Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

P AKISTAN : A V ICTIM OF T ERRORISM

V OLUME II

E DITOR D R N OOR
UL

H AQ

A SSISTANT E DITOR K HALID H USSAIN

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IPRI Factfile

C ONTENTS
Preface 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Summary of Human Losses in Terrorist Acts in Pakistan - 2007 Summary of Human Losses in Terrorist Acts in Pakistan - 2008 Battle of Bajaur: A Critical Test for Pakistans Daunted Military Nine Troops Killed in Suicide Attack Pakistanis Big Loser in War on Terror Fifty Militants in Darra Killed: ISPR Body Formed to Combat Terrorism Were in a State of War: Asif Thirty Four Die in Fierce Bajaur Clashes Schoolgirl Dies in Quetta Suicide Attack Three Brothers Executed in Wana 950 Militants Killed in FATA: Mukhtar Pakistan, US Blow Hot and Cold Over Flare-up Sixteen Killed in Bajaur Obama Breathes Fire, McCain Shows Restraint over Pakistan Thousands Fleeing Violent Pakistani Border Area to Afghanistan: UN New President, Old War US to Boost Pakistans Anti-Terror Capability Pakistan Suicide Bombers Shifting to Political Leaders Pakistan Suffered Most in War on Terror: PM In-camera Parliamentary Briefing Resumes Blasts Aimed at Pakistan Police Leave 10 Dead, Four Wounded Bomb Blast Rocks Islamabad An Open Mind, Please Suicide Attacker Destroys Police HQ in Islamabad 1400 Pakistan Troops Killed In Seven Years War on Terror vii 1 2 2 5 6 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 24 26 28 29 30 32 32 33 35

India, Pakistan Vow to Take "Severe Action" Against Terrorist Acts 16

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

iii

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58.

The Terror of This War US Presidential Candidates See Pakistan as Vital to War on Terror The US versus Pakistan: with Friends Like These Text of Joint Session Resolution: Call for Urgent Review of War on Terror: Consensus Resolution Pakistan Troops Overcome Militant Stronghold: Military Downfall of IT in Pakistan A Resolution Without Resolution Turkey Supports Pakistans Fight Against Terrorism Troops Killed in Suicide Attack at Pakistani Fort World Sees US Raids as Disastrous: Gilani Eight Soldiers Killed in Pakistan Attack American General Warned Over Missile Attacks Pakistan Suicide Bombers Kill 19 US Strikes in Pakistan Killed Three Top Militants US Missile Hits Pakistan, 10 Dead Pakistanis Mired in Brutal Battle to Oust Taliban To Save Loe Sam, the Army has Destroyed It Three Security Men Among Four Killed in Charsadda Blast Taliban Raid American Aid Worker Slain in Pakistan Pakistan Five-point Plan to Address Terror Causes War on Terror Causes Pakistan Loss of Over Rs.2 Trillion Pakistan Suffered a Loss of Rs 2.1 Trillion in War on Terror Pakistan Suffered Loss of US $34bn in War on Terror: Qureshi Pakistans Terror War Cost Rises to Rs 678bn in 2008-2009 New Operation to Quell Mohmand Insurgency Taliban in Peshawar Instability in Afghan War Grows as the US Bombs Pakistan Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Swat Lashkar Commander, 16 Militants Killed in Bajaur

35 38 40 43 45 47 48 49 52 54 54 55 56 58 60 61 62 63 68 68 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 78 79 81 82

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59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

US, Afghan and Pakistani Forces Squeezing Terror Groups on Border Kayani Urges Halt to Drone Incursions Talibanisation of Youth Searching for Solutions Pro-government Taliban Threaten Reprisals American Intelligence Expects Al Qaedas Appeal to Falter Will War Against Terror End? Soldier among 13 Dead in Swat Clashes Twenty Two Die in Peshawar Car-bomb Blast Air Attacks will Go on, Zardari Tells FATA Elders Suicide Blast Rocks Buner: 36 Killed War on Terror: Pakistans Contributions

82 84 85 86 88 88 90 93 94 95 97 98

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

P REFACE
The international war on terror has caused more suffering, deaths and destruction to the people of Pakistan than of any other country in the world. Soon after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Pakistan allied itself with the United States and the international community in the war against terror. The US-led invasion against the government of Taliban in Afghanistan commenced in 2001. The Talibans were defeated but could not be eliminated. Their resistance has now assumed the shape of an insurgency and an armed struggle against the foreign forces and their local supporters. During the last three decades (1978-2008), Afghanistan has been in a state of war: first against the Soviet Union, later amongst themselves, then against the Taliban government and, at present, against the Western forces. Pakistan has had to accommodate millions of refugees entering the country since 1978. In the beginning, their number had risen to about six million but even at present this is not less than 2.6 million. Since Pakistan is a major nonNATO ally and is supporting the war against the militants in Afghanistan, the Taliban insurgency has spilled over to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), adjacent to Afghanistan, and is gradually threatening the adjoining settled areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) as well as causing sporadic acts of violence and terrorism in the rest of the country. The fight against militants during the past two years (2007-2008) alone has cost Pakistan over 1000 members of its law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and about 4000 civilians, besides injuring over 2000 members of LEAs and about 8000 others. As an impact of this war, terrorist activities are on the rise, the economy is sliding downward, the much-needed foreign investment is not forthcoming and the development of the country is being adversely affected. It is officially estimated that Pakistan has suffered a loss of about Rs. 678 billion during the last five years and as much as Rs. two to three trillion during the previous decade. Pakistan is likely to continue to suffer as long as there is no peace in Afghanistan. In a recent seminar in Islamabad on 2nd December, Lt General (retd) Mohammad Jan Aurakzai, a former military commander in the tribal areas and former governor of NWFP and FATA, has advised the government to

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review its anti-terrorism policy and hold talks with Taliban to avoid more deaths and destruction. According to him, when the so-called war on terror began, there were about 1,500 militant Talibans, but their number has swelled and their movement is gaining strength and has, in fact, snowballed.1 He was of the view that the tribal insurgency could drag on for an indefinite period. The solution to the problem, according to him, lies in the age-old traditional jirga (assembly of elders) system. He proposed organising jirgas and securing cooperation of all surrounding states of Afghanistan (i.e., Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan) as well as the United States, Russia and NATO to resolve the Afghanistan imbroglio. Earlier, on October 22, 2008, a joint session of parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an urgent review of the national security strategy and revisiting the methodology of combating terrorism in order to restore peace and stability through an independent foreign policy. The IPRI Factfile for November-December 2008 includes a few media reports and articles published during 2005 2008 to give a glimpse of the terrorist activities causing losses in men and material to the people of Pakistan.

December 29, 2008

Noor ul Haq

Dawn, December 3, 2008.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

S UMMARY

OF

H UMAN L OSSES IN T ERRORIST A CTS IN P AKISTAN 2007

No of Incidents Killed Injured

S.No.

Event Types

LEAs* Others LEAs* Others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Attack on LEAs Bomb Blasts Hand Grenade Explosion IED Explosion Mine Explosion Missile Fired Rocket Fired Sectarian Killings Suicide Attacks Total: 465 474 89 183 87 78 338 50 56 1820 Grand Total: 224 42 5 20 3 8 7 43 167 519 2196 192 132 35 25 17 19 34 852 371 1677 515 135 36 128 32 27 58 143 359 1433 3498 143 395 90 80 102 45 66 194 950 2065

* Law Enforment Agencies. Source: Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Interior, Crisis Management Cell.

IPRI Factfile

S UMMARY

H UMAN L OSSES IN T ERRORIST A CTS IN P AKISTAN 01-01-2008 TO 10-12-2008

OF No of Incidents 340 299 65 145 107 54 262 145 62 1479 Grand Total: Killed Injured

S.No.

Event Types

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Attack on LEAs Bomb Blasts Hand Grenade Explosion IED Explosion Mine Explosion Missile Fired Rocket Fired Sectarian Killings Suicide Attacks Total:

LEAs* Others LEAs* Others 269 332 470 152 34 1 29 19 3 21 1 149 526 2680 220 26 17 34 126 34 789 576 2154 111 31 55 73 14 35 36 581 1406 5002 750 89 128 82 28 65 1001 1301 3596

* Law Enforment Agencies. Source: Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Interior, Crisis Management Cell.

B ATTLE

OF

B AJAUR : A C RITICAL T EST D AUNTED M ILITARY

FOR

P AKISTAN S

A full-scale battle in a remote corner of Pakistan is shaping up to be a critical test of the militarys determination to combat the countrys militants, military and intelligence officials say. The campaign, in the tribal area of Bajaur, has taken on new seriousness with the Marriott Hotel bombing in the capital, Islamabad, this weekend, which killed 53 people in one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in the countrys history.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

Some officials here see the Marriott bombing as, in effect, an extension of the battle in Bajaur, a strike by the militants deep into the heart of Pakistan and one meant at least in part to deter the government from pressing the campaign further. Bajaur is a litmus test, said one military official, who like several other security and military officials interviewed asked not to be identified because of the political nature of his remarks. It is very, very important. Its success or failure could decide the fate of other tribal areas. After Waziristan, Bajaur is perhaps the most significant stronghold of militants from the Taliban and Al Qaeda who have entrenched themselves in the tribal areas, officials say. The Bajaur operation began haltingly in August and was aimed at forestalling what looked like the imminent fall of the governments regional headquarters in Khaar. The fight is now going full throttle, said several senior security and government officials, and includes the use of tanks and fighter planes by the Pakistani Army. The militants are using everything they have to hold their ground, the officials said, adding that they have been surprised by the militants resistance and the sophistication of their tactics, weapons and communications systems. They have good weaponry and a better communication system than the Pakistani military, said one senior official. Even the sniper rifles they use are better than some of ours, the official said. Their tactics are mind-boggling and they have defenses that would take us days to build. It does not look as though we are fighting a ragtag militia. They are fighting like an organized force. One measure of the importance of the battle to the militants is that Bajaur has now become a magnet for militants who are flocking to the area from other tribal regions and even from across the border, in Afghanistans eastern Kunar Province, to reinforce their comrades. The influx has swelled the ranks of the foreign militants in Bajaur, who were previously thought to be few, catching many veterans of the civilmilitary establishment by surprise. As the standoff and its significance have grown, the army has staked more of its resources and reputation on the outcome. Past battles have left the Pakistani military bruised and wary of engaging the militants frontally. The army has lost hundreds of soldiers in the tribal areas since the American military drove the Taliban and Al Qaeda over the border from Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002.

IPRI Factfile

Those losses and public opposition to civilian casualties have sapped the governments appetite for a big military campaign. Instead, the tendency has been to fight to a draw and then sue for peace, which the government and military have done through peace deals that critics say have left the militants stronger. Now, government and security officials say they are determined to take the battle in Bajaur to what they call its logical conclusion, meaning a defeat for the militants on the battlefield. Whether they follow through on that commitment remains to be seen. Bush administration officials have grown increasingly skeptical this year of the Pakistani militarys willingness to fight the militants. The stated determination of Pakistani officials about the Bajaur campaign comes as Washington has pushed them to take bolder steps against the militants, and as the United States has carried out repeated strikes in Pakistan, inflaming Pakistani sensitivities over violations of sovereignty. The Pakistani military, which has threatened to shoot at intruding American forces, seems increasingly eager now to show that it can handle the militants in the tribal areas on its own. I dont think the military will pull back, the military official said. Our aims and objectives are very clear. We are going to uproot militants from this place, which is a major training ground and sanctuary for foreign militants. If we hit them there and uproot them from there, we will prove our point that ours is the most effective strategy, instead of hitting a compound in Waziristan and here and there, he added, referring to recent American strikes. For now the Bajaur fighting appears to have disrupted or diverted the flow of Taliban fighters crossing into Afghanistans Kunar Province, where, Western diplomats say, violence has dropped appreciably since the operation began. Last week, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters during a visit to the Afghan capital, Kabul, that the United States was encouraged by the Bajaur operation. Pakistani political leaders appeared to be showing a change in their approach toward combating the militants, one Pakistani official said. They seem serious, he said. A critical turning point seemed to arrive at a meeting in July between the leaders of the governing coalition and the chief of army staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, officials said. There, the general was given the full confidence of the government to tackle the problem of militants when and how he chose, they said.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

The buildup of American pressure, in particular President Bushs authorization in July for unilateral United States operations in Pakistans tribal areas, combined with the support of the government, has made it possible for General Kayani to move more decisively, the officials said. As such, the Bajaur operation has taken on vital importance for the military, not only for what it means for the fight against the insurgency but also for restoring the militarys credibility at home and abroad. Failure, or an abandonment of the operation midway through it, could be disastrous, they warned. Such a situation would not only embolden the militants, said one official. It would give the cynics in Washington and Kabul an excuse to point to Pakistans lack of ability and political will to fight this war.
Ismail Khan And Carlotta Gall, New York Times online, September 22, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/world/asia/23assess.html?_r=1&ref=world& oref=slogin

N INE T ROOPS K ILLED

IN

S UICIDE A TTACK

Nine security personnel were killed and three others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a military checkpost in Madian town of Swat on Monday. The checkpost is near the main grid station in the town, some 60 kilometres northeast of Mingora. An official of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the attack and death of nine soldiers. Meanwhile, a woman and two children were killed and two girls were injured when a mortar shell hit a house in the Allaabad locality on Monday. Local people protested against the killing of civilians. They held a demonstration which was attended by hundreds of people. The protesters dispersed before reaching the Mingora town. Sources said that the shell destroyed the house of Fazl Rabi. The dead and the wounded belonged to the same family. Fazl Rabi is at present in Saudi Arabia. In another incident, militants blew up two houses and a guesthouse of PPP (Sherpao) leader and Union Council Nazim Sher Afzal Khan in Bara Bandi. Local people said that militants were still active in the Kozabandai area of the troubled district. Security forces had earlier claimed to have flushed out militants from there.

IPRI Factfile

However, residents said the militants had never left the area. The media information centre in Swat claimed that forces were patrolling Kozabandai and helping displaced people in cooperation with a local jirga.
Hameedullah Khan, Dawn, September 23, 2008

P AKISTANIS B IG L OSER

IN

W AR

ON

T ERROR

Whether it's a government military offensive, a US attack or a suicide bombing, innocent Pakistanis always bear the brunt. "We should forget for a while who is the killer and see who is being killed," Irfan Siddiqui, an Islamabad-based senior political analyst, told IslamOline.net. "In Islamabad, it was an ordinary Pakistani, a waiter, security guard, or a laborer," he explained. "And in the tribal areas, its poor, downtrodden and uneducated Pakistanis with no proper health and education facilities or even potable water." A suicide bomber rammed a truck packed with more than half a ton of explosives into the security gates of Islamabad's luxury Marriott hotel on Saturday, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 260 in a massive fireball. The huge explosion set the entire building on fire for well over eight hours. Two Americans, the Czech ambassador and a Vietnamese woman were among those killed in the blast. A Danish intelligence agent was still missing. But once again Pakistanis bore the brunt of the attack with the rest of the identified dead being Pakistanis. An unknown group calling itself "Fedayeen of Islam" claimed responsibility for the bombing but there was no way of substantiating the claim. "Pakistanis are killing Pakistanis, whether in Islamabad or in tribal areas. And they dont know why they are killing each other," said Siddiqui. "When the Pakistani army kills a couple of Chechens or Uzbeks or Arabs in the tribal areas, along with them ten children, five women, and many other civilians are killed.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

"Similarly, in Islamabad, when Marriott is bombed, a couple of Americans are killed, but the remaining fifty were Pakistanis."

Cannon Fodder
Shahzad Badr, an Islamabad-based writer, believes that Pakistan the country and people is the ultimate loser. "We have lost more soldiers than the US have lost in Afghanistan in this so-called war on terror," he noted. Thousands of ordinary Pakistanis, Badr adds, have so far been killed at the hands of their own people. Security forces are killing tribesmen and the tribesmen are killing security troops and common Pakistanis. "Pakistanis have become cannon fodder just because of someone's war." He challenged the government and the US to show the bodies of terrorists being killed by security forces in the tribal areas. "Do you expect flowers in return of bullets? When you kill their children and women, what would you expect in return?" The writer also cited the rather official and media indifference to the civilians killed in tribal areas. "When civilians are bombed and killed in tribal areas in the name of hunting terrorists, there is no hue and cry in Islamabad or the rest of the country. Neither media nor common people protest that indiscriminate bombings. But if it happens in Islamabad, then it seems as if the sky has fallen." Siddiqui, senior political analyst, is also very critical of the indiscriminate bombings in tribal areas. "Unfortunately, we have produced a raw material by bombing tribal areas and killing thousands of civilians. Now this raw material is being easily exploited. We are giving room to the exploiters to exploit young tribesmen in the name of revenge." He noted that revenge is an inseparable part of the Pashtu culture. "We have to understand the psychology of the people who are being killed in the tribal areas, and in retaliation, their heirs attack us," he said. "The people of tribal areas are mostly uneducated. The strongest aspect of their society is revenge. When they see that Pakistanis and Americans join hands and bomb their villages, killing their children and women, then they dont think who is Irfan Siddiqui or Mohammed Raees (a security guard who was killed in the blast)," he argued.

IPRI Factfile

"They simply think they are Islamabadians or Karachiites who, along with America, are killing them. They just believe in revenge and a blind revenge." Hamid Hussein, a photographer by profession, raps both the government and Taliban. "Have we ever thought who will win this war in which we are killing our own people? Can the two annihilate each other? Can Taliban win the war against America by killing their own Muslim brothers?" Hussein fumes. "From north to south, poor Pakistanis are being killed, while terrorists and Americans, by and large, are safe." He urged the government and the local militants to reconsider their positions. "How many orphans and widows they are leaving behind?"
Aamir Latif, September 23, 2008 http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1221720253069&pag ename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout

50 M ILITANTS

IN

D ARRA K ILLED , C LAIMS ISPR

Security forces attacked militants hideouts in Shpalkiwal and Tor Chappar areas of Darra Adamkhel on Tuesday, killing over 50 militants. A soldier also was killed. Officials said that helicopter gunships bombed a school in Tor Chappar, killing eight militants who were hiding there. However, this could not be confirmed from independent sources. Sources said that troops did not face any resistance in Darra. About 400 to 500 local and foreign militants believed to have been fighting in the area have fled, leaving behind a large quantity of arms and ammunition. According to an ISPR press release, more than 50 militants were killed during the operation in Darra, and that Indus Highway and Kohat Tunnel have been secured. It said that a search operation was under way in different villages. The officials claimed that peace would be restored in Darra in a couple of days and the highway and tunnel would be opened to traffic before Eid. The prime objective of the operation launched on Monday is to secure the strategic Kohat tunnel connecting north of the country with the south and has remained closed for 26 days. The objective has been successfully achieved.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

It may be mentioned that the highway and the tunnel was taken over by the militants after the arrest of an important Taliban leader in Akhorwal on August 29. The Taliban have been demanding release of five of their commanders arrested from Doaba in Hangu and Darra Adamkhel. More than 100,000 tribesmen were displaced from the area twice over the past eight months. Most of them fear that militants will return from the adjacent Orakzai and Khyber Agency once the security forces leave the area as happened in the past.
Abdul Sami Paracha http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/24/top2.htm

B ODY F ORMED

TO

C OMBAT T ERRORISM

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday formed a high-powered committee and asked it to devise a strategy to curb terrorism. The committee was constituted during a security meeting convened by the prime minister in the backdrop of the Marriott Hotel bombing. A source told Dawn that the committee would be headed by Rehman Malik, the prime ministers adviser on interior affairs. Other members would be the law minister, the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, the secretaries for interior, foreign affairs and information, the Rawalpindi corps commander, the directors-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency, the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority and the Islamabad police chief. LtGen (retd) Hamid Nawaz, a minister in the caretaker cabinet, would also sit on the body. The committee will prepare an anti-terror strategy after reviewing all aspects and its repercussions. It was asked to present the strategy to the prime minister in three days. In reply to a question, the source said the committee did not have a mandate to decide whether the government should hold talks with militants. It will only suggest the best measures to prevent and foil attempts to carry out suicide attacks in the country, especially in Islamabad, the source said. According to a handout, the committee will review the existing system of disaster management, identify shortfalls and give recommendations within

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three days to check the security threat to the federal capital in the wake of the attack on Marriott Hotel. The meeting decided to equip all security forces, especially police, with modern weapons, gadgets and bomb detectors. The need for installing security cameras in all major cities was emphasised at the meeting. The adviser, the interior secretary, the Islamabad police chief and the DGs of FIA and ISI apprised participants of the findings of their organisations about the attack on the hotel. Former interior ministers Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Hamid Nawaz attended the meeting on special invitation and suggested various measures to beef up security. Senates Deputy Chairman Jan Mohammad Jamali and National Assemblys Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi also attended the meeting. The prime minister said the government would provide funds to enable law-enforcement agencies to enable them to deal with acts of terrorism. He stressed the need for minimising the response time while dealing with such disasters. Standard operating procedures should be adopted for efficient handling of such challenging situations. Mr Gilani said: Ulema should tell people that such acts are not only against the spirit of Islam but also tarnish the countrys image.
Syed Irfan Raza http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/24/top4.htm

W E RE

IN A

S TATE

OF

W AR : A SIF

President Asif Ali Zardari urged the nation on Wednesday to realise that it was in a state of war and underscored the need to prepare a new plan to deal with it. We have to increase the appetite for the acceptance of (the fact) that we are in a state of war, he said. We cannot wish it away. At his first news conference in New York, Mr Zardari outlined the policies his government intends to pursue on major foreign policy issues. On Kashmir, he indicated, it would be a continuation of the Musharraf regimes policy of holding direct talks with India. The United Nations will be involved only if needed to do so. On Pakistans role in the US-led on war on terror, Mr Zardari expressed a desire that US military incursions into Fata should be stopped, but apparently he received no assurance from the Americans in that regard.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

11

Mr Zardari also spoke of his plan to discuss the water crisis with India. He was open to discussing with the Afghans a proposal for forming a joint force for patrolling the Afghan border. He felt that the Marriott blast in Islamabad on Saturday was directed against him. Mr Zardari also discussed the water crisis when he met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later on Wednesday. He said he had also discussed the issue with other world leaders as it was a major concern for Pakistan. In his meeting with President Hamid Karzai, Mr Zardari discussed his governments desire for building a new relationship with the neighbouring country. We intend to open a new chapter based on mutual respect and cooperation, he said. We have not been able to convey the impact to our people and the nation, said Mr Zardari wile talking about the need to prepare the people for the war. Can we sustain the engagement without involving the people? The government, he said, needed to make a new plan and develop new concepts for winning this war. We have had physical effects. We have had economic effects and we have had psychological effect of this war. The entire nation is fearful, especially after the Marriott blast. Like the US president on Tuesday, Mr Zardari also handled the question of ending US military incursions into Pakistan tactfully. He did not say if President George W. Bush had agreed to stop the incursions when they met in New York on Tuesday. But he pointed out that Mr Bush had noted his concerns on this issue which, according to Mr Zardari, was a manifestation of his mindset. Pakistan and the United States are on the same page on this, he added. The US incursions, said Mr Zardari, were counter-productive and did not help win over hearts and minds of the people. We all make mistakes in this war and we are also always ready to correct them.

Kashmir Issue
Mr Zardari described the Kashmir dispute as a core issue for Pakistan and noted that the current uprising in the valley was an indigenous uprising. The initiative has moved from the hands of the government to the hands of the people of India and Pakistan, a move I welcome.

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IPRI Factfile

Mr Zardari said he wished to resolve the Kashmir dispute with India and through people-to-people contact but would raise it in the UN only if needed to do so.

Economic Crisis
The president said that in his meetings with the world leaders, he noticed realisation for the problems Pakistan faced, particularly the economic crisis, and they were wiling to help Islamabad deal with this situation. He said that major economic powers were setting up a group called the Friends of Pakistan to help develop an economic package. Theres a great support in the world for Pakistan on this issue, he said. The president said that Pakistan needed to engage with these nations but at the end of the day, we will have to take charge of the situation. Mr Zardari said that he held encouraging talks with the Iranian president on Tuesday on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and the two countries agreed to launch a private-public initiative for raising funds for the project. The two countries, he said, needed to raise about $7 billion and could not do so without support from the private sector. Without naming India, a major beneficiary of the pipeline project, Mr Zardari said it was unfortunate that other nations involved in the project had now become a little more conservative about it. Mr Zardari said that Pakistan planned to hold an international conference for considering various proposals for fighting terrorism.Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States, Nato members, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and some other nations will participate in the conference. Mr Zardari said the government was providing legal and moral support to Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who faces terrorism charges in a US court.

Because of the nature of this case, we cannot do more, he added.

The president said that despite political differences, PPPs alliance with PMLN will continue. I consider Nawaz Sharif my elder brother and we will continue to work with him. Mr Zardari said the government was bringing a bill in parliament for resolving the judges issue.
Anwar Iqbal and Masood Haider http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/25/top2.htm

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

13

34 D IE

IN

F IERCE B AJAUR C LASHES

At least 34 people, including seven soldiers, were killed in fierce clashes in the Bajaur tribal region and its adjacent Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda district on Wednesday. Fifteen others were injured. There was a fierce clash between security forces and miscreants in Bajaur in which 25 miscreants were killed and seven soldiers embraced martyrdom, a foreign news agency quoted Director-General of Inter Servies Public Relations Maj-Gen Athar Abbas as saying. A security official said that the six soldiers were killed in an encounter in Rashakai, adding that bodies of 25 militants had been found. Air force planes, army helicopters and artillery pounded positions of militants in Lowi Sam, Rashakai, Tangi, Tang Khatta and others areas. Sources said that heavy clashes broke out between troops and militants in Rashakai, a stronghold of insurgents, early on Wednesday morning and at least five militants were killed. Officials said that several reinforced bunkers and makeshift tunnels built b the militants had been destroyed. Troops also seized heavy weapons in Rashakai, Tang Khatta and Khazan. On Tuesday night, mortars and field guns were used against the militants and at least 11 militants were killed. Sources said that militants, holed up in the area despite intense air and ground fire, were attacking the security forces. Intense shelling is reported to have destroyed large areas in Rashakai and Lowi Sam. A mortar shell hit a house in Mamond tehsil, killing three people, including a child. Two women were injured. Meanwhile, two people were killed and seven others in-jured when a vehicle carrying volunteers of a tribal lashkar hit a mine in Salarzai. The injured are being treated in a hospital in Khar. The body of an unidentified man was found in Inayet Killey. Security forces and militants also clashed in the Shabqadar area of Charsadda district, adjacent to Mohmand tribal region, on Wednesday, leaving seven militants and one policeman dead. Taliban leaders called journalists and threatened to blow up the Warsak Dam in the Mohmand Agency if the government did not stop the operation. Sporadic clashes in Shabqadar on Tuesday night and Wednesday forced local people to move to other areas. Seven militants were reportedly killed in the clashes.

