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Raheel Sharif appointed chief of Islamic military alliance, confirms Khawaja Asif

Okay guy's I am off for a break. I might pop in now and then to check what's rustling here. But I concede that I was wrong and I have to follow on my wager. Just as cap Gen. Sharif wanted Iran on board (wonder if anybody will call him Iran lover?) as well and one of his condition is that the force should not be sectarian. When I come back we should have more info on how this played out. Conditions and prefeances by Gen. Raheel Sharif:-

* Iran on board
* Non Sectarian
* No Saudi above him

This article was what convinced me > https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...tan-army-chief-raheel-sharif-lead-muslim-nato

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I really feel sorry for such a graceful man. How media is bashing him. Even senate raise question about his clearance to join coalition. Hope he will be a peace maker. I am 100 percent sure PMLn and specially khawaja ji took chance to get even with RS.
 
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Okay guy's I am off for a break. I might pop in now and then to check what's rustling here. But I concede that I was wrong and I have to follow on my wager. Just as cap Gen. Sharif wanted Iran on board (wonder if anybody will call him Iran lover?) as well and one of his condition is that the force should not be sectarian. When I come back we should have more info on how this played out. Conditions and prefeances by Gen. Raheel Sharif:-

* Iran on board
* Non Sectarian
* No Saudi above him

This article was what convinced me > https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...tan-army-chief-raheel-sharif-lead-muslim-nato

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The condition he put are so important he know the hypocrisy behind muslim collation force without involving Iran in it. Now US don't want it and sheikhs don't accept it good for him good for us.
 
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I can't believe I would say this about Khawaja Asif... but finally some credible source.

Thats the first official confirmation in that case

Watch around 17 minutes of this video. Thats where he says

something is fishy , something is cooking.
 
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General (R) Raheel Sharif put three conditions before Saudi Arabia for heading the 39-nation Islamic military alliance.

1. He will not work under anyone else’s leadership.
2. Iran should be included in the military alliance.
3. He will play the role of a mediator to resolve differences between Muslim countries.

A true statesman and a soldier.
 
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I really feel sorry for such a graceful man. How media is bashing him. Even senate raise question about his clearance to join coalition. Hope he will be a peace maker. I am 100 percent sure PMLn and specially khawaja ji took chance to get even with RS.
This man in senate with a handle in the head, did he ever raised an eye brow for a common man problem? No. Now he is raising questions on RS joining this alliance which will further Pakistan cause at his master's voice. Such a lowly two legged animal controlled by a leash by both sr. and jr. G for za-dari
 
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This man in senate with a handle in the head, did he ever raised an eye brow for a common man problem? No. Now he is raising questions on RS joining this alliance which will further Pakistan cause at his master's voice. Such a lowly two legged animal controlled by a leash by both sr. and jr. G for za-dari
Achakzai and Nawaz already beat Zardari. Look at how they are clipping the wings of military courts.
 
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General (R) Raheel Sharif put three conditions before Saudi Arabia for heading the 39-nation Islamic military alliance.

1. He will not work under anyone else’s leadership.
2. Iran should be included in the military alliance.
3. He will play the role of a mediator to resolve differences between Muslim countries.

A true statesman and a soldier.
Why he has to coax Iran? Iran is a bad influence, a pestilence. I know it is diplomacy, but iran should not have a veto over what Pakistan should or should not do.
 
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Okay guy's I am off for a break. I might pop in now and then to check what's rustling here. But I concede that I was wrong and I have to follow on my wager. Just as cap Gen. Sharif wanted Iran on board (wonder if anybody will call him Iran lover?) as well and one of his condition is that the force should not be sectarian. When I come back we should have more info on how this played out. Conditions and prefeances by Gen. Raheel Sharif:-

* Iran on board
* Non Sectarian
* No Saudi above him

This article was what convinced me > https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...tan-army-chief-raheel-sharif-lead-muslim-nato

4850.jpg


The fact that you can admit when you are wrong speaks volume about your character. More people respect you for it. Stick around.
 
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Lets wait for the official announcement, nothing has been announced as yet & all of us are just speculating.

As long as every single Muslim country is in this alliance, I have my backing for Gen Raheel, at least we're moving forward towards something than nothing!

As for media, it has been bashing Gen Raheel, & also army, do not believe a single word that they say, media just steers public opinion towards a set agenda given to them by their financiers.

Only issue I have is with the monarchs of KSA, they fear they're losing power & now all of a sudden they realized Muslims need to be united, in reality they're doing this to save their lousy bums., but i'll accept it as long as Muslims are being united out of this selfish act of house of Sauds.
 
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Real 'Root' of the problem was not Iran –Iraq war but talking of about 50 US diplomats as hostages by the bird- brain Iranian students in November 1979.

Khwarazm Shah killed 6 emissaries sent by Changez Khan, result was 30-million Iranians killed by the Mongols in reprisal. In my humble opinion, Saddam Hussein had tacit US backing and the US may have also used diplomatic pressure on Kuwait & the Saudis to support Saddam Hussein in his military adventure in Iran which occurred about 11 months after the hostage taking. Result was another 1-million Iranian dead and Iran economy on the verge of bankruptcy

History literally repeated itself, only instead of the East this time the invasion came from the West.
Sir , your touching many subjects in few lines. My research contradict yours. But, issues still there anyway.

