Operation Rah-e-Rast (Swat)

[Pk_Thunder]

Anti-Taliban offensive could last months: ISPR​

Wednesday, 03 Jun, 2009 | 01:52 PM PST |
MINGORA: The military offensive to expel the Taliban from Pakistan's Swat Valley could take another two months to complete, and troops may have to stay for a year to prevent militants from retaking control, military commanders said Wednesday.

The armed forces have secured control over several key towns during the month-old campaign in the northwestern region, but the fighting has uprooted some 2.4 million people from their homes.

Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told reporters on a military-organised tour of Mingora town that it could take another two months of fighting to root the militants from all of their hideouts in Swat and surrounding areas.


He cautioned, though, that the two month timetable was ‘a rough estimate.’


A defence ministry official said Sunday the militants were only days away from being defeated across three northwest districts, including Swat, but the army had distanced itself from those comments, saying there was no timeframe.

The government has said that more than 1,300 militants and around 85 soldiers have died since the military launched a major air and ground assault in late April.

Earlier, Major General Ijaz Awan, a senior commander in the eight-day battle for Mingora, said the military is gearing up for a fight in nearby Kabal town where top Taliban leaders are suspected of being holed up.

‘We have bottled them up very well, hopefully this will be a decisive battle here’ in Kabal, said Awan. ‘Their deaths are vital to killing their myth.’

The battle for Swat was launched in late April after the militants abandoned a peace deal with the government that gave them control of the region.

During Wednesday's military tour through parts of Mingora, an AP reporter saw soldiers stationed on streets throughout the town but there was little sign of civilian life among the 40,000 residents remaining in the city.

At a crossroads dubbed ‘bloody intersection’ by locals because the Taliban would leave bloodied bodies of victims there as warning to others, there were signs of a tough battle. Chunks of one multi-story building were blown away, and security gates of at least one storefront were torn off. Broken glass and bricks lay all around.

Awan said the military hoped about 2,500 police would return to Mingora by June's end to take over security, but the army would probably have to stay in the region for at least another year to fully secure it.

Up to 2.4 million people have fled their homes since the offensive began in the districts of Lower Dir on April 26, Buner on April 28 and Swat on May 8.

Power, water and gas remain cut in Mingora, the largest in the Swat region, and food is short. Officials are discouraging refugees from returning home yet.

The displaced can be brought back tomorrow, Awan said.

Even if the guns have fallen silent in the city, which the military declared Saturday had returned to government control, residents who remain have told AFP there is no electricity, gas and running water in the town.


‘By June 17, these services will be put right. Then the gradual, systematic return of IDPs (internally displaced persons) will begin,’ Awan told reporters. — AFP/AP

 

[Rafael]

Just heard on Geo Tv that GOP has decided to deploy 2500 Retired Army Personnels in Swat to assist and train Police and maintain law and order in the district..

 

[ajpirzada]

This is not the first time a Jihadi mullah has led an uprising in th Swat area. This is a useful comparison of the predecessor "mad mullah" with his current counterpart:



Source: Just another punitive expedition? - Analysis

there is another very important difference. this time ppl are supportin the gov. in our last operation there was relatively less public support available to gov and therefore result was quite similar to that of 1870s.

 

[ajpirzada]

Forces regain control of various areas in Adenzai
Updated at: 1559 PST, Wednesday, June 03, 2009
SWAT: Security forces regained control of several areas in Adenzai and established check posts as operation Rah-e-Rast is underway in Malakand Division.

According to Dir media center, forces took control of Shewa, Ketyari and Asbanar areas of tehsil Adenzai and set up checkpoints in theses areas.

Meanwhile, Security forces are advancing towards Kala Kalay area. Crackdown against suspects is underway in different areas of Lower Dir as local Lashkar killed seven militants during last 24 hours.

According to sources, local lashkar killed four more militants in Nango Tel area during action on second day.

On the other hand, security forces defused six remote control bombs in Kalpani area after clearing the area from Kalpani to Kambar, Security forces allowed locals to return into the area. At least 69 people have been arrested so far during operation.

According to Dir media center, curfew will be relaxed till 6:00 pm in tehsil Maidan and Adenzai.

Security forces action continued in tehsil Charbagh and Kabal of Swat whereas forces advancing towards Kala Kalay after regaining the control of Sarsenai area in tehsil Kabal. Militants positions were pounded overnight with heavy artillery in upper parts of Kabal while the district remained under curfew without relaxation
Forces regain control of various areas in Adenzai - GEO.tv


Forces take control of Chaarbagh
Updated at: 1534 PST, Wednesday, June 03, 2009
MINGORA: The forces gained control of Chaarbagh area, Director General ISPR Major General Athar Abbas on Wednesday said adding that one security man was martyred and two others injured in the action against the militants.

