India’s clandestine wars against Pakistan

Dr Muhammad Khan

Email: drmk@yahoo.com

 

If there was still any doubt about Indian involvement in the terrorist and separatists related activities in Pakistan, the video revelations of the Indian National Security Advisor, Mr Ajit Doval, has clarified all those, which India undertakes through its clandestine wars ever since. Mr Ajit Doval is a former spy master and has clearly outlined the Indian strategy, as how to destabilize Pakistan internally through the promotion of terrorism and separatism and making use of Afghan geo-politics.

In his lecture, Ajit Doval, clearly declared Pakistan as the ‘enemy’ “extols Indian intelligence’s ability to compromise and infiltrate the Kashmir insurgency; crows about the beheading of Pakistani soldiers by the TTP and advocates a policy of ‘defensive offense’ against Pakistan.” Although, India has been destabilizing all regional states through its well planned and deliberated strategy, however, its major focus has always been towards Pakistan, a policy of undoing Pakistan.

Mr Doval in his recent lecture clearly threatened that; Pakistan will lose Balochistan, if there is another Mumbai type attack. Though, he did make a mention of the relationship between Mumbai type attacks and losing of Balochistan, yet the video is a clear confession by India that, it (India) is behind the separatists in the province of Balochistan and has a huge network operative against the state of Pakistan. The tone Mr Ajit Doval used is indicative of the fact that, India must have presence of its operatives physically present in isolated areas of the Balochistan province or in the vicinities of the province.

Indeed, in the past, New Delhi has been promoting sub-nationalism in Sind, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Balochistan and even among the Karachiates (Mohajirs). Indian covert and overt activities in former East Pakistan finally led to the Indian military aggression against the state of Pakistan and resulted into the disintegration of the world’s largest Islamic state in 1971. Though not geographically contiguous, yet, India has been promoting its clandestine activities by making use of the soil of neighbouring states of Pakistan.

In this regard, Brahamdagh Bugti has been active and remained in India for quite some time. He has been frequently travelling between Kabul and New Delhi in last one decade. India has been funding and sponsoring his activities against the state of Pakistan. Indeed, India is financing all the anti-Pakistan sub-nationalist organizations, especially in Balochistan and TTP and its related terrorist network.

In the wake of Operation Zarb-a-Azb, Pak Army destroyed the terrorists’ network in North Waziristan and adjoining areas. This was a major breakthrough against the TTP and terrorism in Pakistan, as the terrorist lost their headquarters and hub of terrorism. Besides, there have been over 3000 intelligence based operations against the terrorists throughout in Pakistan.

Indeed, during these military operations, Pak Army has broken the backbone of the terrorists. These Pakistani successes against the terrorism created a dilemma for the New Delhi, which felt that its strategy is failing. This was a great setback for Indian spying network, its leadership and strategists; they in fact felt crumbling of Indian strategy against Pakistan.

Now India under the premiership of Modi modified its strategy and in the first instance opened firing all along the LoC and working boundary, causing losses of lives and property of innocent people. Pakistan cannot target civilians on the other side of the LoC, however, it retaliates against the identified Indian posts. Besides, a frustrated India has started massive reinforcement of the terrorists in the form of weaponry and finances. People like Mulllah Fazullah are on the payroll of the RAW and NDS, thus still sponsor terrorists acts like Peshawar APS attack and many others. Recently India has also planned Mumbai type attack, where its Navy destroyed a boat, and later blamed Pakistan.

While India has been doing this all against the state of Pakistan, there has been no worthwhile response from Pakistan, at the level of Foreign Office, except issuing reactionary statements in its self defense. However, its military has been raising its concerns in low tone over the Indian involvement in the terrorism against Pakistan. Diplomatically, there has been no or less homework done by our FO and diplomatic missions all around, therefore, international community could not be taken on board about the clandestine acts of India in Pakistan. On the other hand, India has been accusing Pakistan for those acts, which it planned and executed on its own soil to defame Pakistan and taken onboard the international community.

