One of the core precepts of "tough-guy" foreign policy as practiced by the Bush-Cheney administration is the need to send consistent, clear messages to America's enemies. This precept is the basis for their claim that criticism of their devastatingly dangerous policies strengthens our enemies.
So it is certainly remarkable when General John Abizaid, the Combattant Commander of Central Command, responsible for the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, makes a public statement undercutting efforts of both President Karzai of Afghanistan and NATO. Both are trying to pressure General Musharraf of Pakistan to stop his intelligence agency from supporting the Taliban against the Afghan government, NATO, and the US. Yet the Associated Press quoted the Pakistan government as saying:
"(Abizaid) particularly lauded the role of Pakistan's intelligence agencies in the anti-terror campaign, and said their cooperation was crucial in thwarting plots and apprehending most-wanted terrorists."
Just two days after Abizaid's visit, however, British Lieutenant-General David Richards, commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan, is paying a visit to Musharraf with a rather different message. According to London's
Sunday Times:
THE British general commanding Nato troops in Afghanistan is to confront Pakistan's president over his country's support for the Taliban.
Among the evidence amassed is the address of the Taliban's leader in a Pakistani city.
Lieutenant-General David Richards will fly to Islamabad tomorrow to try to persuade Pervez Musharraf to rein in his military intelligence service, which Richards believes is training Taliban fighters to attack British troops. He will request that key Taliban leaders living in Pakistan be arrested.
The evidence compiled by American, Nato and Afghan intelligence includes satellite pictures and videos of training camps for Taliban soldiers and suicide bombers inside Pakistan.
Captured Taliban fighters and failed suicide bombers have confirmed that they were trained by the Pakistani intelligence service, known as the ISI. The information includes an address in Quetta where Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader, is said to live.
Musharraf is meanwhile defending himself from these charges with his usual contempt for the facts. According to Pakistan's daily Dawn, Musharraf recycled to Abizaid a piece of misinformation he also used in a September 27 interview on NPR's Morning Edition. He quoted the September 11 report on Afghanistan of the UN Secretary-General as saying:
"The insurgency is being conducted mostly by Afghans operating inside Afghanistan's borders."
He did not call attention to the next sentence:
"However, its leadership appears to rely on support and sanctuary from outside the country."
"Outside the country" is UN-ese for "Pakistan."
Let's hope that General Musharraf does not quote General Abizaid against General Richards.