Road accident deaths drop by 50% in Saudi Arabia    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    Italy's 'Libra' to arrive in Albania with just eight migrants on board    South Africa shuts border crossing with Mozambique over poll unrest    French families sue TikTok over harmful content that allegedly led to suicides    Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Any US blunder in Pakistan could aid Al-Qaeda cause

Zawahri might allow themselves a mirthless smile at the thought of US President George Bush unleashing US commando raids in Pakistan without Islamabad's approval.
“They'd be gleefully looking at this as a great opportunity,” said Nasim Zehra, an Islamabad-based defense analyst concerned over the prospect for more turmoil in nuclear-armed Pakistan.
If the United States sends troops across the border from Afghanistan, and its alliance with Pakistan is weakened, or, worse still, Pakistani forces try to repel them, who wins?
The answer to many Pakistani analysts is obvious – Al-Qaeda, the Taleban and a host of militant groups who want the United States out of the region and Pakistan in chaos.
A week ago a helicopter-borne raiding party swept into a Pakistani border village and killed 20 people, including women and children. The New York Times reported Thursday that Bush has given permission to unleash US special forces in Pakistan to eliminate Al-Qaeda and Taleban targets. If true, the militants should be worried. The special forces could decimate Al-Qaeda. They could even kill or catch one of its top leaders, Osama Bin Laden or Zawahri.
But the policy could also go horribly wrong. Analysts in Pakistan say it appeared to be a desperate decision by a US president four months away from the end of his term.
“The US homeland, no matter what, is relatively secure after 9/11. It's our homeland that is going to go down the drain,” said Zehra, upset at the new government's lack of a coherent policy on internal security to stay America's hand.
There is no official confirmation that Bush has embarked on this course, and the scope of US missions is unknown. The United States may be hoping covert operations could reap swift rewards. But Pakistan is scared.
The risks are considerable for a new civilian government that just a month ago forced former army chief Pervez Musharraf to relinquish the presidency. Pakistan's army insists it will protect its borders at all cost. Analysts wonder how it can back words with action given the nation's economic and military dependence on the United States.
“I've yet to see the Pakistan military turn round and say ‘thanks but no thanks to your F-16 aircraft, we don't want your weapons',” said defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.
But the American lack of sensitivity risks losing an ally and could shut down an important source of intelligence. Of course, there are grave suspicions that Pakistani intelligence has selectively protected militants in the region ever since Musharraf was strong-armed into supporting the US war on terrorism in 2001.
But whatever the gripes, Pakistan has lost more men than the United States fighting militants in the region, and hundreds of Al-Qaeda have been eliminated. Islamabad is unhappy that, despite these sacrifices, Washington pays no heed to Pakistani strategic interests.
The Pakistani military is very unhappy with American tolerance of India's growing influence in Afghanistan.
It fears encirclement. If US forces start incursions it could have regional repercussions.
“It's going to increase tension between India and Pakistan,” said Siddiqa. Analysts see a deteriorating security situation in Indian Kashmir as partly a consequence of their rivalry in Afghanistan.
“The temperature is going up there and part of the reason is Afghanistan,” said Siddiqa.
In the seven years since Al-Qaeda's Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Bush has alternated between cajoling and praising Pakistan for its support in the war against terrorism.
Analysts have criticised the US administration's handling of its complicated ally throughout.
Should the United States and Pakistan remain on a collision course, Washington would risk destabilising a government it had helped get elected last February, without having any acceptable alternative to turn to.
It would also force moderate, progressive forces in Pakistan into retreat, and dramatically revive the fortunes of conservative religious who were trounced in the election.
“Pakistanis are very unhappy, it will lead to more anti-Americanism,” said Najam Sethi, editor of the Daily Times and a respected political commentator. “It will make life more difficult for the government and the army, create more tension in the coalition and give the media another stick with which to beat the government.”
It would also risk tipping Pakistan's economy into full-blown crisis, with foreign currency already draining out of the central bank's coffers at an alarming rate.
It would extend the US forces' theatre of operations, at a time when they are already stretched in Afghanistan. Increased civilian casualties will inevitably lead to a backlash in ethnic-Pashtun lands straddling the border. “You have a huge area where people are going to be affected, they're going to get angry and they're going to want to take revenge,” Siddiqa said.
If Bush has authorized cross-border raids it is, according to analysts, either a very belated admission of failures, or a cynical attempt to sway the US presidential election campaign in the Republican party's favour.
“Are these the kind of actions that Bush thinks will help his candidate in the election?” Zehra asked. “Because otherwise it is merely expanding the parameters of failure of US policy from Iraq to Afghanistan and now here,” said Zehra. – Reuters __


Clic here to read the story from its source.