In order to defeat the terrorists’ network of TTP, Pakistan will have to defeat India’s secret wars against it. However, with Modi as Prime minister and Doval as his NSA, one cannot expect a positive change. India has already closed all the doors of negotiations with Pakistan. However, for the Govt of Pakistan, it is high time to reassess its policies and priorities. Indian bullying cannot be responded with compassion and compulsion. There is a strong need that, Pakistan must mobilize its diplomatic community and media to unveil, what all India is doing against the state of Pakistan. Indian covert and overt involvement, as clear from the lecture of Mr Ajit Doval, should be highlighted and international community should be informed accordingly. While diplomacy must play its role, Pak Army must continue its anti-terror operations against the terrorists and Indian sponsored separatists. The people of Pakistan fully support the 21st Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan. The amendment will enable Pak Army to root-out the terrorism from Pakistani soil. By all means, Pakistan has to counter the Indian secret wars against the state of Pakistan; otherwise the very survival of the state is at stake.

http://epaper.pakobserver.net

US-Israel Nexus: Danger to Peace

by Ishaal Zehra

The headlines of nearly all colossal newspapers carried the same tag line on that particular day, they said “President Barack Obama had a clear message in his speech to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) On March 4, 2012: It's war.” Critiques say by addressing this powerful pro-Israel lobby, Obama actually delivered messages to multiple political audiences: Israel, Iran, Jewish voters, a restless Congress, a wary international community and the three Republican presidential contenders in line.

For Iran, President Barack Obama says that he would not hesitate to attack Iran to keep it from getting a nuclear bomb. And for Israel, it’s just a mere hope that his forceful assurance will discourage Israel from launching a unilateral strike that could ignite the Middle East and drag the U.S. into war.

Interestingly, Obama offered the lines Israel wanted to hear, framing the Iranian threat as a problem for the entire world, and asserting Israel's right to defend itself how it sees fit. Alternatively, this tough note can be considered as a whip up to the Republican criticisms that he has been too tough on Israel and too soft on the Islamic republic which according to him has had crossed a red line. But his summing up of speech said the other way, “America's national security is too important. Israel's security is too important," he said, to sustained applause by the crowd. Closing tag of his speech was a line from a predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, which said: "Speak softly, but carry a big stick."

Earlier, talking to The Atlantic magazine, the American president cautioned that 'when the US says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say'
In his vociferous remarks on nuclear Iran, Obama told the magazine that Iran and Israel both understand that "a military component" is one of a mix of options for dealing with Iran, along with sanctions and diplomacy. Probably, Pakistan has been warned in harsh words and shown strong displeasure for the IPI pipeline Project just incase Iran does not have any other support in the region. What so ever, at the core it is always United States’s bullish assertion that the United States will never settle for containing a nuclear-armed Iran or fail to defend Israel.

To understand American interests in the region, I would rather mention Mr. M. Hossein Bor’s believe that America has a greater appeal in the region even beyond one can judge. (http://asiapacificreporting.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-peace-in-balochistan-without.html) Pakistan, Iran and China all are connected in this great game. Bor, being the one with deep subject matter expertise in foreign trade and investment in Southwest Asia, perfectly accounts for foreign hands in Balochistan activism. According to Bor, “there are many interrelated issues at play. When one discusses Balochistan, you are discussing a way to contain China. You are also discussing economic relationships between Iran and Pakistan. And, you are talking about energy security for the U.S. and its allies.”

With respect to China, Bor says that the strategic and economic importance of Baluchistan cannot be underestimated: “If (the Chinese) build their port in Gwadar, they will have a land route from Western China to the Indian Ocean. This is of strategic interest to the United States because Chinese ships would have a direct route to China and no longer have to transit past the Indian and American navies. Whereas, talking about Iran: “Iran is an empire and they are using Baloch lands to try to become the dominant regional player. The Iranians are using the Strait of Hormuz as a chokepoint for a huge percentage of the world’s oil. They also are building a pipeline to Pakistan which violates U.N. sanctions. Such growing Iran-Pakistan cooperation is a major concern.” In his mind, an independent Balochistan extending from Karachi to the Strait of Hormuz would not only contain an emerging Iran but also provide a long-term security guarantee against China, Iran, and Pakistan emerging as revisionist maritime powers in the region.

