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Dasar 'Double Standard' di Pakistan

(Double Standards Policy In Pakistan)

Nampaknya Pakistan kini sedang dirasuk masalah dalaman. Di satu pihak ia menerima sokongan pasukan udara Amerika. Di satu pihak yang lain pula terdapat rakyatnya yang tidak senang hati terhadap tindakan Amerika sehingga kebangkitan pihak yang bersenjata sudah menjadi perkara biasa. Di satu bahagian, askar Amerika ditempatkan di bumi Pakistan, sedangkan di satu bahagian pula, seperti yang dilapurkan oleh pihak yang berkuasa di India, tentera Pakistan sedang membantu puak militan Kashmir bergerak ke Afghanistan untuk membantu pergerakan Taliban.

Ada satu maklumat terbaru hari ini, menyebut Islamabad memberikan bantuan kelengkapan perang kepada Taliban. Inilah yang menggugat hubungan baik antara pakistan dan Amerika Syarikat.

Hari ini, akhbar 'The Washington Times, melapurkan kisah pembekalan senjata Islamabad kepada pergerakan Taliban. Akhbar itu memetik maklumat daripda sumber pasukan khas Amerika yang menyebut bagaimana kelengkapan perang itu dibekalkan pada malam hari dengan trak. Mengikut akhbar tersebut, kerja-kerja pembekalan bukannya dibuat oleh pihak radikal ataupun panglima tentera yang tidak senang hati - tetapi, inilah tindakan yang diluluskan oleh pihak atasan yang rasmi di Islamabad.

Untuk sementara ini maklumat ini dianggap sebagai tidak rasmi. Pihak berkuasa Amerika tidak pun membuat sebarang komen akan hal ini. Namun, jurucakap kepda pihak berkuasa Pakistan sudah pun bertindak. Wakil daripada kementerian pertahanan sudah pun mendakwa, betapa mereka tidak menerima sebarang maklumat akan pembekalan senjata tersebut.

Kisah pembekalan ini adalah benar. Kedudukan Pakistan amat jelas - saling bantu membantu - dalam hal ekonomi, politik, dan pembekalan. Seandainya Taliban menyerang, peranan pasukan khas Pakisan dalam suasana ini adalah bukan rahsia lagi (kerana pergerakan itu ditubuhkan dengan kerjasama CIA). Pihak CIA sudah pun menolak pertubuhan anti-Soviet, tetapi pasukan ISI Pakistan masih lagi mempunyai hubungan dengan Taliban.

Keadaan sebenar Pakistan tidak perlu disebut di sini. Presiden Pervez Musharraf sedang berada dalam keadaan laksana telur di hujung tanduk disebabkan permusuhan antara penyokong Taliban dan musuh mereka yang berada di sebelah samudera, yang membuatkan Musharraf tidak senang duduk.

Kerana itu negara ini terpaksa menangani dua keadaan yang mencetuskan dua dasar piawaaannya. Di siang hari Pakistan menyokong Amerika tetapi apabila malam tiba - banyak trak bergerak daripada Pakistan menuju Afghanistan. Perkara ini tidak akan bertahan lama. Setakat ini AS menggunakan Pakistan untuk mencapai cita-citanya. Namun, masanya akan tiba permainan ini akan berakhir juga.

(Gambar: Seorang pelarian Afghan sedang mencangkung di sebelah pagar berduri yang memisahkan pelarian daripada Pakistan di sempadan Chaman. Oktober 31, 2001.)

Tamat.

Terjemahan: SPAR.

Asal:

http://english.pravda.ru/main/2001/11/01/19823.html

2001-11-01

DOUBLE STANDARDS POLICY IN PAKISTAN

It seems that Pakistan is now deeply submerged in its inner contradictions. On the one hand, it has the support of the American aviation. On the other hand, the dissatisfaction of its citizens with this action is growing, and armed mutinies are becoming regular. On the one hand, American troops are stationed on the territory of Pakistan. On the other hand, the Indian authorities have stated that the Pakistani military is deploying the militants from Kashmir to Afghanistan to help the Taliban movement.

There appeared the new information today that Islamabad provided the Taliban with the weapons. This is like the last straw in the relations between Pakistan and the United States of America.

Today, The Washington Times reported about the delivering of weapons from Islamabad to the Taliban movement. The newspaper referred to the information from the sources in the American special services. Pursuant to the information, received by the intelligence, Pakistan was supplying weapons, ammunition and fuel to the Taliban. The weaponry is delivered at night time by trucks. As the newspaper stressed, those actions were performed not by some radical groups or unhappy generals of the armed forces; this action was approved on the top level, by the official authorities of Islamabad.

For the time being, this information is unofficial. The American authorities have not made any comments on the matter yet. However, the spokesmen for the Pakistani authorities have already reacted. Representatives of the country's defense ministry claimed that they did not have any information about the delivery of the weapons.

Actually, these weapons supplies are true. The position of Pakistan is known well: we help you (the US) and you help us in terms of economy, politics, and please deliver weapons to us, just in case the Taliban attack. The role of the Pakistani special services in setting up the movement Taliban is an open secret as well (the movement was established together with the CIA by the way). The CIA has already rejected its anti-Soviet production, but the Pakistani ISI is still in contact with the Taliban.

