Nothing is new in this report but it is still worth to be discussed…
9/11 Commision Report ....Section related to Pakistan,
Pakistan
Pakistan’s endemic poverty, widespread corruption, and often ineffective government
create opportunities for Islamist recruitment.Poor education is a particular
concern. Millions of families, especially those with little money, send
their children to religious schools, or madrassahs. Many of these schools are
the only opportunity available for an education, but some have been used as
incubators for violent extremism.According to Karachi’s police commander,
there are 859 madrassahs teaching more than 200,000 youngsters in his city
alone.6
It is hard to overstate the importance of Pakistan in the struggle against
Islamist terrorism.Within Pakistan’s borders are 150 million Muslims, scores of
al Qaeda terrorists, many Taliban fighters, and—perhaps—Usama Bin Ladin.
Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons and has come frighteningly close to war
with nuclear-armed India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.A political
battle among anti-American Islamic fundamentalists, the Pakistani military,and
more moderate mainstream political forces has already spilled over into violence,
and there have been repeated recent attempts to kill Pakistan’s president,
Pervez Musharraf.
In recent years, the United States has had three basic problems in its relationship
with Pakistan:
• On terrorism,Pakistan helped nurture the Taliban.The Pakistani army
and intelligence services, especially below the top ranks, have long
been ambivalent about confronting Islamist extremists. Many in the
government have sympathized with or provided support to the
extremists.Musharraf agreed that Bin Ladin was bad. But before 9/11,
preserving good relations with the Taliban took precedence.
• On proliferation, Musharraf has repeatedly said that Pakistan does not
barter with its nuclear technology. But proliferation concerns have
been long-standing and very serious. Most recently, the Pakistani government
has claimed not to have known that one of its nuclear
weapons developers, a national figure, was leading the most dangerous
nuclear smuggling ring ever disclosed.
• Finally, Pakistan has made little progress toward the return of democratic
rule at the national level, although that turbulent process does
continue to function at the provincial level and the Pakistani press
remains relatively free.
Immediately after 9/11, confronted by the United States with a stark choice,
Pakistan made a strategic decision. Its government stood aside and allowed the
U.S.-led coalition to destroy the Taliban regime. In other ways,Pakistan actively
assisted: its authorities arrested more than 500 al Qaeda operatives and Taliban
members, and Pakistani forces played a leading part in tracking down KSM,
Abu Zubaydah, and other key al Qaeda figures.7
In the following two years, the Pakistani government tried to walk the fence,
helping against al Qaeda while seeking to avoid a larger confrontation with Taliban
remnants and other Islamic extremists.When al Qaeda and its Pakistani
allies repeatedly tried to assassinate Musharraf, almost succeeding, the battle
came home.
The country’s vast unpoliced regions make Pakistan attractive to extremists
seeking refuge and recruits and also provide a base for operations against coalition
forces in Afghanistan. Almost all the 9/11 attackers traveled the northsouth
nexus of Kandahar–Quetta–Karachi.The Baluchistan region of Pakistan
(KSM’s ethnic home) and the sprawling city of Karachi remain centers of
Islamist extremism where the U.S. and Pakistani security and intelligence presence
has been weak. The U.S. consulate in Karachi is a makeshift fortress,
reflecting the gravity of the surrounding threat.8
During the winter of 2003–2004, Musharraf made another strategic decision.
