Acts of Terrorism in Pakistan

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

And incase you do not know. The situation in Kashmir in the 90's was just as bad. There were thousands people totting AK-47's roaming openly on the streets of Kashmir, ordering shops to close down, killing people at will. The only difference is, while your nation did not go for a confrontation and while your Army dithered in action, Indian Army was sent in immediately with a clear mandate.

The situation was exactly the same, and need i point out that Indian Army has till date not used Artillery or Air Strikes in Kashmir.

My recollection may be off, but I do not remember such an environment. I do know that the total insurgent numbers were in the thousands, but 'thousands' walking around toting AK's like the Taliban is an exaggeration.

The Indian method of dealing with the insurgency, of deploying over half a million Military and paramilitary forces, is one way. I don't think this is feasible for Pakistan for various reasons, and would likely involve an even larger commitment of personnel given the different dynamics related to the tribes and the cross border movement across the Durand - the two situations are significantly different.

 

[Contrarian]

It's an arbitrary distinction concocted for validating your POV.

Do we even have any unanimity over the 'definition' of terrorism?

The one thing people do agree upon is that deliberate attacks on civilian non-combatants are unacceptable in any situation, whether by insurgents or governments.

The attack on the Indian parliament does not qualify as terrorism then for reasons I mentioned before.

Kashmir cannot remain an 'Indian' affair since the territory is disputed.

I have said repeatedly in the past that if you want to talk about state support for insurgents as being a metric for defining 'terrorism', then India has to accept that it supported terrorism in East Pakistan (leaving Baluchistan out of this for now) and the US has to accept that it supported 'terrorism' in its own support for insurgents in several countries.

Ofcourse you can classify what India and US did as terrorism. In those days it was considered acceptable, as you have yourself mentioned in other threads.

However the times changed, the game changed, Pakistan however did not. Covert support for such things is no longer accepted and is broadly classified as terrorism. And thus if and when Pakistan conducts such activities it will have to face consequences from India and the rest of the world.

 

[Contrarian]

My recollection may be off, but I do not remember such an environment. I do know that the total insurgent numbers were in the thousands, but 'thousands' walking around toting AK's like the Taliban is an exaggeration.

Oh yes, and in addition, bombs used to blow almost every other day in the streets of Kashmir. Atleast PA doesnt have to face that along with the Taliban.

The Indian method of dealing with the insurgency, of deploying over half a million Military and paramilitary forces, is one way. I don't think this is feasible for Pakistan for various reasons, and would likely involve an even larger commitment of personnel given the different dynamics related to the tribes and the cross border movement across the Durand - the two situations are significantly different.

The only difference in the two situations is the movement of tribes across the border. And on the other side, India had to deal with a Regular Army arming, funding and training the insurgents.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

No. Pakistan has been directly involved in supporting the infiltration for puposes of carrying out terrorist attacks. Not only that, Pakistan has been directly involved in printing and distributing Fake Indian Currency Notes(FICN) in India.

These allegations are nothing but unsubstantiated hyperbole issued by the GoI in its vilification campaign against Pakistan and a means of delfection of attention away from its own domestic shortcomings.

There is nothing to suggest that these groups when they carried out attacks in Kashmir on civilians(which they have been doing for a long while now) or in the rest of India were not sanctioned by Pakistan.

As I said before, there is nothing in the available literature on covert Pakistani activities going back to the Afghan Jihad that offer any indication of deliberate attacks on civilians as a State policy - its a completely false accusation. The PA and ISI are professional organizations, they know where the insurgency really hits India, and its not through attacks on civilians.

Without Pakistani support they would die. They depend on Pakistan for almost everything, right down to ammunition and sat/encryption comunication equipments.

It is true that without Pakistani support of some kind these groups cannot operate at the levels seen prior to 2002. But that is why the insurgency in Kashmir and infiltration across the LoC has essentially died out since 2002.

I disagree on the equipment and resources issue - the Taliban are extremely well equipped in terms or arms and communication equipment, and have access to a tremendous amount of resources. Much of this is available to other militant groups as well.

