by Kenneth J. Theisen
Most people are aware of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that are being waged by the Bush regime. But many fewer are aware of the “secret” and often denied war being fought by the Bush regime in Pakistan.
An unidentified U.S. intelligence official recently confirmed that the U.S. violated international law by launching an attack with a missile from a U.S. Predator drone. The missile allegedly struck a suspected “terrorist safehouse” in Pakistan earlier this week and killed an alleged al-Qaida leader, Abu Laith al-Libi. Officially the U.S. government denies any such attack. Al-Libi is said to have been behind the attack last year in Afghanistan where a bomb exploded not far from a propaganda visit by Dick Cheney to a U.S. military base.
While shadowy government leakers tell the press about the success of
the attack we do not even really know if al-Libi was killed or how many
others may have also died. The intelligence official admitted the
bodies of those assassinated were so destroyed by the explosion that it
was difficult to identify them.
Do not expect this latest violation of Pakistani sovereignty to meet
with U.N. sanctions or condemnations from U.S. politicians. In fact
other such attacks by CIA drones have also occurred since the beginning
of the “war on terror.” They have become so routine that they barely
even receive media coverage for more than a day anymore and they are
usually buried in the inner pages of the papers.
But some of the attacks did receive extensive coverage in Pakistan
itself and have threatened to destabilize the Pakistani government.
Any Pakistani government involvement with the attacks is deeply
unpopular with the Pakistani people. As a result, the Musharraf
government has pleaded ignorance or helped cover up the origin of the
attacks on several occasions.
In December 2005 another assassination by Predator also occurred in
Pakistan. Abu Hamza Rabia, also an alleged al-Qaida leader was the
victim then. In October 2006, Predator missile strikes killed an
estimated 80 people at a religious school on the Pakistani side of the
Afghan Pakistani border. There have been other such attacks as well.
Musharraf has been under intense pressure by the U.S. to fully
cooperate with U.S. military and intelligence forces in rooting out
Islamic extremists situated within Pakistan. Secretary of War Robert
Gates has admitted that the U.S. would be prepared to conduct joint
operations inside Pakistan with Pakistani forces if requested by
Pakistan. But Musharraf, because of internal Pakistani pressures has
resisted “suggestions” from US director of national intelligence Mike
McConnell and CIA Director General Michael Hayden to expand covert
operations inside Pakistan or joint-operations with Pakistani security
forces.
It is not clear whether the latest attack was done with the tacit
consent of the Musharraf government or not. But the Bush regime has
not always cared what the Pakistani government thought. Instead it has
played the role of the godfather and made offers that could not be
refused by Musharraf.
In an interview with CBS television in 2006, Musharraf said the Bush
regime delivered a threat/offer via then assistant secretary of state,
Richard Armitage, in conversations with Pakistan’s intelligence
director. Musharraf stated, “The intelligence director told me that
(Armitage) said, ‘Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to
the stone age’,” This threat was delivered in order to secure Pakistani
cooperation in the “war on terror.”
Musharraf told CBS he was shocked at the bluntness of the US
“diplomacy” but that he agreed to cooperate. Pakistan then abandoned
its previous support of the Taliban government and allowed U.S.
overflights in Pakistan airspace. It cooperated in arresting al-Qaida
operatives, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the alleged
architects of the September 11 attacks. Musharraff failed to mention
that in addition to the stick, the U.S. also has offered carrots, with
his government receiving over $10 billion in U.S. aid since 9/11. The
U.S. has also supported him against Pakistani opposition to his rule.
It is interesting that none of the candidates for president has made
this latest expansion of the Bush wars into a campaign issue. You would
think expanding the “war on terror” into another country should merit
some comment. Barack Obama last year actually said that he would attack
targets in Pakistan even if the attacks were opposed by the Pakistani
government. (Bush must have been pleased to know one of the leading
Democratic candidates was echoing his policy.) Hillary Clinton at the
time criticized Obama for his remarks, but she has remained silent in
the wake of the latest attack. Of course John McCain who likes to sing
the words “bomb, bomb Iran” to the tune of the Beach Boys song may now
be singing “bomb, bomb Pakistan.”
But even though this has not been made an issue in the presidential
campaign, the latest attack may have serious consequences. Pakistan is
already highly unstable with Musharraf precariously holding onto power
there. Elections will occur this month and his government is still
widely blamed for the assassination of Bhutto late last year. In
November he declared a state of emergency and has ruled as a dictator.
Any expansion of the Bush wars into this country which has nuclear arms
may have unintended consequences for not only the people of Pakistan,
but of the world.