This is our war
Shahid Zamir

AMERICA’S failure to target the Taliban and especially its leadership since 2001 has left several deleterious consequences. To begin with: (1) it has resulted in the creation of a “safe haven” for various terrorist elements in the FATA responsible to plan more catastrophic attacks on NATO/ISAF troops stationed in Afghanistan. (2) it has also resulted in pressurizing the Government to withdraw from anti-terrorism operations in an area that has long been lawless. (3) Further, it has allowed a mushroom of violent extremist groups inside Pakistan resulting in the rise of new Islamist militant groups sympathetic to al- Qaeda and committed to waging a holy war against the Pakistan Government, the liberal elements in Pakistani politics, as well as foreign adversaries such as the United States. The Pakistani Taliban commanders like Baitullah Mahsud, the chieftain of the Mahsud tribe in South Waziristan; Maulana Faqir Muhammad who is associated with the Tehrike-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammad and who operates in the Bajaur Agency; Maulana Qazi Fazlullah, also affiliated with the same group but operating out of Swat; Mangal Bagh Afridi, who leads the Lashkar- e- Islami in the Khyber Agency and is believed to be part of a larger local opposition network led by Mufti Munir Shakir; and Sharif Khan and Nur Islam, tribal leaders who have demonstrated considerable operational effectiveness in South Waziristan. The more extremist outfits, to include al-Qaeda elements, have sought to exact their revenge by undertaking lethal suicide attacks against Pakistan security forces and ISI personnel within the FATA and deep inside the nation’s heartland in an effort to compel Pakistan to terminate its counterterrorism operations conclusively. The terrorists who conduct suicide attacks in Pakistan, killing innocent people, constitute not only a threat to the fledgling democracy but also to the country's sovereignty. Attacks of the kind conducted on the Marriott Hotel, kidnapping of the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Wah factory blasts, etc, challenge the writ of the Government. If such acts are not countered through persuasion or force, they would lead to destabilize Pakistan. This is the prime responsibility of Pakistan. It is Pakistan’s war and Pakistan’s army is fighting homegrown war for its homeland security - time to acknowledge this war as our own. Pakistan’s security forces are carrying out operation clean-up against militant outfits in the restive Khyber agency, Hangu, Swat, Dara Adem Khel, Bajour and Waziristan.
Terrorist attacks against noncombatants more than doubled in Pakistan from 2006 to 2007, reflecting the growing violence in the country's turbulent tribal areas and new bombings against Pakistan Government officials and security services. The War on Terrorism had a major impact on Pakistan. After 9/11, it had to face direct threat of Al-Qaeda and Taliban, which usually targeted high-profile political figures. Terrorists killed 3,448 people from 1,503 attacks in Pakistan in 2007, according to Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) security report. Pakistan is at a war facing two threats to its integrity, from the Americans on the one hand and the terrorists who continue to target its cities on the other. The threat from the Americans comes in a number of forms from pressure on the government to unilateral air strikes inside Pakistan. The other threat comes from terrorists attacks led to the killing of crowds of innocent people as happened in DI Khan, Wah carnage, train bombings, Marriott Hotel etc.
Desirous of protecting Islamabad’s interests in these areas and to avoid Pakistan becoming a target in the campaign against terrorism, Pakistan requires confronting the sources of terrorism that had developed internally in Pakistan. Two terrorist groupings were implicated in this regard. (1) The unexpected growth in power of domestic sectarian groups like the Sunni Sipah-e-Sahaba and its offshoot the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Shia Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan and its offshoot the Sipah-e-Muhammad, which were engaged in violent bouts of bloodletting within the country. (2) The second group relevant to the Pakistan’s decision to declare war against terrorism consisted of the Taliban remnants of the regime ejected from power in Kabul as a result of American conquest of Afghanistan. After their defeat, the core Taliban leadership - along with those Pakistani Pashtuns who had joined their movement crossed over the Afghanistan-Pakistan border into the relative safety of the FATA. Pakistan’s military, accordingly, began to prosecute the war against al-Qaeda with great vigor. This military campaign, which took the form of a gigantic cordon-and- search operation, had several consequences. First, it resulted in the capture of numerous al- Qaeda and other extremist operatives— some 700 at last count. Second, it has secured major gains in eradicating some domestic anti-national sectarian terrorist groups.
By all accounts, Pakistan is strongly committed to purging both al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Pakistan repeatedly identified the “talibanization” of Pakistan as the most pressing threat facing the state. Drawing a distinction between “diehard militants and fanatics,” who “reject reconciliation and peace” and accordingly must be targeted and the larger Taliban cadres, “most of [whom] may be ignorant and misguided” but “are a part of Afghan society,” Pakistan has urged international community to begin instead a campaign of reconciliation with the Taliban focused on “winning [their] hearts and minds.” Pakistan’s attitude toward the Taliban thus remains multifaceted: referring to Talibanization as a species of extremism that “represents a state of mind and requires [a] more comprehensive, long-term strategy where military action must be combined with a political approach and socioeconomic development.” Pakistan is also opposed to what it calls “terrorist elements and foreign militants” within the movement, which Pakistan acknowledges “must be dealt with a strong hand.”
The new Government in Islamabad is remaking the country's counterterrorism strategies, to include negotiating with some of the most hard-line militants. A combination both use of force and civil dialogue with those who were misled into supporting extremists, has been the most viable policy of the Government. As in FATA there are many in the rest of the country who differ with the government's policies, particularly its reliance on the US. The best way to force it to set its direction right is not to take up arms but to resolve the issue inside the Parliament. Throughout Pakistani society in general, there is a growing weariness with the counterterrorism operations presently being waged on the country’s soil. Recent polling, for example, suggests that most respondents overwhelmingly oppose allowing outside forces to combat al-Qaeda on their national territory. A survey recently conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland in collaboration with the U.S. Institute of Peace found that that “Pakistanis reject overwhelmingly the idea of permitting foreign troops to attack al-Qaeda on Pakistani territory. Pakistanis overwhelmingly oppose US-led efforts to fight terrorism—59% oppose America’s anti- terror campaign, while only 13% back it.
This is Pakistan’s war because Pakistan itself has suffered from terrorism. Pakistan has its own strategy against terrorists and would not allow external elements to undermine its counter-terrorism efforts which are contrary to the popular emotion in Pakistan. The West had to play its part. To avail the chance of defeating the suicide bombing may require a level of indefinite economic commitment. Washington needs to pour significantly more money into rural development. What United States can do is: (1) restructure the current counterterrorism intelligence liaison relationship between the United States and Pakistan in order to acquire greater insight into the existing terrorist networks operating within Pakistan. (2) Continue to assist Pakistan with the technology and the training to prosecute small-unit counterterrorism operations more effectively. (3) Continue disbursing coalition support funds to Pakistan as per past practice. (4) Integrate the ongoing political transition in Pakistan - including the growing national clamor for a genuine return to democracy. Given political compromise, education, and socio-economic development in tribal belt, it may be possible for Pakistan to defeat the scourge of terrorism. That is the real alternative to suicidal bombings.