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IPRI Factfile

Pir Qila is without electricity and people are in grip of panic. Sources said a militant leader, who identified himself as Ahmad Shah, had been arrested. Militants fired rockets on a police patrol in Sarow Kali on Tuesday night, killing a constable and injuring six others. A high school was blown up in the Ekka Ghund area in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday night. Local people said that the building had been destroyed. Our correspondent Fauzi Khan contributed to this report from Ghalanai in Mohmand Agency.
Anwarullah Khan and Faiz Muhammad http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/25/top4.htm

S CHOOLGIRL D IES

IN

Q UETTA S UICIDE A TTACK

A schoolgirl was killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a security vehicle not far from a military police checkpost. Twenty-three people were injured, six of them schoolchildren and 15 security personnel. However, unconfirmed reports said that three security personnel had been killed. Officials said that three injured soldiers of the Frontier Corps soldiers were in a critical condition. Quetta Cantonment was the suicide attackers target of the suicide bomber, Capital City Police Officer Mohammad Akbar told Dawn, adding that the bomber had walked up to the vehicle. The bombers severed head is intact and is in police custody. It will help establish his identity. Other parts of his body have also been collected, he said, adding that the man was 18 to 22 years old. He said that two deaths had been reported. According to sources, the suicide bomber was a young boy with a small beard. He walked up to two FC vehicles parked about 200 metres away from the checkpost at the Kandhari Chowk, near the Askari Park. All FC personnel in the vehicles were injured. A schoolbus was also hit by shrapnel, killing Shahida Akhtar, a 9th class student, and injuring a number of other students. Security personnel cordoned off the area and took the injured people to the Combined Military Hospital and the Civil Hospital. The blast affected a wide area, the police said. CCPO Akbar said no army personnel had been injured. This is the second suicide attack in Quetta in 10 months.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

15

In December last year, two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a checkpost of military police in Quetta Cantonment, killing seven security personnel. An explosion last week in a Madressah in Kuchlak, about 25 kilometres away from here, claimed six lives. The CCPO said that an investigation team had been set up. He said that 400 to 500 more policemen would be deployed in Quetta. Stressing that steps were being taken to maintain order in Quetta, he said that new pickets were being set up in the city. The injured civilians include Durdana, Najiba, Shaheena, Aamna, Aasia, Ikram and van diver Wali Mohammad. The injured FC soldiers were identified as Mohammad Sharif, Ali Jan, Mohammad Asif, Adil Rafiq, Ehsanullah, Amir Nawaz, Kaleemullah, Zafar Ali, Gul Rehman, Noor Azimm Faizullah, Abdul Qayyum and Asif Imran. Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives. They ordered the authorities to take all measures to avert any other attack. They said that the people involved in the inhuman act had no ideology. They are enemies of humanity. They also said that such cowardly acts would not lessen the governments resolve to root out terrorism. They appealed to the people to help the authorities in their efforts to curb terrorisms.
Saleem Shahid, Dawn, September 25, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/25/top3.htm

3 B ROTHERS E XECUTED

IN

W ANA

Taliban on Wednesday publicly executed four people, three brothers among them, in Wana. Taliban had captured the three brothers a few days ago after the murders of four people. They were tried in a Taliban court, which sentenced them to summary execution under the Islamic principle of Qisas. A tribal elder said that a local peace committee comprising ulema and Maliks had also ordered execution of the alleged killers. Sources said that the three brothers were brought to an open place on the outskirts of Wana, South Waziristan, and shot with a rifle one by one. A crowd witnessed the gruesome scene.

16

IPRI Factfile

Another person who had also been charged with murder was executed publicly. He was kept in detention for two months.
Dawn, September 25, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/25/top5.htm

950 M ILITANTS K ILLED

IN

F ATA : M UKHTAR

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar has said that more than 950 militants have been killed in the operation in tribal areas, adding that the operation will continue till the elimination of every militant carrying out acts of sabotage across the country. Talking to journalists at his office here on Wednesday, the minister said security forces were giving a tough time to the militants by pounding their hideouts. He also said that 90 people had been arrested in connection with the Marriott hotel suicide attack and security agencies had found clues which would lead them to the terrorists and the information would be made public.
Dawn, September 25, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/25/top8.htm

I NDIA , P AK . V OW

TO

T AKE "S EVERE A CTION " A GAINST T ERRORIST A CTS

Acknowledging that the peace process has been "under strain" in recent months, India and Pakistan on Wednesday announced that cross-LoC trade in Jammu and Kashmir will commence on October 21 and vowed to take "severe action" against any elements directing or involved in terrorist acts, giving fresh momentum for an "an early and full" normalisation of bilateral relations. Unveiling a slew of measures for a "peaceful resolution and saisfactory settlement" of all bilateral issues including Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his first meeting with the new Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari agreed that the forces that have tried to derail the peace process msut be "defeated." Meeting on the sidelines of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly session at the Millenium hotel where the Pakistan President is staying, the two leaders came out with a joint statement agreeing that violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the vision they share of the bilateral relationship and must be "visibly and verifiably" prevented.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

17

In an apparent attempt to tell India that let bygones be bygones in the backdrop of rise in cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations, Zardari reassured Singh that the Pakistan government stood by its commitments of January 6, 2004 to stamp out terrorism. With the needle of suspicion pointing to Pakistans ISI for the bombing of he Indian Embassy in Kabul, the two leaders agreed to convene a special meeting of the Joint Anti-Terror mechanism to address mutual concerns including the Kabul attack.
Hindu online, September 25, 2008 http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200809250944.htm

P AKISTAN , US B LOW H OT

AND

C OLD O VER F LARE - UP

Security forces fired on two Nato helicopters which had intruded into Pakistan territory on Thursday, forcing them to turn back to Afghanistan, officials said. Two helicopters from the Afghanistan side crossed into Saidgai, Ghulam Khan Sector, North Waziristan. When the helicopters passed over our border post and were well within Pakistan territory, our security forces fired anticipatory warning shots, said a statement issued by the ISPR. It said the helicopters returned fire and flew back, adding that Pakistan was in contact with Nato headquarters in Kabul and that the issue was being resolved. In New York, however, President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistani troops were firing flares to warn Nato helicopters crossing into Fata. His comments came minutes after Pentagon said Pakistani forces had fired on two Nato helicopters operating inside Afghanistan. Mr Zardari, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, contradicted the Pentagons version that Pakistani troops had used small arms against Nato helicopters. You mean the flares, said Mr Zardari when a reporter asked him to comment on the Pentagons claim. Asked if the Pakistani military would continue its actions, Mr Zardari said: The flares or the military coming in? Sometimes the border is so mixed that they dont realise they have crossed the border, said Mr Zardari, seated opposite Ms Rice at his hotel in New York. The border is very, very unclear, I know, agreed Ms Rice.

18

IPRI Factfile

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters at a briefing in Washington earlier on Thursday that Pakistani troops had fired at US helicopters. The flight path of the helicopters at no point took them over Pakistan, he said. Mr Whitman said US and Nato military officials were speaking to their Pakistani counterparts to determine what had happened and to ensure there would be no recurrence. This is an unfortunate incident. It just goes to demonstrate the importance of coordination along that border, he said. The Pakistanis have to provide us with a better understanding of why this took place. Citing early reports, Mr Whitman said neither helicopter was hit by ground fire and did not return fire against Pakistani positions. Officials said the aircraft would likely have fired back had they been hit. We avoided a serious incident, Mr Whitman said, but added: The incident is troubling, no doubt. Ms Rice tried to defuse the tension, saying that the United States and Pakistan remained close allies in the war on terror. A military official told Dawn that two American OH-58 reconnaissance helicopters, known as Kiowas, crossed into the border post, prompting the Pakistani side to fire warning shots. Locals said that one of the helicopters was up to one and half kilometres inside Pakistani territory while the other hovered on the Afghan side. AFP adds: The International Security Assistance Force insisted however that the choppers had not entered Pakistani airspace. Isaf helicopters received small-arms fire from a Pakistan military checkpoint along the border near Tanai district, in Khost province, while conducting routine operations in Afghanistan, it said in a statement. There are no reports of any damage to the helicopters or any casualties. The statement added: Isaf forces and the Pakistani military are working together to resolve the matter.
Dawn, September 26, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/26/top1.htm

16 K ILLED

IN

B AJAUR

Sixteen militants were killed and several others were injured on Saturday in fierce fighting between security forces and local Taliban in Bajaur.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

19

Residents and Frontier Corps sources told Dawn that hundreds of militants attacked security posts in Tang Khatha, Kausar, Rashkai, and Khazana of tehsil Khar early in the morning. The skirmishes continued for three hours till 8 am. Security forces targeted positions of militants with mortar and cannon shells. Helicopter gunships also pounded suspected hideouts of militants. Later, jet fighters rushed to the area shelling and bombing militants positions till late in the night, silencing the militants guns. The gunbattle was so fierce that windowpanes of several houses got smashed, a resident said, adding that thick smoke was seen billowing in the air from places which were bombed. However, just a few minutes after Iftar, militants regrouped and responded with heavy weapons. The FC sources said that 16 militants were killed and over 22 were injured in the crossfire till Saturday night. Earlier in the day, security officials claimed that the troops had reached near Delay, a stronghold of Taliban, just one kilometre from Lowi Sam and cleared Karela, Nisarabad, Rashakai, Kausar and Khazana and areas near Lowi Sam of militants. However, independent sources said security forces were facing stiff resistance in these areas.
Anwarullah Khan, Dawn, September 28, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/28/top4.htm

O BAMA B REATHES F IRE , M C C AIN S HOWS R ESTRAINT O VER P AKISTAN

Pakistan will remain the main theatre of the US-led war on terror whether it is a Democratic or a Republican who occupies the White House next year. But if the Democrats win, President Barack Obama will send troops into Pakistan to catch senior Al Qaeda leaders, but if the Republicans win, President John McCain will not. He will rely on political and economic engagement with Pakistan to defeat terrorists. The two candidates expressed these views at their first debate on Friday night. If the United States has Al Qaeda, (Osama) bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unwilling or unable to act, then we should take them out, said Senator Obama.

20

IPRI Factfile

Mr McCain disagreed. Were going to have to help the Pakistanis go into these areas and obtain the allegiance of the people. Its going to be tough, said the Arizona senator. Weve got to deal with Pakistan, because Al Qaeda and the Taliban have safe havens in Pakistan, across the border in the northwest regions, Mr Obama insisted. Although, you know, under George Bush, with the support of Senator McCain, weve been giving them $10 billion over the last seven years, they have not done what needs to be done to get rid of those safe havens. This did not convince Senator McCain. On this issue of aiding Pakistan, if youre going to aim a gun at somebody, George Shultz, our great secretary of state, told me once, youd better be prepared to pull the trigger, said the Republican candidate. Im not prepared at this time to cut off aid to Pakistan. So Im not prepared to threaten it, as Senator Obama apparently wants to do, as he has said that he would announce military strikes into Pakistan. Instead, Mr McCain advocated winning over the people of Pakistan. Weve got to get the support of the people of Pakistan. He said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan. Now, you dont do that. You dont say that out loud. If you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government. Mr McCain noted that the new Pakistani president, Kardari (Zardari), has got his hands full and the Afghan border region has not been governed since the days of Alexander. Both candidates want to send more troops to Afghanistan and Mr Obama wants to do that as quickly as possible because its been acknowledged by the commanders on the ground the situation is getting worse, not better. He noted that the highest fatalities among US troops in Afghanistan were last year than at any time since 2002 and the Al Qaeda and Taliban militants were crossing the border and attacking US troops in a brazen fashion. Mr Obama said he would send two to three additional brigades to Afghanistan because the place where we have to deal with these folks is going to be in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. Mr Obama also favoured a strong US strategy for dealing with a growing poppy trade in Afghanistan that has exploded over the last several years.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

21

Mr McCain also favoured greater engagement with Pakistan and Afghanistan. I wont repeat the mistake that I regret enormously, and that is, after we were able to help the Afghan freedom fighters and drive the Russians out of Afghanistan, we basically washed our hands of the region, he said. And the result over time was the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and a lot of the difficulties we are facing today. So we cant ignore those lessons of history.
Masood Haider and Anwar Iqbal, Dawn, September 28, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/28/top6.htm

T HOUSANDS F LEEING V IOLENT P AKISTANI B ORDER A REA A FGHANISTAN : UN

TO

Escalating violence in Pakistan's lawless tribal border regions has forced thousands to flee to eastern Afghanistan, the UN reported Monday. The United Nations is reporting that 20,000 Pakistani refugees have fled the northern tribal region of Bajur to Afghanistan's Kunar province to avoid increased fighting. Pakistan's military is carrying out an offensive in Bajur, a region mostly controlled by militants opposed to the Afghan and Pakistani governments. Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to have fled to other parts of Pakistan as a result of the two-month-old offensive. The UN's refugee agency said most of them are expected to return home after the fighting ceases. "In the last two weeks alone, over 600 Pakistani families have fled into Afghanistan," the UNHCR said. "While the vast majority of them are living with their relatives and friends, there are already some 200 families who live in the open air." According to Pakistani officials, the fighting in Bajur the most northerly of Pakistan's wild tribal regions has displaced as many as 500,000 people. Most have found shelter with relatives across northwestern Pakistan, though about 100,000 have taken refuge in camps set up by Pakistani authorities. The UN report comes as new statistics provided by the Pakistani military shows that suicide attacks in the country have killed nearly 1,200 people in the last 15 months. The statistics show there were a total of 88 suicide bombings in that period, leading to 1,188 deaths, 847 of which were civilians. The rest were troops and police.

22

IPRI Factfile

In all, the military said 1,368 members of the security forces had died since 2001, when former President Pervez Musharraf sided with the United States in its war on terror.

15 Insurgents Killed in Overnight Attack

In the latest round of violence, Pakistani forces have killed 15 insurgents in ongoing clashes with Taliban and al-Qaeda militants along the border with Afghanistan, officials reported Monday. In the overnight attack, Pakistani troops repelled 50 militants north of Khar in Bajur, said a local police official. Militants also attacked paramilitary troops near Tang Khata, the official told the Associated Press. Pakistani officials estimated 15 militants were killed in the clash and more than 12 were wounded. There is no word of casualties on the Pakistani side. The army claims to have killed more than 1,000 militants in the twomonth-old offensive in Bajur and lost more than 60 troops. It has declined to estimate casualties among civilians. U.S. officials have praised the operation in Bajur. The region along the border is a known haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants and Pakistani extremists who attack American and NATO troops operating in Afghanistan. U.S.-led raids across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistani territory have created tension between the two countries. Pakistani leaders have decried the operations, and vowed the military would defend the country's sovereignty. Washington has urged Pakistan to assert control in the region and take stiffer action against militants in the mountainous tribal belt. But there's been growing concern in the U.S. that Pakistan is unwilling or incapable of rooting out extremists in its border region. In his first meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, in New York last week, President George W. Bush said the United States is only trying to help Pakistan protect itself. Zardari responded that his country is able to find its own solutions to its problems.
CBC, September 29, 2008 http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/09/29/pakistan-militants.html

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

23

N EW P RESIDENT , O LD W AR
Violence is escalating in Pakistan. The USA should cooperate with the countrys elected leadership. Otherwise matters will only get worse. Ever since US troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001, that countrys border with Pakistan has been a hunting ground. The search is on for Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda operatives. As an ally of US President George Bush in his war on terror, President-General Pervez Musharraf tried to weed out Islamist militants it that region. Many different groups with varying strategies have been lumped together as Taliban-Al-Qaeda. The US troops, their NATO allies and the Pakistan Army have tried out different strategies accordingly. At first, only suspected supporters of Osama bin Laden were the target. Militancy along the border was not very strong. To the extent, however, that Pakistans military became active in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), sympathy for the militants started to grow there. Increasingly, local militias emerged in Pakistan. Therefore, the involvement of the Pakistan Army kept growing, until Musharafs regime was waging a full-fledged war against Pakistans Pashtun population, with military action provoking ever more antagonism. As a result, militancy kept spreading. It is now present in areas that used to be peaceful and stable. The insurgency is no longer limited to the border, but has taken hold in a big part of the NWFP. The terror attack on Islamabads Marriott Hotel, which killed more than 50 people in late September, showed that the capital itself is no longer safe. Musharraf resigned in August, and US strategy changed immediately. Before, the Bush Administration had acted in support of Musharraf, cooperating closely with Pakistani forces when addressing terror-related issues. Presidents Bush and Musharraf needed one other. It was Bushs clear and open support, after all, that kept Musharraf in power. Increasingly, however, the US administration had shown its disappointment in General Musharraf, arguing that Pakistan was not doing enough. Nonetheless, Washington continued to support Musharraf and his political followers even after their defeat in the 18 February elections, after which the White House resisted attempts by Pakistans democratically elected representatives to fulfil campaign promises. One of them was to remove Musharraf. Eventually, the major parties in Pakistans parliament put so much pressure on Musharraf that he resigned. Next, their coalition broke up, and Asif Ali Zardari secured himself the presidency.

24

IPRI Factfile

Zardari is the widower of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, and de-facto heads the Pakistan Peoples Party. Bhutto had been the one the US favoured to become Pakistans leader after Musharraf, but she was assassinated during the election campaign in December. One might therefore expect the USA to support Zardari now. Nonetheless, US forces attacked Paktistani citizens on Pakistani soil shortly after Musharrafs resignation. That was unprecedented in seven-years of war. Yes, the US military had attacked targets in Pakistan before places, where Al-Qaeda militants had allegedly found refuge. US missiles killed dozens of women and children and provoked high civilian collateral damage. The big difference, however, is that, at the time, the US forces had operated from Pakistani soil, with the consent of Pakistans government. It bodes ill for Pakistan, for democracy and Pakistan-US relations that the change in military approach on side of the US coincided with Musharrafs resignation. With more than 1100 Pakistani troops killed already, the country has been paying a high price in Americas war. It does not help that the US have begun to act in a manner openly disrespectful of Pakistans sovereignty. Washington has made it clear that Pakistan and its new president have little say in its war on terror. But though the Foreign Office in Islamabad did make some noise, warning the US about further incursions, it is obvious that Pakistan cannot embarrass or scare the US. This is all the more so as President Bush and his team are eager to end their second term with some kind of success. However, the approach taken now will only make matters worse. In order to address the issue of terrorism, militancy and insurgency successfully, the USA must cooperate with Pakistans elected leadership.
S. Akbar Zaidi, Development and Cooperation (D+C), October 2008 http://www.inwent.org/ez/articles/080352/index.en.shtml

US

TO

B OOST P AKISTAN S A NTI -T ERROR C APABILITY

The United States has assured Pakistan that it supports the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity amid tensions between the two allies over cross-border raids into Fata. The US assurance included in a joint statement followed talks in Washington on Monday between US and Pakistani teams aimed at consolidating a long-term relationship between the two nations.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

25

During the talks the United States affirmed its support for Pakistans sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, said the statement issued by the US State Department. The talks between US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were part of what is called the elevated strategic dialogue between the two countries. The talks focussed on security cooperation, defence ties, the war on terror and economic assistance to Pakistan, particularly for creating jobs in the restive tribal region. The United States is dedicated to providing Pakistan with the training and equipment it needs to fight terrorism, including support to enhance Pakistans counterinsurgency and counterterrorism capabilities and increased cooperation with Pakistani security forces, the statement said. The talks were held against the backdrop of cross-border attacks by the US-led coalition forces in Fata. Although aimed at suspected terrorist hideouts, the raids also killed scores of civilians, forcing Islamabad to protest the incursions. After a raid by US ground troops early this month, Pakistan warned that its troops would retaliate if they saw foreign troops crossing its border. Last week, Pakistani troops reportedly fired warning shots at a US helicopter trying to enter Pakistan. The incursions also led to demands by Pakistani opposition parties to seek assurance from the United States that it would respect the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity and the joint statement addresses this issue. But while assuring Pakistan to respect its territorial integrity, the United States also made it clear that it expected Islamabad to play an effective role in fighting terrorism. The two sides renewed their intention to work together to combat the threat of terrorism and violent extremism by expanding security cooperation. They also vowed to work together to develop and modernise the tribal belt. Mr Qureshi and Mr Negroponte reaffirmed their commitment to a wide-ranging, substantive and long-term strategic partnership between Pakistan and the United States, the statement said. The two sides also condemned the Sept 20 suicide bombing on Marriott Hotel in Islamabad which killed 53 people. They acknowledged that terrorism and violent extremism pose a common threat to Pakistan, the United States, and the international community.

26

IPRI Factfile

The strategic dialogue followed a decision in March 2006 to establish a forum for such talks. The dialogue was initially featured once a year but later the frequency was increased to twice a year. The first round took place in April 2006 in Washington. During Mondays meeting, the United States called for resumption of the Jirga process with Afghanistan and for Pakistans commitment to hold the next Regional Economic Cooperation Conference meeting in Islamabad later this year. The Pakistani government expressed its appreciation for the USbacked new Friends of Pakistan initiative, which would help Pakistan face its challenges in the years ahead. Building on the August 2008 bilateral economic dialogue, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to increased economic cooperation. Pakistan outlined its economic stabilization measures and reforms to foster economic growth and opportunity. The US expressed support for Pakistans plan to stabilise its economy and welcomed Pakistans commitment to implement comprehensive reform measures. The US expressed its determination to continue efforts to promote Reconstruction Opportunity Zones legislation, currently pending in Congress. The establishment of such zones would improve stability and security by stimulating jobs, infrastructure and legitimate economic alternatives in underdeveloped areas, the statement said. The two sides emphasised the need for improved regional cooperation and integration in the energy sector. They reaffirmed their commitment to address Pakistans growing energy needs by expanding technical assistance and promoting investment in Pakistans energy sector. Cooperation in education and science and technology were reviewed, and both resolved to make best efforts to hold energy and education dialogues by the end of the year.
Anwar Iqbal, Dawn, October 1, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/10/01/top1.htm

P AKISTAN S UICIDE B OMBERS S HIFTING L EADERS

TO

P OLITICAL

The network of suicide bombers in Pakistan has changed its attacks style and the bombers are now shifting to political leaders, who are backing the military offensive against militants.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

27

The number of suicide attacks and casualties in Pakistan has steadily risen over the past several months. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has also become a victim of a suicide attack. President Asif Ali Zardari has approved to set up security measures for protection of political leaders following an attempt of attack on ruling party leader. The president has also directed to convene a joint session of the Parliament in which heads of intelligence agencies and military will brief the law makers about the efforts and steps taken by them to eradicate terrorism. The majority of Pakistanis do not consider the war against terror as their war rather they term it as an American war. Even a coalition leader, Asfandyar Wali Kahn, who survived an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber last week, also said today that the war has been imposed on the people. The government of Pakistan has been following the strategy which is not acceptable to most of its public on war against terror. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf supported the US policy of war on terror but failed to convince his public against the war. People in Pakistan say that US only wants to destroy the nuclear weapons of Pakistan that is why it has created a conflict in the region. Some Pakistani say that US wants to take the control of the oil and gas reserves of central Asian states. The people of North West Frontier Province who are more conservative believe that the war on terror is a war against Islam. On the other hand US authorities have been terming the Pakistani tribal area as safe heaven for the militants. America has also regularly been sending drones from its bases in Afghanistan into the bordering tribal agencies in Pakistan territory, bombing suspected al-Qaeda bases there. Figures released at a military briefing in Islamabad showed 88 suicide attacks have taken place across Pakistan since the Red Mosque siege, killing 1,188 people. Of that figure, 847 were civilians, while the rest were troops and police. More than 3,000 were listed as injured. The number of attacks in that 15-month period is more than twice as many as in the previous five years, according to a database compiled by the

28

IPRI Factfile

South Asia Terrorism Portal, an India-based terrorism research website.