Pakistan wanted to bring up the Kashmir issue, and it has tried to do so through terrorism time and again. I dont understand this academic excercise to find a reason why Pakistan did it.

Pakistan would not have done so in the environment after 911, when the reaction from the global community would have ben obvious. Remeber that this was after Kargil, where Pakistan had been completely isolated internationally, so there was absolutely no reason for Pakistan to think that the reaction internationally in such a charged atmosphere after 911 would be any better.

Pakistan has attempted to raise the issue of Kashmir through actions in Kashmir, in support of the freedom movement, not through terrorism elsewhere. There is simply no evidence justifying your allegations on that count.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Oh yes, and in addition, bombs used to blow almost every other day in the streets of Kashmir. Atleast PA doesnt have to face that along with the Taliban.

i am not sure what news you are reading but they do - there are frequent suicide bombings of checkposts and convoys, along with the bombings against civilian targets such as mosques. jirga's and the Marriot.

The only difference in the two situations is the movement of tribes across the border. And on the other side, India had to deal with a Regular Army arming, funding and training the insurgents.

Training is not a major difference here - the Taliban have shown both in Afghanistan and Pakistan that they are exceptionally good guerrilla fighters. Plenty of remnants from the Afghan jihad to impart that knowledge.

Along with the nomadic tribes, the LoC is much shorter and much more militarized than the Durand, which ends up doing a lot of the work in terms of making infiltration harder. To do that along the Durand on both sides would involve unfeasible resources, plus, there is no government on the other side that can 'tamp down' on the Taliban like Pakistan did with the Kashmiri insurgents after 2002.

No one has any influence on them.

 

[Contrarian]

i am not sure what news you are reading but they do - there are frequent suicide bombings of checkposts and convoys, along with the bombings against civilian targets such as mosques. jirga's and the Marriot.

Well, that is different. You are talking about bombings that have been occurring throughout Pakistan. I am talking about localized bombings, ie only in the state of Kashmir. Heck Lal Chowk in Kashmir had one grenade thrown in it every other day. That was what Kashmir had become-pure hell.

Training is not a major difference here - the Taliban have shown both in Afghanistan and Pakistan that they are exceptionally good guerrilla fighters. Plenty of remnants from the Afghan jihad to impart that knowledge.

Well, while they may have exceptionally good guerrilla fightes, it doesnt mean they have been at the forefront of training the Jehadi's for Kashmir. Infact Taliban has been largely isolated from the Kashmir issue till now.

There are regular Training Camps run in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(***) where your military as well well as Intelligence services train these terrorists in sabotage and irregular war. And as such GoI has regularly accused Pakistan of keeping open these training camps. As a matter of fact, many of these training camps have also been shut down after specific intel is provided to Pakistan, other times, they have merely been relocated. As a keen reader of the Ajmal Kasab case, you would no doubt have heard his statement about where he was trained and in what sort of camp.

Along with the nomadic tribes, the LoC is much shorter and much more militarized than the Durand, which ends up doing a lot of the work in terms of making infiltration harder. To do that along the Durand on both sides would involve unfeasible resources, plus, there is no government on the other side that can 'tamp down' on the Taliban like Pakistan did with the Kashmiri insurgents after 2002.

Well, on the flip side, you dont have the Afghan National Army providing cover fire for the militants to cross over to Pakistan, like the Pakistani Army does with India.

 

[Contrarian]

These allegations are nothing but unsubstantiated hyperbole issued by the GoI in its vilification campaign against Pakistan and a means of delfection of attention away from its own domestic shortcomings.

Yes, the standard line. India's own shortcommings. Funny thing here Agno, Pakistan seems to be involved in every shortcomming of India's. Coincidence you might call it. Either way, the rest of the world believes India's stance, and they are not exactly fools are they.

As I said before, there is nothing in the available literature on covert Pakistani activities going back to the Afghan Jihad that offer any indication of deliberate attacks on civilians as a State policy - its a completely false accusation. The PA and ISI are professional organizations, they know where the insurgency really hits India, and its not through attacks on civilians.