I am coming to conclusion , Khawaja Asif and PMLn played some dirty trick with RS. From ARY to Geo are confused about Khawaja statement.
 
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DAWN

THERE has, as yet, not been any denial of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s mumbled comments during a TV interview last week about retired Gen Raheel Sharif being appointed the chief of a Saudi-led military alliance. Considering that clear articulation has never been his strong point, one may take the minister’s mutterings as confirmation.

But the minister has left many questions unanswered, adding to the confusion over the government’s position on the issue and whether the appointment of the former chief of army staff indicates a shift in our policy of staying away from the power tussle in the Middle East. It is apparent that the former general’s selection to head a multinational force would hardly be possible without the approval of the prime minister.

It seems that the government is maintaining deliberate ambiguity on this matter as happened when it was first reported that Pakistan had joined the so-called Islamic military coalition. Then there are valid questions too about Raheel Sharif’s own decision to accept the controversial job that may adversely impact the fine legacy that he left as the best-remembered army chief.

He is certainly not a freewheeling retired general who would accept such a politically sensitive position at his own discretion without the consent of the government. There is no precedence in Pakistan of a retired army chief seeking a job and that too outside the country.

Surely the Saudi offer was on the table long before Gen Sharif’s retirement. Is there any strategic reason behind the government’s decision to loan a recently retired army chief, or is it Saudi pressure that we could not afford to resist? Whatever the justification, such a decision can have serious foreign and domestic fallout.

There is no clarity on how the forces of different Muslim countries, with divergent interests, can work together.
It has been more than a year since the young Saudi deputy crown prince, who has been responsible for the kingdom’s disastrous military adventure in Yemen, announced the formation of a military alliance of 34 Muslim-majority nations. This unilateral Saudi declaration took not only Pakistan, but also several other nations on the list, by surprise. Although the coalition was formed to jointly fight terrorism, its very composition branded it as a ‘Sunni coalition’.

There has been widespread scepticism of whether it is really meant to be a coalition against terrorism or just a Saudi pawn in the power tussle in the Middle East. The lukewarm response from many member countries makes it extremely doubtful that such a military alliance can really take off. The exclusion of some Muslim countries including Iran and Iraq makes it all the more divisive.

There are few countries that are willing to commit troops to the alliance. So what is there for the former army chief to lead? Moreover, to fight terrorism, there is a need for closer cooperation among the intelligence and security agencies of these Muslim countries rather than a joint military force.

Interestingly, the idea of a military alliance was floated after Pakistan and some other countries refused to send their troops to fight along the Saudi forces in Yemen. A joint session of parliament had rejected the Saudi request, provoking indignation in the kingdom. It was certainly not in the country’s interest to be a party in the sectarian divide and the regional power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudi military adventure has only exacerbated the civil war in Yemen and blocked any move to reach a political solution to the conflict.

Over the past one year, there have been some significant changes in the Middle East’s power dynamics with the heavy losses inflicted on the militant Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Interestingly, many countries that are listed in the Saudi-led coalition are part of the US-sponsored anti-IS alliance including Iran. In fact, Iran has played a key role in pushing out the global terrorist group from its stronghold in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Russia is also asserting its military and diplomatic power in the Middle East forming a separate trilateral alliance that includes Iran and Turkey to counter IS in Syria. The new nexus has the tacit support of Washington and other Western countries in enforcing a ceasefire among various warring sides in Syria. Saudi Arabia, which has been supporting Sunni militant groups, now seems to be out of the equation in the Syrian crisis.

Interestingly, Egypt, that has been receiving massive Saudi financial aid, has also been supporting Bashar al-Assad’s government against the Saudi-backed opposition. So with all these divergent interests and shifting alliances, the idea of a new Saudi-led coalition does not seem to make much sense. Most observers agree that the formation of a new alliance reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing concern about its own security and internal stability as it no longer sees the US as a reliable ally.

Washington’s nuclear deal with Iran and its reluctance to commit ground troops to overthrow the Assad government in Syria has exacerbated the kingdom’s anxiety. Although the US had welcomed the proposed alliance there are serious doubts about Saudi Arabia’s seriousness in fighting violent extremism.

This widespread scepticism is largely due to the allegation that some Saudi charities continue to provide financial support to radical Sunni sectarian groups in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries in order to impose their own intolerant and retrogressive concept of Sharia laws.

In the past year, there have not been any discussions and consultations among the member countries on what the alliance might do. There is also no clarity on how the forces of different Muslim countries, with divergent interests, can work together. In such a situation, Pakistan’s participation in the controversial alliance, with its former army chief heading the joint military force, has serious political repercussions.

The government must take into confidence parliament and the nation on the issue. It must not allow the former chief to rent himself out to a controversial alliance with a divisive agenda. It is in our national security interest that we keep out of the power struggle in the Middle East.
 
