Straight Talk
submitted 2 months 29 days 20 hours ago by: Khalifah : 32 commentsPakistan needs to make up its mind; If it is going to fight this war against extremists, it must do so whole heartedly and flood the region with troops (200,000 at least), close all madressahs, convince the local sardars that this is for their own good, carry out a lightening operation, arrest people if they so much as whisper support for the Taliban and most importantly provide the locals with a timetable for troop withdrawal. Once the area has been sterilized, the region should be made semi autonomous, its military strengthened, education made compulsory and international donors asked to play their role and invest in infrastructure and business in that region.
At the same time, Pakistan should make it clear to the world that they will have to finance this operation, fully and write off all of Pakistan's debt, in return.
The world in its turn should ask for complete financial transparency so that every aid dollar can be traced
The faster the government makes the decision one way or the other, the faster Pakistan will achieve peace inside and beyond its borders
Comments
Extremism of another form! Peace at the cost of war. Liberty through anarchy. The solution is to annihilate them. Exterminate opposition. Interesting!
That justifies their actions just as well. I guess, by that straight talk or definition, Musharraf was right in carrying out the action against Lal Masjid. Interesting again!
I am talking about arresting individuals not murdering them, thus the large number of troops. The Taliban too should be allowed their day in court
Only one name comes to my mind. Dr. Aafia Saddique.
Lets not give more propaganda material to Mullahs
Plant a tree
It's time we stopped fearing the Mullahs and wrest control of the religion from them
Will the Taliban not resist? Will they surrender with glee? This road has been already been traversed in the north. I hope the count of lives is obvious.
Not really; there have been tentative incursions using hundreds of troops into Taliban territory but little else. What I am recommending is focusing tens of thousands of troops in bite size areas that can be secured, liberated and then turned held onto with the help of local tribes. It's a long term project, possible five years or more.
Realistically, if we believe that Taliban need to be defeated militarily then we need to acknowledge that this is not something we can do on our own. We will have to seek assistance from America and Afghanistan to choke all the supply routes and may even have to give the coalition army full mandate to cross the border and operate in Pakistani territory. Of course we will need to swallow our ego but at this point I can see no alternative.
Afghanistan ain't cooperating and America is already providing Pakistan with everything to aid and abet in their war of terror. They took the mandate on their own initiative. Pakistan couldn't stop them then and can't now.
The only ppl who are dying are ours. The only ppl who are migrating and leaving their houses are ours. The only victims of suicide bombing in the cities are ours too.
Worth it?
'Arrest people if they so much as whisper in support of the Taliban.'
Unfair!
Can use of force really put an end to the ideas that they have propagated? The strategy is already backfiring. Although in your own way you are right. If the government has to truly establish its control, it has to curb this air of fundemantalist violence. Yet, money can be a bigger lure for these people.
We are losing too many lives. Why fight within when there are others outside loving us indisintegrate and looking for their opportunities? Maybe dialogue!
Anything but not use of force.
When was the last time negotiations led to an amicable settlement between warring people without the stronger party 'enforcing' the 'amicable' settlement?
It is naive to assume that people will kiss and make up; just like children adults too respond to the carrot and stick approach
Are we talking about human beings or animals to be carted off?
So by this count Khalifa... USA should have been done and out of Iraq long time ago. Right?
I wonder where the hell are the Taliban Getting there weapons and supply to fight with a fully trained and fully equipped Armed forces ?USA , Russia or India ? This needs to be answered first to find out there supply line the first tactics of war cut the supply line.
The solution to the problem barb wire the border and mine it as well, paying for barb wire is more feasible then paying for weapons and bombs to kill and capture people, if the people of the region want Islamic laws implement it .Sending forces and going into more war is not a solution already we are paying heavily for the war with the inflation also point to be noted majority of Jawans in Pakistan Army belong to those areas they have there villages there how do you tell them to drop bombs in there home town and also during the operations there were many cases of Court Marshal against certain senior officers of Army as they simply refused to attack there own people.
The core of all solutions lies in the support of the locals. You dont have that - forget everything then. Once the locals turn against Taliban, understand that their peace and stability resides with Taliban not present on their soil and are assured that Govt will support them - only then Taliban can countered.
It was indeed heartening to note that tribes in Dir have decided on their own to ensure that no outside elements will be allowed to settle in their areas. Further, in Parachinar, the the tribes have sought Govt help in ensuring peace and stability and to combat Taliban.
Now a sincere and resolute effort by the Govt is requried.
albatros: "if the people of the region want Islamic laws implement it"
This is totally wrong approach! They have to be shown that the rest of the country are muslims too! that they are not under 'kafir' Govt! That their demand for shariah does not make sense! Stop this appeasement policy because this gives the notion that they are correct in their stand.
In USA every state has there own laws so if one state of Pakistan want to go by the Islamic laws or Sharia law as it suits them then let them do it i think it would be democracy.
