Qaeda, Taliban made Pak their 'most important base'

 NEW YORK: Noting that the al-Qaeda and Taliban have made Pakistan their "most important rear base", a leading US daily on Thursday said the assassination of former Premier Benazir Bhutto is "yet another horrifying reminder" of how far the country is from democracy and stability.

Bhutto's death, 'the New York Times' stressed in an editorial, leaves the Bush administration with no visible strategy for extricating Pakistan from its crisis or rooting out al-Qaeda and the Taliban which have made the country their "most important rear base."
   
Pointing out that betting America's security and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal on an "unaccountable military dictator" Pervez Musharraf did not work, it said President George W Bush has no option but to fortify Pakistan's badly battered democratic institutions without waste of any time.
"With next month's parliamentary elections (in Pakistan) already scrambled, Washington must now call for new ground rules to assure a truly democratic vote," the Times said.
   
Similar sentiments were expressed in newspaper reports and comments across the US as analysts on TV debated future of the country without any charismatic leader, increasing unpopularity of Musharraf and dilemma of Bush administration what to do next.

They also debated the effect that it would have on the Iowa caucuses scheduled for January 3, stressing it might put candidates with foreign policy experience and credentials for fighting terrorism at an advantage.
   
Describing Bhutto as "flawed and undeniably courageous" leader, the Times said her return had raised hopes that her country might find a way towards democracy and stability.

But with her death, betting America's security and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal on a "back-room alliance" between Musharraf and Bhutto, who had hoped to win a third term as prime minister, is no longer possible.
   
"That leaves Mr Bush with the principled, if unfamiliar, option of using American prestige and resources to fortify Pakistan's badly battered democratic institutions. There is no time to waste," The newspaper said in it editorial.
   
It suggested a "relatively brief delay" in polls to allow Bhutto's PPP party to choose a new candidate for Prime Minister and mount an abbreviated campaign.
   
"Washington must also demand that Pakistan's other main opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, be allowed to run. And it must insist that Mr Musharraf reinstate the impartial Supreme Court judges he fired last month in order to block them from overturning his rigged election," the editorial said.
   
Stating that Musharraf is "stubborn," the Times added the US will need to send the same message to Pakistan's military leaders, perhaps the ex-General's only remaining backers.
   
US, it said, has to rethink more than just its "unhealthy and destructive enabling" of Musharraf. It also must take a hard look at billions it is funneling to Pakistan's military.
   
"That money is supposed to finance the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban," it said. But, as as reported earlier, Washington was lax in monitoring, and much of it has gone to projects that interested Musharraf and the Pakistani Army more, like building weapons systems aimed at America's ally, India.

"Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and the Taliban continued, and continue, to make alarming gains."
   
The US cannot afford to let Pakistan unravel any further, the editorial said. The lesson of the last six years is that authoritarian leaders - even ones backed with billions in aid - do not make reliable allies and cannot guarantee security.
  
"American policy must now be directed at building a strong democracy in Pakistan that has the respect and support of its own citizens and the will and the means to fight al-Qaeda and Taliban. Pakistan is a nation of 165 million people. The days of Washington mortgaging its interests there to one or two individuals must finally come to an end."