ET`S face facts once and for all and stop living in denial. It is unfortunate, but not surprising given the staggeringly delusional outlook of many in this country, that the deadly assault on the PNS Mehran airbase in Karachi has engendered a plethora of conspiracy theories even before the matter has been fully investigated. As is nearly always the case, the finger of blame is being pointed at the usual suspects: the United States, India, Israel or, in more vague terms, `foreign elements`. To their credit, the government and military brass have made no such public claims — at least not yet anyway. Instead, it is some political figures, egged on by certain television anchors, who are refusing to acknowledge the very real presence of the enemy within. For them, almost every act of terrorism is the work of outside forces that wish to `destabilise` Pakistan in nebulous ways or, more specifically, seize our nuclear assets. It could be that such statements are meant solely for public consumption, and short-sighted political gain, in a country where anti-Americanism has picked up even greater pace in recent weeks.
The militants who attacked the airbase knew about a key `blind spot` and how to gain access to the premises without early detection. Also, they fired on vehicles used to evacuate US and Chinese personnel from the base, which suggests that they may have known in advance of their presence at PNS Mehran. Though nothing has been confirmed as yet, such calculated moves imply that an inside job cannot be ruled out at this stage. It is up to the military and civilian authorities to launch a thorough probe into this aspect of the incident and establish the facts. But if insider knowledge did indeed facilitate the attack, it is far more likely that the sympathiser within, if any, would be passing on information to local militants rather than any `hidden hand`.
Also consider the fact that the Pakistani Taliban, who most would agree are not American, Indian or Israeli agents, have claimed responsibility for the attack. Then there is the reality that foreign militants come to their Pakistani counterparts for training, not the other way round. Our recent bloody history of suicide attacks on mosques, schools and bazaars, not just military installations, leaves no doubt that the enemy lies within, not without. Clearly, there is no shortage of diehard local terrorists who wish to `destabilise` the country. It is time we collectively shook off this state of denial. Otherwise, we will not be able to devise a common strategy to fight militancy and terrorism.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/26/state-of-denial.html