Well, being professional also implies they know the harassment such bombings cause through out India. Recent events have also suggested ISI funding the North Eastern Militants. Now that area is utterly undisputed, why then does Pakistan involve itself.

It is true that without Pakistani support of some kind these groups cannot operate at the levels seen prior to 2002. But that is why the insurgency in Kashmir and infiltration across the LoC has essentially died out since 2002.

Exchange the "Some" with a "None". None of these groups can operate at half the levels seen prior to 2002 without the support Pakistan gives them. Again i ask, if Pakistan did not want these groups to bomb the rest of India, all they had to do was order it. These groups are critically dependent on Pakistan, thus you see Pakistan's ability to control their flow. Why then has Pakistan not bothered to stop them if your Army disagrees. Or do they turn a selective blind eye?

I disagree on the equipment and resources issue - the Taliban are extremely well equipped in terms or arms and communication equipment, and have access to a tremendous amount of resources. Much of this is available to other militant groups as well.

They have not been involved in Kashmir. Because the Taliban are able to source it, does not mean that the Kashmiri groups would be able to do so as well. The Kashmiri groups are not involved with drug trade , etc, etc and as such have limited funding means. Pakistan is their sole provider of succour.

Pakistan would not have done so in the environment after 911, when the reaction from the global community would have ben obvious. Remeber that this was after Kargil, where Pakistan had been completely isolated internationally, so there was absolutely no reason for Pakistan to think that the reaction internationally in such a charged atmosphere after 911 would be any better.

Yes, this is based on the premise that Pakistan understood these issues well. Your Army and ISI however constantly seem to do acts diametrically opposite to your national interests-consistently. Saving the dear Taliban for that rainy day and whatnot.

Pakistan has attempted to raise the issue of Kashmir through actions in Kashmir, in support of the freedom movement, not through terrorism elsewhere. There is simply no evidence justifying your allegations on that count.

And thus you cannot even justufy why Pakistan if it was not involved in the terror attacks in the rest of the country they could not stop these Kashmiri groups.

Heck, these Kashmiri groups have been involved in civilian bombings IN KASHMIR. Why hasnt Pakistan stopped them, considering the ridiculously tight control they have over them.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Well, that is different. You are talking about bombings that have been occurring throughout Pakistan. I am talking about localized bombings, ie only in the state of Kashmir. Heck Lal Chowk in Kashmir had one grenade thrown in it every other day. That was what Kashmir had become-pure hell.

I am not sure how that is different since these are bombings both in the region of the conflict and outside.

Well, while they may have exceptionally good guerrilla fightes, it doesnt mean they have been at the forefront of training the Jehadi's for Kashmir. Infact Taliban has been largely isolated from the Kashmir issue till now.

Point being that the military is not required to impart training.

As a keen reader of the Ajmal Kasab case, you would no doubt have heard his statement about where he was trained and in what sort of camp.

kasab's alleged 'confession' (which he retracted) contains many outlandish accusations, including that of a "Major General sahib visiting him, who spoke like Mogambo apparently, so I am not at all convinced on some of the details presented in the case.

Well, on the flip side, you dont have the Afghan National Army providing cover fire for the militants to cross over to Pakistan, like the Pakistani Army does with India.

The need for covering fire in fact points to how difficult infiltration was, given how militarized the LoC is.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Yes, the standard line. India's own shortcommings. Funny thing here Agno, Pakistan seems to be involved in every shortcomming of India's. Coincidence you might call it. Either way, the rest of the world believes India's stance, and they are not exactly fools are they.

There is nothing standard about pointing out that accusations without an iota of evidence are regularly made by the Indian government, nor is there anything standard about the fact that the GoI has inculcated its population with a hatred of Pakistan.

Well, being professional also implies they know the harassment such bombings cause through out India. Recent events have also suggested ISI funding the North Eastern Militants. Now that area is utterly undisputed, why then does Pakistan involve itself.