Hamid Mir on FATA situation & a visit to Bajaur
Dr. Anwar


MY students in the University drew my attention to a media repot “Hamid Mir on FATA Situation” published by WhizNews on September 19, 2008. Hamid Mir claimed that there was no operation against Taliban or Al Qaeda but against the poor people of FATA and that the territory west of Bannu was lost and no longer a part of Pakistan. There was no writ of Pakistan in that area and army camped in the entire region was not fighting the Taliban because they were strong and army was afraid of fighting Taliban. Instead they bomb and kill innocent civilians. Pakistan Army was only pretending to kill Taliban to extract money from USA while America was doing its own dirty work to involve Pakistan in its nefarious scheme”.
As a Pakistani I could not control my inner commotion and got fixed with a friend in Inter Services Public Relations Directorate to discuss the situation in FATA as reported by Hamid Mir. After having listened to my fears about FATA my friend allowed me to accompany media teams proceeding to Bajaur. On September 26, 2008, I volunteered to visit Bajaur to get the first hand information. Media teams were from different TV channels (Al-Jazeera, BBC, China, CNN, Reuter, Sky News, AAJ, ARY, Express News, Khyber, PTV and others). It was a unique experience to have interacted with different media persons who seemed to be very keen to fill their hunger for information.
At Bajaur Major General Tariq, Inspector General Frontier Corps briefed the media men on military operations in Bajaur and claimed to have killed 1000 militants losing own 26 soldiers and 112 injured. He was confident to defeat the militants within two months and then launch a comprehensive integration program entailing restoration of order in FATA and facilitate civil functionaries to govern. Captured prisoners and their arms were also shown to media. Media teams freely interviewed these prisoners to unearth truth. The contingent then went to Khang Katta to cover the live operation against the militants. The town was held by foreign militants. Civilians vacated the town and escaped for fear of persecution. Military operation was launched to push the militants out of town. Security forces were still in contact with the retreating / hiding militants. Army operation was supported by tanks and gunship helicopters. An exchange of fire from both sides was also witnessed by the media men. The media teams were taken to a place where two officers (Major/Captain) lost their lives. A tank destroyed by the militants was on the main road.
At Bajaur tribal elders informed that they have raised a LASHKAR to defend Bajaur. At Salar Zai town Tribal LASHKAR greeted the media teams with slogans of Allah-o-Akbar/Pakistan Zindabad. LASHKAR leaders while supporting the army operation in Bajaur/FATA, requested the army to continue operation till its logical ends. They claimed that India, USA and Afghanistan were offering huge amounts of money to the militants to destabilize FATA. They also revealed that Taliban coming from Afghanistan have strong drug connections. They pledged to fight them. They expressed patriotic esteem for Pakistan and openly rejected religious ideology of Taliban calling them the hypocrites.
The visit to Bajaur was exhausting in RAMAZAN but it proved valuable as it removed many speculations created by skewed reporting of Hamid Mir. Situation in Bajaur is very much under Pakistani control. Militants have lost local support while Army operations are potent enough to eliminate the militants. Situation is not as bleak as incorrectly projected by Hamid Mir. Creating alarm may be thrilling for Hamid Mir who used the enormous media powers for the purpose, but dangerous for the country. Media powers can be used constructively and positively. Abusing these powers will be perilous for both media and the nation. Media persons visiting Bajaur were found inquisitive, bold, focused to issues, honest to cause, professionally competent but very cooperative maintaining smiling postures during rough engagements. This is how they marked their signatures. Will own media men learn any lessons? As a Psychologist I always maintain a positive sense of optimism. Surely my message is conveyed to the right quarters and in future the concerned media person would exercise prudence to use media reports on sensitive matters to save the audience the pains of disinformation and anxiety of unjust panic.



