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Bush and Musharraf - The greater evil and the lesser evil!

Iqbal Latif - 1/21/2008

The hatred of the two unite Liberals and Extremists with equal zest and enthusiasm

As Pakistan security forces today arrest teen suspect in Benazir’s assassination, I contemplated that politics is always a match between the greater evil and the lesser evil. The greater good and lesser good are never a part of politics. Post poignant and tear-jerking tragedy of BB’s callous murder, the political leadership of the country, instead of joining in unison to condemn the perpetrators of the murder, tried to implicate Musharraf and his regime with absolutely no regard for the consequences or repercussions of a conspiracy theory that such a tragedy could hold for Pakistan. It was a typical display of political opportunism and to trade political advantage over her death. The events are unfolding whereby it is conclusively being shown that the real architects of crime were Alqaeda and the efforts to politicise her murder were a wretched mind’s exercise to gain political mileage. Politics over her dead body was not limited to treacherous Pakistani politicians, it extended much beyond the borders; the global outcry and initial reaction was outrageously anti-Musharraf. In democratic and liberal echelons, the new policy of ‘appeasement’ and talk with 'cohorts' of OBL work plans out far better if Mush, as an ally of Bush, is implicated as an inefficient and inept dictator who failed to save her, therefore these conspiracy theories are further encouraged and Alqaeda connection is watered down.

The pictures of the sharply guillotined head of the bomber/and killer were released within 24 hours. A tape recorded conversation of Baitullah Mehsud and the field operators congratulating each other on a very successful operation was also released.

BM: Congratulations to you, were they our men? MS: Yes they were ours. BM: Who were they? MS: There was Saeed, there was Bilal from Badar and Ikramullah. BM: The three of them did it? MS: Ikramullah and Bilal did it. BM: Then congratulations. MS: Where are you? I want to meet you. BM: I am at Makeen (town in South Waziristan tribal region), come over, I am at Anwar Shah's house. MS: OK, I'll come. BM: Don't inform their house for the time being. MS: OK. BM: It was a tremendous effort. They were really brave boys who killed her. MS: Mashallah (Thank God). When I come I will give you all the details.

The recording in Pushto as released...1

Certain names were mentioned as the killers’. The connection of these ruthless killers to Alqaeda’s Baitulah core group was rubbished by the Pakistani politicians as a cheap ploy. Everyone, including the world media, tried to implicate Musharraf into it. By accepting Alqaeda hand in BB’s murder, the liberal western press felt that they indirectly strengthen the hands of Bush coalition, as war against terror appeared defensible.

Any icon of secularism and democracy rising in the nation of Islam is systematically eliminated. The ‘killing of hope’ carries a lot more political mileage within USA. BB represented hope for a nation at a crossroads. Her Alqaeda-led elimination justifies continued campaign of smoking Alqaeda out of holes. If proven that Alqaeda was behind her murder, it would justify continuous vigil and follow up of the war on terror. Those neocons still working on dismantling an ‘unholy alliance’ of Alqaeda get a new martyr and a new heroine post 911. (Only allegorical reference, no literal comparison)

Implicating Musharraf helps the liberal cause and sells well. A dictator supported by an inept Bush screws up again - the line that was sold post-BB murder. The Pakistani politicians who authored the script of conspiracy, with their own resentment against Musharraf, joyously went singing along this line of thinking. But now comes the big thaw. It appears that Pakistani government’s version was right and every one seems to agree.

In a US election year, in a bizarre perverted demonstration and rare unity of political expediency with Pakistani politicians like Jamaat Islami, even the western liberals joined hands with ideological foes and feverishly avoided putting the callous cold-blooded murder of BB in Alqaeda’s account. The extreme aims of the two converged on the one-point agenda: to implicate the bespectacled dictator. It is like Shiite Iran supporting arch rivals Sunni Alqaeda to settle scores with USA in Ambar province. The same Iranian arms are then later used to kill and maim Shiite districts, but to get the bigger evil, the lesser evil [of elimination of Shiites in Baghdad] is affordable collateral damage for the Iranian clergy.