Global Security.Org, October 8, 2008 http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/pakistan/2008/pakistan-081008irna01.htm

P AKISTAN S UFFERED M OST

IN

W AR

ON

T ERROR : PM

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that being a frontline state in the war against terror, Pakistan has sacrificed more lives than any other country in the world. Similarly, the sufferings caused to its people are also unparalleled. He made these remarks while talking to the World News Editor of BBC News Jon William who called on him here at the Prime Ministers House on Tuesday in which the Fata situation also came under discussion. The prime minister said that the world community has to realise and address the root causes of terrorism, which stem from economic deprivation and unresolved political disputes. He said that Pakistan is pursuing a three-pronged strategy to effectively check this menace of terrorism. Prime Minister Gilani said that Pakistan desires good relations with all its neighbours. He said that security and economy are interlinked; therefore, all out efforts would be made in this regard to improve the security situation and to restore the confidence of the business community. He said that Pakistans has played host to over three million Afghan refugees and it has put enormous pressure on the countrys socio-economic stability as well as security. He asked John Williams to use the BBC platform to convey to the world community to realize the gravity of the situation as a stable Pakistan guarantees the stability of the world. He called upon the world community to contribute significantly towards the Friends of Pakistan forum to take Pakistan out of economic morass. John Williams thanked the prime minister for his candid views on various issues confronting Pakistan. He said that he is surprised that the picture being painted in the outside world about Pakistan is totally opposite to what he has observed on ground in Pakistan. He said that during his present visit to Pakistan he has learnt that the city of Islamabad is vibrant, peaceful and nothing is under siege. He expressed surprise as to why British Airways has suspended its flights to Pakistan and hoped that the airline would soon resume its flights. South Asia Bureau Editor

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

29

BBC Milton Nkosi, Pak correspondent BBC Ms Barbara Plett and Pakistan Producer BBC Richard Colebourn also attended the meeting.
The News, October 8, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=139919

I N - CAMERA P ARLIAMENTARY B RIEFING R ESUMES

Pakistani lawmakers gathered on Thursday for the question-and-answer portion of a rare private briefing from military officials about the domestic threat posed by al Qaeda and Taliban militants entrenched in regions bordering Afghanistan. The civilian government called the joint Parliament session in an effort to build a national consensus on the Muslim nation's role in the US-led war on terror. On Wednesday, lawmakers were shown images of militants killing people, according to two attendees who requested anonymity because like others at the meeting they were sworn to secrecy. Statistics on militancy were also given, one said, declining to divulge specifics. Maj-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the Director General of Military operations and DG-designate of the Inter Services Intelligence gave the briefing. The topics included Pakistan's military offensives against insurgents in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Speaking in general terms, some politicians said the briefing on Wednesday was superficial. It was more like the description of the symptoms than diagnosis of the disease, Khurram Dastagir, a member of the opposition party of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told Dawn News TV. I am seeking to find out what is causing this extremism and how did it come about. Pakistan's attorney general, Sardar Latif Khosa, said Thursday's session was arranged to allow lawmakers to ask questions. He said the meetings could go on for several more days.
Dawn, October 9, 2008. http://www.dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/new s/pakistan/in-camera+parliamentary+briefing+resumes+ss

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IPRI Factfile

B LASTS A IMED A T P AKISTAN P OLICE L EAVE 10 D EAD , 4 W OUNDED

Bombings killed 10 people and wounded at least four in Pakistan on Thursday, including an attack in a police complex in the capital the same day lawmakers huddled for a private briefing on the militant threat facing the country. The deaths happened in the nation's volatile northwest, where Al Qaeda and Taliban militants have established bases near the Afghan border. Four children, two police and four prisoners died when a roadside bomb exploded under a prison vehicle in the Dir region, government official Sher Bahadur Khan said. Initial reports indicated a school bus was caught in the blast, but others said the children were walking. Ten people were wounded. In Islamabad, an apparent homicide car bombing severely damaged an anti-terror squad building and wounded at least four police in the heavily guarded Police Lines neighborhood. The explosion occurred just moments after a man delivered candy to the facility and police were examining whether the events were linked. Some body parts were found that might belong to a homicide bomber, Islamabad Police Chief Asghar Gardaizi said. In recent weeks militants have stepped up attacks on security, government and Western targets in Pakistan, reaching well beyond the northwest border areas. A Sept. 20 homicide truck bombing in Islamabad killed 54 and severely damaged the Marriott Hotel. The latest incident in Islamabad happened amid tight security for the briefing of lawmakers at the Parliament building. No one immediately took responsibility. Ambulances streamed into the smoke-filled police complex after the blast. The front section of the three-story, red-brick building was destroyed and a staircase had collapsed. Shoes were strewn among the rubble. Gardaizi said at least four people were hurt; others put the wounded toll as high as nine. Police commando Gulshan Iqbal told The Associated Press he was sitting at a nearby barrack when a "Suzuki car hit the anti-terror squad barrack and exploded with a big bang." He said the main building was largely empty because many officers were guarding Parliament and other areas of Islamabad. "About 10 people were inside at the time, and we saw six or seven injured," he said.

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Gardaizi said a man in a green car had driven up to the building, entered and handed boxes of candy to a person inside. He later left the building and within moments the explosion occurred, Gardaizi said. It was unclear what happened to the delivery man. Gardaizi said authorities would probe why a civilian vehicle was allowed in the area. The attacks in Islamabad and Dir drew condemnation from the prime minister of Pakistan, where the military says homicide attacks have killed nearly 1,200 people since July 2007, most of them civilians. The statistics also said 1,368 security force personnel had been killed since late 2001, when Pakistan's former military ruler, President Pervez Musharraf, allied the country with Washington in its war on terror. The young civilian government called the joint Parliament session in an effort to build a national consensus on the Muslim nation's role in the U.S.led war on terror. Many in Pakistan believe the alliance with the U.S. has increased violence in their nuclear-armed country. The U.S. has shown impatience with Pakistan by launching cross-border missile strikes in the northwest, where Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden is rumored to be hiding. On Wednesday, lawmakers were shown images of militants killing people, according to two attendees who requested anonymity because like others at the meeting they were sworn to secrecy. Statistics on militancy were also given, one said, declining to divulge specifics. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, an army general tapped to take over Pakistan's main spy agency in the coming days, gave the briefing. The topics included Pakistan's military offensives against insurgents in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Speaking in general terms, some politicians said the briefing Wednesday was superficial. "It was more like the description of the symptoms than diagnosis of the disease," Khurram Dastagir, a member of the opposition party of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told Dawn News TV. "I am seeking to find out what is causing this extremism and how did it come about." Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa said Thursday's session was arranged to allow lawmakers to ask questions. He said the meetings could go on for several more days. Concrete barriers and barbed wire ringed a wide perimeter around Parliament. Members of the media were not allowed in.
Fox News, October 9, 2008 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,434941,00.html

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P AKISTAN B REAKING N EWS - B OMB B LAST R OCKS I SLAMABAD

Just two weeks after the bombing at the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, bombs exploded in the capital city of Pakistan once again. This time, the bombs were targeting the police lines complex that belonged to the anti-terrorist squad. The powerful bomb blasts could be heard from a distance of two kilometers. According to local TV news, the nearby buildings rattled due to the intensity of the bomb blasts. According to the initial reports, eight people have died due to the bomb blast. The local television channel reported that the suicide bomber entered the parking lot of a police building which belonged to an anti-terrorist squad and blew himself up killing at least eight people. The building that housed the offices of the Anti Terrorist Squad was partially destroyed in the bomb blast. The main gates of the building were manned by two police constables. The local police have taken complete security measures after the Islamabad hotel bombing. Security in Islamabad has been further tightened due to the ongoing in camera parliament session. The terrorists have succeeded in defying all security measures in the capital city which proves that the terrorists organizations inside the country are more organized than the local police and the security agencies are backing the terrorists and leaving weak pockets to them to infiltrate.
October 9, 2008 http://www.caymanmama.com/2008/10/09/bomb-blasts-rocksislamabad_200810093282.html

A N O PEN M IND , P LEASE

AS if to punctuate the severity of the militancy threat, a suicide bomber struck in Islamabad as legislators gathered for the second day of the special in-camera session of parliament. Unfortunately, some opposition MPs have acted in unseemly haste in declaring the classified briefing unsatisfactory and lacking depth. As the briefing to parliament, governors, chief ministers and other specially invited guests is classified, there is no way of specifically assessing the disgruntled MPs claims. However, there is no doubt that they have spoken with undue haste and disregarded the historic nature of the briefing. Consider the background to this weeks in-camera session of parliament. After eight years of direct and indirect rule by an army chief, on whose watch the so-called

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war on terror began, a popularly elected civilian government has taken the reins of the state at a moment of acute crisis. Pilloried for months for not taking the nation or its legislators into confidence on its strategy for dealing with militancy, the government finally summoned the army to explain its strategy for countering increasingly emboldened militants in Pakistan. While it is certainly parliaments legal prerogative to summon state officials uniformed or otherwise to explain their conduct, the ongoing classified briefing is a very positive sign for democracy given the history of army supremacy over parliament. Only the most churlish of opposition MPs would fail to appreciate this gain for politics and politicians. The criticism of the content of the briefing itself was similarly misguided. The briefing given by the director general of military operations was criticised for being too focused on military operations rather than the strategic threat from the militants. This is very confusing. First, the criticism came even before MPs asked questions in the scheduled question-and-answer session. Second, the supremacy of parliament which is what opposition MPs have claimed is the need of the hour demands that parliament decide the strategy that the military must execute. Opposition MPs have kept their heads in the sand when it comes to recognising the militancy threat. The suicide blast in Bhakkar targeted none other than the scion of a political family that supports the PML-N. Punjab, a stamping ground for militants, is governed by a coalition led by the PML-N. Some APDM leaders, meanwhile, have continued with their rejectionist politics, turning their backs on a special government invitation to attend the parliamentary briefing. Democracy is about debate and choosing from a menu of alternatives. Everyone invited had a duty to step forward and make a case for their own strategy of defeating militancy. Rather than reflexive opposition to the government, opposition MPs have a duty to uphold democratic values and protect the people of this country.
Editorial, Dawn, October 10, 2008.

S UICIDE A TTACKER D ESTROYS P OLICE HQ

IN I SLAMABAD

A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Squad of police on Thursday, injuring eight policemen. The explosion partly destroyed a three-storey block of the AntiTerrorist Squad building and left a four-foot deep crater.

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The bomber struck a target in a high security zone, though the city has been on high alert in the wake of a suicide truck bomb that killed 55 people and destroyed the Marriott hotel on Sept 20. Very few policemen were in the building at the time because they were on duty guarding the parliament. The injured policemen were taken to different hospitals of Islamabad. A spokesman for the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences told Dawn that four policemen Assistant Sub-Inspecor Faizullah, constables Naveed, Tahir and Wakil Khan -- were brought to the hospital and were in stable condition. An injured policeman Asif was admitted to the Federal Government Services Hospital. The adviser to Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, has ordered an inquiry into the bombing. According to witnesses, a private car bearing a green number plate entered the police headquarters building through Gate No 3 and struck the vehicle against the building. However, police said the bomber had parked the vehicle outside the three-storey ATC building and walked inside and gave a box of sweets to Muharar Tahir, who was stated to be his friend. A mighty explosion followed, destroying a portion of the building and injuring seven policemen. Police constable Aamir Raza said a green car bearing a yellow number plate 6949 was parked outside the building and suddenly a huge blast took place. The venue of the blast was presenting a terrible look, with injured policemen lying on the floor amid rubbles and shattered windowpanes. The sound of the blast was heard several kilometres away. A senior police official told Dawn that a suspected suicide bomber had been visiting Muharars Shafiq and Tahir of the ATS and telephoned them two days ago. In his latest telephone call, the suspect had intimated one of his friends that he wanted to come to his office, he said. On the request of the suspect, Muharar (diarist) Shafiq reportedly intimated the security staff at Gate No 3 that his guest was coming and he should be allowed to come inside. The suspect delivered a box of sweets at the gate and then drove close to the ATS building. The authorities are questioning two injured Muharars who had friendly relations with the bomber. The official said remains of the bomber had been recovered from the scene of the blast.

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Eight policemen, including a DSP and an inspector, were suspended and taken into custody in connection with the suicide bombing. Two of the detained policemen were injured cops who had reportedly asked security staff at the entrance gate to allow their guests vehicle into the building and accepted sweet boxes brought by the bomber.
Mohammad Asghar & Imran Ali, Dawn, October 10, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/10/10/top2.htm

1400 P AK T ROOPS K ILLED I N 7 Y RS : W AR

ON

T ERROR

Pakistan has made public its casualty numbers in the war on terror. In the last seven years, security forces have lost about 1,400 dead and 3,400 wounded, mainly fighting the Taliban and al Qaeda along the Afghan border. According to statistics, at least 2,244 militants (mainly Taliban) and 581 foreigners (al Qaeda) have been killed. The terrorists have also suffered at least 1,400 wounded. Several thousand Taliban, and about 600 al Qaeda suspects have been arrested. Counter-terror operations have greatly increased in the last year, with nearly half the Taliban and al Qaeda casualties occurring in that period. Pakistan has tried from time to time to negotiate agreements with the tribes most of whom are hostile to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Meanwhile, the terrorists continued to make attacks outside the tribal areas, including many assassination attempts on Pakistani leaders.
October 10, 2008 http://www.zimbio.com/Pakistan/articles/902/1400+Pak+Troops+Killed+7+Yrs+ War+Terror

T HE T ERROR

OF THIS

W AR

Thats probably the most generous way to describe statecraft in Pakistan. A week of debate on the debate in parliament and Im ready to run to the hills. Or perhaps into the sea, given the threat lurking up in Pakistans hills. Start with the army. Gen Kayani is fighting a bloody insurgency in three areas Bajaur Agency, Swat and Darra Adamkhel and has thousands of troops in other tribal agencies. Its a tough fight, with civilian casualties and massive displacements. Kayani may be giving the militants a bloody nose, but few are optimistic of the long-term effects of a full-frontal assault.

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Along the way, the general was coaxed and cajoled by Zardari into briefing parliament on what the army is up to. So Kayani roped in his DGMO and sent him forth into the cauldron of stupor to explain what his soldiers are doing. Lamentably, the DGMO shared nothing a Google search wouldnt reveal. This is bad news for everyone trying to understand Kayanis strategic thinking. Since the army chief is intent on holding his cards very close to his chest, the countrys representatives will just have to piece together for themselves the Bajaur operation. Did I mention that statecraft isnt an optimum art here? So on to Bajaur Agency. (Aside: Bajaur was sacked by Babar yes, the Mughal emperor in 1519. From the Babarnama: As the Bajauris were rebels and inimical to the people of Islam, the men were subjected to a general massacre and their wives and children were made captive. At a guess, more than 3,000 men met their death. We entered the fort and inspected it. On the walls, in houses, streets and alleys, the dead lay, in what numbers! Those walking around had to jump over the corpses. Lesson: history is written by the victors.) Even though we havent been told why we are in Bajaur as opposed to, say, pounding one of the other six tribal agencies that doesnt mean there are no good reasons for being up there. Bajaur is geographically the smallest (500 sq miles) of the tribal agencies, but has one of the largest populations (595,227 at the last census; an estimated million until August). It abuts Kunar, a north-eastern Afghan province which is a stamping ground of Gulbadin Hekmatyars Hezb-i-Islami. Bajaur, especially the south-west where the Mamond tribe lives, is known to be home to foreign militants, especially Al Qaeda. Both Pakistan and the US have launched strikes inside Bajaur in the last three years, indicating the level of interest in militant activity there. Theres more. In March 2007, four ISI agents were killed in Bajaur. Before the present operation started in August, more intelligence agents are believed to have been killed. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, the militant leader in Bajaur, has close links to Maulana Fazlullah and his band of savages in Swat. All of these are very good reasons for us to be in Bajaur. There is a further possibility: the army thought it would be like taking candy from a militant. But when several hundred troops trundled into Lowi Sam, a town near a key border crossing to Kunar province, in early August, they were subjected to a withering assault. Physically and psychologically hammered, the army had no option but to respond with even greater force.

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But these are outsiders guesses and worth as much. Denied a clear strategic explanation for why Bajaur now and why Bajaur first, the opposition certainly has grounds to complain. Predictably, the N-League has grabbed the hind legs of reason though. Rather than release a list of penetrating, relevant questions that were left unanswered, the N-League has chosen to bray about democracy and sovereignty. Somebody should ask Nawaz Sharif, what about survival? Despite their right-wing reputation, the Sharif brothers have old enemies in the anti-Shia jihadi outfits of Punjab. The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, the most vitriolic and lethal of Sunni militant groups, tried to kill the Sharif brothers in January 1999 by blowing up a bridge leading to their Raiwind estate (the explosion killed three but missed both brothers convoys). The attack was presumably revenge for Shahbaz Sharifs harsh repression of the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), which rocked Pakistan in the 1990s with their internecine sectarian war against Shias. No one emerged from that period with their hands clean. The sectarian warriors killed with shocking viciousness, while on Shahbaz Sharifs watch police encounters and extrajudicial killings of militants shot up though without doing much harm to the chief ministers standing amongst a terrorised populace. However, the SSP and LJ were far from finished. Caught in a frightening covert war, the Sharifs were forced to the negotiating table to try and ease the crisis in Punjab. Then fate intervened: Musharrafs coup ejected the Sharifs. While the Sharifs may have been put into political cold storage, the LJ lived to fight another day. 9/11 breathed new life into the organisation, even as its first generation of leaders were hunted down and exterminated. Today, the relationship between the LJ and Al Qaeda and the Taliban is so strong that the LJ is effectively the domestic arm of Al Qaeda. There is much scepticism some legitimate of the claim that virtually every militant group has fallen under the spell of the shadowy Al Qaeda. But in the LJs case, the ideological and operational links are irrefutable. The sectarian aspect of Al Qaedas ideology is undeniable for anyone who cares to explore the issue in its grim, hateful details. At the same time the operational links are self-evident and self-confessed. The Lashkar effectively introduced suicide bombings to Pakistan to avenge the US war in Afghanistan. Other sophisticated bombing techniques have been shared between the LJ and Al Qaeda.

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The LJs links with Baitullah Mehsud are also well known, with senior members of the LJ hiding out in South Waziristan. Its no coincidence that Mehsuds alleged intent to eliminate the Sharifs has thrown up the name of the LJ. Meanwhile, the LJ has been busy on the sectarian front, with its war in D.I. Khan spilling over into Bhakkar. With Shahbaz Sharif back in power and the LJ in the ascendant, he will have to deal with them somehow. Nawaz Sharif may publicly deny the threat, but he must surely be alert to the threat the toxic brew of militancy poses to his government in Punjab. So what exactly does he hope to achieve with banalities about peace and dialogue? Does he hope the carrot of opposition to military operations will keep the sectarian militants at bay in Punjab? Or is he simply playing politics while the politys very existence is under threat? When Nawaz Sharif roars that CJ Iftikhar would have kept this country safe, youre inclined to believe the latter. Final thought: the ninth anniversary of Musharrafs coup slipped by unnoticed. Before history can repeat itself, the people must prepare by forgetting.
Cyril Almeida, Dawn, October 15, 2008 [email protected] .

US P RESIDENTIAL C ANDIDATES S EE P AKISTAN W AR ON T ERROR

AS

V ITAL

TO

Senator Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate for the 2008 US presidential election, will redouble efforts to fight terrorism in Pakistan if she is elected. Senator John McCain, a leading Republican presidential candidate, believes that success in the war against terror in Pakistan is as vital as it is in Afghanistan. Barack Obama, a Democrat, will insist, not just request, Pakistan crack down on militants. John Edwards, another Democrat, includes Pakistan in a string of unstable countries such as Saudi Arabia, and urges the United States to seek to prevent terrorism in these countries. Two major Republican candidates, Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, do not believe Pakistan is important enough to get a place in their major foreign policy objectives. The candidates made these observations in articles they wrote for the Foreign Affairs magazine of the US Council on Foreign Relations, Americas

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most prestigious think-tank which influences policy makers in both Republican and Democratic parties. Senator Clinton, who President George W. Bush thinks is the most likely to replace him at the White House in 2008, says that the forgotten frontline in the war on terror is Afghanistan, and not Iraq, where our military effort must be reinforced. While writing about the importance of defeating the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan, she claims that terrorists are increasingly finding safe havens in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Redoubling our efforts with Pakistan would not only help root out terrorist elements there; it would also signal to our Nato partners that the war in Afghanistan and the broader fight against extremism in South Asia are battles that we can and must win, she writes. Yet we cannot succeed unless we design a strategy that treats the entire region as an interconnected whole, where crises overlap with one another and the danger of a chain reaction of disasters is real. Senator Clinton believes that in Asia, India has a special significance both as an emerging power and as the worlds most populous democracy. As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I recognise the tremendous opportunity presented by Indias rise and the need to give the country an augmented voice in regional and international institutions, such as the UN. Senator McCain is the most sympathetic to Pakistan. Success in Afghanistan is critical to stopping Al Qaeda, but success in neighbouring Pakistan is just as vital, he notes. We must continue to work with President Gen Pervez Musharraf to dismantle the cells and camps that the Taliban and Al Qaeda maintain in his country. He warns that both Taliban and Al Qaeda still have sanctuaries in Pakistan, and the Talibanisation of Pakistani society is advancing. The United States must help Pakistan resist the forces of extremism by making a long-term commitment to the country. This would mean enhancing Pakistans ability to act against insurgent safe havens and bring children into schools and out of extremist Madressahs and supporting Pakistani moderates. Senator Obama, who stirred a major international controversy two months ago when he said that if elected he will send US troops into Pakistan to attack suspected Al Qaeda hideouts, retains his hawkish attitude towards Pakistan.

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We will join with our allies in insisting not simply requesting that Pakistan crack down on the Taliban, pursue Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants, and end its relationship with all terrorist groups, he writes. At the same time, I will encourage dialogue between Pakistan and India to work toward resolving their dispute over Kashmir and between Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their historic differences and develop the Pashtun border region. If Pakistan can look toward the east with greater confidence, it will be less likely to believe that its interests are best advanced through cooperation with the Taliban. John Edwards, who contested the 2004 election for vicepresident and is now a presidential candidate, notes that Al Qaeda has expanded its reach not only across Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan but even in Europe. Unsurprisingly, we see radicalism rising today in unstable countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and, of course, Iraq and Afghanistan, he warns. This illuminates the importance of foreign and national security policies that seek to prevent terrorism, not just respond to it.
Dawn, October 17, 2007 http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/17/top11.htm

T HE US

VS .

P AKISTAN : W ITH F RIENDS L IKE T HESE

For one 34-year-old Pakistani soldier, it is a simple matter of respect. The soldier, a Major in the Frontier Corps in the mountainous badlands along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, says recent U.S. military incursions into Pakistan not only breach an agreement between the two countries, but call into question the very spirit of the alliance President Bush says is the most important in the war on terror. "As a Pakistani, nobody likes someone to enter their home. It raises doubts about American credibility and the sincerity of their alliance with Pakistan," says the Major, who asked not to be named because military rules discourage soldiers from speaking to the media. "We have clear territorial limits and when you cross them, it is humiliating for us. The Americans are pushing us against the wall." Far from helping in the fight against terrorist groups, the incursions hurt it, says the Major. Under the circumstances, he adds, "I have to ask myself: 'Why am I doing this?'" How Pakistan answers that question could help determine the fate of the war on terror. U.S. military leaders have long grumbled that Islamabad's commitment to fighting extremism was ambiguous at best and duplicitous at worst. The new post-Musharraf government says it is serious about the

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fight, and offers as proof its two-month long military offensive in Bajaur, the northernmost chunk of the tribal belt. But, say Pakistani officials, U.S. incursions over the past two months, including an incident on Sept. 25 in which two U.S. helicopters and Pakistani soldiers in a border post engaged each other in a five-minute-long firefight, are alienating the Pakistani people and cramping Pakistan's ability to move. The tensions come as the militants have stepped up their campaign inside Pakistan, strengthening their hold over huge swathes of the country and launching ever more deadly strikes in its cities, including a Sept. 20 truck bombing that killed more than 50 people at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel. U.S. Army General David McKiernan, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, believes the militants are now so strong that they pose an "existential threat to the future of Pakistan." Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters at the Pentagon on September 26 that the terrorist safe haven in Pakistan "has gotten safer this year. The insurgency has gotten more sophisticated." Pakistan's leaders say their own response to the terrorist threat has likewise stepped up a notch. They point to the Bajaur offensive as exhibit A: The operation, which began in early August, was initially a defensive action to stop militants overrunning the regional headquarters of Khaar. Over the past few weeks, Pakistani troops have gone on the offensive, using aerial attacks and ground troops supported by tanks and artillery in one of the fiercest battles inside Pakistan since 9/11. Pakistan's army bosses say they have killed more than 1,200 militants, including foreign fighters from the Middle East and Central Asia. The militants, who are armed with Kalashnikovs, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and who have built sophisticated defenses from which to fight, have destroyed at least one Pakistani tank and killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers. Local tribesmen, who have long resented the presence of foreign militants in the region, have formed their own militias to take up the fight. "This is a war which we are fighting," says Rehman Malik, the advisor to Pakistan's prime minister on interior affairs. "As far as recognition, I think our allies are now realizing what we are doing." Though initially skeptical about the offensive, U.S. military officials now believe the battle in Bajaur is having an impact, not least because it is sucking in militants from around the region. Pakistani officials say the number of attacks in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, across the border from Bajaur, has gone down in the past few weeks, as militants head to Pakistan to help their brothers there. (Coalition officials in Afghanistan say they have noticed no change in activity in Kunar.)

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Pakistani officials see Bajaur as a turning point. On President Pervez Musharraf's watch, they say, military offensives were repeatedly cut short to allow deals to be struck with the militants, and the deals invariably failed. This time, says advisor Malik, the militants asked for a ceasefire "which we have declined." The army will fight on, he promises, "until the operation is done to its full conclusion." But U.S. incursions hurt that fight, Pakistani officials say. Opinion polls routinely show that an overwhelming majority of ordinary Pakistanis oppose U.S. actions inside their country. The government has to respond to public sentiment, leading to harsh, uncompromising language from political and military leaders. General Ashfaq Kayani, Musharraf's successor as military chief, has publicly railed against U.S. operations on Pakistani soil, saying they help the cause of the militancy; he has promised to protect the borders from such incursions. After the September 25 incursion, chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told TIME that Pakistani troops would hereafter shoot at any force "seen as hostile or in an offensive posture," coming across the border. Any Americans making the crossing, he warned, should not expect Pakistani soldiers to ask questions before shooting. "At the level of a [border] post [Pakistani troops] are not to be given shades of an order... they're supposed to engage." All the same, U.S. officials privately say that air strikes into Pakistan will continue, as will "hot pursuits" across the border, when appropriate. After all, The Bajaur operation is a long way from over, and there is still no guarantee that it won't end in the kind of messy compromise that has marked previous actions. The offensive has already forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes; 20,000 families have fled across the border into Afghanistan to avoid the fighting, taking their stories and grievances with them. If history is any judge, a new generation of militants as anti-Pakistani as they are antiAmerican will emerge from these camps. If Bajaur is a crucial front for the Pakistani military, the terrorists know not to get cornered into any last stands; they are striking across the country. Al-Qaeda and Taliban bombers are now able to strike Karachi and Islamabad; following the Marriott bombing, militants have targeted political leaders across the country. Their reach also imperils the U.S. military's supply lines into Afghanistan 80% of dry cargo and 40% of the fuel used by U.S. forces in Afghanistan goes through Pakistan. U.S. military officials plainly want to keep their supply lines running through Pakistan, but are preparing alternate routes if Islamabad orders them shut down. "We're working our way through to understand rail, pipelines, customs, what it would take, are they there in a sufficient scale to allowus to do this?"