Pakistan battles a serious image problem
Tariq Al-Maeena

PAKISTAN has become a front for the proxy war being fought by the US and NATO against Al-Qaeda. And in the process, it is in danger of losing its sovereignty. Joseph Biden in his debate with Sarah Palin last Thursday referred to Pakistan as a 'dangerous' state along with Iran. The Pakistanis, through no fault of their own, have become victims of senseless crimes, all directed against the innocent. Saman Ali Abbasi, a Pakistani, who was horrified at the events surrounding the Marriott Hotel bombings in Islamabad recently, writes:
“On Sept. 20, 2008, I turned on my TV and switched the channel to my favourite Pakistani channel Dawn. The screen was full of horrific details about the bomb blast at Marriott Islamabad. I froze and watched in horror as the sketchy details became longer. “I called my family and friends residing in Islamabad to find that they were all fine. I recalled how many times we passed that hotel on our last trip to Pakistan. In the 1990s Muddy’s, the discotheque, at Marriott was the talk of the town where everyone thronged on weekends.“Last year for our vacation we travelled to America and decided to land at New York. It was that day that I realised that my green and gold passport and the words that ‘I am from Pakistan’ could cause trouble to my family and me. It took us two hours to clear immigration.
While we were sitting and waiting, I saw an old Pakistani lady sitting alone. She was continuously turning her prayer beads. I sat down next to her. She told me that she has come many a time to US but this time she came with her youngest son Osama! It took her son four hours to prove that he was not Bin Laden. “A few days later while we were in Orlando, the fuel gauge in the car showed nil. I got panicky and stopped the car at a fuel station. It was then that I realized what a pampered life I lead in Saudi Arabia, where we sit in our air-conditioned cars and just nod to the attendant to fill the tank. I was clueless, my eyes searched desperately for an attendant.
“I had the brainwave to walk inside the minimart at the fuel station. I requested the owner to help me out. He asked me where I was from. Very reluctantly I told him that I was from Pakistan but living in Saudi Arabia. To my surprise, his response was in sharp contrast to that of the immigration staff. He asked me a few more questions with a pleasant smile, filled fuel and wished me a good day. “Last month we decided to travel to Bahrain from Saudi Arabia to watch some movies. Very proudly, I wore one of my new ‘shalwar kamiz’ and decided to take my abaya off once we reached Bahrain. After buying popcorns and nachos, we chose the movie ‘Iron Man’ as Robert Downy Jr. is one of my favourite actors. We were laughing and talking in ‘Urdu’ while others were settling down in their seats. The hall was full with Arabs, Americans, Indians and many other nationalities.
“The lights were dimmed as the movie began. Suddenly, there was a terrorist on the silver screen killing and cursing in ‘Urdu’. I lowered my head feeling a little embarrassed. Please, there is more to Pakistan than terrorism, I wanted to tell everyone. How can we change the tarnished image of our country? As one of the analysts on TV was saying yesterday, ‘not only the government but we all have to play our role in stopping these acts of terrorism and changing the image of our country’. “One of my Palestinian friends once told me, ‘Saman we were surprised to see you for the first time as you were wearing trousers and talking in English.’ I turned around and asked her why. To my chagrin, she told me that she always thought that Pakistan was like Afghanistan where women wear shuttlecock ‘burqas’ and never went to school.’ That is how they show your country on CNN, she confided in me.

—Khaleej Times