More unsubstantiated allegations. You are validating the argument made by Pakistanis that the GoI tends to blame Pakistan if a local grocer gets robbed.

The fact is that your domestic politics is preventing a proper redressal of the insurgency in East India, and Pakistan is the convenient scapegoat as always to hide domestic shortcomings.

Exchange the "Some" with a "None". None of these groups can operate at half the levels seen prior to 2002 without the support Pakistan gives them. Again i ask, if Pakistan did not want these groups to bomb the rest of India, all they had to do was order it. These groups are critically dependent on Pakistan, thus you see Pakistan's ability to control their flow. Why then has Pakistan not bothered to stop them if your Army disagrees. Or do they turn a selective blind eye?

Not true at all, as I already explained - the fact that the Taliban can operate at the levels they do indicates that Government support is not required. The only place issue they need government support on is infiltration across the LoC.

And the PA has stopped them - the miniscule number of infiltrations and insurgents in the low hundreds, as admitted by your own government and military, is testament to that. However, no country can stop infiltration a hundred percent, and the isolated encounters are a reflection of that reality.

They have not been involved in Kashmir. Because the Taliban are able to source it, does not mean that the Kashmiri groups would be able to do so as well. The Kashmiri groups are not involved with drug trade , etc, etc and as such have limited funding means. Pakistan is their sole provider of succour.

Again not true - some of the groups fighting in Kashmir do have links in the Tribal areas. Secondly, they raise a lot of money through charitable causes and donations either directly or under fronts.

Yes, this is based on the premise that Pakistan understood these issues well. Your Army and ISI however constantly seem to do acts diametrically opposite to your national interests-consistently. Saving the dear Taliban for that rainy day and whatnot.

That is a broad and incorrect generalization. The only Taliban factions the ISI is maintaining contacts with in terms of a possible role in Afghanistan in the future are not acting inside Pakistan, and might be amenable to talks and reconcilable. There is nothing irrational about this.

There is something irrational about carrying out an attack on the Indian parliament right after 911, when it was obvious that the ire of the world woudl be directed at Pakistan, especially given the Kargil experience. Therefore it makes no sense that Pakistan would support such an attack, nor is there any evidence indicating so.

And thus you cannot even justufy why Pakistan if it was not involved in the terror attacks in the rest of the country they could not stop these Kashmiri groups.

Heck, these Kashmiri groups have been involved in civilian bombings IN KASHMIR. Why hasnt Pakistan stopped them, considering the ridiculously tight control they have over them.

That is the unfortunate side effect of any proxy war - handlers can exercise only so much influence over proxy actors, and factions within the groups may be responsible. For example, atrocities were committed by the rebels in East Pakistan supported by India, and by entities and insurgents supported by the US in Latin America.

In any case, this is getting long winded, and I have explained my position clearly as have you.

We can agree to disagree and move on.

 

[Contrarian]

Not true at all, as I already explained - the fact that the Taliban can operate at the levels they do indicates that Government support is not required. The only place issue they need government support on is infiltration across the LoC.

We are not talking about the Taliban. That if the Taliban do it does not mean that the Kashmiri insurgent groups do as well.

And the PA has stopped them - the miniscule number of infiltrations and insurgents in the low hundreds, as admitted by your own government and military, is testament to that. However, no country can stop infiltration a hundred percent, and the isolated encounters are a reflection of that reality.

PA stopped them to an extent because of global pressure and its non-acceptability after 9/11. If the PA were really into stopping the civilian killing and bombings outside Kashmir they'd have done so LONG before. Dont say that PA stopped them as if it was a decision taken unilaterally by Pakistan. They were pressured into doing so, and they did it quite reluctantly.

That India used the ceasefire wisely is also not a small factor.

Again not true - some of the groups fighting in Kashmir do have links in the Tribal areas. Secondly, they raise a lot of money through charitable causes and donations either directly or under fronts.

