I’ve written a few times in the past about the Al-Qaeda/Taliban takeover of parts of Pakistan and now the Musharraf regime seems in an even more precarious position what with the attempted bombing of the Parliment in which he was about to speak at:
Two rockets rigged with mobile phones and primed to fire toward Pakistan’s parliament were discovered by a construction worker Thursday and safely defused by bomb disposal experts, a security official said.
And the successful bombing near his home:
A bomb exploded in a public park not far from the residence of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, but no one was injured, officials said.
Security forces cordoned off the Ayub Park, site of the blast that went off around 9:30 p.m. in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The park is located little more than a mile from Musharraf’s army residence and about seven miles from the capital of Islamabad. Other senior army officers are housed in the area.
A government statement said a search party found”some explosive material”in the park. It said the blast caused no damage or loss of life.
While at the same time NATO commanders are calling for a get-tough approach with Pakistan since it is obvious to everyone involved that the Pakistani secret service, or the ISI, is helping the Taliban:
Commanders from five Nato countries whose troops have just fought the bloodiest battle with the Taliban in five years, are demanding their governments get tough with Pakistan over the support and sanctuary its security services provide to the Taliban.
Nato’s report on Operation Medusa, an intense battle that lasted from September 4-17 in the Panjwai district, demonstrates the extent of the Taliban’s military capability and states clearly that Pakistan’s Interservices Intelligence (ISI) is involved in supplying it.
Commanders from Britain, the US, Denmark, Canada and Holland are frustrated that even after Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf met George W Bush and Tony Blair last week, Western leaders are declining to call Mr Musharraf’s bluff.
“It is time for an ‘either you are with us or against us’ delivered bluntly to Musharraf at the highest political level,” said one Nato commander.
Syed Saleem Shahzad believes that the successful bombing and the unsuccessful one are warning signals that the Taliban is out for a change in Pakistan:
Two quick warning signals to Islamabad this week convey the unmistakable message that regardless of what Washington or Islamabad might desire, the Taliban are the ones who will decide which carrots and which sticks to play.
Last month could prove to be pivotal in determining the ultimate fate of the Taliban and Afghanistan, and even the United States’ “war on terror”.
The Taliban, after the success of this year’s spring offensive, have drawn up a blueprint for an Islamic intifada in Afghanistan next year in the form of a national uprising and an internationalization of their resistance.
This followed a “peace” deal between the Pakistani Taliban in the Waziristan tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan in which Islamabad agreed to release some al-Qaeda suspects in return for the Taliban stopping cross-border activities.
President General Pervez Musharraf then went to Washington, where he announced that foreign forces in Afghanistan would be given the right of hot pursuit into the tribal areas. He also said the authorities would take action against former army officials associated with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for supporting the Taliban.
That all is not well with this agreement is illustrated by two events this week. First, a missile landed in Ayub Park, the highest-security zone in Rawalpindi, just a few hundred meters from Musharraf’s official residence at Army House. The next day, several rockets apparently linked to a mobile phone for firing were found near parliament in Islamabad.
Asia Times Online has learned that the incidents were a clear show of disapproval in Waziristan over Musharraf’s basking in “Washington’s charm”, and that he had not implemented a key aspect of the peace accord – the release of al-Qaeda suspects – despite numerous promises.
In other words, the Pakistani Taliban are using their own stick to keep Islamabad in line.
I have been on this Waziristan story for awhile now because I believe this will become quite a story in the future. The Taliban are on the march. Musharraf is trying to corroperate with us but as he gives us what we want the Taliban are growing more powerful and dangerous. These two bombings are a sign. The ISI is slowly aligning against him and I see the day very soon that there will be a coup d’état.
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