The terrorists who killed 11 Frenchman in Karachi, using a car bomb outside the Sheraton Hotel, selected a target that could lead to their undoing. The Frenchmen were engineers overseeing construction of a submarine for the Pakistani Navy; the bus that became their tomb was marked with the navy’s initials. In the wake of the attack, the French government has withdrawn its submarine personnel. That’s a blow to Pakistan’s military establishment, on top of the humiliation of failing to protect its guests.
In essence, the terrorists attacked an institution—the military–that, once roused, can play a key role in closing them down. Before the attack, General Pervez Musharraf hadn’t done much to crack down on terrorism. Most suspects arrested in recent months have been released; outlawed groups merely changed their names. Crucially, Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the ISI, which is far more powerful than the police, was not terribly interested in going to war against fundamentalists it supported before 9/11. The government’s attitude seemed to be, Don’t bother us and we won’t bother you.
The government has been bothered. Its war on terrorism might now involve action rather than words.
