New York, Nov 10: Retired Army Major General
Mahmud Ali Durrani, a key player in Pakistan's security policy
has said that US attacks in its territory are undercutting
Islamabad's struggle against militants and accused Washington
of not providing enough logistics and weapons.
"For example, we need some [more] attack helicopters.
Yet we are told: 'We are looking in our junkyard, and if we
find some, we will repair them and give them to you. But it
will take two to three years.' That's not the way," he said.
"The automatic (US) response is that since (Pakistan)
does not have the capability, therefore so and so should come
in an do it for us. That is incorrect logic because coming in
you become spoilers."
He appeared bitter over what he perceived to be slow
movement on the part of Washington to supply the equipment
Islamabad is asking for.
"We use them all day. We can't use them at night. The
enemy is there all the time. We need the equipment today.
Americans should at least deliver what they have committed,"
he said. Pakistani Army is capable of fighting the terrorists
but lacked certainly capabilities which he wanted the US to
provide, he said in an interview to Newsweek.
Asked whether there was a disconnect between Pakistan
and the United States over the war on militancy with the
United States hitting the areas that Pakistan is not
targeting, Durrani said that the disconnect is inside America.
"It is there, not here. There are some elements in
your (US) security apparatus that think that you have to
(continue drone attacks). So, the disconnect is in
Washington," he added.
"Let me not undervalue what your government and
military are doing for us. But what I am saying is: 'Guys, put
it on the fast track,'" he added. Pakistan, he said, is
committed to fight al Qaeda and Taliban elements which the US
is targeting but it does not have certain capabilities.
The correct logic, Durrani added, is to support
Pakistan to its job. "That is a more cost effective and
efficient system."
Durrani said that everyone was upset over American ground
attack in September and that he had told US National Security
Adviser Stephen Hadley that such attacks were not helping
their cause and hinder his country's efforts to separate good
guys from bad guys.
His assessment, he said, is that the message did
sink in about land incursions but not quite so far as air
strikes with Predators were concerned. The Predator attacks
too are unacceptable, he added.
He said he had told "friends" in Washington that
Pakistan is fighting a war and has one half of the Army deployed
along the Afghan border. "We are on a war footing. But your
(US) supply chain, which is supporting us, is working on a
peacetime basis. You have to support us at much greater
speed."
Replying to a question, Durrani said that it was the
ground incursion that triggered strong opposition to the
United States action. People were also opposed to Predators
strikes but they went on.
However, it was the ground incursion which brought
the whole thing to the forefront. "It had a double-negative
effect. It solidified opposition not only to the ground
incursions but to the Predator strikes as well. That [the
ground operation] was not a very smart thing to do. From our
perspective neither is good for us or for the US," he added.
Ultimately, the decision on Predator attacks will
have to be taken at by incoming President Barack Obama as it
needs clearance at the highest level to go into someone's
sovereign territory. "I have a feeling that Washington is
finally getting the message on the land as well as the
Predator strikes."
Asked about relations between the executive branch
and the Army, Durrani said right now, the relationship between
the Army Chief, the President and the Prime Minister is
outstanding.
"Of course, there is historical evidence that
leads you to ask that question because of the dominant role
the military has played in our lives. One of our good fortunes
is that we have a leader like (Army Chief of Staff, Ashfaq
Kayani who is trying very hard to work under the [control of
the] political leadership.
He is making every effort because he believes in
democracy. He believes in the ascendancy of the political
leadership, and that the military should be a subordinate
department," he added.
Asked about dialogue with the militants, he said if
Pakistan will probably talk with those who are ready to negotiate.
A fine distinction, he said, is necessary as boys in tribal
areas start getting weapons when turn 14 or 15.
That is the tradition. "To them a weapon is a mark of
pride. Asking them to lay down arms may mean more to them that
you can imagine." To a question whether al Qaeda threat in the
tribal area is as serious as Washington says it is, Durrani said
it's difficult to criticise an assessment. "
I don't think they are up there preparing and training
people to go and hit Washington, New York and Chicago. The
tribal area gives them peace and quiet, but it doesn't give
them any communications. You can sit in a remote hut and
contemplate destroying the whole world, but your connectivity
is very poor from there," he added.
Bureau Report