Relating all this together, Iran, Pakistan, China & Afghanistan all are the victims of this game. For Iran, Obama clearly stated that he understood that Israel cannot "tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of a regime that denies the Holocaust, threatens to wipe Israel off the map, and sponsors terrorist groups committed to Israel's destruction." where, Israelian PM Netanyahu, before heading to Washington for a meeting with American President, distinctly underlined that Obama had refused to rule out military action, while emphasizing that Israel had the right to "defend itself by itself." For the troubled Pakistan, America has lately been holding a big rigid stick with a proper order chart in hand which she insists to be appropriately followed or else the consequences are severe. The all messed up Afghanistan has already given up in front of United States, whereas China alone is so far the only one playing safe, but stakes are high for China too if considered levelheadedly. At this time the only viable preference would be a likeminded block to oppose America’s supremacy in our region. While Pakistan, China & Iran should collectively craft future plans for energy sharing and economical advancement for the three. Afghanistan may join the team if she wishes too. This would be beneficial for them as well the region as a whole.

http://paktribune.com/articles/US-Israel-Nexus-Danger-to-Peace-242881.html

"US Has Lost Sleep for Balochistan"

Bossy US & Pakistan: No Love Lost

by Ishaal Zehra

Eddie Walsh, foreign correspondent of Al Jazeera English, in his article “Should the US support an independent Balochistan?” interestingly writes “Over the last few months, a small faction of congressmen, minority Afghan groups, Baloch nationalists, and their supporters have laid out the framework for an alternative US policy approach for Southwest Asia. This alternative policy centres on backing remnants of the Northern Alliance and Baloch insurgents, who seek to carve out semi-autonomous territories or independent states from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.

While supporters of this new approach are motivated by a variety of interests, they appear unified in their rejection of what they see as three cornerstones of the Obama administration's current regional policy approach: 1) Normalising relations with Pakistan's government and military; 2) Incorporating the Taliban into the current Afghan political system; 3) Overly accommodating an emerging Iran.”

Although, things might not be evident in their favor today but they seem quite consistent in their approach. They do not (yet) have broad support for their initiative, however the campaign is maturing and garnering increased attention in Congress and beyond. The point can be proved with the three recent high-profile events: a Balochistan National Front strategy session in Berlin, a US congressional hearing on Balochistan, and the introduction of a Baloch self-determination bill before the US Congress.

A glimpse into Balochistan region confirms the large number of militant, insurgent and sectarian attacks in 2010. It is a region torn apart with separatist organisations attacking the state, sectarian and ethnic attacks, and crime, including kidnapping for ransom. The issue of Balochistan is turning sensitive, and this sensitivity comprises of two main reasons. One, the real and unattended grievances of the Baloch people (not the made up one by few Pakistani journalists). Second, hype created by the media, which actually seems in coherent with the greater foreign plan against Pakistan. Media is an instrument which is being exercised by every nation to mould the situations for the purpose of acquiring desired results. Unfortunately, a chunk of Pakistani media is not exercising this approach while dealing with the important and sensitive issues like Balochistan.

Here the role of US is also an interesting point to debate. American double standards are visible as a day light. Surprisingly their lost love for Balochistan is quite evident by their documented resolution. The Representatives from California presented a resolution regarding Balochistan’s precarious condition asks for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan on the basis of right of self rule, and the bill unexpectedly has been passed by the US Congress.

The congressmen seem quite eager in interfering in Pakistan’s internal issue while on the other hand they have closed their eyes from the real and persistent issue of Kashmir. Point to ponder is as to why Kashmiries have been denied right to independence on the basis of right of self rule? Nobody dares ask India to let the Kashmiries exercise their right to hold free and impartial plebiscite? The reply is simple, Kashmir issue does not fall in between their plan of carving out semi-autonomous territories or independent states from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.

To understand Balochistan, one simply cannot look at it through the Afghanistan-Pakistan (US’s AfPak) box. Mr. M. Hossein Bor, as the only witness of Baloch ethnicity to speak at the recent Balochistan public hearing before the United States Congress, agrees to this. Not only he was the lone witness able to speak as a Baloch, he also was the only one with deep subject matter expertise in foreign trade and investment in Southwest Asia. And interestingly his testimony sheds light on the unrealized strategic and economic opportunities that an independent Baluchistan would provide to Americans, including the ability to contain a rising China and an emerging Iran, prevent an adversarial Pakistan from achieving strategic depth in Afghanistan, and ensure Baloch-American economic prosperity through new energy and mineral resource agreements in future.

