Asia Times - The War on Terrorism

By July-August 2001, it was clear that something dramatic was about to happen. Pepe Escobar, our "Roving Eye", was
traveling in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. The rumor was that US forces were about to use Pakistan to launch a raid into Afghanistan. Escobar's article, published by Asia Times Online on August 30, 2001, was headlined Get Osama! Now! Or else ... Our Karachi correspondent, Syed Saleem Shazad, was meanwhile filing articles like Osama bin Laden: The thorn in Pakistan's flesh (August 22, 2001) ...

New dimension of terror
With militants increasingly adopting precise assaults - such as beheadings - combined with modern communications technology, the maximum damage is exacted on the Western psyche. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 23, '04)

Execution stirs up hornets' nest
If the aim of the executioners of a South Korean contractor in Iraq on Tuesday was to divide and anger South Koreans over the deployment of their troops in Iraq, they have succeeded. Now all the pressure is on Seoul, and it's coming from all directions, including those who want revenge. Seoul is going to have to change its wishy-washy ways. - David Scofield (Jun 23, '04)

Pakistan: 'Through hell' and onwards
Pakistanis are still coming to terms with the killing of Nek Mohammed, who bitterly opposed the presence of Pakistani troops in the tribal areas. And just as he did in life, in death Nek has become a rallying point - even President General Pervez Musharraf is braced for trouble. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 21, '04)

Bush team tries to brazen it out
The most aggressive Bush administration proponents of the theory that Saddam Hussein worked with al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden for years have resorted to the old standby of repetition, blaming the media and epistemological puzzles to defend their position. - Jim Lobe (Jun 21, '04)

Pakistan gets its man - dead

The Pakistani army wanted him dead or alive, and got him dead. Nek Mohammed, who led fierce resistance to the army's efforts to flush out al-Qaeda and Taliban elements from Pakistan's tribal areas, was killed in a raid late on Thursday. Nek's death is a major victory for Islamabad and the US, but it will not go without retaliation. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 18, '04)

US gets cosy with the Taliban's point man

With time running out before November's presidential elections, the US is still scrambling to solve Afghanistan's problems. So who better to turn to than Pakistan's Maulana Fazlur Rehman? The colorful cleric, who has wide experience in building bridges to the Taliban, explains toSyed Saleem Shahzad why the hardline Islamists are needed.(Jun 17, '04)

Credibility at breaking point
Fifty-two percent of Americans (possibly) will be disabused of their views on the Iraq war by the special commission investigating September 11 finding that there is "no credible evidence" of any operational link between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Neo-conservatives will also have some explaining to do. - Jim Lobe(Jun 17, '04)

Telling Bush to beat it

Iraq as the 51st state
Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan, has positioned himself as a virtually indispensable voice in the Iraq debate. A fluent Arab speaker, he monitors the Arab press daily and, drawing on his experience in the region, pulls no punches on the Bush administration's "crazy" adventure. He speaks to Asia Times Online in an extensive interview.(Jun 17, '04)

America's military on the move
Troop cuts in Germany and South Korea are part of a plan to reinvent United States forces worldwide as "globocops", stationed at smaller, more widely dispersed facilities. But while the move might make sound military sense, the political and diplomatic fallout could be immense. - Jim Lobe (Jun 16, '04)

COMMENTARY
Is the US clever enough to rule the world?
US foreign policy has been infected by megalomania, which has brought down other mighty empires throughout history. The US will remain a world power. Whether it will be the world power is another matter. - Ian Williams (Jun 16, '04)

Iraqi dinar: Let the speculators beware
Iraq's currency is plummeting, along with the dreams of the many speculators who raced to pick up the dinar when it was launched last October. But hope springs eternal, and another batch of speculators believes there's a killing to be made. (Jun 16, '04)

US terror report misses the mark
With its gross miscalculations, the US's highly publicized terror report should set alarm bells ringing worldwide. An analysis of the report's South Asia findings alone contains shocking omissions, leading those who have to deal with the often disastrous consequences of American intelligence and policy with a lot to ponder. (Jun 15, '04)

