Pervez Musharraf
<p>Nov 13, 2010 09:29 AM
 
former Genl M.  was head of Pakistan for 10 years from 1999 to 2008 when he
stepped down.
 
I just heard  former Pres. Musharraf speak before the Atlantic Council.
Exclt speech - concise - exactly hit the key points.
 
His moderator quoted someone as saying that being an ally of
the United States is like living on the banks of a great river:
every 4 years it changes direction and either floods you or leaves you
high and dry.
 
Musharraf (M)  first related hx of US/ Pakistan relations:
1979 to 1989:  US was allied with Pakistan to fight the Soviets
in Afghanistan.  We waged war  (Jihad I call it) against the Soviets.
Called Jihad in order to attract mujhedeen fighters to wage war against
Soviets:  25-40,000 of them  from all over Moslem  world.
In 1989 with the fall of the Soviet Union,  the US was victorious and
therefore left.   The mujahedeen took over in Afganhistan and formed
the Taliban  (that was blunder #1).  From 1989 to 2001, when we left
Afghanistan,  Kabul was like Somalia ...  a failed state, chaotic,
no one in charge... that's when the Taliban gained ascendancy.
 
(his decision to join up with the US was due to his realization that
if not Pakistan, then US war planes wud be flying with Indian war planes
from India ...  so,  India cud easily attack  Pakistan or destroy key
assets in Pakistan.   Therefore,  Mushar.  decided to allow US
to attack Afgh. from Pakistani soil.)
 
Next following 2001 Pakistan again became of importance to the US
and I decided to allow US attacks against Afganistan  by US from Paki
soil.  The US was rapdly victorious militarily,  but then made blunder #2.
Most of Afghanistan are Pashtuns  but the US backed a govt that was
formed by the Tajiqs... a tiny minority.  The alienated Pashtuns were
disenfranchised and were driven into the arms of the Pashtuns.
blunder #2.
 
Kashmir:  Is still of tremendous importance to Pakistanis.  It has been neglected
by US as far as negotiations are concerned.  When  India wins in that region,
it drives Moslems into the arms of the relig. extremists.
 
Pakistani bomb.  This was a compulsory move by Pakistan in order to
maintain parity (bal of power ) with India:  India  became a nuclear state in 1974.
Pakistan could not maintain conventional balance and therefor was driven to doing that.
 
Drones:  are v unpopular with Pakistanis...  big collateral damage.
 
Must deal with Taliban from position of strength.  People in this part of the
world, view wavering and talk as cowardice.  All that counts is strength.
Can only negotiate peace from a position of strength.
 
Q:  his rx for winning the war:  must recruit tribal leaders:  they have fought for
decades;  every tribe has an armory and takes great pride in its weapons.
 
 
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