The Pakistani Embassy made it clear that “Balochistan’s affairs and issues are an internal matter of Pakistan, and it is for the people of Pakistan and our democratic institutions to address these [issues].”

“We would advise those behind this resolution to reserve their concern and solicitude for problems closer to home. Needless to say, provocations such as these will seriously impact the Pakistan-US relations. We value this relationship but not at the cost of our dignity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Embassy statement added.

locking it up, It’s high time, foreign finger prints traced in Balochistan should be brought upon in media with concrete proves and let the Baloch people know who is playing the game at the cost of their precious blood and national prosperity. And may be Pakistan, Iran & China should also move a symbolic resolution on forceful acceding of California and Texas to Mexico about a century back, after all they are the victims to this great game of great America.

Indo-Afghan Strategic Pact and Regional Stability by Afia Ambreen

The strategic partnership agreement signed by Afghanistan and India during Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s visit to New Delhi has decisively puts India in the centre stage of the endgame in Afghanistan as it awaits the US and NATO to pull out of that country by 2014.

The emergence of India as a major player in determining the post-ISAF future of Afghanistan is a severe setback to the security of Pakistan’s western border. The agreement contains a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of mineral resource development that should upstage China; Indian commitment to assist in training, equipping and capacity building programmes for Afghan security forces and finally the commitment to strengthening trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with the landlocked Afghanistan. All of these have, in one way or other, a bearing on national and strategic interests of Pakistan in particular and China in general.

After more than two decades of being virtually marginalised in Afghan affairs, India has made a diffident entry in the wake of ouster of Taleban in 2001 by the US. The Americans initially did not encourage upfront Indian involvement and let it focus on “soft power” — economic aid and trade as one of the largest donors pledging $2 billion for building roads, hospitals, schools and parliament house. Indian PM Manmohan Singh envisioned “Afghanistan’s economic integration with the Indian economy”. The accord signals India’s push for huge oil and mining assets of Afghanistan where China has also shown interest. Singh also hoped that both countries would try to operationalise their trilateral MoU signed with Iran to end Afghanistan’s landlocked isolation and dependence on Pakistan to reach the sea. It brightens India’s chances of bagging a lucrative mining contract for Hajigak, said to be the region’s largest untapped reserve of iron ore, and provides an opportunity to hunt for oil in northern Afghanistan.

The emerging scenario in Afghanistan doesn’t auger well for Pakistan. This was amply reflected in IG FC Maj-Gen Obaidullah Khan Kattak recent address in which he said that India and other foreign intelligence agencies are involved in subversive activities aimed at destabilising Balochistan. Addressing a press conference at FC Headquarters on Friday, he said, “It’s not a groundless accusation, we have solid proof of Indian involvement.” He further informed, “Afghanistan’s soil is being used for subversive activities in Balochistan. We are not blaming Afghanistan rather we have concrete evidences in this regard… We have taken up this issue with Afghan government, NATO and ISAF while Afghan government has assured us of complete cooperation.” The Indian subversive activities in Balochistan have gone unobserved for a long time but now enough evidence is available to indict the Indian government and military for indulging in worst forms of terror breeding. If truth be told, Afghanistan has become the new battle ground for a 64 year old proxy war between India and Pakistan. Both surprising and worrisome, India has emerged as a major proactive player this time. Over the past seven years, she has moved aggressively by offering a range of assistance projects of over $1.5 bn and establishing diplomatic missions throughout Afghanistan. Taking advantage of impoverishment of Afghanistan, New Delhi deployed 4000 spies under the garb of Indian doctors, engineers, scientists, executives and labourers etc. India is also providing well-coordinated military supplies to the northern alliance through the air base in Tajikistan. This includes weapons, equipment and spare parts aimed at strengthening the anti-Pakistan elements and instability in Afghanistan on boil. The Indian footprints in Swat and the Pakistani tribal belt includes Indian currency, Indian bullets, Indian small and heavy explosives, blood banks and all supportive products i.e. special hideouts like tunnels, caves, underground passages to help sustain a long-term war. This technology cannot be available to amateur fighters.