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Marine General James Cartwright, vice-chairman of the JointChiefs told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Sept. 23. Under the circumstances, say U.S. officials, it makes little sense to give up the option of cross-border operations the Pakistanis have not yet demonstrated that they can fight this on their own. Many Pakistanis agree, but argue that the assistance they require doesn't include American boots on Pakistani soil. The Frontier Corps Major says Pakistan needs more help with equipment, not to be marginalized as an ally. "We want to fight this war with such conviction that no one can accuse us offighting this war incompetently," he says.
Simon Robinson, Times, Octtober 22, 2008 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1852345,00.html

C ALL

FOR

U RGENT R EVIEW OF W AR ON T ERROR : J OINT S ESSION A DOPTS R ESOLUTION

The joint session of the two houses of parliament on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an urgent review of the national security strategy and revisiting the methodology of combating terrorism in order to restore peace and stability through an independent foreign policy. It further said that the military would be replaced as early as possible with civilian law-enforcement agencies with enhanced capacity and a political system achieved through a consultative process. The joint session, which began on Oct 8 with military and civilian briefings on the war on terror, was prorogued by National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza after the passage of the resolution The session took almost the whole day in bringing unanimity of views between 16 members of the bipartisan parliamentary committee formed on Tuesday. The committee presented the 14-point document in parliament at about 10.30 pm. Sources said the reason for taking so much pain to reach a consensus on the resolution and its unanimous adoption by lawmakers on Wednesday was to complete the process before the departure of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for China on Thursday. The resolution was moved by the prime minister and approved by all concerned, the sources said. After the passage of the resolution, Prime Minister Gilani thanked all parliamentarians for participating in the debate and said the government had been given a fresh mandate to reorganise the war against extremism.

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The committee took several hours for accommodating points of view of all parliamentary groups in the Senate and the National Assembly. The resolution said:

{Text of the Resolution}

This in-camera joint session of parliament has noted with great concern that extremism, militancy and terrorism in all forms and manifestations pose a grave danger to the stability and integrity of the nation-state. It was recalled that in the past the dictatorial regimes pursued policies aimed at perpetuating their own power at the cost of national interest. This house having considered the issue thoroughly and at great length is of the view that in terms of framing laws, building institutions, protecting our citizens from violence, eradication of terror at its roots, rebuilding our economy and development opportunities for the disadvantaged, we all commit to the following: That we need an urgent review of our national security strategy and revisiting the methodology of combating terrorism in order to restore peace and stability to Pakistan and the region though an independent foreign policy. The challenge of militancy and extremism must be met through developing a consensus and dialogue with all genuine stakeholders. The nation stands united to combat this growing menace, with a strong public message condemning all forms and manifestations of terrorism, including the spread of sectarian hatred and violence, with a firm resolve to combat it and to address its root causes. That Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity shall be safeguarded. The nation stand united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland, and calls upon the government to deal with it effectively. That Pakistans territory shall not be used for any kind of attacks on other countries and all foreign fighters, if found shall be expelled from our soil. That dialogue must now be the highest priority, as a principal instrument of conflict management and resolution. Dialogue will be encouraged with all those elements willing to abide by the Constitution of Pakistan and rule of law. That the development of troubled zones, particularly the tribal areas, and the NWFP (Pakhtunkhwa) must also be pursued through all possible ways and legitimate means to create genuine stakeholders in peace. New economic opportunities shall be created in order to bring the less privileged areas at part with the rest of Pakistan.

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That a political dialogue with the people of Balochistan, the redressal of grievances and redistribution of resources shall be enhanced and accelerated. That the state shall maintain the rule of law and that when it has to intervene to protect the lives of its citizens, caution must be exercised to void casualties of non-combatants in conflict zones. That the federation must be strengthened through the process of democratic pluralism, social justice, religious values and tolerance and equitable resource sharing between the provinces as enshrined in the Constitution of 1973. That the state shall establish its writ in the troubled zones and confidence building mechanisms by using customary and local communities (jirga) and that the military will be replaced as early as possible by civilian lawenforcement agencies with enhanced capacity and a sustainable political system achieved through a consultative process. That Pakistans strategic interests are protected by developing stakes in regional peace and trade, both on the western and eastern borders. That mechanisms for internal security are institutionalised by paying compensation to victims of violence; and rehabilitate those displaced from their homes as soon as possible; that spill-over effects of terrorism be contained throughout the country and that public consensus is built against terrorism through media and religious participation. That a Special Committee of Parliament be constituted to periodically review, provide guidelines and monitor the implementation of the principles framed and roadmap given in this resolution. This house authorises the Speaker to constitute the said committee in consultation with the parliamentary leaders of both the houses. The committee will frame its own rules upon meeting.
Ahmed Hassan, Dawn, October 23, 2008

C ONSENSUS R ESOLUTION
The MPs have finally come up with a consensus resolution and this in itself is an achievement. Beyond that, one would be hard put to discover substance in the 14-point resolution read out to parliament by the prime minister on Wednesday. Between the opposition and the government, which side has given more is a matter of opinion. Keen to get a parliamentary endorsement of its policies, the government seems to have conceded more than the opposition. There is no reference to the war against terrorism in the resolution

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hammered out after a 15-day in-camera session of the two houses. The Taliban and Al Qaeda have not been named; instead the MNAs and senators confine themselves to noting with great concern that extremism, militancy and terrorism pose a threat to Pakistans stability and integrity. How to combat this menace has not been spelled out in specific terms, even though the resolution calls for an urgent review of the national security strategy. While the demand for an independent foreign policy could be considered a dig at the Musharraf governments take on events, the resolution does not recommend what aberrations in Pakistans external relations need to be removed. The resolution places emphasis on dialogue and calls it the principal instrument of conflict management. To that extent it breaks no new ground, for the PPP-led government too stands pledged to talks an idea that is gaining ground in American and European capitals as well. However, the PPP government says it will talk to those militants who lay down arms. The resolution only indirectly concedes the governments right to use force by pleading that collateral damage be avoided when the security forces intervene to ensure the governments writ. On the question of sovereignty, it has maintained a fine balance. While the resolution asks the government to deal with incursions into Pakistan, it says the country should not be allowed to be used for acts of terrorism against other states, and that foreign militants be expelled. Let us count our blessings: at one stage it appeared the opposition would walk away. That it did not do so and that finally the MPs managed to hammer out a consensus resolution is a matter of thanksgiving. Apparently our boys are growing. For the first time since the unity shown at the time of Musharrafs exit, all parties have once again come together, even if the diluted resolution disappoints the nation, which had expected something more concrete from the peoples representatives. Nawaz Sharif had spoken a lot and made no secret of his reservations about the governments war on terror, but his party too finally went along. Perhaps the resolution is a first step towards evolving what eventually could become a forceful, result-oriented national consensus.
Editorial, Dawn, October 24, 2008.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

47

P AKISTAN T ROOPS O VERCOME M ILITANT S TRONGHOLD : M ILITARY

Pakistani troops have recaptured a key town from Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants after a two-month operation in which 1,500 rebels and 73 soldiers were killed, the military said Saturday. Security forces backed by helicopter gunships drove insurgents out of Loisam, a strategic town in the Bajaur tribal region bordering Afghanistan which is at a crossroads of extremist supply routes, it said. Islamabad has previously hailed its operation in Bajaur as proof that it is responding to US and Afghan demands to take action against extremists in Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal areas. The extremists are accused of launching attacks on US and other foreign troops operating across the border in Afghanistan. "Loisam has been captured after stiff resistance," Major General Tariq Khan, head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps force, told reporters in Khar, the regional capital. The capture of Loisam by hundreds of militants earlier this year prompted the launch of the operation in Bajaur in August. More than 200,000 Pakistanis have been displaced by the clashes. The army took journalists to Loisam and showed fortified trenches, a tunnel network, caves and houses allegedly used by the militants to fight pitched battles with Pakistani forces. It is some of the fiercest fighting between Pakistani forces and Islamist militants since former military ruler Pervez Musharraf joined the USled "war on terror" in 2001. "More than 1,500 militants have been killed during the operation and security forces have gained major successes," Khan said, updating a toll given during a similar visit about a month ago. Security forces have captured more than 300 foreign militants, mainly from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, in the operation, he said. Forty-two army troops and 31 Frontier Corps personnel "embraced martyrdom," in the operation, Khan said, adding that 172 troops and 95 Frontier Corps men were wounded. But he added that the operation "could go for several months before the area is completely cleared of militants". Pakistan's tribal belt became a safe haven for hundreds of Al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists who fled the US-led toppling of Afghanistan's hardline Taliban regime in late 2001 and have since set up training camps.

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Many militants had gathered in Bajaur in recent months after being driven out of other Pakistani tribal regions, especially North and South Waziristan hundreds of kilometres (miles) to the south. While Pakistani forces have been concentrating on Bajaur, most of a recent spate of suspected US missile attacks on Pakistan has focused on Waziristan. The US strikes have been in areas dominated by Taliban leaders who Pakistani security officials say are not involved in fighting with the Pakistani military. A US official said on Thursday that a small contingent of US military instructors have begun a training programme aimed at turning the Frontier Corps into an effective counter-insurgency force. About 25 US military personnel last week began instructing Pakistani trainers at a location in Pakistan outside the troubled tribal areas where the Frontier Corps operates, the official said.
October 25, 2008 http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hV5PCwIjAEN2aWL1XyJqZ88ZP13A

D OWNFALL

OF

IT

IN

P AKISTAN

About 90 per cent of IT industry of Pakistan has been completely destroyed at the Evacuee Trust Building following suicide bombing at Hotel Marriott, reflecting total collapse of the computer industry. Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) disclosed that the most of the leading computer companies and software houses were operating at the Evacuee Trust Building, which has been declared as dangerous. Resultantly, not a single company was saved from the deadly bomb blast in Islamabad. The PCA has expresses deep grief over the loss of precious human lives as a result of cowardly act of suicide bombing. The association has also expressed its solidarity with the aggrieved families of several IT professionals, who lost their lives while working in their offices located in adjacent Evacuee Trust Building. President PCA, Munawar Iqbal opined that many of the IT professionals have lost their lives and every single IT-related set up in the building has been destroyed completely. He urged the government to immediately help out the industry so that the hapless effectees of the incident may be able to revive their businesses. This tragic incident has marred the possibilities of streamlining national economy and the government ought to deal with situation by helping

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

49

out business community. He said that 90 per cent of local IT industry was based in Evacuee Trust Building, which has been destroyed completely and the collapse of industry would damage further the other sectors. Government should not only help the families of those, who have been martyred in the incident but also help the IT community to the extent that they might be able to restart their businesses without any delay as the sector is providing thousand of IT professionals who are confronting with the menace of joblessness as result of tragic suicide bomb-blast. Amidst the damage of Evacuee Trust Complex (ETC) building located just next to the Marriott Hotel, where around 23 IT companies were housed, IT companies in Islamabad have resumed their operations and are fulfilling contractual obligations to their local and international clients. Although the soft structure of building was smashed with interrupted power and other infrastructure issues but the equipment, data/record and furniture other than glass structure of the building is reported safe and intact. The blast temporarily suspended the operations of the tenant companies in the building. Eight persons were seriously injured and six causalities had also been reported as a result of incident. The six deceased include three employees of tenant companies and three security guards at ETC building. PSEB and PASHA offered their condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the gruesome attack. This menace of terror is growing with each new day and now this threat is very visible in the Islamabad city as well. Bold and constructive steps are required to curb this, as now the entire countrys economy with the security is at stake.
Amir A. Khan, October 27, 2008 http://www.netmag.com.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:d ownfall-of-it-in-pakistan&catid=6:information-technology&Itemid=2

A R ESOLUTION

WITHOUT

R ESOLUTION

For a brief moment faith in the workings of our democracy was restored with the passage of the unanimous resolution on terrorism. Despite inadequate briefings where nothing confidential was revealed; despite foreboding news about a lack of interest being shown by legislators on this most critical issue; despite a suspicion that the government was seeking to use parliament as a mere rubber stamp to claim the American war on terror as our own; despite all these fear, the unanimous fourteen-point resolution that was passed reflected the sense of the nation across the board barring a few die-hard American

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apologists. For those of us who felt the government would push its USfocused agenda through, it was a pleasure to eat humble pie. The 14-point resolution restored faith in the workings of parliament and in the elected representatives for they provided the state with a national consensus that was truly reflective of the people. It focused on dialogue with all stakeholders and the Pakistani Taliban are also stakeholders without the preconditions the rulers had been harking on earlier; it sought to kept he army in the background as a policy tool of last resort while reasserting the civil authority of government and law enforcement agencies and recognised to enhance the capacity of the latter; and, perhaps most important, it sought to reassert the sovereignty of the country and its territory and called on the government to take measures to ensure this. Finally it sought parliamentary control for supervision and oversight of the policy to be formulated on the basis of this resolution. But what has happened in the wake of the passage of this historic resolution? American drone attacks have increased with a vengeance as if to deliberately spite the Pakistani parliament and thereby Pakistan's return to democracy. Worse still, our rulers chose to maintain a silence till sufficient time passed to make their verbal protest irrelevant. Now the Senate has passed a resolution condemning US bombings and asking the government to take action to ensure these strikes end. What is required is resoluteness by the government on multiple fronts. First of all, it has to play the diplomatic card over and over again in terms of protests; but these have not proven effective in the past and clearly the Americans are not interested in upholding the Pakistani democratic consensus. So, in addition to the diplomatic route, the government has to issue orders to its military to take whatever action is needed to show by intent that Pakistan intends to implement the parliamentary resolution's sovereignty protection demand. In addition, an in-between step can be the temporary withdrawal from the tripartite Commission to convey the point forcefully to the Yanks. Also, it would do us no harm in fact our commitment and determination would be conveyed unequivocally to temporarily suspend US/NATO supplies going through and also suspend the twenty-four hour overflight permission in Pakistani air space, for tactical missions. It is now abundantly clear that unless we create the space between ourselves and the US, we will never rid our country of extremism and militancy. However, parliamentary resolutions are simply a beginning. What follows depends on the actual intent of the government. Is it simply busying the legislators in parliamentary discussions and resolutions which it has no

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51

intention of implementing? That is certainly the impression being given so far. After all, if the speaker can find time to grace passing out parades of female cadets, can she not find time to put in place the committees and so on that are needed to fulfil the demands of the 14-point resolution? Talk and verbal commitments come cheap to the present set of leaders as just so much "politics", to quote the president himself. Be it the restoration of the judiciary or the Constitution itself, words and actions are totally at variance with each other. It appears there is a general assumption that all the people, including the legislators, can be fooled all of the time if conciliatory declarations, without substance, are made periodically by the leaders! Now there is talk of having an in-camera session on the economy but again to what avail? The government seems to have decided to take the USfavoured route of the IMF. Already the IMF has sought to fire the first salvo by stopping the $300 million World Bank loan. Let us be clear that if we go to the IMF, this country will be rocked by further instability and violence. This will play into the hands of the US which eventually seeks to undermine the state in its present form especially in terms of its nuclear assets. Already the government is playing a strange game on the waters issue with India. By the time the Indians undo their illegal actions on the Chenab waters the damage will be done in terms of an inability of the farmers to sow the wheat crop. Meanwhile, President Zardari's love fest with the Indians will have allowed them unprecedented access to our markets and to the much-coveted land route into Afghanistan all unilateral concessions as it turns out. Incidentally, if this government is really intent on cosying up to India, it should first focus on the energy sector through joint nuclear energy generation. This is the only sector that has immediate benefits for both countries which can also jointly control the civil nuclear technology. But every time I have suggested this to the Indians, they balk. Why, if they really do want to go fore the peace and development dividend? But coming back to agriculture, already there are problems because of the over 12-hour power blackouts in the rural areas including of southern Punjab, no matter what the Punjab chief minister may claim in terms of aiding the farmers. After all, providing tractors when there is no water to sow the crop and no electricity to run the tube wells is a bad joke on the farming community. It seems that the state is seeking to destroy the country's agricultural potential altogether so that Indian wheat and sugar may takeover the market. Incidentally, as happens every time there is some economic crisis or crunch, agriculturalists are targeted. Well, I think it is time to have agricultural tax based on production rather than the abiana and land tax we pay

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now which is based on holdings regardless of actual yield or production that is, treat agriculture like industry with the same laws regarding labour and insurance. Perhaps it is also time to ensure that professionals like doctors and lawyers also pay their due share in terms of income tax, so that indirect taxation is not constantly upped to the detriment of the poorer classes of society. As for the IMF, the US will undoubtedly seek this as a tool to target state institutions like the military but the issue of the IMF goes far beyond since the record on what the IMF does to developing states is clear for all to see political instability and greater polarisation. And when will Pakistan's ruling elite learn that bankers have not done much for the country's long term economic health. So why do we continue to depend on them for formulating our economic policies in alliance with what friend Imti calls "the retired and serving Gurkha fighters of the IMF". Here it would not be amiss to remind ourselves that regardless of their fighting skills and bravery, the Gurkhas were a mercenary fighting force for the British colonisers. Mosharraf Zaidi's argument for defaulting (The News, October 28) need to be seriously considered (I find myself agreeing with him for once!) by our leaders and parliamentarians before another banker entraps this country into the IMF trap. Can they not follow the example of the passionate overseas Pakistani, Dr Yasir Khan from Australia, who has remitted to Pakistan $ 1000 for each member of his family and suggests others send at least $350 per head. Again, what a contrast between the rulers and the ordinary Pakistani wherever he/she may be. The latter acts to save his/her country while the former are full of hot air and dubious intent. Finally, how long will the state allow women to be murdered by the powerful? A few brave souls expose these ills and then all is quiet again. While reading the horror story of young Taslim Solangi, one wonders what has happened in the case of the murdered Baloch women? Have the powerful succeeded in getting away again with such dastardly deeds?
The writer is a defence analyst. Email: [email protected] Shireen M Mazari, The News, October 29, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=143682

T URKEY S UPPORTS P AKISTAN S F IGHT A GAINST T ERRORISM

Turkey will continue to support Pakistans fight against terrorism and extremism, and that its government and people deeply appreciate the role Pakistan has been playing in the war against terrorism.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

53

This was stated by the Turkish ambassador in Islamabad, Engin Soysal in his message on the occasion of 85th national day of Turkey. He said Turkey also called upon the international community to fully support Pakistans relentless efforts and appreciated the contributions it has been making towards the restoration of peace, order and stability in the region. He said unfortunately, for the last many years both Pakistan and Turkey have been facing serious problem of terrorism, which has taken the lives of many innocent people, as well as a great world leader Ms Benazir Bhutto. The selfless services of late Benazir Bhutto who devoted her life to her country and sacrificed herself for this cause, shall always be remembered with appreciation and gratitude. We strongly condemn the abhorrent terrorist attacks aimed at the unity and integrity as well as the democracy and stability of brotherly Pakistan. Turkey perceives terrorism a crime against humanity regardless of its source and cause, and always emphasizes the importance of effective cooperation and solidarity on this field on the global level. Extremism is bound to be defeated by the forces of the moderate powers, the message said. Pakistan has demonstrated that with its inherent capabilities in terms of human and material sources it is fully capable of putting up a strong fight against the terrorist threat. With our Pakistani friends aspiring for a moderate, tolerant and pluralistic society with broad horizons, I can foresee far greater opportunities for development of even stronger political, economic, military and trade relations between Turkey and Pakistan. Let us resolve on this auspicious occasion that we shall spare no efforts to further strengthen the fraternal ties between our two countries through mutual cooperation in all fields. Turkey and Pakistan have always stood together in confronting major challenges. Turks very sincerely consider Pakistan to be their second home and I am honoured to serve among wonderful people. He recounted that Mr. Abdullah Guls visit to Pakistan marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our brotherly countries while Pakistans Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was invited by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan to honour the official 85th Republic Day Ceremony in Ankara. He further stated that Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan was the first foreign minister to visit Pakistan in April 2008 after the February 18 polls

54

IPRI Factfile

to express Turkeys happiness and appreciation over Pakistans successful transition to full democracy.
Ahmed Hassan, Dawn, October 31, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/10/31/nat12.htm

T ROOPS K ILLED

IN

S UICIDE A TTACK

AT

P AKISTANI F ORT

At least eight troops were killed when a suicide car bomber rammed into security forces at a Pakistani paramilitary fort on Sunday morning, in a volatile region near the Afghan border, officials said. The bombing occurred at a checkpoint near the main gate of the Zalai Fort, where members of the Frontier Corps were gathered, said Major General Athar Abbas, the Pakistan army's top spokesman. The fort is 20 kilometres outside Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a tribal region considered a hub for Al Qaida and Taliban fighters involved in attacks on US troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistani troops were washing their vehicles when the attack came, said two intelligence officials. They described the explosion as "large" and said it collapsed the checkpoint and damaged the front wall of the fort.
Gulf News, November 2, 2008 http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Pakistan/10256374.html

W ORLD S EES US R AIDS

AS

D ISASTROUS ,

SAYS

G ILANI

The winner of the US presidential election would be under compulsion to maintain good relations with Pakistan, the prime minister said on Saturday, in an attempt to ease apprehensions amidst a torrent of acerbic remarks made during the campaign. Addressing a news conference at the Prime Ministers House upon return from Turkey, Mr Gilani said that the whole world was sympathetic to Pakistan for its being a victim of terrorism, and it was willing to extend every kind of help. In reply to a question about repeated US drone attacks inside Pakistan despite passage of resolutions by both houses of parliament, the prime minister said the world supported Pakistans stand that air strikes by American and NATO forces were counterproductive. He said the international community was aware of the challenges Pakistan had been facing because of being a key US ally in the war on terror.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

55

The whole world is thinking of helping Pakistan in the present economic crisis as they have great feelings for Pakistan, the prime minister said. Islamabad, he added, had asked world leaders to dissuade NATO and US forces from such incursions. Mr Gilani said he would soon raise the matter with the US ambassador. Besides, he said, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had also assured him that he would take up the matter with NATO.
Ahmed Hassan, Dawn, November 2, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/02/top1.htm

8 S OLDIERS K ILLED

IN

P AKISTAN A TTACK

At least eight soldiers were killed Sunday in a suicide attack on a security check post in a Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The bomber ploughed his explosive-laden vehicle into the check post, 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, which has become a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. "The attacker came in a pick-up truck and exploded it, killing eight security officials in the check post," local administration official Mawaz Khan told AFP. The post was completely destroyed in the attack, he added. A military official also confirmed the bombing, which is the latest in a series of deadly attacks in Pakistan. Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the check post was near the area headquarters of the paramilitary Frontier Corps. "The bomber in a truck hit his vehicle into the check post. Eight security officials were killed and two wounded," General Abbas told AFP. The attack came after two missiles fired by a suspected US drone at a militant hideout near Wana killed 12 suspected rebels on Friday. It was the second strike that evening. The first, in neighboring North Waziristan, saw two missiles hit a pick-up truck and a house west of the town of Mir Ali, killing 20 mainly Arab militants, security officials said. Among the dead was an Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative, Abu Jihad alMasri, described by the United States as the terror network's propaganda chief. Washington had offered a one-million-dollar bounty for his death or capture. The strikes were the latest in a series in the past three months that have raised tensions between Pakistan and the United States and have seen Islamabad register strong protests with US diplomats.

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IPRI Factfile

In response, about 250 schoolchildren held a protest march through Wana Saturday, calling for an end to "US aggression" and shouting "Death to America." Pakistan has been hit by a wave of suicide bombings over the past year blamed on Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants based in the country's troubled frontier tribal regions. Many have come after suspected US missile strikes or Pakistani military activity to target extremists. On Friday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the house of a senior police official in the town of Mardan, between the major city of Peshawar and the troubled Swat valley. At least eight people were killed. The previous day, Pakistani troops in the northwest of the country had killed five Taliban and captured an explosives expert known to have links with Afghan insurgents.
November 2, 2008 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20081102-169828/8soldiers-killed-in-Pakistan-attack

A MERICAN G ENERAL W ARNED O VER M ISSILE A TTACKS

The political and military leadership warned the United States on Monday against air strikes inside Pakistan and stressed that territorial integrity of the country must be respected. President Asif Ali Zardari told the new Chief of US Central Command, General David Howell Petraeus, and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who had called on him, that drone attacks on Pakistani territory should be stopped because they were counter-productive. He said that the focus should be on enhanced coordination and intelligence-sharing. Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counter-productive and difficult to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a credibility gap, he said. The president said that the US leadership had pledged to respect Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity. In the wake of drone attacks on our side of the border the government is under pressure to react more aggressively. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Secretary Foreign Affairs Salman Bashir, US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson and senior civil and military officials from the two sides were present in the meeting.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

57

The American officials also called on Prime Minster Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and discussed matters relating to the war on terror, bilateral relations and professional issues. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar earlier told Gen Petraeus and Mr Boucher that that the missile strikes from drones create outrage and uproar among the people. He urged the US to respect Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides stressed the need for enhanced cooperation to eliminate terrorism. They discussed the security situation, with special focus on war on terror. The minister told the US delegation that Pakistan was keen to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan because a politically and economically stable and prosperous neighbour was in its interest and in the interest of the entire region. He briefed Gen Petraeus on the ongoing military operation in tribal areas. He stressed that the international community needed to assist Pakistan in creating employment opportunities so as to mitigate the financial sufferings of the people of the area. He also sought assistance of the international community and donor agencies in rehabilitating the displaced people of Bajaur Agency. The American delegation was also informed about the security needs of Pakistan to curb terrorism. General Petraeus also held wide-ranging discussions with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majid on matters of mutual interest, including the military cooperation and the current security environment in the region. Gen Majid said Pakistan was looking forward to working with him to deal with the challenges of militancy. He emphasised that there was a need for developing long-term relationship based on mutual trust, transparency and understanding of complexity of the region keeping in view the local perspective. He stressed that the two countries should evolve a consensus strategy to deal with extremism.The Centcom chief also visited the General Headquarters and called on Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. They discussed matters of professional interest and the security situation along the Afghan border. Later, politicians from ruling as well as opposition parties had a dinner meeting with Gen Petraeus and Mr Boucher.