He ordered the Pakistani army into the frontier provinces of northwest
Pakistan along the Afghan border,where Bin Ladin and Ayman al Zawahiri have
reportedly taken refuge.The army is confronting groups of al Qaeda fighters
and their local allies in very difficult terrain. On the other side of the frontier,
U.S. forces in Afghanistan have found it challenging to organize effective joint
operations, given Pakistan’s limited capabilities and reluctance to permit U.S.
military operations on its soil.Yet in 2004, it is clear that the Pakistani government
is trying harder than ever before in the battle against Islamist terrorists.9
Acknowledging these problems and Musharraf ’s own part in the story, we
believe that Musharraf ’s government represents the best hope for stability in
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• In an extraordinary public essay asking how Muslims can “drag ourselves
out of the pit we find ourselves in, to raise ourselves up,”
Musharraf has called for a strategy of “enlightened moderation.”The
Muslim world, he said, should shun militancy and extremism; the
West—and the United States in particular—should seek to resolve disputes
with justice and help better the Muslim world.10
• Having come close to war in 2002 and 2003, Pakistan and India have
recently made significant progress in peacefully discussing their longstanding
differences.The United States has been and should remain a
key supporter of that process.
• The constant refrain of Pakistanis is that the United States long treated
them as allies of convenience.As the United States makes fresh commitments
now, it should make promises it is prepared to keep, for years
to come.
Recommendation: If Musharraf stands for enlightened moderation in
a fight for his life and for the life of his country, the United States
should be willing to make hard choices too, and make the difficult
long-term commitment to the future of Pakistan. Sustaining the current
scale of aid to Pakistan, the United States should support Pakistan’s
government in its struggle against extremists with a
comprehensive effort that extends from military aid to support for
better education, so long as Pakistan’s leaders remain willing to make
difficult choices of their own.
in the end - no one is to blame.
CASE CLOSED.
thats what Britian , australia commisions also said We lied about WMDs we lied about this and that to the people but no one is to blame typical capitalist out to save there own skin they have no honour! :nono:
yeah that really sucks…but at least we should give them the credit for conducting such investigations… in Pakistan, we are having a lot of debate these days whether or not we should form a Kargil commission…it is not even a debatable issue… we should have a commission formed long time ago but the government is simply not willing to do it….
Wot a load of crap!
The point of this report ?????????its so biased I personally dont believe a word of it i think they are luking for someone to blame but no one is to blame but themselves. Have they ever wonder y they were targeted everything happens for a reason and wot goes around comes around!
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by phoenixdesi: *
yeah that really sucks.....but at least we should give them the credit for conducting such investigations.... in Pakistan, we are having a lot of debate these days whether or not we should form a Kargil commission…it is not even a debatable issue… we should have a commission formed long time ago but the government is simply not willing to do it….
[/QUOTE]
Give them credit for what?
Making reports that say no one is to blame, we could do that all day long. What is the point of that no one is to blames for thousands of iraqi and afghan deaths no is to blame for sending soldiers to war based on lies many of them dead, no one is to blame for the destruction they don't deserve credit they deserve condemnation for this whitewash!
To me it is clear that the report does place blame. Unfortunately for us, it looks like the report puts the blame specifically on Taliban and Pakistan. Taliban got kicked, but Musharraff made U-turn (made difficult choice) and so we are relieving you of the blame (U.S. making difficult choice) as long as you Musharraff continue to be our dog (continue making difficult choices). Overall, looks like an uneasy, shaky alliance where two parties are forced into bed together but don't really like or trust each other. Musharraff makes an easy choice and its all over!!
well well after killing thousands of iraqis in war
they say it was not ira but iran?
its like after the dropping of atom bomb saying well it was not for here but there!!!!!!!
No one gives a damn about the report. It's just hundreds of pages of blame displacement, which has been going on ever since 9/11, except now it's in writing.
9/11 report has no answer for why U.S. went to war with Iraq. Obviously, because Iraq had no link with 9/11.
U.S. wanted more access to Iraq oil and greater presence in Middle east and used 9/11 as an excuse (because at that time the rulers knew they could gather support from American public). It may have been the wrong thing to do, but the one with the biggest stick gets to beat up whoever he wants. Now, the 911 report gives the rulers of USA more reasons to continue to prick and prod muslim countries, particularly the rulers of S. Arabia and Pakistan, to do more and even more in the War on Terror. The Americans will push Musharraf and the House of Saud as much as they can, while trying to avoid an all-out civil war in those countries against those regimes.