Frontline Pakistan : The Struggle With Militant Islam - Arz-e-Pak

Frontline Pakistan
she started reading the paper, General Mahmood replied, ‘They are
all acceptable to us.’ The swift response took Armitage by surprise
and left Pakistani officials flabbergasted. ‘These are very powerful
words, General. Don’t you want to discuss this with your President?’
he asked. ‘I know the President’s mind,’ replied General Mahmood. A
relieved Armitage asked General Mahmood to meet with Tenet at his
headquarters at Langley. ‘He is waiting for you,’ said Armitage. 8
General Mahmood looked glum as he was driven to Langley for
a crucial meeting with the CIA officials. He later grumbled about the
high-handedness of American officials. He was not at all happy with
the terms for cooperation with the USA, which he had acceded to a
few minutes previously. He looked like a general who had just lost
a battle. Meanwhile, Ambassador Lodhi returned to the Embassy,
from where she faxed the paper to President Musharraf in Islamabad.
General Mahmood stayed in Washington until 16 September, discussing
Pakistan’s role in the ‘war on terror’ with American officials. But it was
apparent that he was not keen to see that role implemented.
On 13 September, Wendy Chamberlain, the newly appointed US
ambassador to Islamabad, met with Musharraf and conveyed a formal
message from President Bush with the same list of demands which
had earlier been handed over to General Mahmood in Washington.
It read:
1) Stop al-Qaeda operations on the Pakistani border,
intercept arms shipments through Pakistan and all logistical
support for bin Laden.
2) Blanket over-flight and landing rights for US planes.
3) Access to Pakistan’s naval bases, air bases and borders.
4) Immediate intelligence and immigration information.
5) Curb all domestic expression of support for terrorism
against the United States, its friends and allies.
6) Cut off fuel supply to the Taliban and stop Pakistani
volunteers going into Afghanistan to join the Taliban.
7) Pakistan to break diplomatic relations with the Taliban
and assist the US in destroying bin Laden and his al-Qaeda
network. 9
The same evening, General Musharraf made a statement assuring
the US President of his unstinting cooperation in the fight against
terrorism. He declared Pakistan would commit all of its resources in an