Musharraf lobbies OIC chief on West Asia plan

The Mines (Malaysia), Feb 1: Pakistan President PervezMusharraf lobbied the head of the Islamic world's largest groupingtoday to back his idea for Muslim nations to come up with a new WestAsia peace initiative.

Musharraf, who began his diplomatic push with a surprise visit toIndonesia yesterday, met Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah AhmadBadawi, who chairs the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC),later that night and again today.

Later, both men spoke in support of the idea of bringing Muslimnations together to come up with a new approach to ending the violencein the Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

''This is a process of consultation towards a fresh initiative,''said Musharraf, whose trip to two of Asia's biggest Muslim nations waswrapped in secrecy and surprisingly light security.

''There's no harm in adopting a new approach and trying forsuccess,'' he added. ''At the moment ... things are deteriorating,worsening. What one can try is to convert this downward slide towardsupward momentum, towards resolution of disputes.'' Musharraf, whoseized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, is seeking to takethe lead in West Asia diplomacy and bolster his international standingin the run-up to a general election due sometime between November andJanuary 2008.

But in travelling to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslimnation, and to Malaysia he was taking more than political risks:Musharraf is a target for Islamist militants and has survived at leastthree assassination attempts since he brought Pakistan into the US-ledwar on terrorism in 2001.

New Stratergies

Malaysia's premier said he hoped Musharraf'sefforts would lead to a meeting of Muslim nations where the causes ofWest Asia conflicts could be discussed and new strategies devised.

But Abdullah noted that, so far, efforts within the OIC, whichgroups 57 Muslim nations, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement and theArab League had failed to bring about an improvement in the West Asia'shot spots.

''The situation continues to be at a stage of great concern for usand violence seems to escalate instead of stopping,'' said Abdullah,standing beside Musharraf at a hotel south of Kuala Lumpur. Both menlooked relaxed, wearing batik shirts.

''It is my hope, as it is his hope, that we will be able to meetin a bigger group and examine further the causes and the reasons andwhatever that is associated with the West Asia situation,'' Abdullahadded.

Musharraf is pushing himself toward the front row of West Asiadiplomacy at a time when his ally, US President George W Bush, ispolitically weakened, his Iraq and West Asia policies under attackwithin a Democrats-controlled Congress.

Musharraf has not elaborated on the grouping of ''like-minded''Muslim nations he is trying to assemble, although he has said KingAbdullah of Saudi Arabia was also being consulted.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after meetingthe Pakistani leader yesterday that, to achieve peace in the West Asia,''we need to achieve greater dialogue and consultation and a role oflike-minded Islamic countries''.

He added that Indonesia would hold an international meeting of Muslim clerics to discuss conflicts in the Islamic world.

Last week, a Jakarta official said Indonesia wanted to hold aspecial meeting with Hamas this year aimed at helping end internalrifts between the Palestinian ruling group and other factions.Yudhoyono made no mention of this yesterday.

Reuters>