War On Terror: Now Facts Coming To The Fore

by voiceforpeace | April 7, 2009 at 02:50 am

156 views | 23 Recommendations | 5 comments

Now facts have been coming to the fore as who are responsible for terrorism in Pakistan and other parts of the world. Pakistani media has now been raising the right questions. How the terrorists are able to talks to media on phone when Pakistan Army has been conducting full operation against terrorism in various parts of the country? There are something wrong somewhere.

The catalogue of horrors recording the toll militancy has taken on Pakistan grows with every passing day.
Yesterday alone stories in this paper recorded the following: carnage in Chakwal after a suicide bomber struck an imambargah; Baitullah Mehsud’s claim that the weekend suicide attack in Islamabad was carried out by one of his foot soldiers; fighting between militants and security forces which claimed 18 lives in the Anbar valley of the Mohmand Agency, not far from Peshawar; that a second suicide bomber may still be at large in Chakwal; the warning of an attack in neighbouring Attock; a girls’ school blown up in Bannu; renewed militant activity in Bajaur; and that tension has risen in Buner after Taliban militants refused to leave the area on the demand of a local jirga.

While it is important to remember that defeating militancy will be a long, difficult and messy affair, Pakistanis have the right to question the state’s response so far in many, many areas. Consider Baitullah Mehsud. Ensconced in his quasi-kingdom in South Waziristan, the man has seemingly let loose a reign of terror on Pakistan cities in recent months, ostensibly as retribution for US drone strikes in the tribal areas.

But even today, Mehsud picks up a phone and calls reporters and news agencies around the world to lay claim to all sorts of acts of violence with astonishing ease. Can the Pakistan security forces do absolutely nothing to nab or attack this man? And if our military resources are indeed so poor, can we not elicit the cooperation of the Americans to target him? Surely doing nothing — which, other than periodic denunciations by public officials, is what we are doing right now — is not an option.

Or consider the attack on the Manawan police training school on the outskirts of Lahore. The security forces are in the cross-hairs of the militants and have been attacked on numerous occasions in recent months. Surely Manawan was an obvious potential target, so why was it not better defended? As the attack unfolded it became clear there had been little thought of developing primary, secondary and tertiary lines of defence for the school. Or consider the case of Swat.

Three phases of Operation Rah-i-Haq and the militants remained undefeated. Have there been lessons learned? Has the military studied where its tactics went wrong? Reliance on inaccurate artillery shelling from a distance versus having more boots on the ground — does the military know any better about the way to fight such battles now? And what of the politicians? They fought for a political deal with the militants, but abductions, floggings and the Taliban’s writ have continued. Is anyone, anywhere who is part of the state apparatus even learning, let alone adapting?

Source: dawn.com

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

djermano

at 04:33 on April 7th, 2009

The War on terror is clearly being waged by the troubled USA VP. You think you have troubles in Pakistan, we have just as many Taliban....although not their real name in the USA than you have in Pakistan. In America we are under seige by mass murder on a daily basis. Although in America there are not as many bomb attacks, we have much more gun violence and murder of innocent people..

It behooves me to ask, why are we trying to help you, when we can't seem to help ourselves to stop the madness? Why are we using drones in Pakistan, when we should be using them in the USA? Right? And that is the problem.......We don't know who is going to be the next terrorist. We don't know who will go on a biserk rampage shooting spree, targeting a School, a Church, a Nursing Home, a SuperMarket, a Mall... It is just so terrible, to think the USA has the ability to recognize a terrorist in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but are unable to point them out in the USA.

Am I right about that? I think I am. So what is this war about? It is about an uncontrollable military. If there is no war, the people say....well what good is having a military? So the military gets spending cuts....and why are they cutting the military financially....when they have given the US its freedom.. Seems that the Politicians who are pro military want us Americans to pay and pay and pay for all the sacrifices they gave to America to keep it free... But isn't that the point? They made the sacrifices, so we wouldn't have too? But that is not what Politicians think....

So they have a real war going on inside the USA, and they think by creating an imaginary war on the outside of the USA, somehow that will unite the people, and every good gun carrying citizen can feel proud that owning a gun is the best thing for America...And we should worship that gun....and the Generals, and Secretaries and bow down, and act like they are Gods on earth....because they have made America what it is today.

And what is it? It's bankrupt, corrupt from within, a fabrication, and lie, that has been discovered, and being allowed to disappear into the annals of time forever. The people who lied and took the US to war, hope they will not be discovered....but they have and real Americans want to reel in the military....and stop the bloodshed that has been going on.

What those drones are all about is because the US does not like how the Afghanistan men and Pakistan men treat their women... And the US is doing something here that makes no literal socialogical sense....and that is 2 wrongs don't a right.

