Why Army operation in North Waziristan is so risky

[A.Rafay]

LAHORE: “From Bannu to Miranshah in North Waziristan, a stretch of 72 kilometres of undulating road is a journey not without risk of life even for military troops who can travel on this perilous route only one day in a week for ration and refill.
On the Road Opening Day (ROD) in military parlance, an advance party is sent at dawn which clears the road of mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) laid on the way. Several blasts occur during the process and some of the pathfinders get hurt, sometimes even killed. Once the road is clear the advance party informs the main convoy to start and reach the other end before it is dark. Despite ROD clearance, the risk of life and limb remains very much alive. But after nightfall, you never know if the IEDs are again laid in the dark which can cause heavy casualties for troops,” military officers posted in North Waziristan told this scribe during Eid holidays.

Not allowing the scribe to mention their names as they were not authorised to talk to media, the officers posted presently in North Waziristan said, “This is how Pakistan military is keeping its presence in North Waziristan.”

“North Waziristan is infested with extremists of all shades and hues, of nationalities, even that of the US,” they disclosed. “We live in a barricaded camp and when we move out for the construction of a road we go well-equipped and under the cover of armoured vehicles. We wear a different uniform, not the regular pigmented army fatigue. It indicates to militants that we are involved in road construction under the Frontier Works Organisation and we are not regular army troops,” they said.

Under an agreement with the local Taliban, they further said, “We are allowed to continue development work but only development work.”

According to them, the heaviest concentration of militants is in the area known as “Matches Village” and army personnel deputed to build roads are not allowed to interfere with their movement. “Sometimes, we do come across each other and a clash takes place but mostly they fire in the air only to warn to us keep off and we continue the work,” they said. “If we shoot at them, thinking there are only a few and a death occurs, they appear in hundreds in no time — all equipped. Of course, we can’t shoot all of them even if we can,” they said. “All of them are not militants; even ordinary residents possess AK47s; it is their culture (current N Waziristan population is 500,000). It is the way they have been living since ages, even before they went into conflict with former Soviet Union.”

Asked about June 2012 incident of kidnapping of 17 Pakistani soldiers and beheading them, they said it happened due to a wrong move made by the commander to have gone in the outfield without proper cover. They said 13 of the soldiers were killed in the clash there and then. Only four injured soldiers were taken away and shown beheaded in a video. They were not kidnapped as they claimed.

Asked as to why they don’t act against Haqqani and other so-called pro-Pakistan militants, they said, “For the simple and understandable reason not to antagonise even those who don’t challenge our presence?”

Asked about taking action against anti-Pakistan extremists, they said it was easier said than done. “Our troops once heavily pounded at their den, ‘Matches Village’ but they could not be crushed. It was as if they went into bunkers dug under the mountains. Attacking them straight in this terrain is like going into hornet’s nest,” they said.

Asked if it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Pakistan Army is helpless in clean-sweeping the area, the officers replied with a counter-question: “Can Isaf and Afghan forces go into Kunar and Nuristan provinces held by Fazlullah and his men despite having much more resources, technology and intelligence?”

As the officers happen to be present in the war arena and experiencing the exigencies of war first hand, they had reasonable understanding of the war theatre. Asked how long will it take for Pakistani troops to take over North Waziristan, they said they could win tactical wars but not the strategic one. “North Waziristan needn’t be conquered, it’s part of Pakistan and we hope that there is every likelihood that the enmity will dissipate once US troops leave Afghanistan,” they said in unison.

The large support of people the militants have been able to muster from the region, they assessed, is because Pakhtuns react to aliens’ presence in their land. Historically, they have always been up with arms against invaders. “Once the irritant is removed, things would be easy to normalise”, they said.

It is not that only officers present there believe in it. Operators of Pakistan’s premier agency also think the same way as one of them endorsed the view.

Asked about the impact of the drone hellfire missiles, the officers said, “It is part of the problem, not of the solution. Drone attacks provoke them and add to their ranks and number.” As the scribe differed with them, they said it is because only they know the ground reality. Asked if Pakistan is, somehow, given this technology if it could be useful, they said Pakistani forces would use it without causing collateral damage and that would make the big difference in ending the war once and for all. “If I’m watching a target,” said one of them, “I can call a drone hit and it wouldn’t affect others whereas Americans rely on info which may or may not be correct. One wrong target infuriates the whole region.”

Asked about any chances of launching “Operation Tight Screw” in North Waziristan any sooner, they said, “We know the situation on the ground and report to the high-ups for decision-making. But they added, “Surprise is also a weapon. Pakistan Army is a loyal and dedicated organic whole. It can deliver it at an appropriate time and date but first it has to be backed by the political will of the nation.”