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Congrats to General Raheel Sharif's appointment as Head of the Joint force, politicians should focus on economy
 
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I do not agree with the comment "why would I go to the country that...” I have been to Saudi Arabia twice because IMHO; location of the holy Kaaba and the Medina in Saudi Arabia makes it obligatory upon every Muslim to perform Hajj or at least Umra; if he can afford it. Nevertheless, it is probably the best article on Gen Raheel taking up the Saudi post

Waiting for Saladin

IRFAN HUSAIN — UPDATED a day ago
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irfan.husain@gmail.com


I HAVE a confession to make: in all my travels, Saudi Arabia has never figured on my itinerary.

And with good reason. Why would I go to a country that deliberately destroys its historical heritage, flogs and beheads people, and treats foreign workers worse than slaves? With so many pleasant places to choose from, Jeddah and Riyadh are very low down the list.

But if retired general Raheel Sharif chooses to spend his twilight years there, who am I to object? Frankly, his post-retirement plans don’t interest me much. As far as I’m concerned, he did a good job as army chief, and has called it quits on the appointed day. Time to move on.

To judge from all the hysteria about his reported move to Saudi Arabia, one would think he’s stabbed us in the back. But hey, folks, lots of people get jobs abroad and move. In fact, most Pakistanis would jump at the opportunity to make some serious bucks overseas, even if it is in a cultural wasteland.

So why so much angst over Raheel Sharif’s new job? Some commentators and regulars on social media have made the point that, as a retiring full general, he doesn’t lack for money or property. But when has that ever stopped the well-off from wanting more?

Then there’s the chorus complaining that the 34-nation military alliance he is supposed to lead exists only in the figment of the Saudi royal family’s imagination. So? Surely our retired hero is due some rest and recreation: why should we object if he gets paid a vast amount?

I suspect the real reason so many people are worked up is that they had projected their image of a national saviour on Sharif, and are now shattered at his decision to take the familiar route to the Oily Land. Our history is littered with figures we built up into facsimiles of Saladin, only to be disappointed when they came crashing down to earth.

Why so much angst over Raheel Sharif’s new job?
This perpetual search for a saviour who would solve our problems has been a regular refrain, with dictators being welcomed, only to be exposed for the ambitious, ruthless men they really were. Currently, millions have pinned their hopes on Imran Khan. While wishing them luck, I would only point out that changing institutions and attitudes is very hard work, and doesn’t happen overnight.

Even bloody revolutions are no panaceas. Clearly, those who, until recently, were urging Raheel Sharif to take over have not learned from our coup-littered history. To his credit, Raheel Sharif spurned the invitation as he probably knew that he had no answers for all that ails the country.

In Pakistan, institutions have been so enfeebled by years of misrule that it is relatively easy for a dictator to bend them to his will. The higher judiciary might be showing its teeth now, but for decades, it was the main facilitator for military rulers. The bureaucracy was more than happy to salute the new dispensation, and the media was easily subdued.

With this background, Raheel Sharif’s many fans were rooting for him to either get an extension, or simply take over. I wonder what has happened to the shadowy organisation that pasted the general’s face on walls from Karachi to the Khyber Pass. I do know that TV chat show hosts and columnists who were urging Sharif to stay are now having to eat humble pie. Chilli sauce, anyone?

But ultimately, this search for a messiah says more about us than it does about Raheel Sharif. After all, if he has accepted the job, he would be doing what most in his position would have: take whatever is coming his way.

Many pundits have superimposed a regional/sectarian view on to his future role as a generalissimo on the Saudi payroll. The Saudi-Iranian proxy war has been invoked, and Pakistan’s own Shia-Sunni tensions have been made part of this discourse. Saudi Arabia’s vicious bombing of Yemen has been advanced as yet another reason for him to refuse the role of commander of the ghost battalions of the Sunni coalition.

But since when have mercenaries questioned the cause they are paid to fight for? When Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a 34-nation coalition, some of the member states — Pakistan included — expressed their ignorance of the honour conferred on them by Riyadh. After this, the so-called alliance practically disappeared from the scene until Raheel Sharif’s retirement.

I suppose our ex-army chief will first have to go around a reluctant Muslim world to drum up support for the hare-brained scheme. And no doubt there will be a Saudi princeling in the background with an open chequebook.

Here’s when he will learn the Saudi way of fighting wars. And as he recedes into a well-paid obscurity, his days of being a hero to the Pakistani people will quickly fade away.

irfan.husain@gmail.com

Published in Dawn January 14th, 2017

http://www.dawn.com/news/1308257/waiting-for-saladin
 
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I wonder when, and what amount of troops are going to be deployed anyway, if they are.

But, its befitting of a Punjabi Rajput Sher to lead the coalition, with his experiences and all :D

Truth, is most of the Gulf nations, although, possessing expensive weaponry, but their common soldiers aren't the best trained. I guess if they finance the mission, I would also like Bangladeshi troops to be deployed. It's just like any UN mission right? Just a bit more offensive in nature maybe.
 
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