> > An "orange revolution" in a Muslim state could lead
> > to chaos and a threat to the stability of a whole
> > region that is important for Russia. > >
> Any revolution in a Centralo Asian country would
> likely be green, not orange. It would be a bonanza for
> Pakistan.
Even worse scenario is Musharraf being overthrown by Al-Qaeda sympathisers in the Pakistani army. Musharraf has already survived narrowly three assasination attempts in less than two years. See news report "Army officers behind assassination bids: Musharraf" below.
Just imagine bin laden in control of Pakistani nukes.
Ulhas
The Hindu
News Update Service
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Army officers behind assassination bids: Musharraf
Islamabad, May 27.(PTI): In a startling revelation, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said junior officers of Army and Air Force were involved in attempts on his life in December last and the suspects have been captured, but the "mastermind" who planned the attacks was still at large.
Those captured would soon face an open trial in a military court, he said in an interview to private 'Geo' TV channel telecast today.
"The mastermind who thought of the idea and planned, he is still at large. We will get him. We know who he is. He is very much a Pakistani," the General said while declining to reveal his identity on the ground that it would be "compromising a lot" with the investigations.
Asked why the mastermind has not been arrested, he said, it was because he was "very clever.... But we will get him."
In March, Musharraf had said a Libyan member of al-Qaeda was behind the attacks.
Officers from junior levels
Musharraf said the people who were involved in the plot against him were from the ranks of the Army and Air Force.
"People in uniform are from junior level. They are from Air Force and Army. But they are very small in number," he said while ruling out the involvement of any top military brass.
The President said the first attempt on December 14 by blowing up a bridge at Rawalpindi shortly after his motorcade had passed was carried directly by the accused military personnel.
They, however, were not directly involved in the second attempt a few days later in which two suicide bombers driving explosives-laden vehicles attempted to ram into his convoy at different places in the garrison city, he said.
The President was unhurt but 16 people, mostly policemen, were killed. The attackers were later identified as Islamic militants. One of them was a member of Jaish-e Muhammad and hailed from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Musharraf said he survived the first attack in which the bridge was blown up by high power explosives because of electronic jamming equipment.
Money as motive
He said some military personnel took part in the attempts against him not because of religious convictions but for money.
"Some are there for not because of religious motivation but because of money."
Asked whether he was concerned of any involvement by senior personnel in attacks against him, Musharraf said he was 200 per cent sure no senior military official was involved. About the trial, Musharraf said those captured would be tried in a military court.
"We are going to start their trial by the way. Soon it will be a trial by a military court. It will be open but it will be in a military court and whole nation will see it," he said.
Musharraf's revelation followed unconfirmed reports in Pakistani media that six Pakistani army personnel were being interrogated by the ISI.
The reports identified the six as Colonel Abdul Khalid (General Headquarters), Lt Col Abdul Ghaffar (Headquarters, Army Aviation Command), Maj Muhammad Adil (General headquarters), Maj Muhammad Rohail (2nd corps), Maj Attaullah (2nd Corps) and Captain Uslman Zafar (Mujahid Battalion).
The six army officials reportedly had links with al-Qaeda and one of its Pakistani subsidiary Harkatul Mujahideen al-Alami (HMAA) which has been blamed for the recent violent attacks in Karachi, including yesterday's twin car bomb attack.
The names of the six Army officials were circulated by Pakistani media for a while, but the reports did not link them to assassination attempts against Mushsarraf.
Surprise revelation
Musharraf's latest accusation that military personnel were involved in attacks against him came as a surprise as last month he accused the al-Qaeda of trying to kill him.
In a hard-hitting speech to a gathering of 500 tribal elders in Peshawar last month, the President said a Libyan man had a role in both attempts on his life, and one of his associates was under arrest.
He said the Libyan suspect had given about USD 30,000 to a Pakistani man who recruited militants to carry out attacks.
In his interview, Mushrraf said the state power was needed to stop such attacks but at the same time he added that it was also important to "address the social issues that cause some people to indulge in such activities."
The General said two types of people were involved in terrorist attacks -- "those misled by religious extremists and those doing it for money."
On the role of Pakistani security agencies, he said he was satisfied with performance of law enforcement agencies, which have tracked down and arrested those involved in attacks on him.
Musharraf also said he has not yet taken any decision on whether to quit as Chief of Army by the end of this year and added that he would decide about it later this year.
Copyright © 2004, The Hindu.