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IPRI Factfile

Sources told Dawn that they were unanimous in conveying to the US officials that the drone attacks were unacceptable and must be halted immediately. Those who attended the dinner included Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik, PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Khwaja Asif (PML-N), Haider Abbas Rizvi (MQM), Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and MNA from Fata Munir Orakzai.
Iftikhar A. Khan, Dawn, November 4, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/04/top1.htm

P AKISTAN S UICIDE B OMBERS K ILL 19

Militants Target Pro-Government Tribesmen and Security Forces in Separate Attacks Two suicide bombers attacked pro-government tribesmen and security forces Thursday in Pakistan's volatile northwest, killing at least 19 people and wounding dozens, officials said. The separate attacks came in a region where the Pakistani military has clashed for months with Islamic insurgents allied with Taliban and al Qaeda militants who are involved in attacks on American and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan. U.S. officials have praised Pakistan for getting tougher on militants, but the offensives have escalated extremist bloodshed in the Muslim nation where anti-American sentiment runs deep. The first suicide attacker killed 17 people and wounded 40 at a gathering of tribesmen in a militia formed to combat insurgents, government and hospital officials said. A purported spokesman for a Taliban-linked group claimed responsibility for the attack. Late Thursday, another suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint manned by security forces near a police compound in the Swat Valley, killing at least two paramilitary troopers and wounding at least 20 other people, officials said. Pakistan launched an offensive in Bajur three months ago to dismantle what it said was a virtual Taliban mini-state from where militants were flowing into Afghanistan. Salarzai tribesmen were preparing to stage an assault on local militant hide-outs when the suicide bomber struck, said Iqbal Khattak, a government

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

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official. Malik Rahimullah, a tribal elder, said the bomb exploded as soon as the armed tribesmen began to move. Witnesses said they saw a young man rush into the crowd before the explosion. Amir Khan, a tribesman, said that the scene was littered with severed limbs and that several tribal elders who were instrumental in starting the militia were among the dead. Khattak said 11 bodies were taken to the main hospital in Khar, the area's main city. Mohammad Kareem, a hospital official, said later that at least six of some 45 wounded people had died and that more than a dozen of the remaining injured were in serious condition. Later, a man who said he was a spokesman for a Taliban-linked group, Caravan-e-Naimatullah, claimed it was behind the bombing. Little is known about the group, but earlier this year it briefly took over a handful of schools in the region. The man, who identified himself as Abdul Rehman, called an Associated Press reporter and other local journalists with the claim. The main Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Maulvi Umar, could not immediately be reached for comment. The army claims to have killed some 1,500 insurgents in the Bajur offensive. At least 73 soldiers and 95 civilians have also died, it says. Lack of security and government restrictions mean accounts of the fighting cannot be verified. Government troops also have carried out operations in the Swat Valley, a former tourist area now wracked by violence where the suicide bomber blasted the road checkpoint Thursday night. Officials in the Mingora area reported a huge explosion and said there was extensive damage followed by a firefight that made it difficult for authorities to search the area for casualties. Senior police official Dilawar Bangash said two paramilitary officers were killed, and Abdullah Khan, an official at a nearby hospital, said at least 20 wounded had been brought in. Militants have responded to the military offensives - as well as stepped-up U.S. missile strikes in parts of Pakistan's border zone - with a wave of suicide attacks that are adding to concern about the U.S.-allied country's stability. The militants also have gone after the tribal militias, including beheading some of the elders involved. A suicide attack in October in the nearby Orakzai tribal region against another such militia killed dozens.

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Also Thursday, airstrikes on militant hide-outs elsewhere in Bajur killed 19 suspected insurgents, the military said.
CBC, November 6, 2008 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/world/main4578523.shtml?source=R SSattr=World_4578523

US S TRIKES

IN

P AKISTAN K ILLED T HREE T OP M ILITANTS

The US missile strikes in Pakistans tribal areas in recent months have killed three of the top 20 extremist leaders there, causing a blow to insurgents, a top US general said on Thursday. Gen David H Petraeus, the new chief of the US Central Command, said controversial air strikes launched into Pakistans tribal areas in the last three months were a topic of conversation with every Pakistani leader he met this week. Certainly there does have to be a better explanation of the blows that have been struck in recent weeks and months, Petraeus told The Associated Press in an interview. It is hugely important that three of 20 extremist leaders have been killed in recent months, he said. Petraeus did not identify the extremist leaders who, according to him, died in the US strikes. Speaking at the sprawling Bagram military base north of Kabul, Petraeus described the insurgents on both sides as a mutual enemy, who in the case of Pakistan represent an existential threat, and they recognise it as such. When I was in Islamabad, in Peshawar, I was very impressed by the determination of Pakistani leaders indeed to take steps to deal with what they see as a threat to their very existence posed by the extremists in Fata and in some other areas of their country, Petraeus said. While acknowledging the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated in the last year, Gen Petraeus said Afghanistans government is looking at new initiatives to engage Afghan tribes in the fight against insurgents, a similar tactic to the one that helped bring down the levels of violence in Sunni areas in Iraq. That discussion is bubbling up, if you will, and I think that there are some very thoughtful approaches that are being looked at as options, Petraeus said without disclosing any details of the initiatives under discussion. This is a country in which support of the tribes, of the local communities, for the overall effort is essential. It is a country that has not had a tradition of central government extending into the far reaches of its

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61

provinces and its districts, he said, adding: So it is essential that, again, the various tribes, various communities indeed oppose the extremism, oppose the insurgents and enable the effort of the Afghan government and the coalition.
The News, November 7, 2008 http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=18209

U.S. M ISSILE H ITS P AKISTAN , 10 S AID D EAD

A suspected U.S. drone fired a missile on Friday into Pakistan's tribal region of Waziristan on the Afghan border, killing 10 people, security officials said. It was the latest in a string of nearly 20 suspected strikes by pilotless U.S. drones since the beginning of September but the first since Tuesday's U.S. presidential election. The United States has shrugged off Pakistan's protestations. It says the attacks are needed to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and kill Taliban and al Qaeda militants who threaten them. Pakistan objects to the strikes as not only a violation of its sovereignty but counter-productive to its efforts to tackle militants behind surging violence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. A Pakistani intelligence agency official said the strike was on a house in North Waziristan but a military official said the attack was in South Waziristan. Both regions are al Qaeda and Taliban sanctuaries on the Afghan border. "It happened close to the border. We have reports of 10 dead but it will take time to get more information," said a military officer. U.S. forces have stepped up attacks on militants in Pakistan in response to concern about worsening security in Afghanistan. Scores of people have been killed in missile strikes and a Sept. 3 crossborder commando raid, but no top al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported to have died. Nuclear-armed U.S. ally Pakistan is also battling militants on its side of the border but says cross-border U.S. strikes undermine efforts to isolate the militants and rally public opinion behind the unpopular campaign against them. The United States has shrugged off Pakistani protests. It says the attacks are needed to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and kill Taliban and al Qaeda militants who threaten them.

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Pakistan is hoping the new U.S. administration will be more sensitive to its concerns.
November 7, 2008 http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2688021/U-S-missile-hits-Pakistan-10-saiddead.html

P AKISTANIS M IRED

IN

B RUTAL B ATTLE

TO

O UST T ALIBAN

When Pakistans army retook this strategic stronghold from the Taliban last month, it discovered how deeply Islamic militants had encroached on and literally dug into Pakistani territory. A Pakistani tank in Loe Sam on Oct. 25. Four days earlier, the government forces had finally ousted the Taliban from the town, which is at a strategic crossroads. Behind mud-walled family compounds in the Bajaur area, a vital corridor to Afghanistan through Pakistans tribal belt, Taliban insurgents created a network of tunnels to store arms and move about undetected. Some tunnels stretched for more than half a mile and were equipped with ventilation systems so that fighters could withstand a long siege. In some places, it took barrages of 500-pound bombs to break the tunnels apart. These were not for ordinary battle, said Gen. Tariq Khan, the commander of the Pakistan Frontier Corps, who led the armys campaign against the Taliban in the area. After three months of sometimes fierce fighting, the Pakistani Army controls a small slice of Bajaur. But what was initially portrayed as a paramilitary action to restore order in the area has become the most sustained military campaign by the Pakistani Army against the Taliban and its backers in Al Qaeda since Pakistan allied itself with the United States in 2001. President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to make the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan a top priority. The Bajaur campaign serves as a cautionary tale of the formidable challenge that even a full-scale military effort faces in flushing the Taliban and Al Qaeda from rugged northern Pakistan. Pakistani officials describe the area as the keystone of an arc of militancy that stretches across the semiautonomous tribal region of Pakistan and into Afghanistan. Under heavy pressure from the United States, Pakistani officials are vowing to dislodge the Taliban fighters and their Qaeda allies who have taken refuge in the tribal areas.

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But a two-day visit to Loe Sam and Khar, the capital of Bajaur, arranged for foreign journalists by the Pakistani military, suggested that Pakistan had underestimated a battle-hardened opponent fighting tenaciously to protect its mountainous stronghold. Taliban militants remain entrenched in many areas. Even along the road to Loe Sam, which the army laboriously cleared, sniper fire from militants continues. The Pakistanis have also resorted to scorched-earth tactics to push the Taliban out, an approach that risks pushing more of their own citizens into the Talibans embrace. After the Frontier Corps failed to dislodge the Taliban from Loe Sam in early August, the army sent in 2,400 troops in early September to take on a Taliban force that has drawn militants from across the tribal region, as well as a flow of fighters from Afghanistan. Like all Pakistani soldiers, the troops sent here had been trained and indoctrinated to fight in conventional warfare against India, considered the nations permanent enemy, but had barely been trained in counterinsurgency strategy and tactics.
Jane Perlez and pir zubair shah, New York Times, Online November 11, 2008

T O S AVE L OE S AM , T HE A RMY

HAS

D ESTROYED

IT

The shops and homes of the 7,000 people who lived here are a heap of gray rubble, blown to bits by the army. Scraps of bedding and broken electric fans lie strewn in the dirt. As Pakistani Army helicopters and artillery fired at militants strongholds in the region, about 200,000 people fled to tent camps for the displaced in Pakistan, to relatives homes or across the border into Afghanistan. The aerial bombardment was necessary, Pakistani military officials say, to root out a well-armed Taliban force. The Pakistani Army and the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary force responsible for security in the tribal areas, say 83 of their soldiers have died and 300 have been wounded since early August. That compares with 61 dead among forces of the American-led coalition in Afghanistan in the first four months of 2008.

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At some point, probably over a period of several years, though no official could explain exactly when, the militants dug the series of wellengineered, interconnected tunnels. The military now believes such tunnels lace much of Bajaur, where the militants still control large swaths of territory, General Khan said in an interview at his headquarters in Peshawar, the capital of North-West Frontier Province. Bajaur is no ordinary prize. The militants seized it because of its strategic location beside Kunar Province in Afghanistan, where American and coalition forces are fighting the Taliban. The area serves as a gateway to Kunar for Taliban fighters from other parts of the tribal belt, particularly Waziristan, to attack American forces. Bajaur provides access south to Peshawar, one of the nations major cities, which is under threat from the Taliban. And it offers a land bridge to more settled parts of Pakistan, like the Swat Valley to the east, where the army is struggling to contain the Taliban. The fight is now a test of strength between the army and Tehrik-iTaliban, the umbrella group of the Pakistani Taliban, allied with Al Qaeda, General Khan said. The army will fight until it has captured all of Bajaur, he said. Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks and Afghans form the hard core of its opponents, enlisting young, unemployed local men who join the militants for money and the prestige of sitting armed with a rifle in a double-cabin pickup, the favored Taliban vehicle, General Khan said. The Pakistani Army vows to fight until it controls all of Bajaur. American officials have said they believe some important Qaeda leaders are hiding in Bajaur. In 2006, a United States missile attack from a remotely piloted aircraft on the village of Damadola was aimed at killing the top deputy to Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahri. Villagers in the Mohmand tribal agency, adjacent to Bajaur, said that they saw Mr. Zawahri in the northern part of Mohmand in September and that he had arrived with his wife to inspect a house, stayed the night, then left in a convoy of vehicles.

Advance of the Taliban

It was in response to the 2006 strike that the Taliban started taking over Bajaur, according to the governments senior civilian official in the area, Shafirullah Khan.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

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Its methods were ruthless. Homeowners were coerced or paid to allow the militants to use their premises as bases, Mr. Khan said. Those who resisted were killed, often by beheading. A well-known Afghan Taliban fighter, Zia ur-Rehman, directed and fortified the operation with his own men, bringing hundreds of fighters from Afghanistan last November, Mr. Khan said. By last December, the Taliban had pushed government-armed local tribesmen, known as levees, out of their checkpoint at Loe Sam. By June, the Taliban had destroyed more than half of the 72 checkpoints in Bajaur. The Taliban disrupted the workings of the civilian government, staging a suicide bombing of a truck carrying the salaries for teachers, and robbing a major bank, Mr. Khan said. In August, as Pakistans resolve to take on the insurgents hardened, the army dispatched Maj. Ijaz Hussain and nearly 150 Frontier Corps troops to recapture the strategic junction of Loe Sam. They had little idea what they were in for. With scarce ammunition and little water in fierce heat, they fought the Taliban in close combat but were quickly surrounded. Two convoys sent to rescue them were decimated by militants, who attacked from their tunnels. Ordered to retreat, the corpsmen escaped under cover of night through cornfields in sloshing rain, evading Taliban pursuers and gunfire from government helicopters. In the failed recapture attempt, 29 Frontier Corps soldiers were killed and others were severely wounded, Col. Shahbaz Rasul of the Frontier Corps said. Panic spread. A few days later, the crenellated fortress walls of the government compound in Khar were in danger of being overrun. More than 300 of the levees protecting the compound fled, leaving 35, Mr. Khan said. One of the basic problems of our fighting system is the intelligence failures, said General Khan, the Frontier Corps commander. Aggressive patrolling should have been done. It wasnt done. Interviews with Pakistani Army officers, and a ride under army escort along the road from Khar to Loe Sam, showed that many of the soldiers seemed to be unprepared to fight a fast-moving, highly motivated and welldisguised insurgent force. General Khan and other Pakistani military officials complained that they did not have the proper weapons and equipment to take on the militants, including radar and current intelligence.

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The Taliban fighters, meanwhile, had heavy weapons and communications systems that could disguise their whereabouts, as well as the ability to home in on army radios. Lt. Col. Javed Baluch, whose troops were sent to Bajaur in early September, said that even the terrain had surprised them. The khaki-colored earth dips and swerves every 25 yards; crevices suddenly become hillocks, and scattered clumps of trees and bushes can conceal snipers. The militants were king, because the civilians had been ordered out of the area by the army in early August, in anticipation of the fight. The enemy had a lot of advantage, Colonel Baluch said. They knew the area completely. We were told we would meet foreign fighters and local fighters supporting them. The resistance unfolded differently. His mission was to clear Taang Khatta, a place thick with militants. It was a spot where the Frontier Corps forces had faced stiff resistance in August. On the first day that his soldiers advanced on foot along the road to Taang Khatta, they were ambushed, he said. The insurgents were invisible, hidden behind the thick mud walls of the compounds, their rifles poking through narrow slits. Small arms have no effect on the walls, and thats what we were carrying, Colonel Baluch said. We did not know where to fire back. The attack came from three directions, but the guerrillas made a mistake. When they shouted, God is great, it was helpful to us, Colonel Baluch said. The voices gave away their location. In the end, it took five days and the loss of four men to conquer Taang Khatta, a mere bend in the road, just about a mile from the Khar headquarters. Still, Colonel Baluch was lucky, he said. The push to capture another tiny place, Nisarabad, farther up the road, left 12 soldiers dead and 46 wounded. The final assault on Loe Sam was led by Maj. Anwar Saeed, 37, who was experienced in fighting the Taliban in North Waziristan, the base of the most hardened militant fighters in the tribal belt. It was ultimately captured on Oct. 21, and reduced to ruins in the process. When you capture a compound, the adjacent one becomes a firefight, he said. They were fighting and firing, and throwing grenades at us from 25 meters away.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

67

Yes, he knew the people who had lived here were now bereft. I know many have suffered because of our actions, Major Saeed said. But the government is going to take care of them. In Peshawar, however, some of the store owners from Loe Sam whose property was crushed said there were limits to their understanding. They had heard no word about their return or about reconstruction, said Hajji Shakir, the owner of two stores in Loe Sam, as he sat on the floor of a crowded house with a group of fellow merchants, clutching the account books that he had escaped with. If the government doesnt rebuild, we will be thieves, suicide bombers, he said. We will be forced to do these things. Mr. Khan, the chief government representative in Bajaur, said he had funds, provided by the United States Agency for International Development, for rebuilding. But he did not know when it would begin. Some of the displaced said they were also angered by the high number of civilian deaths, many of them incurred when Pakistani jet fighters and helicopter gunships attacked Taliban redoubts. The military said last week that 95 civilians had been killed in the Bajaur conflict, but the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that the number seemed low. There is no reliable count, because the commission was barred from investigating. Similarly, there is little agreement about how many militants the army has killed in the three months of the Bajaur campaign. The army says 1,500. But two officers, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were contradicting their superiors, said that the number appeared excessive. One army captain involved in the fighting said 300 seemed closer. While the resistance had been reduced on the flat land, one thing was certain: as the military prepares to fight the militants in the mountainous areas in Bajaur, progress will be more difficult. In his wood-paneled office, Col. Nauman Saeed, the officer in charge of day-to-day operations at the headquarters in Khar, said he was mired in a classic guerrilla conflict. In September, he said, Taliban leaders in Bajaur had replenished their forces with 950 more men from Afghanistan.

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You keep killing them, Colonel Saeed said, but you still have them around.
New York Times, November 11, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/world/asia/11pstan.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

3 S ECURITY M EN A MONG 4 K ILLED

IN

C HARSADDA B LAST

Three security personnel and a rikshaw driver were killed and over 10 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of a government high school in Machni an area lying in the outskirts of Charsadda and Mohmand Agency. Sources said, the suicide attacker reached outside the gate of the school in a white flying coach where contingents of security forces were deployed. He blew himself up there, causing a loud blast. The coach was completely destroyed while four persons were killed including 3 security men and a rikshaw driver. Ten more persons who sustained injuries are being taken to Peshawar from Machni. The blast was so powerful that it damaged the school building besides shattering the windowpanes of the adjacent buildings. Soon after the blast the security forces cordoned off the area and blocked Mohmand Agency road.
The News, November 12, 2008.

T ALIBAN R AID
Mondays hijacking by the Taliban of vehicles carrying Nato supplies is disturbing both for its audacity and possible implications. For one thing, the ambush took place not in some remote corner of the tribal belt but on the Peshawar-Torkham highway in an area where there is no shortage of security checkpoints. Equally if not more worrying are reports that paramilitary personnel at the nearby Jamrud Fort just watched the incident as it unfolded instead of taking on the militants. And when helicopter gunships finally launched an attack well after the event, more civilians than militants were hurt or killed, including a 12-year-old schoolboy. The militants then hoisted Taliban flags and banners on the military vehicles they had captured and conducted a victory parade on wheels in the Jamrud area of Khyber Agency. They even posed for photographs, showing off their booty.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

69

This brazen attack raises serious questions about the operational capability and motivational levels of the security forces vis--vis the fight against militancy. The argument that it is difficult to check militancy in Jamrud because of the heavy deployment of troops in Bajaur and elsewhere only highlights the security forces inability to man several fronts simultaneously. True, some significant gains have been made recently in Bajaur. The moves initiated by some tribes to raise militias and clear their areas of militants are also encouraging. But even then there seems to be no stopping the Taliban in Swat, Khyber Agency, Waziristan, Frontier Region Kohat and other parts of the NWFP and the tribal belt. If hundreds of militants have been killed in recent weeks, which is what the military claims, then the strength of the Pakistani Taliban as a whole must be truly staggering. Indeed it can be asked at this stage whether the authorities left it a little too late to decisively take on the Taliban. At any rate, the military strategy ought to be reassessed and greater effort made to bring the more moderate militants round to the government side. Pakistan is fully justified in its protests against repeated violations of the countrys territorial sovereignty. But incidents such as the one on Monday can reinforce the impression in certain quarters that our security forces cannot by themselves stamp out militancy and enforce the rule of law. Images of the Taliban posing in front of US Humvees can only lower our credibility in foreign eyes and weaken claims that Pakistan can go it alone in rooting out militancy. More Taliban attacks will lead to more US strikes. Respect for sovereignty, then, could be reduced to little more than a futile dream.
Editorial, Dawn, November 12, 2008.

A MERICAN A ID W ORKER S LAIN

IN

P AKISTAN

An American aid worker involved in a U. S. government program to bring development to a lawless tribal region of Pakistan was assassinated in his car Tuesday morning as he went to work in the provincial capital, Peshawar. The American, Steve Vance, and his Pakistani driver, were shot as their car approached the house in Peshawar where Mr. Vance ran a project to bring small-scale projects and jobs to the Federally Administered Tribal Area, a stronghold of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, his associates said. The United States Embassy in Islamabad confirmed that an American citizen and his driver were killed in an attack in Peshawar. The embassy was

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coordinating with local law enforcement agencies to determine what happened, a spokesman, Wes Robertson, said. Pakistani officials in Peshawar said they did not know who was responsible for the shooting at around 8 a.m. in a residential area of the city known as University Town. The killings came after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded sports stadium in the center of Peshawar Monday night, moments after leading politicians of the city had left the arena. The umbrella Taliban group, Tehrik-i-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the stadium attack. Mr. Vance worked for part of an ambitious program run by the United States Agency for International Development to bring $750 million of development projects to the tribal region over five years, according to his associates who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak about the incident. Mr. Vance was the director of a livelihoods project run by the Cooperative Housing Foundation, which was funded by USAID, they said. Several dozen Americans working on the USAID effort to counter the Taliban by creating jobs and building infrastructure in the tribal areas are based in Peshawar. The city is on the frontline of the tribal area, and serves as something of a rear base for the increasingly powerful Taliban. Mr. Vance lived with his family in a house in Peshawar, according to his associates. American diplomats are required to use bullet-proof vehicles in Peshawar because of the security risks in the sprawling city. Mr. Vance, however, like other aid workers involved in the American development effort, was traveling in a car that was not armored, his associates said. The Taliban have increasingly flexed their muscle in Peshawar, stepping up suicide bomb attacks against law enforcement targets and politicians. In August, a group of men shot at the car of the senior American official at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar. The diplomat, Lynne Tracy, was unharmed.
Jane Perlez, New York Times online, November 12, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/world/asia/13pstan.html?_r=1&ref=world& oref=slogin

P AK 5- POINT P LAN

TO

A DDRESS T ERROR C AUSES

United Nations - President Asif Ali Zardari has proposed a five-point plan that, among other elements, calls for combating the bigotry manifested in

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

71

Islamophobia and anti-Semitism as he underscored the need for eliminating the root causes of terrorism to attain world peace. Let us hit the causes of the terrorist menace, not condemn its innocent victims, he said in a speech to the UN General Assemblys highlevel meeting on culture of peace on Thursday, the second day of the conference. As the elected representative of 180 million Pakistanis - suffering from this menace of hatred - I reject those who would divide us and rally around those who would unite us as creations of the one and only God, he told more than 70 world leaders and their representatives participating in the inter-faith dialogue. The two-day meeting, which ends tonight, will take action on a draft resolution, submitted by Philippines and Pakistan, under which the 192-member assembly would affirm that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue were important components of the culture of peace. Paying high tributes to King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia for his initiative in convening the conference, President Zardari called for a consensus on the plan, which he called international agenda, outlined by him. The plan must ensure: Hate speech aimed at inciting people against any religion must be unacceptable; Injustice and discrimination on the mere basis of ones faith must be discouraged not only in words but through meaningful actions; Bigotry manifested in Islamophobia and antiSemitism must be combated; Dialogue, and not discord, between civilizations and faiths must be encouraged, and; Nations with little resources caught in the crossfire of extremism should be helped, strengthened and aided by the international communitySS. Let us commit ourselves to eliminate the root causes of extremism and terrorism, giving all people in all societies renewed faith in their countries, in their laws, and in the futures of their children, the president said. He especially stressed the need for an end to hate speech against Islam that leads to injustices against Muslims. Indeed the imaginary fear of Islam has been rising. This is exactly what the terrorists had hoped to provoke. Those in the West that accept this are falling into the trap of the terrorists, he said. This imaginary fear of our religion has created a new form of discrimination and is giving rise to new tensions. Let us translate the dynamic messages of our respective religions for the good of humanity and not to create strife. Let us turn the messages of hope imbedded in our faiths into living and practical reality, he added. The president also gave an account of Pakistans struggle for Islamic principles of gender equality, tolerance and reconciliation that led to the election of Benazir

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Bhutto as first prime minister of an Islamic country. For us, it is a personal opportunity to advance the message of a moderate, modern and loving Islam, which guided the work of our beloved leader, Benazir Bhutto, who sacrificed her life for the cause of tolerance, dialogue and the avoidance of a clash of civilizations.
The Nation, November 14, 2008.

W AR

ON

T ERROR C AUSES P AKISTAN L OSS O VER R S .2 T RILLION

OF

Pakistan has spent over Rs. 2082.942 billion on War on Terrorism since 2004, a document released by Ministry of Finance said here on Friday. This included direct cost of Rs.450.222 billion and indirect cost of Rs. 1632.720 billion, said the Draft Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-II, released here. The economy suffered direct and indirect losses in terms of exports, foreign investment, privatization, industrial production and tax collection because of the continuing war on terror. According to the document, the war on terrorism cost Pakistan Rs.259.103 billion in financial year 2004-05, Rs.300.780 billion in FY2005-06, Rs.360.899 billion in FY 2006-07, Rs. 484.367 billion in FY 2007-08 and Rs.677.793 billion in the current financial year. Giving break up, the document said that the country suffered direct cost of Rs.67.103 billion in FY 2004-05, Rs.78.060 billion in FY 2005-06, Rs.82.499 billion in FY 2006-07, Rs.108.527 billion in FY 2007-08 and Rs.114.033 billion in the current financial year. Similarly, Pakistan suffered indirect cost of Rs.192.000 billion in 200405, Rs.222.720 billion in 2005-06, Rs.278,400 billion in 2006-07, Rs.375.840 billion in 2007-08 and Rs.563.760 billion in current Financial year 2008-09. According to the document, Pakistans participation in the antiterrorism campaign has led to the massive unemployment in the affected regions. Frequent bombings, worsening law and order situation and displacement of the local population have taken a toll on the socio-economic fabric of the country, it added. The government is in the process of devising a strategic policy to overcome the menace of terrorism which have captivated the entire country, the document added.