According to well-placed intelligence sources, Pakistan Army was fully prepared to retaliate with a bang after 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai was hit. But it has shown restrain so that none of the political forces could use the fallout either to postpone the general election due within a few months or use the issue for more political space. The sources said Army leadership believes that any decision regarding taking on militants would have to be taken by whoever forms the next government.

Why Army operation in North Waziristan is so risky - thenews.com.pk

 

[somebozo]

Under an agreement with the local Taliban, they further said, “We are allowed to continue development work but only development work.”

It is utter shame that a milltary of a country is cornered by rag tag terrorist elements inside their own borders. Instead of garnering sympathy it is time to take a hardcore action against this menace and shell the terrorist hide outs indiscriminately. Until the terrorist come begging for mercy. Until now very little action has been done to take out the mid and high level terrorist leadership, most of the targeted are low level fighters which are replaced with more than willing man power. One should ask these terrorist if establishing a Islamic emirate will solve their economics and social problems magically??? This is definitely a case of desperation driven by years of deprivation. Instead of sympathizing with PA, it is time to call in an audit and court martial of top PA leadership. An Army the size and magnitude of PA cannot be excused against facing some rag tag terrorist with state of art arsenal. This is a classic case of PA incompetency rather than inability.

The large support of people the militants have been able to muster from the region, they assessed, is because Pakhtuns react to aliens’ presence in their land. Historically, they have always been up with arms against invaders. “Once the irritant is removed, things would be easy to normalise”, they said.

The only aliens here are the terrorist. Those claiming PA as aliens should be regarded as part of terrorist ring and exterminated without discrimination. Tendencies like these are dangerous and the writer should be ashamed of his POV. The Pukhtoons definitely did not react to aliens honroued the "Pukhtoon Wali" code when it was time to hand over Aymal Kasi for huge sum of reward money.

 

[Zarvan]

It is utter shame that a milltary of a country is cornered by rag tag terrorist elements inside their own borders. Instead of garnering sympathy it is time to take a hardcore action against this menace and shell the terrorist hide outs indiscriminately. Until the terrorist come begging for mercy. Until now very little action has been done to take out the mid and high level terrorist leadership, most of the targeted are low level fighters which are replaced with more than willing man power. One should ask these terrorist if establishing a Islamic emirate will solve their economics and social problems magically??? This is definitely a case of desperation driven by years of deprivation. Instead of sympathizing with PA, it is time to call in an audit and court martial of top PA leadership. An Army the size and magnitude of PA cannot be excused against facing some rag tag terrorist with state of art arsenal. This is a classic case of PA incompetency rather than inability.




The only aliens here are the terrorist. Those claiming PA as aliens should be regarded as part of terrorist ring and exterminated without discrimination. Tendencies like these are dangerous and the writer should be ashamed of his POV. The Pukhtoons definitely did not react to aliens honroued the "Pukhtoon Wali" code when it was time to hand over Aymal Kasi for huge sum of reward money.

Sir those so called big rag terrorists have lot of local support that is why they are not only surviving in that area but thriving and they will continue to have that support as long as Army follows what America says we made the biggest blunder when we started the war against our own people and have paid the most heavy price by all means still war is not over and in fact every body is unhappy with us including our own people in Tribal Areas

 

[somebozo]

Sir those so called big rag terrorists have lot of local support that is why they are not only surviving in that area but thriving and they will continue to have that support as long as Army follows what America says we made the biggest blunder when we started the war against our own people and have paid the most heavy price by all means still war is not over and in fact every body is unhappy with us including our own people in Tribal Areas

As per your logic army should withdraw and return the lawless tribal areas to terrorist. The tribals have failed to honor the code of Pakistan and have let their lands be used by criminals and terrorist elements. They have lost any legitimacy to govern their lands and if they do not understand the language of diplomacy then we only need a hike in drone and precision guided strikes.

 

[Zarvan]

As per your logic army should withdraw and return the lawless tribal areas to terrorist. The tribals have failed to honor the code of Pakistan and have let their lands be used by criminals and terrorist elements. They have lost any legitimacy to govern their lands and if they do not understand the language of diplomacy then we only need a hike in drone and precision guided strikes.

Sir those Tribal Areas became part of Pakistan on the condition that no law of Pakistan will apply their Sir and what we need to do is stop taking action against our own people and win their support and ask them to take on these TTP guys Sir the day TTP guys loose local support they can't survive their because local people have lot more weapons than those TTP guys they are only surviving their because of local support which they get because your Army entered Tribal areas on American orders in Musharraf time