Since Afghanistan is transitioning from insurgency to civil war, an enhanced Indian security presence would only add to the deteriorating situation of security in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The very presence of an Indian force will be a magnet for renewed attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan and cross-border terrorist activities. Ms. Christine Fair of RAND Corporation unearthing some facts about the Indian consulates in Afghanistan and Iran stated that “it would be a mistake to completely disregard Pakistan’s regional perceptions due to doubts about Indian competence in executing covert operations. That misses the point entirely. And I think it’s unfair to dismiss the notion that Pakistan’s apprehensions about Afghanistan stem in part from its security competition with India. Having visited the Indian mission in Zahedan, Iran, I can assure you that they are not issuing visas as the main activity! Moreover, India has run operations from its mission in Mazar and is like doing so from the other consulates it has reopened in Jalalabad and Qandahar along the border. Indian officials have told me privately that they are pumping money into Baluchistan”. The leading newspaper of Sri Lanka, Daily Mirror, while criticizing the role of Indian intelligence agency RAW, states that among its most ambitious operations that are currently underway, is the move to separate Baluchistan province from Pakistan by supporting the rogue elements. The idea behind Indian intervention into Afghanistan is to keep Pakistan and its intelligence agency on the defensive by fictionalizing and alleging its hand in supporting Taliban or Al-Qaeda militants. That is why, while Pakistan is doing utmost in controlling the state of affairs on border with Afghanistan, it is falling prey to the complex game India is playing to destabilize Pakistan in order to expand beyond its borders and create hegemony in the region.

In a nutshell, Indian presence in Afghanistan whether diplomatic or economic has less to do with reconstruction and more to do with keeping the turf conducive for the workings of RAW against Pakistan. Likewise, New Delhi’s seriousness to increase its military presence in Afghanistan has exposed its hollowness and duplicity for orchestrating the nefarious act. India’s military intervention would only serve its expansionist pursuit while keeping Afghanistan on boil. It is for international community to realize that the security situation and insurgency issue in Afghanistan are not going to be solved until the Indian influence on the Afghan government is neutralized.

A new chapter in peace process by Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan

According to ‘The Economic Times’, “The chemistry between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani seems to work for the volatile India-Pakistan relations.” Indeed, the process of composite dialogue between nuclear armed South Asian neighbours initiated in 1997 and revived in 2004, got derailed following the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2009.

Thereafter, India maintained its pressure on Pakistan for its alleged linkages with the militants operating in India. Pakistan, however, denied this and maintained that, it condemned all terrorist acts committed by any one and rejected any linkage with any militant group. In an environment of accusations and counter accusations, Prime Minister Gillani and his Indian counterpart, Dr Manmohan Singh had a meeting on the sidelines of NAM in Sharm-el-Sheikh, the Egyptian picnic resort in July 2009. This meeting proved as the melting of ice in the Indo-Pak bilateral tense relationship. It was for the first time after Mumbai attacks that, India agreed to delink the cross border terrorism from peace process. Though, the chemistry of this changed Indian stance was different, which rather compelled her to keep silent thereafter. Nevertheless, the diplomatic channels remained operative for the improvement of bilateral relations thereafter, and with little constraints, the process made its way forward.

The Thimphu round of SAARC, (16th SAARC Summit), held in April 2010, further reinforced the peace initiatives, started at Sharm-el-Sheikh between both countries. From Thimphu to Addu, both countries travelled a long distance with lot of CBMs. Apart from the foreign and interior secretaries’ level meetings, there have been ministerial meetings of both countries. So much so, Pakistan has granted MFN status to India before the 17th Summit of SAARC. Indian Prime Minister Dr Singh declared his Pakistani counterpart as the, “Man of peace” and said that, “We have wasted a lot of time in acrimonious debate in the past. The time has come to write a new chapter in relations between India and Pakistan.” He was optimistic of the dialogue process commenced, after the Thimphu moot and emphasized to do more in the coming days for furthering this peace initiative.