The forces also cleared Galibagh ara of Shangla, where the miscreants attacked a security check post. In the clash with the forces, at least three extremists were killed.

ISPR spokesman said the forces recovered explosive material and landmines from Mingora area.

The military spokesman said in the 24 hours of Operation Rah-e-Raast, one security personnel was martyred and two others injured.
Forces take control of Chaarbagh - GEO.tv


Security forces cleared Pir Baba area
Updated at: 1433 PST, Wednesday, June 03, 2009
PESHAWAR: Security forces have cleared the area of Pir Baba in Buner as a delegation of NWFP government visited Buner.

The delegation comprised of President Awami National Party (ANP) Afrasiyab Khatak, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak whereas IGP NWFP Malik Naveed, Interior Secretary Fayyaz Turo, MPA from NWFP Syed Raheem and MPA Qaiser Wali Khan were also accompanied the delegation.

The delegation visited Sawari Bazar in Buner and exchanged views with local residents. They also visited Pir Baba to pay homage and laid chadar.

ANP president on this occasion said government has designed an interim plan for the return of army after restoration of peace and police and FC would be deployed in place of army. He said peace will be restored in Swat within two weeks and in Malakand division soon.

Earlier, talking to media, incharge Buner operation Brigadier Fayyaz said forces have completely cleared the Pir Baba area during which local residents extended their full support to security forces.
Security forces cleared Pir Baba area - GEO.tv

 

[ajpirzada]

i guess after Pir Baba one can say that buner is under complete control.
glad to hear locals in dir have formed a lashkar and have killed 4 talibans. this shows that locals are regainin their confidence in GoP.

 

[Neo]

US paper hails Pakistan army’s successes in Swat and Buner ​

* Wall Street Journal urges US Congress to pass military, economic aid package
* Says govt should press advantage while Taliban are retreating​

NEW YORK: A major American newspaper on Tuesday hailed the Pakistan Army’s successes in clearing Taliban from Swat and Buner and called on the US Congress to do its part and pass the military and economic package for the country.

“Now is the time for Congress to show its support by passing (President Barack) Obama's request for military and economic aid for our allies in Islamabad,” The Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial. “In symbolic and strategic terms, the fall of Mingora on Saturday marks a potential turning point for Pakistan, and perhaps for the fight against Al Qaeda. Three weeks after launching its counter-offensive against the Taliban, Pakistan's military took back the largest city in the Swat Valley and is now pushing further against insurgents in the unruly tribal regions of that nuclear-armed country,” noted the editorial, A Victory in Pakistan.

Referring to the “peace accord” with the Taliban, the Journal said, “The Taliban got greedy, soon expanding from Swat into the neighbouring Buner district 60 miles from the capital Islamabad, and imposing its brutal form of shariah law. The global alarm bells that followed, particularly in Washington, embarrassed the military and government ... But stories of Taliban beheadings and cell phone images of a public flogging of a teenage girl in Swat brought the insurgency distressingly close to home. So did a spate of suicide bombings in Islamabad and the cultural centre of Lahore by followers of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.”

The editorial noted that the success in clearing Buner and Swat showed the military could sustain this sort of campaign. “Too often in the past, Pakistan attacks on the Taliban were brief and half-hearted, and the military soon returned its focus to the eastern border with India. This time, the military didn't rely on aerial bombing and instead put commandos on the ground.”

Press the advantage: Noting the cost of the ongoing operation was high, with casualties on both sides and an estimated three million refugees having fled the frontier regions, the editorial said: “The even better news is that Pakistanis say the army won't stop at Swat. Next should come a push into lawless Waziristan and the other tribal regions that have become terrorist sanctuaries for Al Qaeda and other groups. This will be harder than Swat, because Pakistan's government has never been able to establish its writ over those northwestern frontier regions. But now, with the Taliban retreating, is the time to press the advantage.” app

 

[Neo]

Clinton hails Pakistan’s resolve​

LAHORE: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said she was impressed by the Pakistan Army’s assault on the Taliban in the Swat valley. Clinton told USA Today she disagreed with President Asif Zardari’s complaints in a recent interview that the United States has not delivered on its promises of aid to Pakistan. “I certainly understand the anxiety of anyone in Pakistan; they have taken on this really important challenge of trying to take on the Taliban, but we’ve been providing aid. We’ve already disbursed $110 million for the displaced people,” Clinton said. daily times monitor

 

[RabzonKhan]

The women who walked – and walked

Thursday, June 04, 2009

We write here some of the stories the women of Swat told us. They come from Kabbal, Mingawera (Mingora), Qambar, Kanju and other parts of Swat. Some are from Buner and Maidan in Lower Dir. Their lives were affected in many more ways than the lives of their men.