This is their 'basic' claim! This claim is then branched out in form of every other act that goes against State! Ordinary Pakistanis are very religious. You tell them a thing is against Islam - they will support you!
Taliban say we will establish Islamic Shariah and this will solve all their problems. We have to counter anything that gives support to anti-state acts. This will obviously result in parallel administration and to Taliban rule!
Albatross, You are assuming everyone in that state wants to go that route. This is not the case; the most 'progressive' movies and literature in the sixties and seventies was coming out of NWFP.
In the 80's (79 to be precise) the Mullah's hijacked that region
That is based on assumption that entire state of NWFP wants to adopt Islamic Law. My understanding is in contrast. As proof ANP won 2008 elections in NWFP. ANP is a totally secular political party & they contested against MMA - which is a religious party.
Plant a tree
Damn Babar, we agree on something, this cannot be a good omen :)
its democracy vs dictatorship
PS: why are people so scared of Islamic or Sharia Law if that is its the True form of it not the modified Taliban version.
Because its just a cover! The underlying intentions are pure dictatorship! Taliban version!
No one is scared of Islamic law. In fact 90% of Pakistani law already is Islamic
Plant a tree
There is nothing Islamic about sharia
Khalifah,
:) Lets enjoy this peace for as long as we can
Plant a tree
Albatros,
Landmines must be totally banned. Landmines can't distinguish between 100 to 1000 terrorist and some 200,000 innocent civilians who cross Pak-Afhgan border to trade & feed their families. I hope you understand difference between human beings and pumpkins. Pakistanis are not target board for Americans shooting practices.
Taliban weapons include those provided by USA in Afghan Jihad in 70s and what Russians left & dumped before & after fall of USSR. You need better understanding of the region. We can not eliminate the entire indigenous population for hunting few culprits who most likely range between 2000 and 5000 in number.
Plant a tree
If people want to cross the border they can cross from specific border gate where there is check and balance as to what they cary and why they come not at any location they want if you have to stop the infiltration of the foreign fighters, trade of drugs & weapons you have to pay the price & take the risk with the mines.
Mines are out of question. We can't kill our innocent tribal people in order to make our cities safe. These people are indigenous people (like red-Indians in USA or aboriginals in Australia). After 100s of years of killings both in USA and Australia they have formally apologized their indigenous population. Pakistan does not need to repeat their mistakes.
Barbed wires with checkpoints on both sides & crossings at every 30 to 50 Km looks more practical. I am sure Pakistani army can allocate such resources. Question is, can NETO cover all this area with only 40,000 troops which they appointed in Afghanistan.
Plant a tree
Alb..your point of "seeking the hidden hand of weapon supply " is good. From where talibans or other extremist groups are getting amunation while on afghanistan, Usa and pakistan are seiging them..
Khalifah : situation is so worst that even the leaders of tribal area dont know who is fighting for whom? a blind action is getting its retaliation in our urban cities.. thousands of people have displaced...groups are fighting with eachother as well as with army...Army daily kills 30-35 people declarign them talibanas army was doing in East pakistan by shooting locals declaring them mukti bahni...THat step had made locals against pak army and we all know what the result was....Here army balsts homes of talibans so how they can expect they will not attack our houses in return?
There was a successful peace agreement which was sabotaged by Us and Rehman malik..They accused that talibans stopped their activities in pakistan but they started cross border insurgence....The poitn is that why on the time of agreement this was not made sure ?
Still we have an option to activate FATA Members of NA and senate and authority should be given to them...Here Provincial govt says something different and Fedration some thing different...How they can come on a single point
We go on and on and on about how we think things should be governed and wat should be done to solve the problems we face as a nation but who's listening??! Wat difference does our opinion make? we're nobodies! Pakistan only belongs to the people who have power and money..and who know how to kill, loot and plunder for their own gain!
Pakistan doesn't belong to us...it belongs to them!
u've suggested a thing which z being desperately wished n needed by, d ppl in those areas n our whole nation as well.but all v need z a fairplay by d govt.........
ur suggestion z just like a dream tat cud hardly (almost inpossible) come true.....coz..
1.if present govt. supposed 2 take such actions then 4m where wud they manage 2 get bulk of monetary benefits(american aid) n a chance to get american applause.....??????
2.america won't let our govt.(as they gets dictation 4m washington) 2 take such sincere steps in dis regard as there interest z nt 2 fight against terrorism in dis region bt 2 gt there rule here....n WAR ON TERRORISM z just a stratigical way 2 gt in here.....
3.wat ever going on in d country doesn't reflect any sincerity by d govt. 4 d nation.....
.....d ppl fleeing 4m those areas r being helped more by taliban's than tat of govt.(whereas it z govt.'s responsibility 2 provide them shelter n d things they need)...
ur suggestion z just like a dream tat cud hardly come true....
isn't it?????
Its about political awareness and exercising your right through vote.