Musharraf defends war effort, downplays Canadian losses

[CHIMO]

Musharraf defends war effort, downplays Canadian losses
Last Updated Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:27:08 EDT
CBC News

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf told CBC Tuesday that the Canadian military casualties from fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan have been insubstantial compared with those suffered by Pakistan.

Musharraf reacted angrily to the question of whether his government was doing enough to root out the Taliban and al-Qaeda and their sympathizers.

"We have suffered 500 casualties," he said. "Canadians may have suffered four or five."

Musharraf said any nation that enters a war-torn area must be prepared to suffer casualties or get out of the operation.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/09/26/musharraf-interview.html

[daleo]

1. I almost get the feeling Musharraf is goading the west

"Musharraf said any nation, such as Canada, that enters a war-torn area must be prepared to suffer casualties or get out of the operation.

"You suffer two dead and you cry and shout all around the place that there are coffins," he said. "Well, we have had 500 coffins."

....

He dismissed the suggestion that Canadian soldiers could help alongside the Pakistani military in his country, made by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor recently.

"Nobody comes on our side," he said. "I would not like to challenge the Canadian troops, but I can assure you, our troops are more effective and we have more experience at war, and this shows a lack of trust in Pakistan.""

Maybe he wants us out, and this is a way of saying so, without saying so. Essentially, he is calling us crybabies. That's not a smart way to keep on side with your allies.

[CHIMO]

2. Musharraf slams Karzai

NEW YORK—Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's biography has made international waves with its allegation that the United States threatened to bomb Pakistan "back to the stone age" if his country resisted joining the "war on terror."

Karzai's allegations that Taliban get aid and comfort from Pakistan are "ridiculous. We are not supporting anyone," Musharraf said, adding "there is a problem with Pashtuns feeling alienated."

Later, on CNN, he elaborated that Karzai is "purposely turning a blind eye like an ostrich ..." ignoring the Pashtun community that makes up more than half the Afghan population who feel left out of the circles of power.

"He has to balance out (ethnic interests) and he has not been able to do that. Therefore he is trying to (say) that everything is happening from Pakistan."

Several Taliban operations in Afghanistan are not directed by insurgents hiding over the Pakistan border, Musharraf said. "This is a movement going on. This is a Pashtun uprising by the people going on.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159307413183&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467

[Bragi]

3. Nothing new here

The exchange reflects the fact that the war in Afghanistan is tribal.

Nothing new or suprising there.

The only surprising thing is that the Canadian government, for ideological rather than strategic reasons, has ordered Canadian troops to fight on the side side of one particular group of tribal warlords.

- B

[daleo]

4. You said it

We are taking sides in a petty tribal war.