KARACHI The US has to achieve victory in Afghanistan or risk the establishment of al-Qaeda sanctuaries there that could threaten Pakistan and even India, former president Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday.
Speaking to ABC News in an exclusive interview, Musharraf warned that a US pullout would destabilise Afghanistan and the wider region.
'The country (Afghanistan) will become the centre of all al-Qaeda sanctuaries and consequently could extend its influence into Pakistan and possibly even India,' he warned.
Musharraf urged the President Obama to comply with US General Stanley McChrystal's request for more troops in Afghanistan.
'I think you should take it immediately. You should have taken it yesterday,' he told the US news channel.
The former Pakistan president was commenting on leaked reports in which the chief US commander warned that Western countries risked 'failure' in Afghanistan if more troops were not sent.
Musharraf agreed with the assessment, saying he 'absolutely' believes there need to be more troops in Afghanistan. 'The space is too large and your troop level is low,' he said.
He also said that the US needs to be prepared to face higher casualties in order to achieve victory.
'We must avoid, as much as possible, casualties. But when soldiers move and armies act, casualties will be there, and we should accept casualties,' Musharraf said.
'We have to win,' the former general said. 'And quitting is not an option.'
US victory possible
Musharraf also rubbished the idea that Afghanistan was a 'graveyard of empires' and the US was doomed to face defeat there.
'There's always a first time and we are better equipped,' he said.
He also pointed out that the Afghan resistance was not being supported by 'the whole world' as it was under when the Soviets invaded the country.
Mining the Pak-Afghan border
Calling the situation in Afghanistan 'an unusual war,' the former general recommended the mining of Pakistan's border in Afghanistan, an idea he had earlier proposed while in power.
'As far as I'm concerned, we should mine it so that people can't go across,' Musharraf said.
Return to Pakistan
Musharraf was evasive when asked by the interviewer if he planned to return to Pakistan.
'Well, I give thought to what is happening in Pakistan. And I give thought to what the people of Pakistan are desiring, and I also give thought to whether I can do anything for Pakistan,' Musharraf said. 'Collectively, I have to make a decision based on all these three elements.'
On Nawaz Sharif
The former general was very critical of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, calling him both 'abrasive and confrontational.'
'He has never been on good terms with any president of Pakistan, so I don't know what kind of a mental make-up he has. But the man is abrasive against the other power brokers of Pakistan,' Musharraf said.
He called Sharif a 'closet Taliban,' and pointed to his failure to speak out against extremism.
'Even on Pakistan television these days, talk shows are going on saying that he has met Osama bin Laden five times — five times before 9/11 — and he has been financed by Osama bin Laden,' Musharraf said. 'Then the other element is that he never speaks against terrorism and extremism.'
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