thr 012                                                               


Press-US-Attacks   /GNR/                                              


   Daily praises Washington's change of tone                         


Tehran, Sept 17, IRNA -- `Tehran Times' in its editorial on Monday    


praised Washington's change of attitude in the wake of the            


"complicated and mysterious attacks on New York and Washington,"      


that is, from initially "threatening all their opponents throughout   


the world with destruction" to warnings of "we will bring those       


behind the attacks to justice."                                       


    "What are the reasons for such a change of tone and attempts at   


giving a legal appearance to the U.S. military campaign?" it asked.   


    The answer, it said, lies in the "response by some U.S. allies to 


Washington's request for their military cooperation."                 


    "Egypt and Pakistan officially said that they would cooperate     


to fight terrorism only under the supervision of the United           


Nations.                                                              


    "However, U.S. Secretary of State General Collin Powel had        


formerly said that Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf       


had promised him on the phone that the entire facilities of           


Pakistan would be at the service of the U.S. government," the         


editorial pointed out.                                                


    What then is the reason for the discrepancy between the           


government's official position (request for assistance from the UN)   


and Musharraf's private stance on the issue? it asked.                


    Pakistan is facing a crisis at the moment, thinking that it can   


enjoy Washington's aid by joining the U.S.-backed forces against a    


possible attack on Afghanistan, believes the editorial.               


    "The United States once projected bin Laden as a hero to justify  


its interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs through him. But   


today the interests of the U.S. capitalists require that bin Laden be 


portrayed as a devil through U.S. propaganda," it said.               


    But Pakistan will not be able to justify itself before its people 


if it makes a U-turn in policy in support of the U.S. under the       


current circumstances, it believes.                                   


    It predicted that Washington may make a show of force by          


bombarding certain areas in Afghanistan in order to appease the       


American public.                                                      


    The expressions of sympathy for the victims of the terrorist      


attacks does not mean that the world's attitude towards "the US       


bullying and hegemonic policies on the international areana has       


changed," continued the editorial.                                    


    In fact, "the US all-out support for the Zionist regime and its   


crimes has made Washington so hated that even US-allied generals in   


Egypt and Pakistan, fearing their peoples, are not able to openly     


support the US military operations," it said.                         


    The US' planned response to the bombings are running into "serious


obstacles even in the first stage," it said, adding that till now     


"things have not turned out as Washington has desired."               


    "Washington is not basically willing to refer the case to the     


United Nations, since it prefers to remain as the sole bullying power 


in the world," it said. "Without Pakistan's close cooeration, the     


United States would not be able to take any serious measures in       


Afghanistan," it added.                                               


    Hence, "the U.S. would increase its pressure on General Musharraf"


to force him to fulfill what he privately promised to Washington, it  


said.                                                                 


    On the other hand, "If General Musharraf takes the risk of secrety


cooperating with the United States, the events of Afghanistan will    


surely be repeated in Pakistan, and the pro-US Pakistani generals will


not be able to check the increasing hatred (against) the United States


in Pakistan," the editorial predicted, noting that the head of        


Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has flown to the US for  


consultations.                                                        


FH/LS                                                                 


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::irna    11:50