Afghanistan terror is depicted as guys who beat their wives, while the US kills the guys who do that....But do we ever look at our own domestic violence? It has become so severe that men need to date men...so they are afraid of beating each other up....

Given that there is more to the terror in Afghanistan in Pakistan that this, such as public bombings, and the idea that Pakistan has the Atomic Bomb......just what would you do, if you knew the bomb could get into the hands of Taliban Alqaida Terrorists?

The only answer is dismantling and eliminating nuclear bombs, to reduce the perceived threats of violence being held over you. That is a heavy weight each day...knowing we could die at the hands of any leader who has crumbled because of the pressure in not using or using it....It is a terrible risk.......

I stand ready to help Pakistan...but it is not with guns, and drones, and, more troops.... It is done with Institutes that promote nonviolence, and ushers in ways and means to working out differences with out using violence... It is by giving hope to people that bombs are not going to come crashing down on you......it is by having an America stand ready to say forgive me, I will change and begin to love other nations instead of pressuring them into how we want them to behave.

The US wants to reduce and seek toward the end of the use or need for nuclear weapons, Pakistan should be willing as well as India....We don't want to have violence rule our lives. What kind of life is that? A military one? Who needs that? Not I....

So I hope you see that the US and Pakistan are rather the same...in concern to troubles in the land.....and with any luck we can pinpoint that we need to end the wars, end the drones, and get back to family living... Start teaching how guns are bad.....and how society moves forward with Nonviolence, not with Violence.....

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/apr2009/pers-a07.shtml......

VP please check out this link....It is a good article that describes the US in a nutshell....

I am hopeful for the future...VP.....Good to read your article.......

Rev. Jermano

God Bless

voiceforpeace

at 05:08 on April 7th, 2009

Thank you very much my dear friend Jermano. Your comments are always full of knowledge. You are absolutely right in your assertion that war cannot be won. The history is witness to the fact that no one has ever won the war. Today I have read a news story in which Gates demanded more drones. Drones are not the solution. I think destruction is not the solution to the problem. Just look to Bajaur Agency. The whole area has been destroyed without any purpose. The deaths and destructions have increased frustration among the people. Now the people are opting for terrorism. You are right that war can be won through non-violence. I am still waiting for the time when you open the head office of International Institute of Non-violence. The time will come when there will be no violence. I think now this is the desire of God the Great that there must be peace. He may have accepted the prayers of people like you. Let us pray for peace in the whole world.

A lot of thanks my dear friend Jermano. I am happy after hearing from you. Actually I have spent last several days in great trouble as my home has also been destroyed in the cross-firing. Now my wife and children are living in great trouble. I have spent one week in Bajaur Agency and now I am in Peshawar. Actually I come to Peshawar for sharing some information with the people like you. Now I am trying to arrange another house for my wife and children. But at the moment I am in trouble as I have been receiving threats both from officials and terrorists.

voiceforpeace

at 05:18 on April 7th, 2009

Dear Jermano, my friend Jan, who is the managing editor of OpEdNews.com has written a story about my situation. She wrote about the plight of my family. The link is here.

Pathan Panjabi K Jan (not verified)

at 11:01 on April 7th, 2009

My Pathan brother,

there is a lot of propganda against us punjabis. our hearts weep with blood at the plight of Pashton blood being spilled mercilelly in this war.

come to Punjab brother we will be honoured to look after you.

fe aman allah

djermano

at 18:16 on April 7th, 2009

I see VP....I wish I could comment, but OEN is a website I use to write on but no longer. I was critical of Obama.....and they accused me of racism... I am not a racist. I know Obama is not pursuing a wind down of the war in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is ramping it up.....and in the wrong direction in my view. Rob Kall supported Obama when he was going around the country saying he did not vote for the War.....and the reason he did not vote for the war was because he wasn't even a Senator at the time. So Rob and I had a disageement...yet he sure used my ideas for his website...without giving me credit and banning me from OEN..

We can see Obama is nothing but false hope and lies. The War began in Afghanistan......he said he would bring the troops home. He has increased the military budget by over 4% compared to Bush and he is increasing troops into Afghanistan...

Your situation is something I would try to get out of the combat areas as quickly as possible. I suggest you come to China. You can teach English here. There are thousands of English teaching English Jobs VP. It would not take much to get a job here, and with the situation you are in...I am positive they would help you get a job. Think about it...

You know telling the world your problem is not going to get you out of the situation any time soon. You need to take action.....because I highly doubt the US military is going to help...They would just soon shoot you and label you a terrorist, and forget your name and bury you in some mass grave ditch.

You can go online and find a teaching job in China.. This is my recommendation.

Best to you VP... Keep the Faith.....

Rev. Jermano