THE news that President Asif Ali Zardawi of Pakistan had been due to dine at the Marriott hotel in Islamabad on the night that it was destroyed by a terrorist attack makes the threat to the Pakistan nation all the clearer and more serious.
Apparently the President changed his plans at the last moment but whether by chance or because of some sort of warning is not clear. Many public and private buildings in a city like Islamabad are virtually impossible to protect from attacks of the kind carried out last Saturday evening, no matter how carefully observed are security measures. The kidnapping of Afghanistan's ambassador-designate to Pakistan in Peshawar yesterday was another warning of the growing confidence of terrorists. If the Marriott attack is a forerunner of other outrages Pakistan's future will be bleak. A huge effort will be needed by the security services to bring terrorist groups under control but the problem is that those services themselves cannot be relied upon in all cases. There is disaffection caused by resentment of America's role both in Pakistan's politics and its military role in relation to Afghanistan. President Zardawi, who is relatively inexperienced in his position, has an appallingly difficult line to walk - he needs US funding and support but the more he is dependent on it the greater will be the unrest among tribesmen and Islamists in urban areas. An already difficult situation is compounded by the impending US election and uncertainty that may follow from that.