Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat

Pakistan's President Tells 60 Minutes The Country Is In A Battle To Survive

(CBS)  This story was first published on Feb. 15, 2009. It was updated on May 29, 2009.

Of all the challenges facing President Obama, none is more difficult to solve than the basket case that is Pakistan. The Muslim nation - whose support is critical to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan - is not only broke and on tenterhooks with its arch enemy India, it is now at war with Muslim extremists inside the country who are trying to destroy the government of President Asif Ali Zardari.

As 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft first reported in February, the growing insurgency run by the Taliban and al Qaeda is threatening the stability of a key U.S. ally that is believed to have as many as a hundred nuclear weapons.

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How do Pakistanis feel about U.S. drones operating within their borders? CBS News' Farhan Bokhari heard some differing opinions in Islamabad.

Also, read 60 Minutes producer Draggan Mihailovich's account of traveling into Taliban territory.

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For all of its 62 years, the government of Pakistan and its military have been obsessed with one thing: India, the enemy next door to the east with whom it has fought three wars. And every day for 50 of those years its soldiers at one of the border crossings have stared down their Indian counterparts, as their flags are raised and lowered.

But the biggest threat facing Pakistan today comes from within, from its lawless tribal territories on the western frontier, where the Taliban and al Qaeda were allowed to regroup and carry out attacks against U.S. troops across the border in Afghanistan, and now against the Pakistani government.

During the past year, Islamic extremists have launched more than 600 terrorist attacks inside the country, killing more than 2,000 people. One suicide bombing last September, at the Marriott Hotel in the capital of Islamabad, killed 60 people just minutes away from the presidential offices, now occupied by a very unlikely leader, Asif Ali Zardari.

Asked how important it is to stop extremism, President Zardari told Kroft, "It’s important enough. I lost my wife to it. My children's mother, the most populist leader of Pakistan. It's important to stop them and make sure that it doesn't happen again and they don't take over our way of life. That's what they want to do."

Zardari's late wife was Benazir Bhutto, who was supposed to be leading the country. But the former prime minister was assassinated, most likely by the Pakistani Taliban, after returning from exile 17 months ago. Until then, Zardari had spent more time in prison on corruption charges than he had in government service.

But parliament elected him president last fall, and he has spent much of his time dealing with the Taliban insurgency that has spread across the countryside. "They do have a presence in huge amounts of land in our side. Yes, that is the fact," Zardari acknowledged.

North of the capital, in an area known as Swat, the Taliban have seized control, terrorizing villages and imposing Islamic law. Beheadings are common, signs in the market place read "no women allowed," and a few months ago the Taliban blew up five girls schools.

"Right now, you have a situation in the Swat area. It’s only three hours from Islamabad where the Taliban is very strong there," Kroft remarked. "How did that happen?"

"It's been happening over time. And it's happened out of denial. Everybody was in denial that they're weak and they won't be able to take over. That, they won't be able to give us a challenge. And our forces weren't increased. And therefore we have weaknesses. And they are taking advantage of that weakness," Zardari explained.

For years, the Taliban were permitted to operate openly in the border regions of Pakistan. Their leaders even held news conferences. The government was unwilling to take them on politically or militarily. Now Pakistan is facing a monster it helped create, and has been forced to act. It's deployed 120,000 troops to clear the Taliban from their sanctuaries.

60 Minutes went with them to one of the most dangerous places in the world, the border area adjacent to Afghanistan's Kunar province, the Princeton of international terrorism, where many believe al Qaeda's top leadership is being hosted by the Taliban.

We landed in a place called Bajaur, a district in the tribal territories that sits astride a major Taliban infiltration route and the scene of the Pakistani military’s biggest offensive ever against the Taliban and al Qaeda. Gen. Tariq Khan is the commander of Pakistan's forces in the tribal territories.

"We considered Bajaur to be the center of gravity, from where the militants had access to Afghanistan," Khan told Kroft.

Asked what the fighting was like there, the general said, "We had to fight compound to compound. And every inch, we had to take a hit."