Again, all the money raised is in Pakistan directly. For example the Jamat-ud-Dawah. They-unlike-Taliban do depend on the Pakistani State for allowing a lot of their activities. Taliban have drug and weapons trade which cannot be controlled or stopped by Pakistan as yet. Thus while they maybe immune, that is certainly not even close to being true for the Kashmiri groups.

The charity that they get is in Pakistan, the organizations are known to Pakistani authorities, and if they dont, the Indian authorities dont make the mistake of not telling them at every oppurtunity. Apart from that, charitable aid is not even close to what is required for running an insurgency spanning decades especially against a well armed and funded Army-ie the Indian Army.

That is a broad and incorrect generalization. The only Taliban factions the ISI is maintaining contacts with in terms of a possible role in Afghanistan in the future are not acting inside Pakistan, and might be amenable to talks and reconcilable. There is nothing irrational about this.

Yes Agno, we have now seen what kind of Taliban factions the ISI was maintaining contacts with. No need to get into that.

That is the unfortunate side effect of any proxy war - handlers can exercise only so much influence over proxy actors, and factions within the groups may be responsible. For example, atrocities were committed by the rebels in East Pakistan supported by India, and by entities and insurgents supported by the US in Latin America.

While that is true for independent or even semi independent proxy wars. This one, in Kashmir has its heart and lifeline not inside India but in Pakistan. The Kashmiri groups dont have the wherewithal or resources to carry out half the insurgency they have without direct Pakistani patronage. If Pakistan were serious about stopping the civilian bombings or others outside Kashmir, they could have done so in a jiffy. That Pakistan also controls them is also evident from the fact that these organizations have not joined hands with the Taliban against the Pakistani state currently, despite calls from Taliban to do so. They are VERY pro-Pakistani state. Another point is that how easily their ingress/egress from Kashmir is controlled by Pakistan.

In any case, this is getting long winded, and I have explained my position clearly as have you.

As have I, I hope.

We can agree to disagree and move on.

Very well.

 

[S-2]

I haven't seen the interview and will really look forward to reading it.

 

[RabzonKhan]

Taliban deceived govt, staged withdrawal drama: ISPR

April 29, 2009

Military operation launched in Buner

* Jets, choppers bomb Taliban hideouts in Buner mountains
* Police station under siege, three FC platoons reportedly surrender

MINGORA/ISLAMABAD: Security forces backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships launched a new operation in Buner district near the Swat valley on Tuesday, bombing suspected Taliban hideouts in Kalil, Shera Turf, and Kandao areas.

Fighter aircraft also bombed Mushki Pur, a mountainous area of Mardan district bordering Buner.

“Today at 4pm, the Frontier Corps (FC) and military troops launched a joint operation against the militants in Buner,” Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas said at a press briefing in Islamabad. He said FC Inspector General Maj Gen Tariq Khan is commanding the operation.

Nearly 300 Taliban entered Buner from April 2 to 4 and began to terrorise the locals, in violation of the Swat deal, Gen Abbas said. “The government warned the militants but they refused to listen and staged only a symbolic withdrawal. The government was left with no option expect to use force,” he said.

According to several news agencies, he said it would take up to a week to clear an estimated 500 Taliban from Buner.

Surrender: Late on Tuesday, a private TV channel reported that the Pir Baba police station in Buner was under Taliban siege.

It said sixty policemen and troops were inside the police station. Unconfirmed reports said that three FC platoons and an SHO were disarmed and captured by Taliban in Buner, the channel added. ghulam farooq/ sajjad malik/agencies/daily times monitor

 

[RabzonKhan]

Stop the Taliban advance

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Rubina Saigol

The writer is a researcher specialising in social development

While all forms of colonisation and occupation spell disaster for the way of life of the conquered, whose institutions and systems are demolished and replaced by new ones, the most recent colonisation of large parts of Pakistan by the Taliban is by far the most dangerous one, as it seeks to destroy the very basis on which the state and society rest.

