A HREF="http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/02/24/timfgnusa01001.html?999">Link.

The secret service is concerned about the safety to our esteemed president if he visits Pakistan. Should he go?

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 24, 2000

Answers

Link

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 24, 2000.

February 24 2000 UNITED STATES

Clinton 'at risk' in Pakistan

FROM IAN BRODIE IN WASHINGTON

THE Secret Service fears that President Clinton's life will be in danger if he visits Pakistan next month, according to a report published yesterday. A top-level meeting was held at the White House yesterday to consider whether Mr Clinton should add Pakistan to his itinerary when he visits India and Bangladesh on a trip starting on March 19.

The Pakistani security service had been heavily infiltrated by anti- American militants and there was a threat from Islamic extremists in Afghanistan, a senior US official said.

The report expressing concerns about Mr Clinton's safety if he does go to Pakistan appeared in The Washington Times, which has a noteworthy record of bringing intelligence issues to light.

According to its account, American officials also worry that information on procedures to protect travelling Presidents could be used by terrorists with a global reach to threaten not just Mr Clinton's life, but also those of future American leaders.

The official explained that the host government provides 95 per cent of the protection for a presidential visit, while agents from the Secret Service provide only the last 5 per cent.

"It's where their security people interact with ours that they can learn about our methods, techniques and secrets," the official told The Washington Times. There was no official comment from the Secret Service.

The official claimed that Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence agency, known as ISI, had been working for years with anti-American groups such as Harakat-ul Mujahideen, which is on the State Department's list of terrorist groups. The group is suspected of hijacking an India Airlines jet last December, an action that led to one of its leaders being freed from an Indian prison.

The ISI is also said to have dealt for years with Osama bin Laden, who is now in hiding in Afghanistan and is wanted for the bombing of an American army barracks in Saudi Arabia and the bombings of two American embassies in Africa, all with heavy casualties.

Mr Clinton had hoped that a visit to Pakistan might help to end its 50-year battle with India over Kashmir. He has the support of nine fellow Democrats in the Senate, who wrote to him yesterday urging him to include Pakistan in the hope of making progress on Kashmir and controlling the spread of nuclear weapons. But Mr Clinton would need to explain to Americans why he was visiting a country ruled by a military junta that overthrew an elected civilian Government last October.

India cannot understand why Mr Clinton is even thinking of going to Pakistan. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Indian Prime Minister, has suggested that Washington should declare Pakistan to be a "terrorist State".

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 24, 2000.

Link.

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.

Mad Monk: Should he go? YES!! And let me be the first to offer to drive him to the airport.

-- Daisy Jane (deeekstrand@access1.com), February 24, 2000.

Swell. Clinton as martyred leader (sound of someone being noisily ill).

Dustin Hoffman as Little Big Man talking to Col. Custer: Col. Custer: What are these savages doing? (referring to his Indian Scouts)

Little Big Man: They're singing their death song...getting ready to die.

Col. Custer: That's absurd! There are no Indians left, sir! There ARE no Indians down there!

Little Big Man: You go there, General...if you believe there are no Indians, you go there-if you've got the balls!

Col. Custer: I WILL sir! Forthwith! And you shall accompany me!

-- chairborne commando (what-me-worry@armageddon.com), February 24, 2000.

The only reason I would say NO is that if yes, then some Secret Service EPS boy or gal will have to give his/her life to keep him alive. This would be an incredible waster of talent.

Joss

-- Joss metadi (warhammer@Pride.of.Mandeyne), February 24, 2000.

Hell yes! Send him with my compliments to the Harakat-ul Mujahideen!

-- Powder (Powder47keg@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

Pakistan at Risk from Clinton.

Remember Greece?

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 24, 2000.

YES! And I hope he drives around in a convertible too...

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.