| Shucks. My illusions are shattered. I may go into seclusion. Maybe I'll enter a monastery... |
WASHINGTON: The Musharraf regime is "unlikely to evolve into a long-term ally in the war on terrorism," though the United States should seek to "prevent Pakistan from descending into chaos in the short term," according to the Cato Institute, a leading liberal think tank. The Institute set up in 1977 to pursue libertarian values issues a handbook every year for the consideration of Congress and the administration. In its section on South Asia, Cato urges the US to vigorously pursue Al Qaeda and Taliban elements inside Pakistan's territory - "preferably" in cooperation with the Musharraf government - mobilise international support to contain Pakistan's nuclear proliferation and hold it accountable for allowing the export of nuclear military technology, and focus on India as a potential long-term military and economic partner of the United States in the region. Quoting the 9/11 Commission's recommendations on Pakistan that it described as "hard choices," Cato said the United States should commit itself to a period of sustained aid, including military assistance, to Pakistan, but only on condition that Gen Pervez Musharraf proves that he stands for ''enlightened moderation'' by confronting Islamic extremism, curbing nuclear proliferation, and paving the way for the return to democracy. Cato said the "fundamental conundrum" the United States has faced in its dealings with Pakistan both before and after 9/11 lies in the recognition that Islamabad's pre-9/11 alliance with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and its strong ties to radical Islamic terrorist groups helped to create the environment that gave birth to Al Qaeda. However, Cato noted that the 9/11 Commission report portrays Pakistan as "dramatically different" than it was before 9/11. The report implies that the decision by Musharraf to sever his country's links to the Taliban and provide logistical support for the US invasion of Afghanistan marked a dramatic reversal in Pakistan's approach to radical Islamic terrorism.