The Taliban occupation resembles most other forms of colonial occupation in a number of ways, including: 1) Forcible control over territory and large swathes of the population; 2) use of violence and force to accomplish political aims; 3) imposition of a specific minority version of religion not accepted or followed by the majority; 4) induction of collaborators from among the local people to further their aims; 5) planned demolition of the political, economic and social systems of the defeated; 6) belief in the superiority of the values, practices and systems of the coloniser, coupled with complete disregard for the culture and ways of the vanquished.

1. Forcible control over territory and population: The Taliban established control over large parts of FATA, a territory which was never properly integrated into Pakistan. In the past few months, the Taliban have speedily acquired control over Swat, first through armed violence and finally legally and politically through the Nizam-e-Adl agreement signed by President Zardari on April 13 and supported by Pakistan's elected assembly. As Farrukh Saleem informs us, the Pakistani state has ceded another 5,337 square kilometres of Pakistan adding to the 14,850 square kilometres of Chitral and 5,280 square kilometres of Dir which were already under the control of Sufi Muhammad's Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi. According to Dr Saleem this constitutes around 16 percent of our landmass.

Ecstatic over their triumph in Swat the Taliban quickly moved on to Buner, Shangla and are said to be close to Mansehra and Haripur and about 60 miles from Islamabad. They have openly declared that they will impose their own brand of Shariat on the whole of Pakistan and ultimately the entire Muslim world. Such imperial fantasies of world conquest portend disaster not only for Pakistan but for the world beyond.

2. Use of Violence for political aims: Like many other marauding hordes in history, the Taliban have demonstrated their enormous propensity for violence, brutality and savagery. The reign of terror in Swat before it finally fell involved beheading, murder, public display of decapitated bodies, flogging of women and cold-blooded murder of men and women accused of "immoral" behaviour in the Taliban's distorted code of morality. Those killed, butchered and tortured had not violated any Pakistani law while the Taliban have committed capital crimes against Pakistan's law and Constitution.

3. Imposition of minority religion: Pakistan constitutes a plural and multiple society where different religious groups, sects and beliefs have co-existed for centuries. There are Deobandis and Barelvis, Shias and Sunnis and followers of Sufi saints like Bulleh Shah, Sultan Bahoo, Sachchal Sarmast, Rehman Baba, Ghulam Farid, Khushhal Khan Khattak, Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai and others. Additionally, Pakistan has a substantial population of Hindus in interior Sindh and Christians all over the country.

Pakistan is a multi-religious society where one single religion cannot be imposed on everyone. The Taliban represent a Wahhabi version of religion to which a tiny minority subscribes. Their notions of the universe represent a grotesque version of religion that carries no moral purpose other than its own imposition, and prohibits no crime, butchery or violence in single-minded pursuit of power, territory and control. Subsidised by the sale of poppy and the underground drug and arms trade, this version of "religion" makes a mockery of religion itself and reduces it to bloodshed, cruelty and barbarism. It is a version that has been rejected by mainstream religious leaders also.

4. Collaboration: Local and national administrations and political leaders of our country have become forced collaborators in the Taliban enterprise of destruction. The failure of our security forces to protect the country and its people has led to the capitulation by the National Assembly and the government to their illegal and unconstitutional demands. The fear generated by the no-holds-barred violence of the Taliban has led to the muting of any critique of their inhuman actions. The civilian government and legislators, dependent upon the police, administration and the army to protect civilians against the occupation of their country, had no choice but to relent when those responsible for protecting the country seemed to be retreating.

5. Demolition of political, economic and social systems: Like all colonisers, who entrench themselves in the society of the colonised and make sweeping changes in local systems and institutions, the Taliban have already threatened to destroy democracy which was only recently wrested from the hands of a dictator reluctant to relinquish control.

The Taliban have declared democracy, the judiciary and the Constitution as being western impositions to be removed by them once they gain power in Islamabad. They are not bothered by the obvious contradiction that they themselves are a product of the same western world that they so despise. Their version of religion comes from a westerly direction and is not an indigenous manifestation of the rich South Asian context.