Divisions over threat in Malacca Straits
Malaysia and Indonesia are resisting US pressure that Americans assist in safeguarding the vital Malacca Straits sea trade route, saying this will only raise the possibility of maritime terror attacks. Singapore, meanwhile, is taking no chances, and plans to rope in Japan, South Korea and India to help keep the waterway safe. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 15, '04)

Fighting maritime terrorism

New twist in the Afghanistan story
The world's interest in battered, bruised and divided Afghanistan might have cooled in the wake of the US invasion over two years ago, but the country's tragic story continues to unfold. Now, the US television networks are back. Something must be in the air. (Jun 15, '04)

Sovereignty and Saddam
A series of attacks on officials has put Iraq's interim government under intense pressure just two weeks before Washington is scheduled to hand back sovereignty. And then there's the problem of handing over Saddam Hussein. (Jun 15, '04)

COMMENTARY
Rebuild or retreat: America's dilemma
After the lessons of Iraq, the US faces the option of either rebuilding its military power or retreating into a more defensive posture. Either way, though, advocates of the two paradigms face the same requirement - a strong army - in order to fulfill their strategic designs. Look for the crunch to come after November. (Jun 15, '04)

How America can win the intelligence war

The late president Ronald Reagan's CIA chief, Bill Casey, knew that if you want intelligence, first you start a war. In other words, if you apply enough pressure, you'll find out who the enemy is, what it wants, and how it might be defeated. This is what America needs to do now, instead of misguidedly trying to wage war on "terrorism".

Al-Qaeda cell caught in US squeeze
The US has clearly set its sights on eliminating al-Qaeda and jihadi elements sheltering in Pakistan's tribal areas. To get the job done, Washington has placed relentless pressure on Islamabad and its army. Unexpectedly, perhaps, this pressure galvanized a strong al-Qaeda cell in Karachi into revealing its hand, leading to many of its members being arrested. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Jun 14, '04)

Iraq a vote loser for Bush's European allies
One after another, the White House's closest European allies have been pummeled at the polls. Britain's ruling Labour Party came an unprecedented third in local elections, and did even worse in this weekend's European Parliament vote; Italians also dealt their pro-Bush premier a blow. With regime changes imminent, thenbsp;to the Taliban, explains to/EM/FONT/B shadow of Iraq has become a big, black cloud. - J Sean Curtin (Jun 14, '04)

SPEAKING FREELY
Fear and favor: Australia-Iraq-US equation
Like Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar before him, Australian Prime Minister John Howard - apparently endorsed for re-election by George W Bush - could pay a heavy political price in upcoming elections for his support of the Iraq war. But regardless of political stripe, Australians worry about another Spanish connection: a Madrid-style terror attack by Islamic extremists. - Rich Bowden (Jun 14, '04)

COMMENTARY
Bush has no one to blame but himself
Just how pivotal will be the call by a group of former American diplomats and military officials - that President George W Bush should be "defeated in November" for his national security blunders - remains unclear. But they certainly have no doubt where Bush's problems begin - and end. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 14, '04)

Saddam and his old buddy Ronald
In the 1980s it was expedient for Ronald Reagan's administration to actively court Saddam Hussein and turn a blind eye to Saddam's chemical warfare against his Kurdish population, as a senior Iraqi officer at the time recalls with some fondness. (Jun 14, '04)

Reagan's legacy in Afghanistan, Pakistan

Kurds want autonomy, nothing less
Officials, including United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, are falling over themselves to allay the fears of Iraq's Kurds, who are angered over this week's UN resolution on Iraqi sovereignty, which omits any reference to their autonomous status. It is action, though, not words, that the Kurds want. (Jun 11, '04)