Khan told Kroft he was surprised by the enemy's numbers and their intensity. "The kind of tenacity. The need to hold onto ground. There were no surrenders. As much as people willing to die."

It took the Pakistani military five months of heavy fighting to gain a fragile foothold over an area about half the size of Rhode Island. When 60 Minutes was there in January, there was still sporadic sniper fire as the frontier corps cleared out the last pockets of resistance.

[mishi_1682]

does any one knw about babar gul of gul houses

[esaun211]

Poor Pakistan, caught in the middle of one group of terrorist that want women face covered, dumb, and subject to public beat downs; while the other group of terrorist gone kill, maim, and rape them in the liberation process(strategic mishaps). Muslims need to convert to Christianity so they can get a better understanding of why Jesus wants us to have their oil; besides they should of got the message the first time we came crusading on horseback.

[Mirza-G]

Recently a friend of mine was thrown out with his family,at gun point, of his home in Karachi by Architect and Engineer's Society at Blk 19 Gulistan's e Johar by the controlling land mafia Babar Gul who has an office there.When my friend contacted someone he knew in intelligence in pakistan, he was told that nothing can be done asZardari may be getting some of the proceeds .He reminded my friend :don't you remember Zardari as mr.10%? So my point is ,if the President of a nation is thought to take the wealth by any means then what is to become of that nation.Only an act of God can save the helpless people of Pakistan.

[mishi_1682]

do u knw any thing more about babar gul ... plzzz email me at [e-mail]

i m his victum tooo

[rockerrb]

I would like to respond to some criticism coming from that high level US government official about the way Pakistan is waging war with the taliban. I commend Pakistan on their efforts. I think they are waging war the only way they know how and are doing the best they can at it. I think their efforts are long overdue. Maybe some of the billions of dollars we've sent them in foreign aid are finally starting to do some good. I think that they are committed to it and they see that the taliban are a big threat to their own country. You can't negotiate with terrorists.

[ajjaxtheleast]

Of course India would NEVER think of sending a little
grease into Pakistan to make the Taliban machine
operate a bit more smoothly,,,

And Russia would NEVER think of sending a little
something into Afghanistan as payback for the
Stinger missles we sent into
THEIR Afghanistan adventure.

We're making enough enemies that we could become the
buffalo trying to fight off a pack of dogs.

Zardari is here delivering ,now, OBAMA'S message.

Doesn't it bother anyone that after 7 years and not being able
to leave our "victory" in Iraq we are now headlong into
it's sequal in Afghanistan displacing 2-million people and
our errant missles AGAIN killing citizens?

The answer is "no" because we have no imagination,,,

Misery elicits no mental image in our minds,,,

We dont even make an effort to imagine what 2-MILLION
of ANYTHING is let alone 2-million displaced PEOPLE dieing
along the way in their attempt to escape from our remedy to
solve a problem in THEIR country that will ease our
"war" in yet another country.

Is there ANY crime that uttering the word "terrorist"
wont make acceptable?

[rallyafag]

Posted by exusmcsgt at 06:34 AM : Feb 16, 2009
+ report abuse

*****

REALLY DOUBT YOU ARE A MARINE..

[rallyafag]

They thought we would juggernaut right through Afghanistan and Iraq and, 7 1/2 years later, we''''re still there and fighting an uphill battle.....

Posted by exusmcsgt at 06:34 AM : Feb 16, 2009
+ report abuse

***********
I wonder why you are an ex soldier?????

[rallyafag]

It is also the purpose behind religion - shut down the individual''''s own thought processes so that they can be dictated to and accept it willingly.

Posted by exusmcsgt at 06:36 AM : Feb 16, 2009
+ report abuse

*****gotta give it to religion though..it kept you from extinction

[ubir]

The 12 minutes does not portray the origin of Taliban. Pakistan and the US created this monster in 1980''s to fight the guerrilla war against the USSR in Afghanistan. The Pakistan army and the ISI helped build, train and provided heat seeking missiles and other equipments. It is a known fact that US lost inventory of many of these missile launchers that are still used by Taliban. After the war, Pakistan kept patronizing them for their means to fight Kashmir. Now when you breed a monster using your official machinery (Pakistan intelligence and military), how can you just walk away when ideologies and sympathy are deeply embedded into the Pakistan military. Just because Taliban killed the president%u2019s wife and he wants to root out Taliban, it doesn%u2019t mean all of the army who helped build Taliban share this view. But it is definitely a progress that Pakistan has openly admitted to this after decades of denial.

