Military

DATE=10/08/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-281506

TITLE= MUSHARRAF / AFGHANISTAN / L

BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE

DATELINE= ISLAMABAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Pakistan's president says the military campaign against

terrorism in Afghanistan should be short and once it ends no

government should be imposed on the Afghan people. V-O-A's Jim Teeple

reports from Islamabad, the Pakistani leader says only

terrorist-related sites in Afghanistan are being targeted and that the

Pakistani people back his decision to support the alliance against

terrorism.

TEXT: Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, says the

military campaign in Afghanistan is being targeted at what he calls

terrorist camps. He says no Pakistani land-facilities are being used

by the alliance partners to strike at terrorist-related targets in

Afghanistan, but that Pakistan is allowing its air space to be used.

General Musharraf says he has received assurance the military strikes

will be short, targeted and aimed at avoiding civilian casualties.

In his first comments since the strikes began Sunday, he told

reporters in Islamabad how he would like the campaign to proceed.

// MUSHARRAF ACTUALITY //

An ideal operational scenario is a short, sharp-argeted action

followed as fast as possible through a very balanced political dispensation and

rehabilitation effort.

// END ACTUALITY //

General Musharraf says he was informed of the initial strikes well in

advance. He says the strikes will probably continue, for the time being but that he believes most terrorist targets could be eliminated within days.

He says the strikes will damage the Taleban militarily and could

create a military and political vacuum inside Afghanistan. General Musharraf, warned the opposition northern alliance not to try and exploit the situation for their own gains.

// MUSHARRAF ACTUALITY //

Now, after this action, certainly one can imagine there will be a void in

the area controlled by the Taleban and this is 90 percent of the

country where the majority Pashtuns live. Now, if this void is filled

by the Northern Alliance with all their supposed military assistance that

they get from various countries. I think we will return to anarchy and

the atrocities and the criminal killing of each other again.

// END ACTUALITY //

General Musharraf says the majority of Pakistani's support the allied

effort. He says violent extremists who do not can easily be

controlled.

// REST OPT //

Pakistan's leader also says he does not believe Taleban forces will

remain strong enough to mount a protracted guerrilla war against the

allied forces fighting terrorism.

// MUSHARRAF ACTUALITY //

If the targeting is proper and successful it will lead to an acceptance

of a political dispensation to the benefit of all Afghans. I think

this is the scenario that will emerge, and not the scenario where they will

move into the mountains and start guerrilla warfare the whole of

Afghanistan. I do not think that is the scenario on the ground in

Afghanistan.

// END ACTUALITY //

But General Musharraf also cautioned that, once the military strikes

against terrorism in Afghanistan end, the world must turn its

attention to the causes of terrorism, which he described as a sense of

deprivation and powerlessness. He says the unsettled disputes around

the world that give rise to terrorism need to be settled in a just and

fair manner. (Signed)

neb/jlt/wd