Attacks Must be Short and Targeted: Musharraf

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf asked the United States and British governments to reinforce "short and targeted" attacks against Afghanistan's Taliban regime, with an immediate and "balanced political dispensation and rehabilitation effort".

During his live televised speech to the press, President Musharraf reiterated that his government had tried every means to ask the Taliban to hand over Bin Laden, the prime suspect of the September 11 terror attacks against Washington and New York, and release jailed international staff to avoid military attacks, but failed. He expressed support the western community to take "short and targeted" actions to those terrorists, not to the country of Afghanistan and its people.

Musharraf said the attacks should be "against terrorists, terrorism, their sanctuaries and their supporters.''

He also warned the Afghan opposition coalition not to take advantage of the attacks.

Musharraf further called on the international community to help mass afghan refugees to rehabilitate and get political dispensed on their land after the attack. Once the military campaign is over, efforts must be undertaken to ensure "the unity, the stability of Afghanistan and bring peace into Afghanistan," Musharraf said.

"An ideal operational scenario is a short, sharp targeted action followed as fast as possible by a very balanced political dispensation and rehabilitation effort," the president said.






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