COMMENTARY
Drifting toward multi-polarity
In the wake of Washington's unilateral Iraqi misadventures and the resulting loss of credibility, two foundational models for global power relations are making a comeback - multilateralism and multi-polarism. China, India and Russia already are taking advantage of the change. (Jun 11, '04)

Good news boosts Bush - a bit
A new poll taken after the administration of George W Bush finally enjoyed some relatively good news, both on the economy and on Iraq, shows him still lagging behind his Democratic rival John Kerry, though not as badly as before. But November is still a long way off. - Jim Lobe (Jun 11, '04)

Warning shots for Musharraf

While a no-nonsense top officer was the target of Thursday's assassination attempt in Karachi, he was chosen as a sacrificial offering by the perpetrators to get their message across to President General Pervez Musharraf that not everyone is marching in step with him. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 11, '04)

Pakistani army: Hunter and hunted
Pakistani troops are once again in action in the South Waziristan tribal area. Unlike their previous bloody incursion in March, though, the target is not so much foreign fighters but rather a key Pakistani resistance commander. Over 1,000 miles away in Karachi, one of President General Pervez Musharraf's most trusted aides survived an assassination attempt in which at least six people were killed, illustrating in the most violent way possible that the army has itself become a target. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 10, '04)

Second round: Worse than the first

Under fire in Karachi

SPEAKING FREELY
Kurdistan: No more Mr Nice Guy
In failing to recognize Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, despite the region's long-standing support for the US-led coalition, the new United Nations resolution has dashed the hopes of Kurds worldwide. But the Bush administration may be in for a surprise, as Kurdistan's new motto is "no more Mr Nice Guy". - Ahmed Karadaghi (Jun 10, '04)

Bush just doesn't get it ...
Given the Bush administration's record in Iraq, its stated intent to democratize the Middle East will be viewed as just another "ploy" by Washington to subjugate the Arab Middle East: democratic change in the region must come from within, or through dialogue among friends. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 10, '04)

Malaysia's tightrope act
Malaysia's decision to reject US forces in tackling "terrorism" in the Straits of Malacca, where most have not forgotten the legacy of past US military involvement, reflects the thin line America's 10th-largest trading partner must walk, reports Anil Netto. Others argue, notes Ioannis Gatsiounis, that a concrete plan to address rising anti-Western sentiment appears to have gone missing from Malaysia's counter-terror strategy. (Jun 10, '04)

Fear and fanaticism

Fodder for anti-Americanism

Iraq anger in India's city of courtesy
Known for its fine manners and exotic cuisine, Muslims in the Indian city of Lucknow are angrily warning British and American visitors to stay away from their sacred shrines, in protest against the US-led war in Iraq. And there is not much the Delhi government can - or will - do about it. - Siddharth Srivastava (Jun 10, '04)

US seeks war crimes immunity, firms sued
The United States is going to the UN Security Council again, this time to renew a resolution granting its troops immunity from war crimes prosecution. The timing could be better, coming on the heels of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal and in the same week that alleged torture victims are suing two private security firms. (Jun 10, '04)

Saudi Arabia and its 'creeping militancy'
The recent violence in Saudi Arabia directed at foreigners is widely attributed to al-Qaeda. But the severely rattled House of Saud is the more likely target of a "creeping militancy" that threatens the very roots of the royal establishment. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 9, '04)

John Kerry's sucker Saudi punch
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry continues to perfect an anti-Saudi Arabia routine that offers cost-free shots to President George W Bush's solar plexus. If Kerry really intends to win the race, however, he should consider pulling his punches. - Ashraf Fahim (Jun 9, '04)

Iraq: A perplexing predicament
Turkey is becoming increasingly strident in its criticism of almost-ally Israel over Palestine. This does not help Ankara's relationship with Washington, just at a time when the US needs Turkish cooperation. And then there's the matter of Iraq's "sovereignty". As the Iraqis say, al-wad' ash-shadh - a perplexing predicament. - K Gajendra Singh (Jun 9, '04)

