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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that she stopped several Army Generals from ganging up with al Qaeda elements to launch an attack on the US and that invited assassination and regime change attempts by Osama bin Laden.
Two Army Generals, rabble-rousers Aslam Baig and Hamid Gul, the darling of
US Cold Warriors because of their capacity to fight the Soviet Union in
Afghanistan turned into bitter critics of the US and were part of Bhutto’s 2nd terms from 1998-1990. They had the support of battle-hardened and unemployed terrorists trained and funded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and sought funding from the Saudi Arabia King to overthrow her Government. The Saudi King declined the proposal but informed Bhutto about the plot and also intelligence that bin Laden had provided USD 10 million to the terrorists.
She also revealed that Ramzi Yousuf had approached her Government for support to bring down the World Trade Center in the 90s, which she declined. Apparently, she invited the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to set up offices in Pakistan, which led to the arrest of
Yousuf.
Bhutto said that terrorism took off into mainstream business after the dismissal of her Government in 1990. This terror network was carefully crafted, nurtured, and funded by drug trade from the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan culminated in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US and the attack on the Indian Parliament.
Despite strong evidence provided by the CIA, Western and Indian media, think tanks, and researchers, the Bill Clinton Administration continued with its policy of molly-cuddling Pakistan and inadvertently encouraging terrorism. Instead, it continued to chastise India on alleged human rights violations in Punjab and Kashmir.
The George Bush (Jr) Administration took a more practical view of terrorism but was blind-sided to the prospect of a terrorist attack on US soil. It ignored warnings signals from attack on USS Cole, attacks on its Embassies in Africa, and targeting Americans in Saudi Arabia. While the quick action against the Taliban Administration in
Afghanistan turned out to be effective to drive out the terrorists from organized crime, they continue to linger in Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with active support of some elements of the Pakistan Administration.
The US acknowledges that
Pakistan is not doing enough on terror
but also supplies sophisticated arms to it. It continues to disregard learning from the last decade.
Some say that this is because the US views such developments as “acceptable cost” in its march against terrorism. They say that the US needs Pakistan in its fight against the al Qaeda and therefore has to “entertain” Pakistan as long as it is useful in the battle even if that means heavy burden on India.
Others say that the US is blinded by its own policy of hegemony over the world and is creating monsters that would come back to roost. They point out that the al Qaeda was an American creation aimed at Soviet Union but did not think through the consequences of such a policy. They also point out that the all-out transfer of business to China in the last 25 years coming back to haunt it as an economic, military, and hegemonic power.
Strategists say that the US is committing the same mistake with a nuclear-armed Pakistan.
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