'Idea of the day' trading in and out for profit

[Ike Latif]

About the duration of military operation in Afghanistan, Musharraf said it could be completed in few days if the military objectives are achieved.
Latest from Pakistan..Musharraf said that Afghans were deliberating on these issues and they were planning to hold a convention. “The political strategy should be crystallized as early as possible. If there is any vacuum it should be there to be filled in.”
He said there were saner elements in Afghanistan and every body including Afghans were witnessing what was happening there. “They want an end to their miseries, they have been facing for the last 21 years.”
To a question, the President said he was not aware of the situation inside Afghanistan whether Taliban remained united or not after military operation. But everyone wants an end to the miseries the Afghans have faced since long.”
About civilian causalities in Afghanistan, the President said: “In such a big military operation the possibility of collateral damage is always there. Though the figures being given from inside Afghanistan are exaggerated but there are civilian casualties. We regret that and feel sorry about civilian causalities.”
N. ALLIANCE: About Northern Alliance, the President said it is a grouping of Uzbek, Tajik, Hazaras and Pakhtoon elements and is a marriage of convenience.
“They fought with each other for many years. There is no internal strength in the Alliance. Pakhtoons are always the dominant partners in Afghanistan,” he said.
When asked whether Pakistan created the Taliban, the President said: “It is a fallacy. Taliban are home grown in reaction to the in-fights between the warlords there who butchered each other.”
Another fallacy, the President said, was that Pakistan was providing arms to the Taliban. There were huge left over stocks of every kind of military equipment as the former Soviets had left Afghanistan besides billions of dollars worth equipment pumped in for Afghans to fight against Soviet occupation.
“Unfortunately, these are the fallacies which we could not tackle properly,” the President said.
About the duration of military operation in Afghanistan, Musharraf said it could be completed in few days if the military objectives are achieved.
REHABILITATION: He said the achievement of military objectives in Afghanistan must follow the political process and rehabilitation work in Afghanistan, otherwise there would be vacuum and anarchy.



Iqbal Latif