Pakistan: A Victim of Terrorism

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The anti-terrorist campaign, which began as a result of the unfortunate 9/11 event in the United States in 2001, over-strained Pakistans budget as allocation for law enforcement agencies had to be increased significantly. This resulted in erosion of resources for the development projects all over Pakistan, particularly FATA and NWFP areas in addition to human sufferings and resettlement costs. The document said that since the start of anti-terrorism campaign, an overall sense of uncertainty has prevailed in the country which contributed to capital flight, as well as slowed down domestic economic activity, making foreign investors jittery. It is apprehended that Foreign Direct Investment, which witnessed a steep rise over the past several years may be adversely affected by the ongoing anti-terrorism campaign in FATA and other areas of NWFP, it added. The document said that Pakistans participation in the international campaign has led to an excessive increase in the countrys credit risk, which has in turn made borrowing from the market extremely expensive. It said that Pakistans sovereign bonds have under-performed due to increased law and order concerns amongst other reasons including domestic political and economic stability.
APP, November 14, 2008 http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5914 0&Itemid=2

P AKISTAN S UFFERED

L OSS OF R S 2.1 T RILLION ON T ERROR

IN

W AR

Government has admitted that Pakistans economy suffered a loss of Rs2.1 trillion due to the ongoing international war on terror. The economy suffered direct and indirect losses in terms of exports, foreign investment, privatization, industrial production and tax collection because of the continuing war on terror. According to the Finance Divisions statement, Pakistans economy faced a loss Rs 260 billion in the year 2004-05; Rs 301 billion in 2005-06; Rs 361 billion in 2006-07; Rs 484 billion in 2007-08 and; Rs 669 in the current financial year.
The Nation, November 14, 2008 http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-englishonline/Regional/Islamabad/14-Nov-2008/Pakistan-suffered-a-loss-of-Rs-21-trillionin-war-on-terror

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P AKISTAN S UFFERED L OSS OF $34 BN Q URESHI

IN

W AR

ON

T ERROR :

President Asif Ali Zardari has told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that attacks inside Pakistan by US unmanned Predators in pursuit of militants are undermining Pakistans efforts in war against extremists. Mr Zardari told Ms Rice that these drone attacks were unproductive, and they were contributing to alienation as opposed to winning people over, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters on Wednesday evening. He was addressing a press conference after a meeting between Ms Rice and President Zardari on the sidelines of United Nations interfaith dialogue meeting. Mr Qureshi said that over the past seven years losses suffered by Pakistan in the war against terrorism amounted to $34.5 billion. Pakistan paid a huge price; both in economic and human terms, to protect itself and the world, he added. He said that the government was still compiling figures of the losses and would reveal it in a report soon. Trilateral Summit: Asked about President Zardaris meeting with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he said it was part of the several regional initiatives being taken to stabilise the strife-torn area.He said several initiatives were ongoing and results would take time. Its a long haulprogress has been made. But he added: It was not a mere get-together; it was a meeting between three very serious players, with an agenda to attain peace and stability in the region. Mr Qureshi said the situation in the region was not merely an issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan and there was need for the regional ownership of the issue. He said the Afghan government was not averse to holding talks with Taliban provided they recognised the countrys constitution and vowed not to resort to violent means. He said there had been a visible change in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan since President Zardari assumed his office. Referring to the mini-peace jirga held recently in Islamabad, the minister said Pakistan was in touch with other members of the coalition forces

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in Afghanistan and they now had a better understanding of Pakistans point of view. Mr Qureshi denied reports of meetings between President Zardari and CIA chief Michael Hayden, or Israeli President Shimon Peres, saying such contacts were not on the cards. About Dr Aafia Siddiquis incarceration in the United States, he said the government was trying for her repatriation to Pakistan through diplomatic means.
Masood Haider, Dawn, November 14, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/14/top9.htm

P AKISTAN S T ERROR W AR C OST R ISES

TO

R S 678 BN

Pakistans cost of war on terror has increased by 40 per cent to Rs678 billion from Rs484 billion last year, causing an adverse impact on the countrys socioeconomic development. As a result of being a partner in the international counter-terrorism campaign, Pakistan is currently facing major challenges, including growing fiscal and current account deficits, rising inflation, growth deterioration and depleting foreign exchange reserves, says the Ministry of Finance s draft Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-II issued here on Friday. The cost includes both direct (actually spent) and indirect on account of loss of exports, foreign investment, privatisation, industrial output and tax collection. The report cites figures showing that the expected direct cost of war on terror will reach Rs114.03 billion in 2008-09 from Rs108.527 billion last year. The indirect cost will increase to Rs563.760 billion from Rs375.840 billion. According to the report, the anti-terrorism campaign, which began after the 9/11 incident in the United States in 2001, overstrained Pakistans

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budget as allocation for law-enforcement agencies had to be increased significantly, curtailing the funding for development projects. Several development projects started earlier in the affected areas of the NWFP and tribal region are afflicted with delays, which may ultimately result in large cost overruns. Since the start of the anti-terror campaign, an overall sense of uncertainty has prevailed in the country, which has contributed to capital flight and slowed down economic activities making foreign investors jittery. The report said: It is apprehended that Foreign Direct Investment, which witnessed a steep rise over the past several years, may be adversely affected by the ongoing anti-terrorism campaign in Fata and other areas of the NWFP. Pakistans participation in the international campaign has led to an excessive increase in the countrys credit risk, which has in turn made borrowing from the market extremely expensive. Pakistans sovereign bonds have underperformed due to increased law and order concerns amongst other reasons, including domestic political and economic instability.

Pakistans participation in the anti-terrorism campaign has also led to

massive unemployment in the affected regions. Frequent bombings, worsening law and order situation and displacement of the local population have taken a toll on the socio-economic fabric of the country.
Mubarak Zeb Khan, Dawn, November 15, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/15/top11.htm

N EW O PERATION

TO

Q UELL M OHMAND I NSURGENCY

Security forces, backed by helicopters and tanks, have launched an operation to flush out militants from areas around Charsadda and Peshawar as part of a wider plan to establish the governments writ in Mohmand Agency. There were conflicting reports about casualties. While officials claimed that 21 militants had been killed and several others wounded in the operation launched on Thursday night, local people said seven militants and six civilians died in a gunbattle. One soldier was killed and another injured. Three children were injured when a boat carrying 40 people displaced from the area because of clashes capsized in Haji Zai River. A curfew has been clamped on parts of Charsadda, Peshawar and Mohmand and people in large numbers are leaving the area.

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According to some people in Shabqadar, security personnel warned them at 11am to leave the area within 30 minutes and helicopters started shelling the area soon after. A curfew has been imposed on the town. With Cobra helicopters flying overhead, troops backed by tanks were seen advancing towards Pir Qalla, Juma Khan Korona and Michni areas considered to be hubs of militants.Local people said helicopters and tanks attacked suspected hideouts of militants in 25 villages of Yaka Ghund subdivision adjacent to Mohmand Agency. The villages were made part of the settled areas of the NWFP about 10 years ago. Taliban had set up their own courts and administration in the villages with a combined population of about 30,000 and turned them into a virtual no-go area. A few months back, an alleged kidnapper was executed there in the presence of a large crowd. Helicopters destroyed an explosive-laden vehicle of militants in Badai Korona, killing six people. The house of a Taliban leader was destroyed in Qala Shah Begg. Forces captured some strongholds of militants in Rashakai and Juma Khan Korona and advanced towards Michni. A schoolboy was killed while fleeing the violence-hit area. At least five civilians were wounded. A large number of men, women and children were stranded in the areas because of heavy shelling and curfew. Army and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the northern outskirts of Peshawar and in parts of Charsadda district. Security personnel set up checkpoints and stopped displaced people from leaving the areas. Some residents of Bhai Korona village in Mohmand Agency appealed to the law-enforcement personnel to relax the curfew for a few hours to allow them to leave. My parents and two sisters are waiting for curfew relaxation so that they can leave for Peshawar, said Shahnawaz Khan, a Peshawar-based journalist. He said some people were stranded because of exchange of fire between militants and security personnel and intense shelling. Helicopter gunships and heavy artillery also shelled militants hideouts in Lakaro subdivision of Mohmand Agency adjoining Bajaur.Sources said a man was killed and two other people were injured when security personnel opened fire on a motorcycle. The bases of militants in Qanadaro and Karier areas were destroyed.

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A government school was attacked in Sandokhel. Sources said the school had been taken over by the militants.
Faiz Muhammad & Fauzee Khan Mohmand, Dawn, November 15, 2008

T ALIBAN

IN

P ESHAWAR

It is disconcerting that the NWFPs capital has become the most dangerous town in the province, if not the country. On Thursday, Iranian Commercial Attach Hashmatullah Attarzadeh was kidnapped and his guard, Sajjad Hussain, killed in Hayatabad, one of Peshawars upmarket localities. It was also in Hayatabad that Afghan Consul General Abdul Khaliq Farahi was abducted and his driver shot in September. The diplomat has not yet been recovered. On Wednesday, an American aid worker and his Pakistani driver were gunned down. In and around Peshawar too the Taliban are active. On Monday, they hijacked a convoy of Nato supply trucks on the PeshawarTorkham highway, while the security authorities watched. It might be recalled that Pakistans ambassador to Afghanistan, Tariq Azizuddin, was kidnapped in February on the same road. He was later recovered in May. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the Iranian diplomats kidnapping and the murder of his driver, but the Taliban have owned the murderous attack on the American officials car. Given the Taliban mindset, it is futile to argue with them. They have murdered innocent men, women and children, executed spies, killed and hanged members of peace jirgas, and slaughtered UN aid workers, including women, on both sides of the Durand Line. They have also bombed Eid and funeral prayers and put the Islamabad Marriott on fire in Ramazan at Iftar time. Most Pakistani VIPs, whether in government or the opposition, are on their hit list. Given this backdrop, it was brave of the American aid worker, Steve Vance, to be there in the area in spite of the threat which the Taliban pose to all foreigners, whether tourists if there are any or officials. Vance was engaged in development programmes specifically meant for the tribal belt. Fata is generally reputed to be prone to violence but the incident occurred in Peshawar. The Taliban might have suffered reverses in Bajaur and Swat, but the series of commando-style actions in Peshawar clearly indicate the existence of Taliban cells in the city. It is a measure of the intelligence agencies failure that they have not unearthed the Taliban presence in the NWFPs capital and have failed to crack down on it.
Editorial, Dawn, November 15, 2008

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I NSTABILITY

IN

A FGHAN W AR G ROWS P AKISTAN

AS THE

US B OMBS

The resistance to the occupation of Afghanistan is growing, spreading and winning. In response, a frightened US military is edging closer to war with Pakistan. To understand why this is happening, we have to go back to the USled invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. A strange thing happened. Almost no one fought to defend the Taliban. But the USs allies inside Afghanistan would not fight either. By 2001 Afghans had lived through 23 years of first war with the Soviet Union and then civil war. People longed for peace any peace. And they expected the US to bring money to their country. There was almost no resistance to the occupation for three years. Then it began to appear. One reason was that Afghans had expected reconstruction and it didnt happen. The money from the US was measly and much of it went on foreign NGO workers who made between $30,000 and $200,000 a year in a country where the average income per person is less than $300. The other cause of the resistance was the actions of the Western forces in the Pashtun speaking south and east. They kicked in doors, beat people up and shot them.

Resistance
When the Afghans shot back, the US and their NATO allies called in airstrikes to bomb villages. Then whole communities joined the resistance. In 2005 the resistance began building, at first in the Pashtun areas. It was a popular uprising, a people in arms. They looked around for national leadership. The left, the liberals, the secularists and the Islamists from the north of the country were all, in one way or another, working with the occupation. The only national force that has called for total opposition to the occupation was the Taliban. So the villagers decided they supported them. About half of Afghans are Pashtuns, as are most Taliban. But from 2007 the resistance has been spreading across the country. The NGOs produce maps showing their people where it is safe to travel. In 2006 the south and east was unsafe. Now most of the country is unsafe. The US is worried that the capital Kabul could be cut off.

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The resistance now controls two of the three main roads into Kabul. If they can cut the third, the US would have to airlift in enough food to feed two million people a day. In response, the occupation forces have been escalating bombing of villages. But Hamid Karzais Afghan government relies on a level of support inside the country. And its supporters cannot tolerate the current bombing. Karzai has called for an end to NATO bombing. More importantly, he went to a village near Herat where the warplanes killed 60 children, and sat with the villagers. The occupation forces cannot stop bombing. It is the only way they know to fight. They cannot tolerate a fair fight, as they would lose it. And the US military has begun bombing Pakistani villages. The people on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border are mostly Pashtuns. The Pashtuns on the Pakistani side feel sympathy with the Afghan resistance. In the last few years they have organised what the Pakistani media call local Taliban in solidarity. The Pakistani army responded by invading the traditionally autonomous tribal areas along the border to suppress the Pakistani Taliban. The Taliban killed many hundreds of Pakistani soldiers. Fighting its own people put great stress on the Pakistani army. This is particularly so because 30 percent of enlisted men and 30 percent of officers in the Pakistani army are Pashtuns. Earlier this year one unit of 300 men surrendered to the resistance, and other units simply retreated without firing. Moreover, Pakistani public opinion is heavily opposed to the governments alliance with the war on terror. The recent elections and the removal of President Pervez Musharraf, the US-backed dictator, mean that the government now has to pay some attention to public opinion.

Border
But the US sees that the Afghan resistance now has safe areas in Pakistan to retreat to, rest and arm, and that they can raid across the border. Because the US generals are losing in Afghanistan, they are frantic to do something to break the resistance. This increases the risks to the troops. Recently one US unit lost nine men in one day, and a French unit ten men. They are screaming for more troops. And the US has launched the regular bombing of villages inside Pakistan using unmanned drones.

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It has begun sending Special Forces across the border to attack Pakistani villages. The US military also say there are now regular firefights along the border between Pakistani army units and US troops. In one recent fight, US forces called in bombers that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. In any normal country, this would count as a declaration of war. The Pakistani army and ruling class are terrified of losing US support. But the generals and the politicians, except the USs pet President Zadari, have condemned the attacks. The consequences of a US war with Pakistan would be horrific, so both sides hold back. It may not come to that. But the rising power of the resistance in Afghanistan is pushing the occupiers towards extreme solutions. Terrible suffering waits in the wings, certainly for the Afghans, maybe for the Pakistanis. And for the US and British soldiers sent to the meat grinder? Bring them home.
SWP Admin, November 15, 2008 http://www.swp.ie/index.php/socialist-worker/25-instability-in-afghan-war-grows-asthe-us-bombs-pakistan

P AKISTANI S OLDIERS K ILLED

IN

S WAT

At least four Pakistani paramilitary soldiers have been killed in a suicide attack in the troubled northern district of Swat, army officials say. The attack took place at a security checkpoint when a car carrying the bomber rammed into it. Swat has been the scene of an insurgency since August 2007. Hundreds of people have been killed since then in battles between security forces and militants led by a Taleban cleric, Maulana Fazlullah.

Sharia Law
"The attack left four soldiers dead, while three others were injured," Col Atiquz-Zaman, a spokesman for the Pakistan army told the BBC Urdu service. Pakistani forces have been fighting militants in Swat since last year "The attacker rammed his vehicle into a security checkpoint near Khwazakhela". Khwazakhela is a sub-division of Swat which has seen a number of battles between the two sides.

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The militants say they are fighting for the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law in Swat. Maulana Fazlullah is also demanding that the army withdraw from Swat.
BBC News, November 17, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7733752.stm

L ASHKAR C OMMANDER , 16 M ILITANTS K ILLED

IN

B AJAUR

Ten militants and two tribal elders were killed in clashes in Gutkai and Bandarae areas of Bajuar and six militants and two civilians were killed by security forces shelling in Mamond and Nawagai tehsils on Sunday. According to local people, a lashkar of the Oriazai clan killed 10 militants and lost its chief Malik Fazal Mabud and important tribal leader Malik Jamdar Khan in gunbattles in Gutkai and Bandarae. Both sides took positions on elevations and used heavy weaponry. TTP spokesman Maulvi Umer claimed that none of his men had been killed and said they his fighters had captured 25 members of the lashkar. He said that during a jirga they had agreed to leave that area. But some members of the lashkar, he said, had misbehaved with Taliban supporters and that resulted in the clashes. Local people said the clashes began after the lashkar set on fire houses of some militants. It is learnt that the exchange of fire had stopped in the evening. Meanwhile, security forces backed by artillery and helicopter gunships continued attacks on suspected militant positions in Mamond and Nawagai tehsils. It is learnt that at least six militants were killed in helicopter attacks in the Tanai area of Mamond tehsil. In Umrai area, a mortar shell hit a vehicle killing two civilians.
Dawn, November 17, 2008.

US, A FGHAN

AND

P AKISTANI F ORCES S QUEEZING T ERROR G ROUPS ON B ORDER

With US, Afghan and Pakistani forces applying pressure on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the enemy is running out of options for places to go, a senior US officer in the region said today.

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Army Col. John M. Spiszer, commander of Task Force Duke, which is centered on the 1st Infantry Divisions 3rd Brigade Combat Team, said the addition of units from the 10th Mountain Divisions 3rd Brigade Combat Team in January will change the operating environment in the four-province region of Regional Command East. Speaking with reporters and bloggers via teleconference from Afghanistans Nangahar province, Spiszer said the region also includes the provinces of Nuristan, Konar and Laghman. The area is the most violent in Afghanistan, the colonel said, and the border is a large part of that. In the past year, Taliban and other terror groups have been able to find safe havens on both sides of the rugged border. The 4,200 members of Task Force Duke have worked hard to tamp down the violence, he said, and increased Pakistani efforts on their side of the border have helped. In our area of operations, the border is becoming less and less of a transit zone, as Afghan national security forces, US troops, the Pakistani military and the Pakistani Frontier Corps continue to conduct complementary operations against our joint enemy, Spiszer said. One example is Operation Lionheart, which began recently. This is a complementary operation with the Pakistani military and the frontier corps. All entities share intelligence to prevent the enemy from transiting the border, as operations continue to defeat the insurgents in Bajaur tribal agency in Pakistan, the colonel said. Spiszer called Lionheart a good start, but acknowledged it has been a challenge for US troops. Its not like Ive got a lot of extra troops available, he said. But what we have done is work very hard to refocus our intelligence, surveillance [and] reconnaissance assets, to identify who is transiting the border and launch attacks on those deemed a threat. The biggest success, the colonel said, is the cooperation and coordination thats developing between the Pakistani military and coalition and Afghan forces. I wish I had more resources to devote to it, and we will have more over the coming months, he said. The near-simultaneous operations on both sides of the border are making it difficult for the enemy to operate, Spiszer said, noting that the task force will continue to keep pressure on the enemy throughout the winter. Were continuing our operations along the border and in the capillary valleys and mountains throughout the winter to give the enemy no respite, he said.

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As the Afghan security forces develop and as the 10th Mountain Division arrives, Task Force Duke will present the enemy with a transformed environment next spring where he will be hard pressed to operate, Spiszer said. An additional 800 Americans will join the task force in January. The additional American forces will provide the force more capacity and will give us the capability to do things faster, to make a difference quicker, Spiszer said. I think were making great progress, he said, but theres just too few of us. I think the potential is there. Were moving forward, but with the additional troops that theyre going to bring, its going to get us into some of the areas that were a little bit challenged right now. Security is just one aspect of the counterinsurgency fight in the region, the colonel noted. In fiscal 2008, the command spent $160 million toward the advancement and development of Afghanistan. All the provinces were very heavy into road building, he said. Irrigation projects, bridges, trade schools, forest conservation and development of agricultural capabilities were also funded. We didnt want to [sic] overpromise, but progress is definitely in motion, despite the ongoing combat operations, Spiszer said. The command also has helped governance issues, working with governors to handle the refugee crisis from Pakistan in July and working against poppy cultivation. The command also aided Afghans in preparing for regional elections next year, the colonel said.
Jim Kouri, November 18, 2008 http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/11/18/us-afghan-and-pakistani-forces-squeezingterror-groups-on-border/

K AYANI U RGES H ALT

TO

D RONE I NCURSIONS

Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Wednesday urged the top military officers of Nato to halt unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) incursions into Pakistani territory, stressing the need for coordinated operations within respective national boundaries. According to an ISPR press release issued here, General Kayani was addressing the military committee of Nato in Brussels. Chairman of the military committee of Nato Admiral Giampaolo Di Paolo had invited the Pakistan Army chief to address the committee.

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Kayani focused on Pakistans perspective on the obtaining environment, operational issues and the way forward. He clearly spelt the need for security and stability in the region through a comprehensive approach. He highlighted the need for reinforcing Pakistans efforts against the militants. Earlier, General Kayani held separate bilateral meetings with Secretary General of the Nato Jaap dee Hoop Scheffer and Chairman of the Nato Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paolo. He also held individual meetings with the French chief of Defence and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, USA. General Kayani also attended a luncheon hosted by Chairman Military Committee, which was attended by all chiefs of Nato members as well as those from partnership for peace nations. AFP adds from Brussels: General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani vowed to keep the Natos supply line to Afghanistan open and reaffirmed support for the military alliances mission there, a senior Nato officer said.We will do whatever is possible, whatever is within our power to ensure that this line of supply is open, Kayani told top officers, according to Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, head of Natos military committee. We understand how critical it is to Afghanistan ... and because we want Afghanistan to succeed we would harm ourselves if we did not do our best to ensure that, Di Paola quoted Kayani as saying. A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the vital interests of Pakistan. Di Paola said Kayani also made a very in-depth and complex presentation to Nato chiefs of defence explaining why factors of geography, culture and history make it impossible to stop people crossing the border. There is no force which alone can block (the border). Flow across that line is part of normal life for centuries, will continue to be part of normal life for centuries, said Di Paola.It is only by engaging the people living there, and having their understanding and their support that we can facilitate a solution, he said. General Kayani urged the Nato to engage with Pashtuns living in tribal regions near Afghanistan rather than simply try to seal the border to stop Taliban militants crossing over.
The News, November 20, 2008 http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=18467

T ALIBANISATION

OF

Y OUTH

With the Taliban expanding their reach inside Pakistan, it is becoming amply clear that the menace of radicalisation that leads to religious militancy must be

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targeted at the roots. In this context, a recent study authored by a Pakistani scholar and published by the Washington-based Brookings Institution points out there are high chances of youth radicalisation in the country. Indeed, it is a process already under way as the alarming decline in socio-economic conditions continues unabated giving rise to new frustrations every day. Social and economic inequities, limited access to education and other basic facilities, unemployment and growing poverty have combined to produce an atmosphere of despair in which the youth, impressionable and deprived of opportunities, are an easy prey for those seeking to propagate their ideological agendas. In terms of numbers alone, there are plenty of young victims especially males to choose from. In a population of 160 million people, about 75 million are 24 years or below the formative period of life when a persons worldview is shaped. With a population growth rate of almost two per cent, the coming years will see youth numbers grow. It will be an explosive situation if the currently poor socio-economic conditions remain the same or decline further. Clearly, the threat of youth radicalisation must be warded off. The key lies in greater employment opportunities and poverty reduction but most importantly, in better education content, access and facilities to empower the youth in a positive way and liberate young minds. A predisposition to extremism already exists in the way we as a society tend not to restrict religion to our private lives but allow it to govern and thus limit our opinions on a variety of subjects. Unfortunately, with the madressah system going strong and likely to exert even greater influence on young minds if public-sector schooling continues to decline and private education becomes unaffordable there is a very real danger that ultra religious tendencies among the youth will receive a boost. This, in turn, will lead to the formation of dogmatic mindsets at a considerable distance from the pillars of logic, reason and humanism, and unable to tolerate divergent opinions. Years of wrong political moves might have made the country a breeding ground for militancy, but things need not have been so bad had we followed sound education policies. It is imperative to make corrections to the system before extremism strikes deeper roots.
Editorial, Dawn, November 21, 2008

S EARCHING

FOR

S OLUTIONS

Gen. Ashfaq Kayani is spot on in his assessment that the Afghan insurgency cannot be overcome through military means alone. In a meeting with Natos

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defence committee in Brussels, Pakistans army chief stressed the need to engage the people living on both sides of the Durand Line and earn their support in the war against militancy. In other words, it is critical to win hearts and minds and present viable alternatives to local tribesmen whose lives have been shattered by years of fighting. Without discarding the military option, Gen Kayani sought a comprehensive approach underpinned by an understanding of geography, culture and history. In keeping with the current mood, the Nato defence chiefs concurred with Gen Kayani that there is no military solution in Afghanistan. This meeting of minds is not surprising given that American military commanders as well as officials in Washington, Islamabad and Kabul have been saying as much for quite some time. Indeed, there has been talk of a negotiated settlement that would make the Taliban part of the set-up in Kabul. Besides the growing realisation that the Taliban may not be beatable in the theatre of war in its current form, it is also thought there are fissures within the ranks of the militants where the question of negotiations is concerned. The time could be right to enlist the support of disgruntled or opportunistic commanders, thereby weakening the insurgency. Where all else has failed there is clearly no harm in trying a new approach, for the Taliban are anything but a cohesive group operating under a unified command. The downside is that offers of talks may be seen by the militants as a sign of the enemys weakness, prompting even more audacious attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite all the talk of dialogue, it is clear that there is currently no intention in any quarter of easing the military pressure on the Taliban. This makes sense, for any understanding with the militants must be reached from a position of strength. The need of the hour is for improved tripartite coordination between the coalition forces and Pakistani and Afghan security agencies. The commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan is cautiously optimistic about what he perceives to be Pakistans advances in forcing militants to flee to Afghanistan where they would be engaged by US forces. Problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan have repercussions further afield and it needs to be recognised that other regional actors such as Iran, India, China and perhaps even Russia have a role to play in the quest for peace. This needs to be explored further but real progress will remain elusive if the US keeps sending mixed signals, talking of winning hearts and minds and bombing Pakistani territory at the same time.
Editorial, Dawn, November 21, 2008

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P RO - GOVT T ALIBAN T HREATEN R EPRISALS

The pro-government head of the Taliban in North Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, on Thursday threatened to carry out retaliatory attacks in the settled areas of the country if the government failed to stop the US drone strikes in the tribal areas. Hafiz Gul Bahadur, while presiding over a meeting of the Taliban Shura at an undisclosed location of the tribal agency, directed his men to prepare for avenging the killing of innocent Waziris slain in unjustified and repeated attacks by the CIA-operated US drones. In a statement issued to the press after the meeting, local Taliban spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi said the meeting unanimously decided to abide by the peace agreement they had signed with the government but hastened to add that the US missile strikes would not be tolerated and would be responded in the same coin by carrying out strikes in settled parts of the country. The statement did not reveal the number or identities of militant commanders attending the meeting. Threatening of targeted attacks throughout the country, Hafiz Gul Bahadur claimed that every strike by US drones killed innocent tribesmen. Any attack launched after midnight today (Thursday) will be avenged, the statement quoted the Taliban commander as saying. The attacks would continue till the missile strikes were stopped, he added.
Haji Mujtaba, The News, November 21, 2008

A MERICAN I NTELLIGENCE E XPECTS A L Q AEDA S A PPEAL F ALTER : R EPORT

TO

A new study of the global future by American intelligence agencies suggests that Al Qaeda could soon be on the decline, having alienated Muslim supporters with indiscriminate killing and inattention to the practical problems of poverty, unemployment and education. While not contradicting intelligence assessments suggesting that Al Qaeda remains a major threat with a strong presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan, the report says that the group may decay sooner than many experts have assumed because of severe weaknesses: unachievable strategic objectives, inability to attract broad-based support and self-destructive actions. The appeal of terrorism is waning, said Mathew J. Burrows, head of long-range analysis in the office of the director of national

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intelligence and a lead author of Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World. Mr. Burrows said polls and anecdotal evidence strongly suggested disillusionment among Muslims with Al Qaeda and its methods and goals since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The predicted decline of Al Qaeda is one of the few bright spots in the generally gloomy report, which describes a decline in the United States world dominance as China, India and other powers assert themselves. Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States relative strength" even in the military realm" will decline and US leverage will become more constrained, the report said. By 2025, it predicted, the US will find itself as one of a number of important actors on the world stage, playing a prominent role in global events but not a decisive one as in the past. The report said the global shift from West to East in terms of wealth and economic power is without precedent in modern history. Of a projected population increase of 1.2 billion worldwide by 2025, Western countries would account for only 3 percent, it said. Were projecting a multipolar world, C. Thomas Fingar, chairman of the National Intelligence Council and the governments top intelligence analyst, said Thursday at a briefing on the report. The unipolar moment is over, or certainly will be over by 2025. The previous report in the Global Trends series, completed in 2004, anticipated continued American dominance through 2020, though it recognized that the emergence of China and India as powers would transform the geopolitical landscape.The new report describes a world riven by increased conflict over scarce food and water supplies and threatened by so-called rogue states and terrorists, widening gaps between rich and poor and an uneven impact of global warming. It said the chance of the use of nuclear weapons, while remaining very low, would rise in the next two decades as nuclear technology spreads. The report said Russias emergence as a world power was clouded by persistent corruption and lagging investment in its critical energy industry. It also noted, without naming a specific country, that a government in Eastern Europe could be effectively taken over and run by organized crime.Mr. Fingar acknowledged that the report, in the works for months, did not fully reflect the severity of the global economic crisis. But he said intelligence officials chose not to delay the report, judging that the long-term impact of the economic downturn would not be clear for months. The Global Trends reports are produced every four years by the National Intelligence Council, which represents all 16 American intelligence agencies, in part to inform long-term thinking by new administrations. The reports project various possible sequences of events in the future; the new publication notes, between dire forecasts, that bad outcomes are not inevitable.Even if Al Qaeda and

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other terrorist groups gradually lose support, the remaining violent extremists may have access to increasingly lethal technology, including biological weapons, the report found. The comments on Al Qaedas future are based in part on the work of David C. Rapoport, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied the cycles of terrorist activity in the past, including those associated with anarchism, Marxism and nationalism. The report said the global Islamic terrorist movement was likely to outlast Al Qaeda itself, with other groups likely to emerge and supplant it. But it expects a future of frustration and attrition for Al Qaeda, which Osama bin Laden built during the 1990s. The intelligence agencies noted that Al Qaeda had focused almost exclusively on terrorism, a contrast with groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, which have transformed themselves into political movements. Al Qaeda has not achieved broad support in the Islamic world, the report said. Its harsh pan-Islamist ideology and policies appeal only to a tiny minority of Muslims.
The Nation, November 21, 2008.