When we entered the large tent a few women looked up and smiled. Some got up and put out their hands to greet us. They seemed surprised that we could converse in the same language. "Sit down. We can't even offer you tea" said one laughing, "look at us and what we have been reduced to." Their children were lying on the floor, red because of the heat, tired and listless in the hot air of the fans. The women had been sitting in silence before we went in. We could hear no noise from the tent which was full of about forty women and children. What could they share with each other? Each story was the same as the other. It was a pall of misery and silences that hung over their heads. These women were lucky; they had a common place to come to, out of their tents. In most camps, the women sit in the heat of the tents, not being allowed to go out. They wait for their men to come before they can use the toilets. Their children defecate outside the tents as they cannot take them to the toilets. In some schools, they feed their children first and, at times, do not eat.

One by one they spoke their ordeal, their flight from the bombing, the endless days of walking with children and the elderly and the dead they had left behind. Soon each one wanted to tell her story. They sat closer and closer to us, listening to the others and telling us about themselves. Most of them had fled from Mingawera and other places in Swat--walking for days, avoiding the curfew by moving off the roads and taking to the mountains to walk, walking day and night; hiding their sons in trucks for fear that the Talibs would take them away to fight. One woman had walked for nine days with three children under ten. We cannot recall the number of women who told us about how their homes were shelled and how they had buried their dead without bathing them, in hurriedly dug graves. One had lost her baby on the way down, had dug a ditch beside the road, torn off part of her chadar, wrapped her child in it and buried her in the ditch. She walked on, to save what was left, her own life. Another spoke of how in the madness of the bombing, she had asked her husband to pick up her baby from the bed. When they were out of the village, the husband realized he had picked up the pillow and left the six month old child behind. They still kept walking.

Another woman spoke of how they were eating peacefully when a mortar had hit her house. The word 'mortar' was a regular part of their conversation. 'Matr' and 'karpee' which we finally realised was 'curfew.' Another told us how her neighbours' home was shelled. Four men had died on the spot. People had run helter-skelter. The helicopter passed and the men ran and started digging graves to bury the dead before fleeing the village. They told the women to collect what they could and the women started to round up their children. As the men dug, the helicopter returned to shell. The men left the bodies and ran for cover. The helicopter fired again and flew past. The men returned and dug what they could and dumped the bodies into the graves.

Another woman in a school camp spoke of how her family had left food in their plates and hot tea in their cups when the shelling began. She was brave and then her brown eyes filled with tears and she said 'my young son, he was in class ten, was hit on the back of his head and he died. I lost my young son' and then her tears flowed. The others sat looking at her, thinking of their own miseries. We sat in silence, nobody consoling, and nobody talking. 'At least they should have told us, why did they not tell us they were going to bomb?' She wiped her eyes hurriedly and continued to talk. 'They are beasts these Taliban. They are not human. May God finish them all like they have finished us.' We were surprised, surprised that her anger turned to the Taliban when her son was killed by military shelling. She was a strong woman and continued to talk with a vengeance. 'May God punish these animals for what they have done to us. I hope the army finishes every last one of them.'

From one place to another, from one tent and school to another, we heard them tell us how they were unable to leave their homes for fear of being beaten or killed or flogged, how their men had been dragged out of their homes and slaughtered. One of the men said he lived on the chowk where the Taliban slaughtered people. He told us how they walked into homes and led out their victims in silence. He told us of the sounds he heard when these men were slaughtered, like cattle, on the chowk.

Each woman talked of the slaughter of men, whether they had been through it or whether they had heard it – it had terrorised them into silence and acquiescence. They also spoke of how 'disgraced' they felt as they fled with only a dupatta on. One of them laughed and said: "Burqa, burqa, which is all we heard in Swat but when we ran we were hardly covered [with burqas] and the whole world was looking at us." The men did not think this was funny. The humiliation they felt at this had outraged them – the humiliation at their women being in these camps, being seen by other men, the humiliation of standing in line for food. Perhaps that is why there were so many children standing in line for food at the camps.