Their own worldview comes from the west – from west Asia, to be more specific – and has no roots within the subcontinent which boasts syncretic versions of religion that are tolerant of difference and are peaceful in their actions. The Taliban threaten the essential multiplicity of South Asia and the traditional peaceful tolerance of its people by planning to transform the political, economic, social and cultural landscape of the country.

The worst sufferers of the Wahhabi imperialism that they represent will be women and the minorities, as is already evident. The Taliban's insecurities often tend to be focused on cultural and religious policing of the weaker sections of society. The prohibition of women's education and work – as well as of all music, art and higher culture – is as clear a sign of degradation as any and promises a world in which civilisation would become a thing of the past.

6. Belief in superiority: Like the former colonisers, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, the Taliban have a deeply embedded view of their own superiority. They believe that the cultural and social norms and values that they represent are better than those of most Pakistanis, and that it is the Bearded Man's Burden to correct the morals of society and inculcate higher values among the populace.

In spite of the fact that they kill, butcher, cut off limbs and heads with wild abandon and loot and plunder resources mercilessly (demonstrated by the takeover of the Emerald Mines), they project all their vices onto "the other." They accuse liberal and progressive people of lacking virtue, morality and piety. Yet, it is the Taliban who clearly lack any moral compass and have been reared on an ideology of hate, bloodshed and violence.

The onslaught of the Taliban must be resisted with all the resources at our disposal – administrative, political, military, intellectual and cultural. If we have to fight them, we must fight; if we have to dance and sing, we must dance and sing to challenge their Stone Age worldview and to assert our own humanity. It is no use blaming our civilian elected leaders for capitulating to the Taliban under pressure, as disappointing as that may be. The real issue is, why is a 600,000-strong army powerless against them? Why was the army not able to subdue an insurgency in Waziristan before the poison spread to the settled areas?

The Pakistani people give a huge chunk of their hard-earned resources to the army – the largest chunk after debt-servicing. All they want in return is protection, security and not abdication of responsibility. Why is a half-a-million-strong army ineffective against 5,000 marauders, criminals and thugs?

It has become our national pastime to blame only our elected governments when in reality they have no options and have been forced to accept Talibanisation of Swat due to the failures of others. If we do not fight back the Taliban today, we may not even live to regret it, for they will not spare our lives.

 

[RabzonKhan]

‘Army fears disintegration if war ordered on Taliban’

* US official says Pakistani government and army are still not coming to grips with crisis

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: The Pakistan Army officers are afraid that if they ask the rank and file to fire on the Taliban too much, the whole army might disintegrate, Bruce Riedel, a senior Obama administration official, has said.

The Obama administration is considering expediting aid to Pakistan to block militants threatening a cluster of strategic installations, The Washington Times has reported.

Grip: Bruce Riedel, who chaired the Obama administration’s recent review of policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said the Pakistani government and army are still not coming to grips with the crisis. “Some officials are in denial,” he said.

Riedel expressed concern, however, about whether the Pakistani army would be willing to kill large numbers of the Taliban. Army’s spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas has said the operation against around 500 Taliban could take a week.

Taliban leaders, he said, had faked a withdrawal from Buner to impress the media. The peace deal with the government in the Swat valley was also a trick, he said.

The US has proposed giving Pakistan $1 billion in emergency aid and $1.5 billion a year in economic aid annually for five years

 

[RabzonKhan]

Injustice and Talibanisation

By Dr Tariq Rahman
Thursday, 30 Apr, 2009

THERE is no doubt that there is gross injustice in Pakistan. Individuals and groups who are weak and in a minority are discriminated against and denied justice whether they are women, poor people, religious minorities or ethnicities.

But the argument that the Taliban are welcomed by the people because they promise speedy justice or distribution of the elite’s land and industrial resources among the poor is flawed. Yet, this argument is made again and again by sympathisers of the Taliban. And because it would have been a forceful argument had it been true, it should be refuted.