W ILL W AR A GAINST T ERROR E ND ?

First World War commenced in 1914 and ended after five years, Second World War covered almost six years from 1939 to 1945. Besides of losses to material both the wars have proven disaster to the mankind. The Great War (First World War) began as a clash of 20th century technology and 19th century tactics. In this war 40 million casualties resulted which include approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths. The Second World War was humanitys deadliest war and also known as war of revenge caused tens of millions of deaths. President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the most civilized claimant nation (American) dropped two Atomic Bombs over the innocent people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima on August 6 and 9, 1945 and forced the Japanese to surrender by August 14, 1945. By giving such a huge loss to human being US was proudly able to argue that she won the war. Now in 20 th century another American President (Bush) again brought and dragged the world at a point which would be remember as another future catastrophe of the universe. The war on terror will definitely be accounted for in his credit in the future history. Despite various differences, there are number of similarities in three wars, for example, the major characters are almost same i.e. US, British and other European countries those were also allies during WW II. The war against terror was instigated by Washington in 2001 with the aim of

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elimination Al - Qaeda militants but twisted into religion war due to the negative propaganda of western media against Islam. Both the world wars culminated within six years or so but war against terror has taken more than seven years and still continues like never-ending way. The question comes in the minds that will this war going to be culminated or lead to ultimate destruction of the world. Lets hope that world ruling powers should get together and decide to save the world instead pushing it into anarchy just for the sake of their individual gains. The basic cause of the war against terror was the debacle of 9/11, in that approximately 3000 multinational individuals (less Jews) suffered death but as a revenge or by design Bush administration pushed the world into that blind well which is yet to be filled despite taking the lives of millions Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani Innocent people. The general masses of Muslims and NATOs countries are now mentally convinced that war against terror have been mounted on them by Bush administration. Though this war has caused more losses to Pakistan, Afghanistan and somewhat to Iran but is also proving a cancer to American and European countries too. American only in the last seven years has received thousands of war victims and its annual war spending is more than 41 billion Dollars in Afghanistan. Despite this much loss, Obama has shown his intentions of increasing his forces after withdrawing from Iraq. The newly elected US president must know that induction of more troops in Afghanistan will affect the already depleted American economy. The turnover of troops per annum is more than one million both in Iraq and Afghanistan which are causing negative financial and moral affects within Nato Countries and US too. The rate of desertion, cases of depressions and disobeying orders in US led coalition Forces are much more as compare to earlier. American congress must also remember that any further misadventure in Pakistan will increase the tension between two allies and also provide a chance to Islamabad to pull her hands from supporting war on terror. This stoppage of logistic support only would be further set back to the economy of US and NATOs countries. The continue violations of Pakistani territory by US drones is fueling the already lit flame against Bush Policies. It was revealed on an electronic media that 355 persons were killed in 35 US drones attacks .Out of these 301 were innocent civilians, 36 were alleged members of Al - Qaeda and the Taliban and 18 were members of the Pakistani security forces. Only eight out of 35 strikes were based on human intelligence, which proved to be correct. Among these eight strikes was one in which Abu Laith

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al-Libi, projected by the US as an important Al Qaeda operative, and was killed. The remaining 27 strikes were based on human intelligence, which proved to be incorrect. 16 out of the 35 US attacks were carried out between January 1 and August 31, 2008. The remaining 19 strikes were carried out between September 3 and November 15 2008. Chief of Staff for the Pakistani Army, General Ashfaq Kayani has proceeded to attend NATOs Army Chiefs Conference, where he will likely to discuss the issue of drones attack in Pakistani territory. If Obama is not going to revise this policy of intrusion then Pakistani government will be forced to adopt her own means to deal war against militancy. Pakistan has suffered heave tool of economical and physical losses. Her traditional rival India found an excellent chance to exploit the American interference to destabilize our country. RAW has established more than 100 foreign training centers and 17 Foreign Offices in Afghanistan and along the north-western border. They are launching well-trained agents, equipped with weapons in Frontier and Balochistan Provinces. Some of leaders of banned organizations are also receiving the heavy money from the foreign intelligence agencies to gain the sympathies of uneducated, poor and innocent individuals on the name of holy war and are playing with the lives of the innocent women, children and youngsters. So far they have carried out 1000 blasts in various cities of Pakistan and caused heavy damaged to the men and material. Apart from suicide attacks and bomb blasts in other tribal regions, similar aggressive acts are being conducted by them in Balochistan. They are basically hiring the services of Uzbaks and criminal personal of the area. In an Internet report it was revealed that a new gruesome of South Waziristan Laddha based are imparting Jihadi Training to innocent girls and women ageing between 10 35 years old. He is being funded by foreign agency too. This new hatchery of producing female suicides bombers is being headed by Commander Moulvi Shamim at his Muddrassah in Laddha South Wazirsitan. Raw and CIA are on the mission of sabotaging politician process in Pakistan by creating rifts in the Intelligence agencies and government, Media and Government , supporting anti state elements, Defaming Pak Army , ISI and anti nuke propaganda against Pakistan Peaceful nuclear programme. They are involved in money laundering, introducing fake currency, provision of weapons and equipment, kidnapping foreigners (particularly Chinese), and carrying out sabotaging activities, supporting anti- state elements in FATA and Balochistan. For example in media compaign against Paksitan and its security forces, on November 6, 2008 in an article What do you mean, bin Laden

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doesnt exist? published on The Times on line, Tony Loyed misquoted Pakistani army officers in his self created story. Similary on November 16, 2008 Washington post too made an effort of defaming Pakistani govenemnt and ISI in genral public while claiming in an article written by Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy that Pakistan and U.S. have tacit deal on Air strikes. The writer of the same article also covered the visit of the Pakistans new intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha October visit to Washington and secret meeting of Hayden and Zardari at New York. Basically authors of the article interlinked all events to give strength to his fabricated and baseless storey. Pakistan Spokesman has strongly denied and condemned this unsubstantiated allegations while stating that there is no such type of written or verbal agreement have been concluded between Pakistan and US. Pakistan President Zardari and Foreign Minster Shah Mehmood Quresh at the occasion of Inter-faith conference very rightly said that Pakistan paid huge price both in economic and human terms. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also confirmed while conducting a news briefing In News York in second week of November 2008 that amounting to $34.5 billion have been spent by Pakistan since 2001. American leadership must know that the deployment of Indian troops cannot not be acceptable to Pakistan since later has already paid heavy prices because of malicious activities of RAW, Mossad, Khad and CIA. In short Obama has a chance to review the muddled Bush Policy regarding war on terror which will save persistent deteriorating condition of US as well as world economy; otherwise one should remember that continuous bleeding cancer results into ultimate death, which could be the death of America and its allies those are on anti Pakistan Mission. Thus UNO should play her role in ending this bogus war on terrorism.
Col Zaheerul Hassan (R), Pakistan Observer, November 23 2008 http://pakobserver.net/200811/23/Articles04.asp

S OLDIER A MONG 13 D EAD

IN

S WAT C LASHES

One soldier, six militants and six civilians were killed and several others wounded in an exchange of fire and shellings in Swat valley on Tuesday. According to the government media centre, the soldier was killed when militants ambushed a convoy in Deolai area of tehsil Kabal early in the morning. The soldier was identified as Shaukat.

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The Inter Services Public Relations said that six militants were killed when helicopter gunships shelled their positions. Six non-combatants, four of them members of a family, were killed and several others injured when some shells hit a civilian area. In Sar Senai area of tehsil Kabal a man was shot dead by suspected militants.
Dawn, December 3, 2008

22 D IE

IN

P ESHAWAR C AR - BOMB B LAST

Twenty-two people were killed and over 60 wounded in a powerful car bomb blast in Kucha Risaldar, behind the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar, here on Friday [December 5, 2008] evening. The blast occurred at around 7:25 pm outside Imambargah Alamdar. Most of the bodies retrieved from the debris were either mutilated or burnt. Ten of the wounded were women and six children. Evidence collected from the spot suggested that the explosives were planted in a car, parked outside the main gate of the Imambargah, and there was no involvement of any suicide bomber. Seventeen people were killed and 40 others were injured in the blast, which was apparently triggered through a bomb planted in a car parked on the Church Road, Safwat Ghayyur, who assumed the charge of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) on Friday, told newsmen at the scene. NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain put the toll at 20. The blast was so powerful that the bang was heard in most parts of the provincial capital. Apart from a multi-storeyed hotel, a government school for girls and dozens of houses and shops were either destroyed or severely damaged in the explosion. The fire that erupted in several markets and godowns, selling plastic goods, after the blast added to the miseries of victims. Goods worth hundreds of millions of rupees were reduced to ashes in the nearby markets and houses. Everything in my shop has been gutted. The same is the situation at all the shops in the market, Abdul Majid, who owns two huge crockery stores in the market, told The News. He added that goods worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes in every shop. Rescue workers faced problems in retrieving the bodies and pulling out the injured from the rubble of the buildings due to darkness as power supply to the area was suspended after the explosion. The narrow streets also proved a hurdle in the movement of the ambulances and fire brigade vehicles.

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Emergency was declared at the Lady Reading Hospital. People were asked to donate blood, badly needed due to large-scale casualties. The provincial government authorities, including Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, did not rule out the involvement of foreign hand in the blast, saying nothing could be said for sure before proper investigation into the incident. The provincial and district governments and the police are making all-out efforts to counter terrorism. However, it is not possible to check each and every vehicle, Peshawar District Nazim Ghulam Ali told reporters. Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said security was already tight in the provincial capital but it was impossible to stop such attacks. He termed it guerrilla war attacks, saying they would take every possible measure to ensure security to citizens. Security in Peshawar, which has witnessed bomb blasts, rocket barrages and suicide attacks, has been on alert for the past many months. Police deployment at entry points to the city was improved after the explosion and suspicious vehicles were being thoroughly searched. Intelligence agencies have time and again pointed to the involvement of foreign hand in terrorism incidents in Peshawar and other parts of the Frontier and the Fata after finding some leads in this regard.
Javed Aziz Khan, Dawn, December 06, 2008

A IR A TTACKS

WILL GO ON ,

Z ARDARI T ELLS F ATA E LDERS

The government has no other option but to rely on air attacks to eliminate high-value targets in tribal areas, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday. In a meeting with tribal elders at the President House, Mr Zardari said air attacks against terrorists would continue in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) to eliminate terrorists hiding there. However, tribal elders expressed reservations about the US drone attacks and said innocent people were also being killed. The presidents statement hinted that the US strikes in tribal areas were being conducted with the governments consent. President Zardari called for another round of talks with tribal elders on Thursday to take their suggestions. The Governor of the NWFP, Owais Ghani, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik and the Minister of States and Frontier Region, Najamuddin Khan, also attended the meeting.

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There is no alternative to fighting militancy because militants want to capture political power through the use of force to impose their own political agenda. This the government would never allow, he is reported to have said. The president said the government was committed to strengthen lawenforcement agencies, besides starting a massive socio-economic development programme in tribal areas. About the banning of Jamaatud Dawa, he said the crackdown would continue. The governments stance was backed by two coalition partners MQM and ANP in a meeting with the president on Tuesday night. However, the JUI-F urged the president to stop action against JuD. President Zardari said the need for socio-economic development for fighting militancy was increasingly being recognised by the international community and that adoption of the Lugar-Biden bill in the US Senate was a manifestation of this realisation. Referring to the regional situation in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, President Zardari said there was no evidence of the involvement of any Pakistani. He said Pakistan had offered India full cooperation in investigating the attacks and asked for evidence about the involvement of any Pakistani, but India had so far not been forthcoming. MUKHTAR: Meanwhile, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said although India had threatened to go to war against Pakistan, the countrys armed forces were capable of thwarting any aggression. Earlier, the governor of the NWFP gave an overview of the law and order situation in the tribal belt, followed by a discussion among stakeholders. The meeting was informed that the government had decided to fill vacant posts in development projects in tribal areas. The prime ministers adviser on interior informed the meeting that 2,500 levies were being recruited in the first phase to strengthen law enforcement efforts. More than 100 platoons of the Frontier Constabulary would also be raised, he added.
Syed Irfan Raza, Dawn, December 18, 2008 http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/18/top1.htm

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S UICIDE B LAST R OCKS B UNER 36 K ILLED

ON

P OLLING D AY

At least 36 people were killed in a suspected car bomb attack near a polling station in a government school on Sunday. Sixteen people were injured in the blast believed to have been carried out to disrupt the by-election for a National Assembly seat. It was apparently a suicide attack, DSP Arsala Khan said, adding: The bomber detonated his explosive-laden car parked near camps set up by different parties in front of the school in Shalbandi village, 5kms from the district headquarters of Daggar. Buner which is adjacent to the Swat valley had so far been largely peaceful. The front wall of the school and an adjoining market and were destroyed and a mosque and several houses were damaged. A villager said that several people were buried in the rubble of the market and thearea was littered with human limbs. Police said two policemen, a volunteer and five children were among the victims. Their bodies mutilated almost beyond recognition. According to witnesses, the bomber was about 18 years old and he was wearing a Chitrali cap. A large number of voters were present at the camps when the blast took place. Police said that security personnel were sifting through the debris to collect evidence. An official told newsmen that polling had been postponed at 11 polling stations in Shalbandi and Amnawar villages, but continued in other areas of the district. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had been carried out to avenge the killing of its six members in the area four months ago. The victims included Mansha, Abdur Razaq, Mohammad Nissar, Bakht Rawan, Muzamil, Ali Rehman, Zamir, Makani, Zubair, Zareen, Sher Zamin Shah, Yaseen Shah, Hijjab, Nadar, Qasim, Rozi Khan, Sunbal, Hameed Akbar, Ghani, police constables Sher Taj and Bahadur Zeb, Bakht Zada, Sdiqa, Bakht Zada, Iqrar Ali, Saifur Rehman, Oqaib, Razakar Pervez and Zareen. The village has been under threat from militants since the formation of a tribal lashkar to combat militancy. A founding member of the lashkar,

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Said Khan, was killed in Lower Dir when he was retuning after attending a sitin organised by the Tehrik Nefaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi. Two boys from the village who studied in Swat were kidnapped by suspected militants last week. AFP adds: A police official said most of the people injured in the attack were in critical condition.
Abdur Rahman Abid http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/29/top1.htm

W AR

ON

T ERROR : P AKISTAN S C ONTRIBUTIONS

More than seven years have passed since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 but the international community has still not been able to secure an agreed and universally recognized definition of terrorism. Without having defined terrorism the international community has already embarked upon a struggle to combat terrorism. While there are many who often commented that one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter, the exact difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist movement is currently being deliberately blurred or inadvertently accepted as synonymous. The need to highlight the exact difference between those engaged in fighting for their freedom and those employing terrorist methods for certain objectives couldnt be under-emphasized. Since state is empowered to act against both the individuals as well as groups aiming for freedom or any other objective, it is imperative that one should attempt to define terrorism and its various categories. This paper attempts to define terrorism initially and then discusses important international developments before focusing on the impact of war on terror on Pakistan. Final section of the article deals with Pakistans contributions in the ongoing war on terror. I Definitional Complexities: Since there exists no consensus definition, different people and states have interpreted terrorism within the context of their own experiences and requirements. Either terrorism appears differently

The Paper was read at the National Conference on Future Vision of Pakistan: Alternative Scenario, held on 24th December 2008 at Best Western Hotel organized by Chair on Quaid-i-Azam, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

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to different people or we deliberately search for a suitable interpretation reflecting our desires. Each of us has demonstrated a tendency to employ a definition that suits our national interests. In many we have all become selective in our choice of definition as terrorism appears to each of us rather differently. To the Americans it may mean the use of violence against the Americans by the extremists anywhere in the world including the homeland, to the Indians it may mean Pakistan sponsored infiltration of terrorists into the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK), to the Israelis it appears to mean the suicide attacks and other means of violence in Israel by the Palestinians and to the Pakistanis it may mean what the Indian security forces are doing in the IHK, engineering anti-Muslim riots and communal killings of the Muslims in which the state machinery is directly involved and the terrorist activities of the trained Indian agents in Pakistan. No measures can be effective unless there is a clear and universally agreed definition of terrorism. What do we understand by terrorism and who, in our opinion, is a terrorist? What are the categories of terrorism? To arrive at a generally accepted definition is not an easy task. Part of the problem stems from the charged nature of the term. The term has been excessively used in order to condemn and characterize the behavior of the domestic as well as external opponents. Often the governments whose legitimacy has been challenged tend to expand the meaning of terrorism in order to include all forms of organized protests as a means to discredit the opponents. One such case was the racist white regime of South Africa before the dismantling of the apartheid. Similarly many governments employ the term in order to divert attention from pressing domestic problems to external issues. It is generally an accepted panacea in most parts of the world that focusing on external adversary could provide the necessary respite from complex internal problems. Many researchers have tried to define the term but were unable to provide a comprehensive definition of terrorism that would cover all of its aspects. Emphasis on dictums like 'today's terrorist is tomorrow's freedom fighter', 'terrorism to some is heroism to others', 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' further made the task of defining somewhat difficult. Perhaps the most complex aspect of the definitional problem is the differentiation between a freedom fighter and a terrorist. Another difficulty confronting the researchers engaged in working out a comprehensive definition is that acts of terrorism occur within a certain contextual framework and the researchers tend to focus more on the contextual framework rather than viewing it in a broader social phenomenon. Perhaps that is why most definitions are one sided. An act is viewed within

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certain context and defined in congruence with operative circumstances and power equations. Linked with it is the problem of who acts and who defines. Since the contemporary world is dominated by few powerful nations and the incumbent international political system can, at best, be described as anarchic, the acts defined by the dominant powers may be taken as legitimate and the acts defined by the others as illegitimate. This, of course, implies that in order to fully understand terrorism one has to examine the existing world order. If one wants to genuinely understand the phenomenon of terrorism rather than using it for propaganda purposes, then the approach should cover both aspects of terrorism; what terrorism is and what terrorism is not. Like the definitional problem of peace, one can start by highlighting what terrorism is not. 'Terrorism is not an ideology but a strategy which may be used by individuals, groups or states for different purposes'. i While the sub-national groups and individuals use violent means as part of their well-calculated strategy, the state authorities also use terrorism to brutalize the target audience and to suppress the dissent. While the use of force by the state would be viewed as legitimate, the employment of force by sub national group or individual would invoke strong reactions. What is terrorism? Literature on the subject of terrorism highlights the existence of innumerable definitions. While some focus on the perpetrator, others dwell on their purposes and techniques. However the two characteristics that distinguish terrorism from other forms of violence are that it is aimed at noncombatants and the violence is employed for dramatic purposes in order to instill fear in the target population.ii According to Oxford dictionary the word terror means extreme fear. If we accept this meaning then a terrorist is the one who attempts to instill extreme fear among the target audience as suggested above? Terrorism is defined 'as an act or threat of violence against non-combatants with the objective of exacting revenge, intimidating or otherwise influencing an audience'.iii A generally accepted definition of a 'terrorist' is 'a person who uses or favors violent and intimidating methods of coercion'. The essence of this definition is the employment of violent methods in order to instill fear and influence the targets, which may be a government or a community or a particular individual. Terrorists are defined not by their goals but by how they opt to attain them.iv It needs to be highlighted that by this definition only a non-state actor is portrayed as a terrorist, which is not necessarily true. A plethora of definitions is available with each one of them reflecting requirements of the changing political environments in different countries. How one defines terrorism reflects the thinking and profoundly affects the

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likely response. The US considers 'premeditated politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents' whereas there are others who define terrorism as 'a process of deliberate employment of psychological intimidation and physical violence by sovereign states and sub-national groups to attain strategic and political objectives in violation of the law.v If one examines and applies the American definition to the communal carnage that took place in the state of Gujarat (India) in Feb.2002 then one is bound to be amazed how it fits comprehensively yet no group was declared as terrorist. Another interesting feature of Gujarat carnage was that not only the state government was directly involved in the massacre of the innocents but also even the federal government did not actively influence the state government to refrain from such condemnable developments. While both India and Israel amply qualify within the American definition of terrorism but the definition itself excluded state as an actor and only included sub national actors. However the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has cleverly differentiated between terrorism and international terrorism. According to CIA definition international terrorism means terrorism involving the territory or the citizens of more than one country.vi This CIA definition of international terrorism is also applicable to both India and Israel. An objective assessment of both Kashmir and Palestine disputes would place them in special category within the broader definition of terrorism. According to the British Act of Terrorism 2000, terrorism means the use of threat of (a) action (b) threat designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public or a section of public (c) threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause. The Indian government defined terrorism in the Prevention of Terrorist Act 2001 as intentions to threaten the unity, integrity and security of India and to strike terror in the people or any section of the people by using bombs, explosive substances, firearms or lethal weapons. According to the Pakistani AntiTerrorism (Amendment) Ordinance of 1999 terrorism means to strike terror or create disturbances by using bombs, explosives, firearms or inflammable substances.vii Similarly many countries have, in some form or in some enactments, defined terrorism but what stands out in various definitions is the selective nature of approaches. Each definition appears to be geared to deal effectively with ones own situation. Confronted with the existence of so many definitions, the international community is still unable to agree upon a comprehensive and universally acceptable definition of terrorism. Perhaps seeking out an

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all-encompassing definition appears to be an illusive target. While no one doubts that all acts of terrorism whether committed by an individual, a group or state authorities are condemnable developments, the question how does one categorizes act in which the loss of lives of non-combatants have taken place does need more scrutiny. The problem has become even more complex when one realizes that terrorism today is constantly undergoing all kind of mutations. 'New adversaries, new motivations, and new rationales which have emerged in recent years can couple with today's increased opportunities and capabilities to launch terrorism on a trajectory towards higher levels of lethality, mass destruction and mass killing, and to challenge the conventional knowledge about it'.viii II International Developments: The death of the Cold war ushered in a new era of uncertainties. The departure of the Cold War not only resulted in the disintegration of the Soviet Union but also accelerated the process promoting the emergence of economic imperatives. During the Cold war the relations among nations were primarily governed by the political imperatives whereas after the death of the Cold War, the economic considerations acquired heightened importance. The political imperatives were relegated to the secondary position and the economic imperatives acquired the position of utmost importance. Another development of far reaching consequences that resulted from the departure of the Cold war was the end of bipolarity. The incumbent bipolarity was replaced by a unipolar world dominated by only one super power. Not only the rules of the game began to be changed but also the resultant most powerful nation quickly adjusted to new realities. Cognizant of the vacuum created by the disintegration of the major adversary, many American thinkers began to fill the void by advancing their own recipes. Thus the ideas like Clash of Civilization (Huntington), End of History (Fukyama) gained wide circulation. This was American thinkers attempt to fill the vacuum by suggesting alternatives adversaries such as the Islamic World, China etc. To make Islamic countries as the new adversarial focus of the American wrath was the product of many sources such as the powerful and influential Zionist lobby in US. Almost all those elements/ countries that were involved in some sort of conflictual and adversarial relationships with an Islamic country or countries found the situation very attractive and quickly began to contribute their share in projecting Islamic countries as the likely future adversaries.

