Wrapped With a Bow
Looking a Gift Taliban in the Mouth
By Mark I Posted in Featured Stories | War — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, presented Vice-President Dick Cheney with a gift on his most recent visit to Islamabad this week: the capture of the third highest member of the Taliban hierarchy and the first former Taliban commander captured by Pakistani authorities since the fall of the regime in 2001. Mullah Obaidullah was arrested on Monday, the day of the Vice-President's visit, in the city of Quetta in northern Balochistan province near the Afghan border.
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The man, Mullah Obaidullah, was a senior leader of the Afghan insurgency, which has battled American and NATO forces with increasing intensity over the last year.
He is one of the inner core around Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban leader. The leadership is believed to operate from the relative safety of Quetta, Pakistan, where Mullah Obaidullah was arrested.
It was not clear whether he was picked up before, during or after Mr. Cheney’s visit. But the timing may be significant because Mr. Cheney’s mission was intended to press Pakistan to do more to crack down on members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda who use Pakistan as a sanctuary.
Pakistan has come under rising criticism from American and NATO officials for acting against the Taliban and Al Qaeda only under pressure, conducting operations or making arrests timed for high-level official visits, then backing off.
Pakistan has been straddling the fence for a while now in the war on terror, but Musharraf always seems to come up with a big capture when the heat gets turned up enough. He has domestic concerns that are important to United States national security for sure, however, it is time for Musharraf to understand that he cannot keep playing both sides.
The Administration has publicly expressed great confidence in Pakistan's ability to battle the terrorists within its borders, going so far as to rule out United States military action inside Pakistan just this week. Pakistan has been a valuable ally and has arrested more al Qaeda leaders than any other country. But there have been too many long periods of Pakistani inactivity that have allowed al Qaeda to regroup in its tribal areas along the Afghan border. This is leading directly to US, Afghan, and NATO troop deaths and must stop.
To whom much has been given, much should also be expected. Pakistan received more than $4 billion in United States aid, not counting military aid, last fiscal year, and is slated for another $4 billion this year. One hopes that the Vice-President thanked Musharraf for the present, and then reminded him that the United States' patience is not open-ended, to employ a popular phrase.
Pakistan must continue to act against al Qaeda and Taliban elements in its tribal regions. The steady drip of one or two high profile captures every time the United States prods it is no longer sufficient. Musharraf knows that his future, and that of his country perhaps, is tied to the success of the war on terror. To date, Pakistan has earned a better than average grade, especially for countries in that region. It has the capacity to do much better.
The Administration should make it clear that the time of choosing is now. Either Pakistan will be a full partner in bringing down the Taliban and al Qaeda, or it will continue to be a reluctant observer and sometimes participant. The former choice will cement Pakistan as a long term strategic ally of the United States on a par with India. The latter will necessitate United States military action against terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan, and move her more towards the morass of states in the region that are mired in perpetual instability.