Squeezed by UN sanctions and a continuing
drought, Afghanistan fears another U.S. attack on the hideouts of
Osama Bin Laden. U.S. officials suspect he was involved in the
bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen earlier this month.
Although there are no signs that Washington plans to attack
Afghanistan--despite some CNN reports quoting unidentified officials
who say the Pentagon is looking at the option--both its people and
their rulers are paranoid. They still remember the 1998 midnight attack
when American missiles hit inside Afghanistan. Washington said it had
traced the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which
killed 224 people, to Bin Laden, a Saudi national who took refuge in
Afghanistan in 1996.
Washington, has coaxed and coerced Afghanistan's ruling Taliban to
hand over Bin Laden for trial, but to no avail. The Taliban consider Bin
Laden their guest and refuse to budge. "Osama cannot carry out such
activities from the Afghan territory," said a statement from the Taliban
government last week.
Now, U.S. officials are once again pointing fingers at Bin Laden, vowing
to retaliate for the bombing of the Cole in Yemen. People in
Afghanistan and also Pakistan expect the U.S. to take this opportunity
to bombard Afghanistan again.
"There is no reason for the United States to hurt the innocent people
of Afghanistan," commented an official at the Afghan embassy here.
"We should not be the target--we want to live in peace under an
Islamic system."
Washington's October 24th decision to put its forces on high alert in
the Gulf and Turkey only strengthened the fears. "An attack seems to
be on the American agenda--and such an attack is possible before the
forthcoming U.S. presidential elections," commented retired Gen.
Hamid Gul, who headed Pakistan's premier Inter Services Intelligence
agency during the Afghan war against the Soviet Union.
Gul argues that an attack would work to the Democrats' advantage. "An
attack on enemies of the United States would be a perfect media coup
by Democrats against the Republicans," commented another analyst.
But the possibility has not gone down well among religious parties and
right-wing extremist groups in Pakistan. Amid a wave of
anti-Americanism in Muslim countries, after Washington refused to
condemn Israeli use of excessive force against the Palestinians,
Islamic groups are adopting aggressive postures against the United
States.
A news agency based here--Asian News Network--has even run a
statement from Bin Laden, warning Washington against an attack on
Afghanistan.
"The dream to kill me will never be completed," Bin Laden is quoted by
the news agency as saying. "I am not afraid of the American threats
against me. As long as I am alive, there will be no rest for the
enemies of Islam. I will continue my mission against them."
The Taliban, however, denied that Bin Laden issued any statement,
saying he has no contact with the outside world.
Even the most progressive of Pakistani newspapers have advised
Washington to desist from any adventurism in the region. "This lets
the steam out but does not solve the problem of terrorism. If
anything, it only steels the resolve of those who have scores to settle
with the U.S. They then lie in wait to strike again," the
English-language paper The News said in an editorial.
"It is supreme irony that most of those who are now threatening
American interests are Washington's former allies who were funded and
even armed by the CIA," the newspaper noted.
Most critics here advise against isolating the Taliban and other Islamic
groups, saying the U.S. should instead try to engage them in
negotiations and resolve differences. U.S. hardball tactics, they
believe, would only strengthen the Islamic groups and fan the
anti-American hatred that is fast becoming popular in this part of the
world.
"A majority of the people looks down at the United States as the root
cause of all their problems. Hatred and revenge are becoming popular
themes. Americans should try to change that," commented a
newspaper columnist.
The United States is fully aware of the prevailing anti-American
sentiment. It has advised U.S. citizens in many Islamic countries to
take precautions. Embassies and information centers in many countries
were closed after the attack on the USS Cole coincided with its open
backing of Israel against the Palestinian intifada.
"Washington should officially confirm that it is not going to attack
Afghanistan. It shouldn't penalize the people of that country, already
living a miserable life, for the alleged crimes of one individual," said
Nadeem, a local journalist.
An aggressive American stand on the Bin Laden issue could be deadly.
If Washington decides to fire missiles into Afghanistan, it will only lead
to holy war. A news agency here quoted a Taliban spokesman: "An
attack on our country will be viewed as an attack against Islam--it will
draw a severe response."
Pacific
News Classics: Afghanistan
Pacific
News Focus: Palestinian-Israeli
Relations