No need to mention the inner sentiments in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf is balancing on a very thin line between the followers of the Taliban and adversaries of the movement, who mainly live across the ocean, to Musharraf's discontent.

Thus, the country is forced to live under the conditions of a policy of double standard. During the day, Pakistan supports America, but when the night falls, the trucks are on their way from Pakistan to Afghanistan. This can not last long. So far, the US has used Pakistan to suit its own ends, but there will be the time when the game is going to be over with.

Reuters photo: An Afghan refugee eats near a wire fence separating the refugees from Pakistan at the Chaman border crossing, October 31, 2001

Rujukan:

[Awas! rencana ini dari menetas dari pasukan risik Amerika dan India - Editor]

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20011031-23126172.htm

PAKISTAN SENDS SUPPLIES TO TALIBAN

Bill Gertz
The Taliban militia is receiving military and other supplies covertly from Pakistan despite the Islamabad government's backing for American military operations, according to U.S. officials.

The military goods, including ammunition and fuel, are being sent with the help of elements of the Pakistani government, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the transfers.

Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the trade is approved by officials of the Pakistani military and the Inter-Services Intelligence service (ISI). The ISI, in particular, is said to have close ties with the Taliban regime.

The trade is said to take place at night by trucks. The goods travel from Quetta to the Pakistani border town of Chaman and then on to Kandahar, a known Taliban stronghold.

"There are two border control regimes: One before sundown and one after sundown," said one official.

The trade violates a resolution by the United Nations imposed in December that bars arms transfers to Afghanistan or the ruling Taliban militia.

The continuing support for the Taliban by Pakistan's intelligence service highlights the difficulties faced by Islamabad in supporting U.S. military operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist training camps.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf several weeks ago fired ISI chief Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed who was viewed as insufficiently loyal.

Gen. Musharraf said during the recent visit to Pakistan by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell that his government would provide intelligence, overflight rights and logistical support "as long as the operation" in Afghanistan goes on.

It could not be learned whether the illicit trade is approved by the Pakistan government or is taking place behind the back of Gen. Musharraf.

A Pakistani Embassy spokesman denied the government was involved in any arms shipments or supplies to the Taliban. "This is certainly not true," said Mian Asad Hayauddin, the spokesman.

Mr. Hayauddin said, however, that the border with Afghanistan is porous, especially in the southern area and that local tribes are known to conduct cross-border trade.

Asked about foreign military supplies to the Taliban, a senior defense official said recently, "We know of no significant aid organized aid from a foreign state." The official would not answer when asked to detail the aid.

Meanwhile, Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem, deputy director of operations for the Joint Staff, confirmed that B-52 bombers are being used to attack Taliban troops and terrorist training camps.

New reports from Afghanistan have shown U.S. bombing raids using 500-pound bombs in areas north of Kabul.

"The B-52s are being utilized in areas all over the country, including on Taliban forces in the North," said Adm. Stufflebeem. He declined to elaborate on the targets of the B-52 bombers but disputed that the raids were "carpet bombing" - high-altitude bomb drops that were used in the Vietnam War.

"I think it's an inaccurate term," said Adm. Stufflebeem. "It's an old expression. Heavy bombers have the capacity to carry large loads of weapons, and oftentimes if a target presents itself either in an engagement zone, or when directed, it's possible to release an entire load of bombs at once, in which case the real formal term for that is called a 'longstick,' which has also been called carpet bombing."

The use of B-52s "is part of our campaign," he said. "We do use it and have used it, and we'll use it when we need to."

The use of the B-52s in area bombing raids has followed the arrival in the past few days of U.S. troops who are assisting the opposition Northern Alliance by helping to identify targets and directing U.S. air strikes.

Pentagon officials said the U.S. soldiers have helped make the bombing raids more effective.

U.S. intelligence officials said the Pakistani government of Gen. Musharraf is struggling against internal opposition from hard-line Islamic elements within the military and intelligence service that are sympathetic to the Taliban. "The Taliban is a creature of the ISI," one official said.

Two Indian newspapers reported last month that Indian intelligence services said that Pakistani military-ISI elements were helping the Taliban with military supplies, including aviation fuel and ammunition.

The Pioneer newspaper of New Delhi stated that Pakistan military and intelligence officials are based in Afghanistan and are assisting the Taliban military forces.

The Deccan Herald of Bangalore, quoting a classified Indian intelligence report, stated that the arms from Pakistan to the Taliban were being sent disguised as United Nations humanitarian relief supplies.

Adm. Stufflebeem said Taliban "command and control" - the system used to communicate and direct orders to troops - has been "cut" and "degraded."

"They're having extreme difficulty communicating one to another," Adm. Stufflebeem said. "Mullah Omar is still their leader, their commander. They are still attempting to be able to communicate with Mullah Omar. They are also trying to be resupplied and reinforced, and they're having difficulties in all of that. We believe that that puts a terrific amount of stress on their military capability as their regional commanders, who have been used to a lot of top-down control, may not be getting that now."