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Factors contributing to the perceptions of enlarged China threat included its amazing growth rate (around 10%), its Socialist political system along with becoming a major Communist power, its increasing military capabilities and impact on regional security, rising Chinese nationalism, etc. Developments that have contributed towards the increased Chinese regional influence included 1) Chinas increased share in regional economies and accompanying impact on the economic development of the region, 2) the perception that Chinas territorial disputes with other countries had intensified, 3) Chinas rapid economic growth has also accelerated its military modernization process, 4) China had elevated reunification of Taiwan to a higher priority following the return of Hong Kong (1997) and Macao (1999). These factors were interpreted, at the time, as signaling a new expansionist policy of China. Later the pragmatic Chinese policies were able to reduce the unnecessarily heightened fears of the Americans. Apart from the above-mentioned vacuum created by the departure of the Cold War and the emergence of the unipolar world with USA as the super power six other significant developments acquired prominence following the departure of the Cold war. These included the revolution in information and communication technologies which in turn strengthened the concept of global village, evolution of the WTO (World Trade Organization), the weakening of the United Nations, the intensification of freedom struggles in Palestine and Kashmir, transformation and expansion of NATO, and the emergence of relatively more assertive Europe. In addition one needs to stress here that while the departure of the Cold War caused disintegration of the Soviet Union and later Yugoslavia, it also promoted integrative trends as well such as experienced by both the European Union and ASEAN etc. Tragic Event of September 11, 2001: The tragedy of 9/11 initially stunned the Americans who could not believe that the most powerful nation on this planet could be hit in such a way and so easily. In a single event thousands of Americans died. Initially the Americans appeared to be shocked to the extent that they could not realize the intensity of accumulated resentment against the American policy pursuits. Instead the concentration was on what they view as the window of their vulnerability. Later they began to express anger in varied forms. To canalize this rising streak of anger, they began to search for targets. Since the Osama Bin Laden was already being sought after because of his alleged involvement in the Kenya bombing, it was decided to apprehend him. Those who had given him refuge were bluntly told to hand him over or face the consequences. Since Osama had taken refuge in Afghanistan and the then incumbent Taliban regime refused to hand him over,

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the Americans decided to wage war against Afghanistan in the name of war against terrorism-Osama being branded as a terrorist who organized and led a terrorist organization called Al-Quaida. Following the 9/11 once again the rules of game seemed to have changed. Not only the sole super power has become much more assertive than what was the case following the death of the Clod War but it also advanced the doctrine of pre-emptive defensive strike. The posture that developed after the enunciation of doctrine of preemption was based on the belief that rogue states and sub-state paramilitary groups will simply not be deterred in the manner of the cold war era, and that they must therefore be handled in a much more robust manner, including striking first, even if there is no conclusive evidence of intent to strike the United States or its interests.ix A close scrutiny of both the US led Afghan war as well as Iraq war clearly reflects this type of belief. Four easily discernable factors seem to have contributed towards the aggressive and assertive American posture specifically after the 9/11. First the gradual emergence of a belief, specifically among the Republican Security community, that US was gradually losing out its natural post cold war dominant role. It was deemed essential that in order to make 21st Century an American Century an active, vigorous and assertive political and economic leadership needs to be demonstrated periodically. Gradual expansion along with growing unity of the European Union coupled with myriad lesser threats to its political and economic threats were viewed as causing gradual erosion of US influence. Second factor that seemed to have played a major role in surfacing this kind of thinking revolves around the emergence of a galaxy of hardliners under one administration. People like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condolisa Rice under the Bush administration provided an opportunity to practice the above-mentioned ideas. Third element that made contributions was thinking revolving around the notion that tough security measures would provide a substantial new impetus for the military industrial complex.x The fourth factor was the actual attack on 9/11. It was not just the human cost that alarmed initially and later angered the Americans but the twin towers were viewed as the symbols of the American international economic influence and their loss hurt the Republican hawks rather badly.xi The new National Security Strategy revolved around the perceived need to act first when US is considered to be under threat. During the Cold War deterrence strategy was deemed appropriate as the main adversary was subject to deterrence by virtue of its own vulnerabilities. The new strategy

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seems to be based on the belief that defiant or what the Americans call rogue states and the sub-state paramilitary groups will simply not be deterred in the manner of the cold war era, and that they must therefore be handled in a much more robust manner, including striking first, even if there is no conclusive evidence of intent to strike the United States or its interests.xii III Global war against terrorism and Its Impact on Pakistan: It is generally believed that terrorism is likely to persist for quite sometime because the issues which generate terrorism are unlikely to be resolved. Undoubtedly the war against terrorism would not only confront many obstacles but would also be a painfully long affair. Unless and until serious considerations are given to the factors that are and would continue to impede progress on this front, the war is going to be a long drawn pursuit. However if ample attention is extended to the factors spelled below, the chances of success would indeed multiply though even then no assurances of victory can be given. Despite the inability of international community to evolve an agreed definition in a comprehensive sense, covering all the disputed areas and weaving a net of varied interpretations, the war against terrorism has already started following the formation of international coalition against terrorism primarily due to the accelerated efforts of the Americans after9/11. The outcome does not seem very impressive. So far the war against terrorism or what has been projected, as terrorism has not produced impressive results. On the contrary the way the problem has been targeted; it is having adverse effects rather then the desired and visualized containment. The ugly reality is that the activities of terrorists have received unintended impetus and the canvass of terrorism is expanding rather rapidly. The factors that are effectively impeding international communitys collective efforts to control and eliminate terrorism include lack of agreed definition, no clear distinction between the freedom movement and terrorism, quick acceptance of prejudiced version of the situation, inadequate emphasis on the removal of root causes, the employment of only military approach, and half hearted chase of the funding sources. Undoubtedly the international community should have fully realized the significance of an agreed definition before embarking upon a war against terrorism. Second, the war against terrorism should not have started before making a clear distinction between a genuine political movement or a genuine freedom struggle and terrorism. The

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third factor that is effectively impeding the desired outcome of war against terrorism is the ready acceptance of prejudiced versions of the situation. Impact on Pakistan: The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the lingering civil war in Afghan war had severe repercussions for Pakistani state and society. Pakistan had to face a massive influx of nearly 4 million Afghan refugees the largest in the world. Unlike Iran, which kept its refugees under tight surveillance by restricting them to border areas, Pakistan acted in a characteristic Islamic spirit of magnanimity by letting the uprooted Afghan Muslim brethren free to stay and move as they liked often detrimental to its national interests. Today, after nearly 29 years of Soviet military intervention, Afghanistan remains a troubled and violent country. Although many refugees have left after 9/11, a sizable 2.6 million are still staying on in Pakistan. When Afghan refugees streamed across the borders into Pakistan, they created a number of problems for the host country e.g., there were incidents of encroachment over lands and property, overgrazing of fields of local population, large scale deforestation, land erosion, illegal shanty towns, massive increase in rent ceilings, introduction of drug and Kalashnikov culture, intensification of sectarianism, increased competition for transport and construction businesses, housing and jobs and incidents of violence etc.xiii This had put a heavy strain on social services of an already underdeveloped NWFP province. More importantly, not only law and order situation deteriorated and problems like beggary, crime and immorality intensified. The issuance of travel advisories against Pakistan by US and other major allies impacted upon the investors and foreign buyers. This was followed by a spate of terrorist bomb explosions throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The Taliban period provided some respite as it was able to control law and order in Afghanistan to a considerable extent. After 9/11 and more specifically following US military strikes against the Taliban regime fell and in consequence many defeated Taliban crossed over the Pak-Afghan border and took refuge in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Incidentally, these regions, comprising of seven tribal agencies have close ethnic and family ties with each other. With varied interpretations of the Durand Line and the tribal areas traditionally enjoying a semi-autonomous status, it was not too difficult to mingle with the local people. Cognizant of the incumbent situation in tribal areas, they were able to carry out terrorist activities within Pakistan and against the Karazai government as well. The presence of foreign militants in some parts of Pakistan and more specifically in FATA pose challenges to Pakistani society as violent acts

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increased when they along with Taliban elements and their mentors, Al-Qaeda, moved into the major cities. Afghan refugees in big cities are also infiltrated with these elements. Now the government is trying to register these refugees and make plans to repatriate them. But economic and security conditions in Afghanistan are so forbidding that they are reluctant to return to their warshattered country. Some Afghan refugees who went back to Afghanistan after their long stay in Pakistan have also come back to Pakistan primarily because of extremely difficult situation in most parts of Afghanistan. Cognizant of extremely unattractive situation if Afghanistan and being fully aware of incumbent Afghan governments inability to secure even some semblance of law and order, many refugees have categorically refused to go back to Afghanistan. After 9/11, some of Al-Qaeda leaders and Taliban have been using these areas as havens to escape detection and launch incursions on both sides of the border. Pakistan government has captured more than 700 Al-Qaeda leaders and operators, including Khalid Omer, Abu Zubaida and Libby from different areas. However military operations in troubled South Waziristan had forced them to move to other cities and places. In many ways, it is mainly Pakistan that has borne the major brunt of the Soviet invasion, the adverse effects of Afghan civil war and the consequences of the post 9/11 war on terrorism. This has posed major dilemmas for policy makers in Pakistan. One, it has affected major development projects in these regions; secondly, it has forced the state to station many divisions of army for law and order. Not only nearly 120,000 troops have been stationed in FATA and more than 1000 posts have also been established but the government is relying heavily upon the local elders to check the activities of the militants. A three pronged approach consisting of political, economic and military approaches has been adopted which is paying the expected dividends. In terms of damage to economy i.e., the loss of foreign direct investment and tourism the losses are indeed substantial. According to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Pakistan has suffered a monetary loss amounting to US $34.5 billion dollars since 2001.xiv According to the estimates reportedly compiled by the Pakistani Ministry of Finance, the losses of $5 billion have been estimated in foreign direct investment, more than $5 billion in exports and $5.5 billion in privatization.xv Moreover the image of the country has taken a massive battering which for the Pakistanis was an extremely unkind blow. Visa and job opportunities for Pakistanis from these areas to the Middle East are being increasingly curtailed. The strict

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checking at the entry point amounted to insults initially but later the situation began to improve. Another negative fallout has been the radicalization of some sections of its own society and the boost that it has given to religious political parties in the country that either rule or form coalition partners in the two bordering provinces. One manifestation of this is the introduction of a bill deemed to be a parallel legal mechanism to control check vice and immorality. Pakistan was and is a major victim of terrorism, and this has been frequently acknowledged by notable US policy makers. On allegations that it was not doing enough in the war against terrorism, it needs to be mentioned that Pakistan had undertaken extensive operations against terrorists sometimes at the loss of considerable lives of its troops which nearly amounts to 1000-1200. Incidentally, this was also conceded and acknowledged even by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is little realized how harsh ground realities of the area make this task quite problematic and difficult for Pakistan. Part of the Pak-Afghan border consists of the rugged terrain of nearly 1,500 km (out of the total 2600 km) at the height of 10,000 to 15,000 feet with no communication infrastructure, which has enabled the foreign elements to fully exploit the geographical situation. Yet the Pakistanis have dealt with this menace with patience and courage despite the fact that no other country has paid so much as has been done by the Pakistanis. One major reason for such a resolve is that almost all Pakistanis view terrorism as a curse of the current phase of international world order and in order to eliminate this menace at home and abroad, they feel that they will have to carry their fight as long as it takes even if they have fight alone. IV Counter Terrorism Strategy and Pakistans Contributions: A strategy of counter terrorism entails both the direct as well as indirect measures. Among the direct and indirect measures are included a traditional military response, investigation of specific terrorist acts and consequential prosecution of the culprits, trade sanctions if a state is involved, improving security measures, strengthening intelligence network, preventive arrests, international treaties , accelerating economic and social developmental processes etc. Counter terrorism strategy entails initial focus on correct identification of the major factors causing the terrorists activities in a certain region first and then making efforts to eliminate them with both short and long term

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strategies. Short term strategies are designed to deal with the terrorists directly either individually or collectively. An attack has to be responded in one form or the other. No country can afford to have its writ challenged by a NGO groups even though they may have been aided and supported by external elements. An individual countrys military response is directly linked with its capability and appropriate trainings. As far as the collective approach is concerned perhaps the most important aspect in order to have an effective counter terrorism strategy is a better understanding of partners motivation followed by a reasonable level of trust. Intelligence sharing, equipping the partner with necessary technology, sparing more troops for the job, effective coordination, and undertaking decisive strikes are some of the tools deemed essential for collective approach. Winning the hearts and minds along with well thought out economic and social development plans for the area people are part of the long term strategy. Pakistans Contributions: Any objective assessment of the contributions made towards combating terrorism would singularly place Pakistan right on top of the list. Once Pakistan decided to join the international coalition against terrorism, it went out of the way to cooperate in order to facilitate the collective efforts aimed to eliminate this menace. Undoubtedly some members of the international coalition paid nothing more than a lip service. In fact some even used the coalition to secure their own agenda by projecting and portraying indigenous freedom struggle as a terrorist movement. Despite such behavior, the coalition has not only survived but has also moved ahead but with a limited success. Pakistans efforts to curb terrorism pre-date the Sept 11 attacks and in this regard the government of Pakistan has undertaken several political, legislative and administrative measures. 1. Cooperation with the UN: Pakistan has followed all measures taken by the UN resolutions in controlling terrorism, e.g. it is a signatory to 10 out of 12 UN anti-terrorist conventions on suppression of terrorism bombings and signed OIC Convention on combating of international terrorism. 2. Employment of Pakistani Troops: Pakistan has dispatched almost 120,000 troops to the tribal regions an area where no Pakistani and earlier British troops during pre-partitioned India had ever ventured. Moreover nearly 100 check posts have been set up to monitor border traffic with Afghanistan and to effectively check the infiltration. The area is highly underdeveloped and has a tricky mountainous terrain with poor infrastructure. Federally

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Administered Tribal Agencies (FATA) consists of seven tribal agencies, of which South and North Waziristan was the scene of many armed clashes between government and terrorists since 2003. 3. Apprehending and Killing of Al-Qaeda Terrorists: By 2005 Pakistan had broken the vertical and horizontal linkages of Al-Qaeda and it virtually ceased to exist as a homogenous body capable of well-commanded, well organized operations, although individuals and groups keep on operating. Pakistan has been able to apprehend nearly 700 Al-Qaeda terrorists, deported some of them, killed 270 and wounded about 600 from its own territory.xvi While this has not only helped in weakening its leadership, it has certainly provided invaluable information in nabbing others. 4. Rooting out Foreign Militants: There seems to be some welcome development in some parts of Tribal areas South where some local tribal leaders are pitting themselves against foreign militants. It has vindicated the much-publicized truce between local tribesman and the government in North Waziristan that resulted in the peace agreement of September 25, 2006. The government authorities agreed to stop air and ground operations, return their weapons and materials seized; restore their privileges and remove military check posts in the area. A similar agreement was signed in Wana about two years in South Waziristan but did not work. However later, tribal fighting had taken a new direction, where some local tribesmen of South Waziristan had turned against their foreigner compatriots, mostly Uzbeks. The March 2007 clashes had resulted in the death of nearly 150 foreign militants mostly Uzbeks. This was the second time in that month that Uzbeks, supported by Waziri Yargulkhel had clashed with Zallikhels and Tojikhels, the sub-tribes of Waziris. Most of the foreign militants, who came and settled into tribal regions in the wake of 9/11, were Uzbeks, Arabs, and Chechnyans. They got settled here with the consent of local tribal people through tribal hospitality, bonds of religion, intermarriages and the Jihadi cause. Their number ranges from 2,000 to 10,000, although the former may be a correct estimate. 5. Sharing of Vital Intelligence: Through sharing of vital intelligence with many counties, Pakistan has also been able to prevent attacks against other countries. In late August 2006 it extended important help by providing relevant information to UK government which in turn facilitated preemptive actions against some terrorists for using chemical explosives in passenger aircraft. 6. Banning of Extremist Religious Organizations: Pakistan has banned religious organizations and is taking steps not to let them re-emerge

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under different names, to collect open donations for Jihadi activities.xvii In fact some of these organizations were already regarded as a menace and were banned before 9/11 in February 2001. 7. Instituting Madrassah Reforms: Madraasah reforms have been instituted, their registration done and educational syllabi revised and updated. However all Madrasshas, approximately 14,000 with one million poor students are not involved in terrorist activities. As NGOs they provide boarding, lodging and basic education to the very poor sections of society.xviii However Madrassah education needs to be modernized as it was also responsible for spawning sectarian hatred and in some cases militancy. Nearly five Waqfs who control these Madrassahs are in contact with the government and they have agreed to effect curriculum changes which would incorporate modern subjects like mathematic, science and computers etc. 8. Ban on Hate Literature: Banning of hateful religious publications has been done. This included 22 magazines, pamphlets and handbills and use of loudspeakers for fanning religious hatred. This ban is to curb sectarian terrorism that has been plaguing some sections of the society. A ban has also been imposed on use of mosque loud speakers for inciting sectarian hatred. Moreover at domestic level, Anti-Terrorism act, Anti-Terrorism Courts, deweaponization drive, training and equipping of anti-terrorist police squads, establishment of a crisis management cell and educational programs in press and electronic media against extremism were undertaken. Admittedly, these measures are going to take time and need vigorous implementation. 9. Syllabus Reform: Text book reforms are well underway that will try to address extreme versions of events and history of Pakistan which means revisiting history specifically in contentious areas. It is going to take time for implementation. 10. Setting up of Tripartite Commission: Another contribution to war on terrorism is being part of Tripartite Commission comprising senior military representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATOs ISAF in Afghanistan. It regularly meets to review border security, intelligence sharing and how to deal with improvised explosives devices issues. 11. Proposal for Fencing and Mining of Borders: Pakistani authorities have repeatedly proposed and often reiterated the fencing and mining of the Pak-Afghan border to curb any militants movement across the Pak-Afghan border. However President Karazai did not respond positively to the suggestion. In an interview, President Musharraf said that the base of terrorism lies in Afghanistan where five Taliban commanders control. In his opinion, Pakistan was unnecessarily made a scapegoat for the Afghan

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governments own shortcomings and failure.xix Earlier, Pakistan had proposed joint Jirgas of elders in the border regions to check any illegal movement. 12. Anti- Terrorist Pacts and Extradition Treaties: Pakistan has concluded anti-terrorist pacts with nearly 27 countries including Middle East countries. Pakistan has also joined SCO as observer member, and concluded treaties with some Central Asian states and Australia, a leading actor in fight against international terrorism; it has also signed agreements for exchange of information and intelligence, joint training, and capacity building.xx 13. Promoting Islamic Renaissance: As a long-term measure, Pakistan desires to play a leading role in Muslim Renaissance and has been periodically inviting eminent Islamic scholars to ponder over the real teachings and values of Islam. Inter-faith dialogue and policies of enlightened moderation are other measures to foster positive and benign image of Islam and diffuse extremism and terrorism. The recent Conference on Interfaith Dialogue that was called at the behest of Saudi King could further facilitate Pakistani efforts. Presidents, Prime Ministers and Parliamentarians Commitments: At every national and internationals forums the successive Presidents, Prime Ministers and the Parliamentarians were at pains to alert and exhort Pakistanis to the dangers that extremism and terrorism pose to the unity of Pakistani state and the Islamic world. They often appealed to the moderate, silent majority of the Pakistanis to rise up and strengthen their hands against the obscurantist and regressive forces.xxi At the international gatherings, they also repeatedly stressed that terrorism is antithetical to the peaceful and noble teachings of Islam. The incumbent Prime Minister Gilani in an article categorically stated in April 2008 that his government would vigorously continue the war against terrorism. Our strategy against global terrorism will be multifaceted. We will combine the use of force against terrorists and civil dialogue with those who, because of religious or ethnic considerations, were misled into supporting extremismxxii Recently in October 2008 a consensus resolution was passed in the joint sitting of Parliament which once again reiterated Pakistans determination to stamp out the menace of extremism, militancy and terrorism in all forms and manifestations that pose great danger to the stability and integrity of nation state.xxiii

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V Concluding Remarks: So far what has been demonstrated clearly indicates that nations are defining terrorism in accordance with their own policy pursuits. Selective approaches towards the problem of defining terrorism as well as handling it are gaining more popularity than a collectively agreed definition and strategy to tackle terrorism. Those nations that are involved in suppressing the freedom movements tend to project them as terrorism despite the fact that they know that some freedom movements have already been universally recognized even by the United Nations. Undoubtedly the war against terrorism should not have started before making a clear distinction between a genuine political movement or a genuine freedom struggle and terrorism. Most of the existing political movements and freedom struggles have a long history. None of them started in the 21" century. What is perhaps intriguing is that these freedom movements are gaining momentum in democratic countries and the authorities in these democracies are employing state terrorism as an instrument of state policy. The Kashmiris and the Palestinians freedom struggles are too well known to be dubbed as terrorist movements. Both the Kashmir dispute and the Palestine question started in 1947 and 1948 respectively. Both the Kashmiri people and the Palestinians are deeply engaged in securing freedom for their country. In case of Kashmir, the Indians cleverly devised policies to delay its resolution despite its governments have repeatedly and regularly pledged to hold plebiscite. Denying their legitimate right of self determination that has been acknowledged by the United Nations has tremendously influenced the Kashmiris resolve to carry on with their struggle. To attribute the continuity of Kashmiri freedom struggle to what the Indians are regularly over-projecting as the terrorist's activities is nothing but another Indian attempt to dupe the international community. Despite being fully conversant with the real nature of Kashmiri struggle, the Indian efforts to confront the international community with a totally distorted picture is understandable provided one is reasonably familiar with India's long term objectives and periodically employed short term tactics. But what is indeed disappointing is that how easily the Indians are able to dupe many in the west. Either they are so gullible that they easily fall prey to Indian propaganda techniques or they deliberately generate this kind of impression because of other important considerations. Similarly the Palestinians question cannot be treated as a case of terrorism. Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land has in fact strengthened

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Palestinians determination to carry on the struggle. The way the Israelis have killed innocent civilians including children, women and elderly Palestinians must put every humane individual to shame. Yet the guardians of peace and security seemed to have opted for tolerating the Israeli versions. What they need to recognize is that implicitly and inadvertently they are sanctifying Hitler's methods for elimination of all those who do not comply with the wishes of the incumbent regime. The international community should work towards the elimination of all forms of terrorism and must opt for realistic approaches. Suppressive tactics to crush freedom struggles are unlikely to pay the desired dividends. On the contrary, the employment of strong-arm tactics is more prone to generate stronger violent reactions than to facilitate the advent of peace. It is imperative to influence all those states that are indulging in state sponsored terrorism to opt for a more humane and constructive approach. Perhaps the approaches that can pay dividends are either a collective regional approach or international collective efforts. Both may produce the desired results if pursued with sincerity and honestly. Besides, the engagement of tribal leaders could further facilitate the situation. The publications of absurd and baseless stories with somewhat provocative titles in some of the western press merely tend to strengthen antiwest feelings rather than doing any good to cooperative efforts in the war against terrorism. On the contrary it makes things difficult for the government of Pakistan to continue carrying on with its commitments. It is ironic that one hand the main leaders including the highest military leaders in the west recognize and appreciate Pakistans contributions in war against terrorism but the media continues to generate irrational, baseless and absurd stories with possible motive to generate pressures and tarnish Pakistans image abroad.xxiv
Prof. Dr. Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema President, Islamabad Policy Research Institute

Notes
Weinberg, Leonard B and Davies, Paul, Introduction to Political terrorism, Mcgraw-Hill, Inc., USA, pp.1-17. ii See Stern, Jessica, The Ultimate Terrorist, (Harvard University Press, USA, 200), pp.11-30. iii Ibid. iv See The Wrong War by Grenville Byford in Foreign Affairs, Vol81, July-Aug. 2002, and pp. 34-43.
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See Patterns of Global terrorism, Department of State, April 1997, p.vi. Also see Stern, Op. Cit., pp. 11-30. Also See Identifying a terrorist state by Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema in The News, March 30, 2003. vi See CIA definition of terrorism in The War on Terrorism, http://www.cia.gov/terrorism/faqs.html vii For details see International Laws to Control Terrorism: A Comparative Study by Dr. S. Sanyal in AAKROSH, Vol7, No.22, Jan. 2004, pp.51-69 viii On Defining Terrorism and other Matters by Kallopi Koufa in Encyclopedia of International Terrorism edited by Verinder Grover, Vol.1, (Deep & Deep Publications PVT.LTD., New Delhi, India, 2002), pp.9-13. ix See From deterrence to pre-emption: The US military after 9/11 by Paul Rogers http://www.opendemocracy.net/articles/view PopUpArticle.jsp?id+2&articleId+142 x ibid xi ibid xii ibid xiii For details see The Impact of Afghan War on Pakistan by Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, in Pakistan Horizon, Vol. XLI, Jan.1988, pp.23-45. xiv The Nation, Nov.14, 2008. xv See Daily Times, Nov.14, 2008. xvi See Amb (rtd) Tayyab Siddiqui Terrorists and madrasses, in The Post, 18th October 2005. xvii President Musharraf in an address to the Nation banned the leading extremist religious organizations on Jan.12, 2002. For details see the full address in IPRI Journal,Vol.II, No.2, Summer 2002, pp.97-105. xviii See Pervez Musharraf In the Line of Fire: A Memoir, (London: Simon and Schuster5, 2006), pp.318-21. xix See Survival of Taliban: Musharraf says fault lies with Afghanistan in Daily Times, 15th November, 2006. xx See Pakistan, Australia ink counter terrorism pact in The Nation, June 16, 2005. xxi Extracts of President Muaharrafs address to the Nation as cited in Musharraf finds kind words for PPP in Dawn, November 16, 2006 xxii See The Washington Post, April 30, 2008. xxiii For details see The News, October 23, 2008. xxiv For details of stories see Pakistans terrorist confrontation by Brian Cloughley along with other news stories such as Afghan attacks down after FATA actions in Daily Times, Nov.19, 2008.
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