In an article in the Asia Times Online, Syed Saleem Shahzad claims that Musharraf has given NATO the green light to cross the border into Pakistan. Shahzad’s claims are pretty far reaching. Read this passage….
KARACHI – Since last September, North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Afghanistan have been pressing Islamabad for the right to conduct extensive hot-pursuit operations into Pakistan to target Taliban and al-Qaeda bases.
According to Asia Times Online contacts, NATO and its US backers have gotten their wish: coalition forces will start hitting targets wherever they might be.
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf is expected to make an important announcement on extremism during an address to the nation in the next day or two.
The ATol contacts in Islamabad say that coalition intelligence has pinpointed at least four centers in the tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan from which Taliban operations inside Afghanistan are run. These bases include arms caches and the transfer and raising of money and manpower, the latter in the form of foot-soldiers to fight with the Taliban-led insurgency.
Operations inside Pakistan might be carried out independently by the United States, probably with air power, by Pakistani forces acting alone or as joint offensives. In all cases, though, the US will pull the strings, for instance by providing the Pakistanis with information on targets to hit.
Musharraf has apparently already told his military commanders, the National Security Council and decision-makers in government of the development.
If Shahzad is not just blowing smoke and Musharraf has really agreed to this one wonders what pushed Musharraf over the edge? Is it the problems with the Red Mosque? Did Cheney threaten to stop the flow of money if Musharraf’s did not do more to help?
I doubt Musharraf will be able to hang onto power if NATO starts crossing the border. But then, I doubt that Musharraf will be able to hang onto power for long no matter what he does. So maybe Musharraf is willing to take the gamble. Or maybe Shahzad is lying through his teeth.