Double Standard -Syria Gets Threats, Pakistan Gets Jet Fighters

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Monday for a resolution demanding Syria cooperate fully with a U.N. probe into the death of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri or face possible "further action." The further action would almost certainly be economic sanctions - as France and America had originally wanted the resolution to state but caved when Russia, China, and Algeria threatened abstention.

Condi Rice told the UN council that:

"We have affirmed our just demands of the Syrian government -- and made it clear that failure to comply with these demands will lead to serious consequences from the international community."

She told them that Syria had isolated itself and accused Damascus of false statements, support for terrorism and, interference in the region and "destabilizing behavior in the Middle East."

I'm utterly in agreement with the Security Council and Condi on this one and given that agreement have a question that must be asked...

Where's the resolution against Pakistan, Condi?"

Today, India is saying that Pakistan is linked to the weekend bomb blasts in Delhi. An obscure Kashmiri militant group, Islami Inqilabi Mahaz (Islamic Revolutionary Group), claimed responsibility on Sunday for the attacks. Indian security officials and analysts said the group was probably a front for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (Force of the Pure), which is among several Islamist militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is also suspected of involvement in the December 13, 2001 attack on India’s Parliament in New Delhi (possibly as a diversion allowing Osama BinLaden to escape Tora Bora). The US Secretary of State Colin Powell in a notification on December 26, 2001 designated the outfit as a foreign terrorist organistation. This group has strong ties reaching back to the Afghan/Russian war with Pakistan's external intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) as well as with the Taliban and AlQaida. Their reach extends in Iraq too, where Lashkar-e-Taiba cadre provided much of the backbone and expertise to Zarqawi's AlQaida group.

Here we have a nuclear-armed nation backing terrorists who have attempted political assasination and callous attacks on civilians. They have consistently lied and prevaricated about their backing for these terrorists. Pakistan fits exactly Condi's words - yet there is no threat of sanctions, nor UN resolution. President Musharraf is a friend of Bush. Pakistan gets F-16 fighters instead of sanctions.

This double standard is undermining every effort made by the US, UN and the West. It should end and and decisively.