In a similar dishonorable conduct like Iran’s clergy that was displayed by the western media, the telltale signature of Alqaeda on BB’s murder script was watered down too. The western liberal media in its haste to discount an ally of Bush and trash Bush support of 10 billion dollars to Pakistanis as “money wasted,” they inadvertently joined hands with the extreme rightists like JI who wanted to protect the skin of their next of kin Alqaeda from certain elimination by the Pakistani Army. Public outcry and rage against the extremists, if rightly directed, would have given the Army a carte blanche for the next few years against the extremists; that opportunity was lost to ‘political convenience’ across the board. An army action with 100 percent support of people has a different impact and result. BB, even from her grave, would have been most instrumental in wreaking havoc on extremism and militancy that she hated.

The identity of the network is now being established. Security officials in North West Frontier Province said Saturday they arrested a teenager allegedly involved in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto last month. The suspect, 15-year-old Aitezaz Shah, told investigators he had been part of a five-man squad deployed that day in Rawalpindi, a senior intelligence official said requesting anonymity. In Islamabad, however, a government spokesman said he could not confirm the official's claim. The names Bilal- Badr-Ikramullah were repeatedly mentioned in the taped message, most probably picked up by F16 planes NAVIGATION systems flying over Bannu area. Interior Ministry spokesman, Jawed Iqbal Cheema, said he had no information about any arrests in the area allegedly involved, or about any new developments in the Bhutto case.

The intelligence official said Shah told investigators that the team of assassins had been dispatched by Baitullah Mehsud. Benazir died when one member of the squad, whom Shah allegedly identified as Bilal, fired at her and detonated an explosive vest as Benazir was leaving an election campaign rally in Rawalpindi. A senior district police officer in Dera Ismail Khan, a town 280 kms southwest of Islamabad, confirmed Shah's arrest and said the suspect had made ''a sensational disclosure.'' The officer requested anonymity. Shah was arrested Thursday in Dera Ismail Khan with another militant identified as Sher Zaman, according to both officials. The intelligence official said that Shah had told investigators he was supposed to carry out a suicide attack on a mosque there Sunday during the Ashura, and that Zaman was going to provide him with an explosive vest. Shah named the man who assisted Bilal in the attack on Benazir as Ikram, the official said.

What the Pakistani rank and file should ask themselves is whether our nation deserves such cold-hearted and pitiless attitude towards a calamity of such colossal proportions?

How can we survive the consequences of conspiracy theories? The lack of trust of authority and government is mind boggling?

Who is responsible for derailing the Pakistani economy and confidence? The huge losses have led to a budgetary deficit exploding from 4.55% of the GDP to 6.5% that will lead to enormous borrowing from the central bank and will add to higher interest rates. Insurance losses of 250 billion-plus will need to be paid by the national exchequer. This will all add up to a new bout of inflation, slowdown of economy and loss of jobs.

The tasks of the incoming government have become twice as bulky. It is only the reckless who make their own job difficult; a government-in-waiting should not just look for votes, but make sure when they enter the government and take over a state, the economy stays in full swing and the exchequer remains full to the brim.

Governance is difficult business and those responsible for ‘politicisation of her murder,’ riding on huge sympathy votes and anti-Mush rage, will definitely win this election. But mark my words, the situation they have created by allowing conspiracy to take hold and creation of division will make the next government’s task very difficult. What a way to go making their own job harder!

By encouraging conspiracy and doubts to implicate Mush, they have now sown the seed whereby when in the government, they will face similar challenges. The real culprits who want to subvert Pakistan and make it a ‘religious caliphate’ have been given a clean slate by a bunch of very ‘secular imprudent people.’ The real murderers can now cherry pick their leaders to eliminate and still get away with all this carnage.

Only the party in power after the new elections will undergo serious challenges from all this ineptitude and power lusty gamesmanship post-BB murder. The political leadership of our country remains inept, futile and totally power hungry with no idea of penalties emerging from dreadful results of political expediency. Regretfully, one more time, short-term gains to catch on sympathy votes led to compromises that will paralyse the future government as they tackle the tentacles of huge Alqaeda presence. No one will ever believe if their opponents are eliminated, the seed of distrust has so innately been sown. For Pakistanis, most unfortunately, one who is in power is never to be trusted - BB, NS and now Mush - face this predicament. Those who wrote the script to incriminate Mush and the government in this atrocious crime forgot that they will tomorrow run this country and face the same enemy of equally ferocious wrath.

Let’s avenge her youthful death that came at the hands of vandals at our doors. Can we all unite to eradicate this cancer of fanaticism and radicalism amongst us? The real war starts now. Let’s get rid of these elements of extremism amongst us.