[exusmcsgt]

This is the problem with religion occupying so much of ones life. It tends to direct people in directions they should never go.

Posted by j45453 at 09:20 PM : Feb 15, 2009

It is also the purpose behind religion - shut down the individual''s own thought processes so that they can be dictated to and accept it willingly.

[exusmcsgt]

Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat
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As did Bush/Cheney, obviously.

They thought we would juggernaut right through Afghanistan and Iraq and, 7 1/2 years later, we''re still there and fighting an uphill battle.....

[welshwoman-2009]

George Bush had nothing to do with this part of the country being a disaster due to differences in religious believes. They''ve been at war with each other for centuries. Get a life.

[pirmin3]

"Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat"

DOH!! I hate it when that happenz.

[mysteriousjz]

ok... half of this video is propaganda. I know both the "worlds" very well.

Once you started killing one, all stood to defend their people. Thus, every person up in arms is now a "Taliban" and "Militant" depending on what "political cause" you are favoring. Moving right along, the so called "Talibans" when American interest is at stake and "Militants" when Pak govt. is at odds, simply can not take over the Pakistani govt. So, as it seems and widely believed that US is behind the scene that is pushing the *** govt. to kill as many of these people as possible for "US interest." So, the accusation that "Taliban" are taking over *** govt. is probably false and self-serving propaganda.

Moving to the next part of the story, people all over the country, linked by common religion, beliefs, and humanity are furious and do not support the govt. at all-it is not just "Taliban" not liking the govt now.
Basically, they wholeheartedly blame the US as big SATAN behind their brethren carnage. Obama! it looks like you are doofus-You already broke your speech promise; you "are the enemy!"

ALso read

pachtoon.blogspot.com for some insight

[nmrosen]

Thank George Bush for this MESS!! Iraq was the WASTE. it redirected the real war on terror. The Taliban initially defeated regrouped and now have huge influence in Pakistan as they assassinated Bhuto the only hope for the west. The worry was ALWAYS as the experts said PAKISTAN with its 100 nukes and extremists at the door of its power. But no Georgey didn''t concentrate on the REAL war he empowered Shiites and gave Iran a huge boost...so smart...what a guy. Historians will judge him a genius I THINK NOT. In my book he''s below Buchanan AND Filmore at least then nuclear weapons that could wipe out the planet were not the risk. Thanks, George for NOTHING! Maybe Obama will know how to handle this beast ask the Russians they know what Afghanistan and it''s tribal borders mean!

[crescentgirl]

you cannot get rid of islam..the only thing you can do is water it down.. Posted by inDaMiddle.

*************************************************

inDaMiddle, Islam is not the problem. It is extremists and intolerant people such as yourself that are the problem. If people were not so quick to point a finger at others, we probably would have a more peaceful world.

[brantsudd]

Why haven''t any of the journalists and other intellectuals who report on this topic referred to Bernard-Henri Levy''s book "Who Killed Daniel Pearl"-2003? As time goes by, Levy''s book appears to be more factual than originally thought. See this reference:
http://knight.stanford.edu/lectures/panels/2004/levy/index.html
Then go buy this book and have a very interesting read. Let us know what you think. Brantsudd

[j45453]

The only way to break the extremist hold on the people of Pakistan is by education, but there is no easy way to accomplish that. If the people do not know any better they will continue to support radicals of any religious faith. This is the problem with religion occupying so much of ones life. It tends to direct people in directions they should never go. God would never intend for his creation to be so divided and hate each other so much.

[excelsior9]

What do they expect? The Taliban has had years to restructure and join forces in Pakistan for years. Pakistan wouldn''t allow the US to pursue them on their soil and they sure as hell didn''t.

[sioux4life1]

Wellll DUH! Oh gosh what a wake up call huh? NOT!