Musharraf the Liar

Submitted by Arun (United States), Sep 21, 2005 at 21:52

Not sure all the URLs work after all this time, but here is what I wrote in April 2004:

e.g., http://www.dawn.com/2002/01/16/top8.htm

"ISLAMABAD, Jan 15 {2002}: The ban on five militant organisations announced by President Gen Musharraf in his speech was notified by the interior minister under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, here on Tuesday.

The proscription orders issued to all the four provincial police departments and Islamabad capital territory police entailed a number of measures, including sealing of the office, freezing of accounts and seizure of all of their literature, posters, banners and other projection materials.

It said publication, printing or dissemination of any press statements, press conference or public utterances by or on behalf of or in support of a banned organisation would also be prohibited.

The notification contained names of Lashkar-i-Taiba, Jaish-i-Mohammad, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan and Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi. It also mentioned that Sunni Tehrik had also been placed under observation. "

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In an interview with an Australian TV station
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/index.php3?archive=1&artmon=4&arty=2004#

here is what Musharraf the Honorable said:

MARK DAVIS: Yes, but what they are specifically saying on the banned groups, they're saying, "Well, you have banned them, but you haven't done much else. " That they have been renamed, they have been reformed, very few arrests, very few serious crackdowns - so they are just challenging the perception that you re actually doing anything, fairly or unfairly. One of the groups you have banned is Lashkar-e-Tayiba. One of their graduates is of interest in Australia - Willie Brigitte was recently discovered in Australia, allegedly with plans to blow something up, again it's widely believed and according to that ICG report, that Lashkar-e-Tayiba is still functioning in Pakistan. Now, you may say these groups aren't threatening Pakistan, but they are threatening other countries. Is it acceptable that they can survive in any form?

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: Lashkar-e-Tayiba has not been banned, this has not been banned. Lashkar-e-Tayiba is not threatening anybody. Who has told you that they are threatening anybody? It is Jaish-e-Muhammed which threatens and Jaish-e-Muhammed is banned.

MARK DAVIS: Willie Brigitte, who is now in French custody, allegedly had plans to. . .

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: Who?

MARK DAVIS: A man named Willie Brigitte, he's now in French custody. He said he was trained by Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Pakistan, he was discovered in Australia, apparently with plans to blow something up. There's another Australian, David Hicks, who is now in Guantanamo Bay. He trained with Lashkar-e-Tayiba. He says that he was given training by the Pakistani army in Kashmir. So these groups do seem to be growing rather beyond any Kashmiri or any Pakistani issues.

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: It is very clear as far as we are concerned. Let's leave Kashmir aside. In Kashmir there is a freedom struggle going on and the people of Pakistan are emotionally involved with it. This is a 50-year-old dispute and we better resolve it politically. Let's leave that aside. We don't think there is any terrorism going on there. Now if anybody is carrying out terrorism around the world, we certainly are against it and we would like to act against it. Now the name that you are taking, frankly I don't know about that.

MARK DAVIS: I might just clarify that - it might be a pronunciation problem of mine - Lashkar-e-Tayiba - I mean this is not a banned group?

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: No, no, no, this is certainly not a banned group.

MARK DAVIS: They are on a watch list, though, you've put them on a watch list have you?

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: Yes, yes.

MARK DAVIS: So they are on a watch list but they are not banned?

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF: No.

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Why such a blatant lie?

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