of responsibility. Editorials in the Saudi dailies Al-Hayat, Al-Jazirah, Al-Madina, Al-Riyadh, and Al-Watan were devoted to this message, and some claimed that the West's accusations against Pakistan were aimed at destabilizing this country and at justifying a war against the Muslims. They called on the international community to defuse the tension between India and Pakistan, in order to avoid the possibility of war between them, and also to prevent internal unrest in Pakistan that would threaten its regime.[1]
The following are excerpts from two of the recent editorials in the Saudi press:
Pakistan Is the Only Country in the Region that Can Help Fight Terrorism
In the wake of accusations by Western countries regarding Pakistan's connections to the Taliban, Saudi columnist Yousuf Al-Kuwailit wrote in an editorial: "...It may be that there is truth in these accusations and reports [about the Pakistan-Taliban connections]; they might even be as much as 30% [true]. Perhaps it is elements that are not part of the Pakistani authorities that are doing this. This possibility exists... But the West needs Pakistan, not only for its war on the Taliban, but also to ensure that Pakistan helps [it] in the fight against terrorism and in stopping the spread [of terrorism].
"If Pakistan falls and becomes a Taliban state, will it be possible to deal with a country that has nuclear weapons and influence over all its [neighbors] in Asia using only reciprocal accusations, and without the option of diplomatic pressure?... [If Pakistan falls, its] tribes, most of whom share a common origin, will become an influential force because of the stupidity of the West's policy.
"The leak of this information [about the Pakistani military and intelligence services collaborating with the Taliban] has helped the Taliban and reinforced its presence. The finger-pointing at Pakistan and its military intelligence apparatus, coming from [the Taliban's] worst opponents and rivals, is just the moral encouragement [this movement] needs...
"The U.S. and Britain cannot give up on Pakistan... because it is the only option for fighting terrorism. Continuing to preserve its security is essential... because any instability in Pakistan, and any vulnerability there to a coup or to security anarchy, will serve the extremists.
"Just as with Turkey and its military leaders, here too it is the military that controls the country as well as the street – but it is different in Pakistan. Pakistan is facing challenges posed by its biggest neighbor, [India], which saw in [Pakistan's] separation [from it in 1947] a threat to its unity. The problem is broader than the Kashmir dispute. It involves other international players and elements. The increased numbers [of those] coming from Europe, and particularly from Germany, to undergo weapons training and training in explosives [in order to carry out attacks] in Europe and in the U.S. means that there must be contacts with Pakistan as it is today, by any and all means. Pakistan is the only force capable of stopping the deeply rooted terrorism in the region.
"If Pakistan's security is undermined, it will lead to [volunteers] from the Islamic world and other places thronging to Pakistan for training, each terrorist wanting to shift the balance of power, first and foremost out of hostility to the West. The world will then be hostage to a situation of undermined security and maximal instability.
"Pakistan's security is the world's security, and anything that destroys it will cause losses for everyone."[2]
A Destabilized Pakistan Endangers the Arab Gulf
Another editorial by Al-Kuwailit, published after the flooding in Pakistan, criticized the Islamic world for not leaping into action to help Islamic Pakistan, and praised his own country for being among the first to send aid. Explaining the need for aid for Pakistan in its current crisis and the importance of preventing Pakistan's collapse, he wrote: "...[I]f the political and social balance in Pakistan is upset, its weapons, its location, and its heterogeneous population will turn [it] into a grave danger for its environs, and particularly for the Arab Gulf..."[3]
Endnotes:
[1] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 478, "Concerned About Pakistan's Future, Saudi Press Rallies," December 5, 2008, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/3082.htm.
[2] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), August 9, 2010.
[3] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), August 16, 2010.