In one of the schools, a group of women led us to meet their friend. She could not speak because she could not stop crying. They kept saying 'Show them; show them what they did to you.' She was a widow and the Taliban had taken her 12 year old son away to join them. The women said that they used to come to all their homes and ask for their sons. They were too scared to resist. Some boys were taken by force, others went themselves, and others simply disappeared from madressahs. The widow had gone and taken her son back from the madressah. They had come into her house, taken all her jewellry and cut of all her hair. She cried for her own humiliation and did not speak a word. Women from Buner spoke of how the Taliban had no respect for the Pakhtun way of life, for Islam or for women. How they would enter any house they wanted, whether to take away their sons or to take refuge. They spoke of incidents of the younger women being raped, after which their breasts were cut off. They told us how their men were beheaded and hung from electricity poles with their chopped off heads placed between their legs. They would leave notes on these bodies for no one to touch.

So why did they let this happen? Why could they not get together to stop it? We repeatedly asked them this. Who ARE these people? This is when the admittance came. They were honest, honest about the power of Mullah Radio and his constituency of women listeners. "There was peace in Swat. Shut in their homes many women listened to 'Raidu Mullah.' He addressed them directly. "He used to talk about Islam, about praying five times a day, about going to the madressah and learning the Quran. We all thought he was a good man." As his popularity grew, women would line up outside his madrassah and donate. They donated whatever little jewelry they had. Even the poorest women would donate her nose-pins.

This captive, gullible audience, shut in their homes became the main source of Mullah Radio's power and support. They encouraged their sons to join his madrassah. They provided the Taliban with a ready following. They provided them their sons which they soon realised were fodder, fodder for suicide bombings and 'jihad.' It was only when they realised and resisted this that the Taliban turned on their own people. "They would knock at our doors, and would say, 'give us your sons in the name of Islam'. Those who resisted were slaughtered."

Many said their families approached the army and the government for help. But nobody listened. A few said that anyone who informed the army did not live long. They kept quiet. Even today parts of their areas where the Taliban have fled to are not known to the army. They will not speak. Suddenly in a fit of rage one of them started shouting: "Where were this army and this government when our people have been relating these incidents to them for almost two years?" This is only a question to be answered by those responsible for what is happening to our people today.

"We have been fooled. We have been fooled by the Taliban, the Army and the government. We knew two years ago that this was not Islam but nobody would help us. Why did the army not do something two years when the Taliban were fewer in number and that when they could be controlled? When they knew exactly where they were. What is the reason for their friendship with these animals? Where were this army and this government when we were screaming for help and going to them?"

What answer can one give to these poor, helpless women? Who is going to be held accountable for the violence they have suffered. Their questions can only be answered by those who know what they have done. And if they do not answer them in this world, they will for sure answer them in the next.

This is an abridged version of a recent report by AIRRA (Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy) based in Peshawar, whose members travelled to the IDP camps for these interviews.

 

[fatman17]

"We have been fooled. We have been fooled by the Taliban, the Army and the government. We knew two years ago that this was not Islam but nobody would help us. Why did the army not do something two years when the Taliban were fewer in number and that when they could be controlled? When they knew exactly where they were. What is the reason for their friendship with these animals? Where were this army and this government when we were screaming for help and going to them?"

there is nobody to blame but the pakistani public, political (including political parties) and military leadership of the time!

 

[MastanKhan]

"We have been fooled. We have been fooled by the Taliban, the Army and the government. We knew two years ago that this was not Islam but nobody would help us. Why did the army not do something two years when the Taliban were fewer in number and that when they could be controlled? When they knew exactly where they were. What is the reason for their friendship with these animals? Where were this army and this government when we were screaming for help and going to them?"

there is nobody to blame but the political (including political parties) and military leadership of the time!

Hi,

There is nobody to blame but the pakistani public---two years ago they were ready to drink the blood of the politicians and the PAKISTANI ARMY AS WELL ,who wanted to act against the taliban---the fools would rant and rave about the glorious brotherhood---.

The public cared less when the pak army soldiers and FC soldiers were being brutally killed by the taliban and their al qaeda cohorts---now look at them pakistani public scream in pain when the bomb blast are hitting their very homes in the centre of the national and provincial capitols.

The poor and the weak suffer as usal---women and children die and the innocent die.

 

[fatman17]

Hi,

There is nobody to blame but the pakistani public---two years ago they were ready to drink the blood of the politicians who wanted to act against the taliban---the fools would rant and rave about the glorious brotherhood---.

The public cared less when the pak army soldiers and FC soldiers were being brutally killed by the taliban and their al qaeda cohorts---now look at them pakistani public scream in pain when the bomb blast are hitting their very homes in the centre of the national and provincial capitols.

The poor and the weak suffer as usal---women and children die and the innocent die.

correct! - i will edit my statement and add pakistani public but at the same time we cannot absolve the politicians and the military!