Northern Iraq: Calm like a bomb
By its short-sighted, ad hoc approach to Iraq's complicated situation, first using the Kurds and then casting them aside, the United States may have sealed both its own and Iraq's fate: it has let loose a "monster" that will prove impossible to contain. - W Joseph Stroupe (Jun 8, '04)

The dangers of a US civil-military divide
No exit strategy, no war, was the doctrine adopted by the US military after the lesson of Vietnam. The Bush administration, however, dragged the military into Iraq, and told it to stay for the "long haul". Now, military personnel are taking their case outside the confines of the political leadership, marking arguably the lowest point in civil-military relations since the days of Robert McNamara. - Sadi Baig (Jun 8, '04)

India and the interim mess in Iraq
India's Congress party-led government has found itself at the receiving end of a major courting campaign by the United States, hoping to obtain New Delhi's support in Iraq. But as the government depends on the support of the left for its survival, Washington has its work cut out. - Sultan Shahin (Jun 8, '04)

Torture: Another blow for Rumsfeld?
With the publication of a classified Pentagon report providing legal arguments to justify abuses and torture against detainees in US custody, comes further ammunition for those who believe that easing the rules governing interrogations was a top-level policy decision. - Jim Lobe (Jun 8, '04)

More intrigue as Tenet quits CIA
Central Intelligence Agency director George Tenet's desire to leave the job has been known for some years. But the timing of his exit has caught Washington by surprise, especially after riding out the storm over his "slam dunk" case that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. So why go now? - Jim Lobe (Jun 4, '04)

COMMENT
The first domino falls
Undoubtedly, faulty intelligence has been a major factor in the Iraq debacle, and that in itself is good enough reason for George Tenet to quit. But many others are just as culpable. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 4, '04)

COMMENT
Iraq tests US's Asian friends
The US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq has put Asian governments, especially those with an interest in good relations with Washington, in a difficult position, and things are not getting any easier. But the US needs the long-term support of Asian allies such as South Korea and Malaysia, and now is the time for it to make the required moves. (Jun 4, '04)

Pakistan's forgotten al-Qaeda link
It took the September 11 attacks for America to finally present Pakistan with a stark choice regarding its support of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. What will it take for the US to effectively confront Pakistan about its nuclear freelancers, jihadi army officers and their ties to terror outfits? - Kaushik Kapisthalam (Jun 3, '04)

Troubled Karachi being held randsom

The easy explanation of the recent violence in Karachi is to dismiss it as sectarian strife. There is more, though, to events in Pakistan's commercial hub: Washington's exasperation over Islamabad's inability to deliver "high-value targets" in the tribal areas, and the ability of the US-favored Muthahida Quami Movement to create mayhem in the city. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 3, '04)

The rout of the neo-cons
In the past month, the US neo-conservative retreat has turned into a massacre, particularly with reports of their former protege Ahmad Chalabi's coziness with Iran, and just as important, senior military officers indicating that a military victory over the Iraqi insurgency is not possible. - Jim Lobe (Jun 3, '04)

Iraq, US, and the Israel connection
(Jun 1, '04)
It's business as usual
Conn Hallinan argues that the crisis in the Middle East is not a clash of civilizations, less so a hijacking of American foreign policy by the "Jewish lobby": it's business as usual - oil business.

SPEAKING FREELY
Creating a 'secure Israel'
Erik Zielinski analyzes possible mechanisms of the link between US policy in the Middle East and Israeli interests, with some help from Leo Strauss, the father of US neo-conservatism.

Dropping the sovereignty baton
The post-June 30 government being assembled for Iraq is likely to be as unknown and unpopular within the country as the now defunct US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council. And now the Kurds in the north are getting restive. - K (Jun 10, '04) Gajendra Singh (Jun 1, '04)

Iyad Allawi: A premier for all reasons
Iraq's prime minister-designate, former Ba'athist and ex-military man Iyad Allawi, will not only have to prove that he has the capability to run the country, but also that the United States is not pulling his strings. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 1, '04)