posted on Mar, 22 2006 @ 06:54 AM
Osama And Sharif
Pakistan's role in the tale of
Al Qaeda and
Osama
bin Laden remains a topic of mystery, intrigue and -- undoubtedly -- quite a lot of deception.
What is difficult to deny, however, is that there is an intimate connection between Pakistan and the jihad movements that fuel groups such as Al Qaeda
and its many affiliates.
In this article,
Khalid Khawaja claims that former Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif received political and financial support from Osama bin Laden to defeat
Benazir Bhutto in the 1997 elections.
Considering the controversy surrounding the elections, which had Sharif winning by a surprisingly large majority, allegations of Al Qaeda involvement
add even more suspicion to what was already a shady situation.
Sharif's questionable constitutional maneuvers after regaining the Prime Ministership, including the physical removal of the Chief Justice of the
Pakistani Supreme Court, cast further suspicion on his motives and connections.
Of course, maybe the allegations are false. Some have suggested that
Mr. Khawaja is tied to the
U.S. Republican Party, which implies possible motives for him to make statements that may be calculated to support the political goals of that
party.
But if Mr. Khalid's claims are true, then they add more to the body of evidence which indicates that Al Qaeda is not just a "terrorist group", but
a political organization capable of influencing governments not only with bombs, but with subterfuge.
Food for thought.
(And thank
you, knowledge23)
[edit on 3/22/2006 by Majic]