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

The truth to the fact is that we had very poor marketing skills---we---means the govt of Gen Musharraf---market means the pakistani public---pakistani public didnot get the right information to make a better judgement---the General didnot have a better group of people and media savy personale to show a better picture to the public.

The general should have hired an outside source to play the media and the public---nobody with any political afiliations---and paid them well to portray a better image of his government and sell the public on the idea of fighting the taliban and portraying the al qaeda as an enemy.

That is where the american business savy should have come in worked their media magic---.

My disappointment arises from the fact that the americans never used their media skills in pakistan and never got together with the paks to further their goals and make life easy for the paks---paks ( govt reps ) were absolutely clueless in how to talk and confront talk show hosts like Dr Masood , Mr Mir and others.

This battle was lost by the media---those peole should also pass on the blame to Dr Shahid Masood, Hamid Mir and The botomline is the Gen Musharraf failed to take the taliban to task---at the end of the day---he will be solely held responcible for the job left incomplete.

The nation gave him its confidence for the longest period of time---at the end---he didnot deliver. Got too far above his head into issues that were beyond on beneath him---got mired in the muck---and left us holding the cards---sayonara.

 

[Rafael]

Dear Sirs,

Would you call it a better media handling by PPP that they have convinced the public that these talibs are a problem and should be eliminated; or you think that the problem got out of our hand and public themselve realised it?

I personally believe the former.

 

[All-Green]

I think it is fate that led to this operation and just in the nick of time!

1) By luck a really great man was made the Army Chief and i dare say he is by far the best one i have seen or read about. He appointed the right men in the right places and has really transformed the Army and the FC. I am all praise for this man Kayani, gem of a person and absolutely at the right time.
May Allah guide and protect him.

2) The great hypocrite Sufi Muhammad was so charged up by seeing thousands of people at his peace address that instead of following the government lines he started an independent speech which exposed the true intent of the so called peaceful TNSM and their kind.

3) TTP encouraged by the meek stance of government really took it for granted that their war is won and Army is impotent. They attacked Buner in absolute contempt of the State and gave even further resolve to the State.

Without the above three causes i do not think the operation would have been started and the fate of Swat would have been in the hands of the slaughterers of humanity, the TTP.

Coming back to Musharraf, i am all praise for his skills, his shrewdness etc. and how he presents his ideas, but by god he has a lot of crap to answer for as well and many things are simply unforgivable.

MMA and Fazl ur Rehman are the biggest covert sympathizers/supporters of TTP. The madrassas run by Fazl ur Rehman are the most numerous and over here a Taliban commander would receive a royal welcome.
MMA government in NWFP made sure that FC, Army were just sitting there on sentry duty in some areas and doing nothing while the TTP infiltrated every place with the help of political administration which gave all green signals.
There was a political blackout and civil administration was slowly destroyed.
MMA was enjoying the show and not confronting the militants but helping them instead based on Army/police briefings, investigations etc.
MMA was the counterintelligence of TTP!
How else can you explain the targeting of countless ANP leaders but not even one of the MMA during so many years of MMA rule?

Those familiar with military mobilization, FC activities and intelligence operations in Musharraf era would know that unlike his claimed assertiveness, Army was not properly deployed to act and neutralize the likes of Fazlullah and his goons in decisive operations.
The limited actions they fought made the TTP run but there was no decisiveness and MMA was ensuring that there is no coherence!
This actually caused many Swatis to question who the state was protecting.

MMA was and will never be pro Pakistani, they do not give a damn about Pakistan!
Most of these fat political Mullah's were against the creation of Pakistan so there is no way they would ever be sincere even now.

The kind of bunkers, tunnel networks etc in the heart of mountains that these goons have created are actually extremely difficult to construct and require a lot of manpower and years, which they have had plenty of in the Musharraf era. There is no ******** way i believe Musharraf on the Swat operations, he compromised our security to keep intact his marriage with MMA and prolong his rule...this is the weakness all dictators have

Today there are plenty of Taliban Sympathizers even in the educated circles, the pro Khilafat organizations like Hizb ut Tahrir is an example, even in Lahore, Rawalpindi they held protests against the Army operation despite having many educated members in their ranks...they claim that Pakistan is nothing and Islamic brotherhood is most important...they do not acknowledge that Taliban are terrorists but claim that it is all Pakistan's fault...amazingly pathetic and utterly disgusting!

It is therefore absolutely must for people like us to always speak up for what we believe in, there has to be a strong anti militant campaign and we are the spokesmen and spokeswomen!

 

[fatman17]

the beating/flogging of the girl by the taliban also exposed them fully!