First, the question of speedy justice. The Taliban ruled in Afghanistan and they have been exercising their influence in parts of Pakistan. All accounts from these areas — whether in the form of memoirs from Afghanistan or stories from Pakistan — suggest that certain minor disputes revolving around property are settled quickly. However, whether they are settled justly is not clear at all. Moreover, if a powerful Talib is involved in a dispute he gets away with murder — quite literally. There is simply no appeal against the Taliban, even against a completely arbitrary or whimsical judgment.

Secondly, they introduce new rules forbidding music, painting, sculpting, singing, dancing, theatre etc. Therefore, the possibility of getting on the wrong side of the powerful increases for all inhabitants. Indeed, it is not peace and security that beckon but the fear of punishment that looms large. There is no concept of a peaceful life as a free citizen in areas dominated by the Taliban.

If one happens to be a woman then there are extra rules to contend with. There are rules against showing one’s face, arms, ankles, hair, wearing jeans etc. Even if one is male there are problems: one can’t wear shorts (as this will excite men) and can’t play most games (dubbed a waste of time). In fact, one can’t do many other things which boys do all over the globe. But being a woman means forgetting about living. Indeed, women may well be wishing for the good old ‘justice delayed’ of Pakistani courts than the Taliban’s ‘quick justice’.

Now let us deal with the distribution of wealth attributed to the Taliban. The fact is that the wealth was never divided equitably among the Afghan citizens during the Taliban’s rule although Taliban soldiers originally from poor families did get a large share of the spoils. More to the point, the Taliban did not draw foreign investment nor did they exploit domestic resources in a rational, sustainable manner. As such the total wealth of the country declined and poverty increased.

In Pakistan, especially in Swat, the Taliban started expropriating the property of landlords. Even if this is class hatred, and it might well be, the distribution of this land is said to have benefited Taliban supporters, hangers-on and sympathisers in addition to the fighters themselves. There is no evidence of a principled policy of the equitable distribution of wealth. The money from logging, mining and toll tax on vehicles goes to increase the income of the Taliban commanders and not of the ordinary citizens who remain displaced or live in fear in their homes.

In Buner, for instance, the Taliban took over a marble factory and displaced the owner who narrated his traumatic story to the media later. This, by all accounts, is part of the pattern and not an isolated incident. Moreover, among the booty are also women whose families cannot refuse the marriage proposal of a Talib. This kind of redistribution of wealth is not exactly what Marx and Engels ordered, so any leftist, romantic idea that the Taliban’s is a revolution of the dispossessed is simply wrong. More to the point is the fact that one cannot survive for long cutting down trees and selling precious stones. Development is not possible under draconian and medieval regimes so the total number of people under the poverty line will increase in any Talibanised state.

Yet there is a connection between speedy justice and the equitable distribution of goods and services and all violent movements. I pointed out years ago that if there is a revolution in Pakistan it will use the idiom of Islam. Talibanisation may not be that revolution but the gap between the poor and rich has kept increasing, and frustrated young men are available to join private militias.

These militias use the idiom of Islam and legitimise their raiding operations through an appeal to the sacred. In this sense, our denial of economic rights has increased the possibility of violence in this country. And this violence is not only in the name of religion, it is also in the name of ethnicity and sub-nationalism. The Baloch, having been denied their rights, are also fighting the state. Thus, it is good policy to redistribute wealth rather than wait for armed vigilante groups to do so.

As for speedy justice, the vigilante groups can never give it to us. Only the state can. But the state will have to get more courts, especially speedy ones. Rules will have to be made to settle disputes within a certain number of hearings. This is not a peripheral matter; it is a matter of life and death for this country. And the sooner we dispense justice fairly and in a speedy manner, the better it will be for all of us.

Meanwhile, we must be thankful for small mercies. This time, because the Taliban did not show patience but started advancing into Buner and Dir almost immediately after their victory in Swat, the press turned indignant. Judging by letters, columns, the statements of political leaders and opinion-makers the public is ready to oppose the Taliban.

But the electronic media, unfortunately, starts opposing military action almost as soon as it starts. This time, if people have realised that they will never get justice of any kind under Taliban rule, then it is something we can build upon and win our war against the Taliban. Are we ready for that?