September 6th Had Direct Bearing On September 11th: Breakfast at Lahore

By Seeme Gull Hasan

To the chagrin of my husband, I always forget my wedding anniversary date. In fact, I have been known to mix it up with my engagement date. In this fumble of memories, there is one date that I will never forget—September 6th, 1965.

On that day, before the break of dawn, Indian Army regiments snuck close to the Pakistani border. The plan was to attack from three directions and overwhelm border security forces. From there, the Indian Army would enter Pakistan and occupy the ancient city of Lahore. In fact, the plan called for the Indian Army to enjoy breakfast in Lahore, world renowned for its gourmet offerings. The Indian General himself had announced to his senior officers that the attack was so well planned that it would definitely be a "slam dunk." After capturing Lahore, the Indian General talked of having a peg of whiskey in the city's famous GymKhanna Club.

While Lahorites like me lay sleeping at night, the Indian forces fired their first shots at close range. The small border battalions, who had never prepared or thought any such battle would take place, were completely overwhelmed. Pakistan had always considered the border to be an international line that could not be crossed unless a country had permission from the United Nations. All of those brave border guards passed away as shahids that night, defending the innocent people of Pakistan. Through their valiant efforts, they were able to keep the Indian Army at bay and prevent them from fulfilling their commanders' dream of breakfast in Lahore.

As a teenager, I had no idea what war was. My parents and grandmother knew since, eighteen years prior, they had crossed from India to Pakistan, escaping a holocaust that was claiming the lives of innocent Muslims, who were being killed only because of their religion.

Despite not knowing war before, I learned about it every quickly. I will never forget the terrifying screech of a bomb falling from the sky. I will never forget how my heart sank into my stomach at the sight of a bomb that seemed to be coming straight at me with lightning speed.

The mind blowing sound of a bomb bursting and breaking into little fly away shards. The ground swaying like a 10-point Richter scale earthquake. The dirt flying almost to the sky. I don’t know what's worse—the deathly feeling of imminent danger or the horrific sadness of the widows and children whose husband and fathers have died defending their country.

The 1965 War united Pakistan for the first time; the entire country felt as one heart and one mind. It gave rise to a sense of nationalism that no one had felt before. Every child and adult, soldier or civilian, had only one desire: preventing any future plan for a "breakfast in Lahore." This renewed nationalism led to the development of a nuclear bomb, seen by many Pakistanis as a deterrent to any future invasions.

However, September 6th also sowed the seeds for the tragedy of September 11th, another disaster planned at breakfast for another major city, this time in the West.

In March 1959, the United States and Pakistan signed an Agreement of Cooperation by which the US pledged the "preservation of the independence and integrity of Pakistan" and committed to take "appropriate action, including the use of armed forces, as may be mutually agreed upon . . . in order to assist the Government of Pakistan at its request."

However, then-President Lyndon Johnson, acceding to pressure from Congress, directed State Department lawyers to find loop holes in the treaty, allowing us not come to Pakistan's aid. Thus, the seeds for September 11th were planted.

If the United States had honored its obligations then, it would have been welcomed by the people of Pakistan with open arms. An intervention would have likely led to a permanent base, which would have been accepted by Pakistanis as a deterrent to India, and may have even prevented a nuclear arms race in the region.

In addition, a US presence in Pakistan would have prevented the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Thus –
1. There would have been no need for the CIA to incite Muslims to fight a "jihad" against the Soviets
2. The USA would not have needed to distribute weapons of all kinds to the various Pakistani and Afghan tribes fighting this so-called religious war
3. Pakistan, with the help of the CIA, would not have created the Taliban
4. The US Ambassador to Pakistan would have never given a huge check to Mullah Omar to start a war against the Soviet Union
5. Lastly, there would never have been an Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

If we Americans had only lived up to our treaty obligations, we perhaps would not be fighting this "war on terror" today.

Today, as Americans, we are facing another set of commitments which we must honor. No matter how we may feel about President Bush's "War on Terror," the US now has a commitment to rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's ensure that we don't make the same mistake again. A liberation of both countries will allow the citizens of those two countries to choose their own destinies.

First and foremost, on this anniversary of that horrible day three years ago, let us pray for comfort and strength for the families whose loved ones passed away heroically on September 11, 2001.

As an American Muslim, who has lived during the middle of a horrible war, I feel strongly that United States of America and President Bush had no choice but to go to war with Afghanistan and Iraq. If the US had not embarked on this War on Terrorism, God knows what bigger holocaust would have happened in the future.

In that way, I do have faith that any further 9-11’s will forever be prevented. However, as American Muslims, we will have great opportunities to determine and influence what our country’s policy will be. And I think we all agree that, whether self-appointed or not, America will determine the fate of the Muslim World. Whether Afghanistan will be re-built, along with Iraq; or whether the two countries will continue to fall into the hands of dictators.

I know what happens to countries that are afflicted by holocausts, and my heart bleeds even more deeply over such things, because I know the kind of pain and torture that families go through within these horrible situations. Thus, I encourage us all, as American Muslims, to be mindful of how much power we all hold with just one vote in each of our hands. While President Johnson may not have had the luxury of a large American Muslim electorate, President Bush and his Congress most certainly do. So make sure that your voice is heard. As American Muslims, we strongly condemn the 9-11 attacks and will forever pledge to do everything we can to prevent any future ones. The best way we can be sure that such attacks are forever prevented is by making sure that the seeds of terrorist groups are never planted again. Making sure that Afghanistan is re-built. Making sure that Iraq is re-built. And making sure that no one ever plans another breakfast attack, ever again. On Election Day, make sure that your voice is heard.

Seeme Gull Hasan is co-founder of Muslims for Bush.