Pakistani Premier, Mr Gillani, declared his meeting with his Indian counter part as productive one and said, “We had a good meeting. I hope the next round of talks will be more constructive and open a new chapter in relations between the two countries.” Mr. Gillani said that, during his meeting with Dr. Singh, they had a detailed discussion on all issues, including core issues related to “water, terror, Sir Creek and Siachen.” Either by design or just as a coincidence, the Premier did not make a mention of Jammu and Kashmir issue; indeed, the mother of all issues and the root cause of Indo-Pak sixty-four years of rivalry. Except Sir Creek, all other issues indeed, emanates from Kashmir dispute, thus its resolution is more important before other issues. Indeed, most of other issues would automatically be resolved, if Kashmir issue is settled as per the wishes of its people.

Notwithstanding the microbes, the warmth in the Indo-Pak relationship is really an encouraging step and would be a great confidence building for the region as a whole. Indeed, ever since of decolonization, South Asia has been hostage of Indo-Pak rivalry. Unlike European Union (EU), and ASEAN, the region could not be integrated economically, politically or from security perspective. Resultantly, nothing could be done for the betterment of its inhabitants, forming a sizable portion of the global population. Today, majority of the world’s poor people live in South Asia. Even India has over 50% poor, if global standard of poverty are applied there. Pakistan and other South Asians have almost similar statistics of poverty. Would this beginning of a new chapter in the bilateral relationship of India and Pakistan is really going to change the destinies of 1.4 billion people of South Asia, or fell prey of another 26/11, is quite premature to comment upon. However, one can hope and pray for the best. Nevertheless, this is for sure that, if the leadership of both countries is determined, sincere and visionary, there is no way that, peace and stability of the region can be derailed. This would provide opportunities for economic well being and social integration among South Asian communities. In fact, a perpetual peace and stability would give way to economic prosperity of the region, the most needed factor for the poverty alleviation from the South Asia.

The question mark for a meaning end to this promising beginning is that, do the Indo-Pak leadership really serious to redress the grievances of those, who have been deprived of their basic right to live with freedom, as enshrined in UN Charter. Really they have made up their minds to address the root causes of wars, rivalries and confrontations. Without this preliminary phase, promotion of bilateral trade and commerce may be a temporary phase. Indeed, redressing the core issues, would not allow the non-state actors to through a spoiler for the repeat of incidents like; the 26/11 or attack on India Parliament of December 13, 2001, causing mass mobilization of two nuclear rivals. At times it appears as if the Indo-Pak leadership is mounting on a tree from its top, through weak branches and leaves, rather through a strong stem.

Would the weak top bears the heavy load of South Asian heavy weights, is really a big question mark. It is not that, I am opposing the peace process, but, has not such initiatives proved sand dunes in the past? After all, this is not the first beginning of Indo-Pak peace process in their sixty-four years of independent history. Moreover, through cosmetic measures, let us not befool 1.4 billion people of South Asia. Therefore, let us be realistic in our approach and accept the harsh ground realities for a better South Asian future with peace and stability as its destiny.

For a durable peace in South Asia, we cannot buy the themes which say; “let us promote trade and commerce between India and Pakistan, and leave the resolution of Core issue (Kashmir issue) to our future generation.” Do we really desire that our future generations should suffer too?

Absurd Accusations, Pay Nothing

By Ishaal Zehra

Pakistan as a country and Pakistani people as a nation are going through very tough times. John Kerry, the first American politician to visit Pakistan since Osama bin Laden was shot dead in the incident of unilateral action by the US forces on May 2nd 2011, told the country's military and civilian leaders that they could lose billions of dollars in funding if they fail to tackle militant safe havens in the mountainous border areas.

Things have clearly changed after the May 2nd incident of unilateral action in the sovereign independent state of Pakistan, unfortunately, by its own ally in war against terror. How absurd American accusations are that Osama bin Laden was able to hide in the country due to either an official support network or the ‘incompetence’ of Pakistani authorities. Just to let the so-called ally of ours know that we as a nation have full confidence in the high command of the Pakistan Armed Forces and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Throwing the entire responsibility on external factors and absolving oneself from any responsibility is absurd as well as ridiculous. Pakistan is not the birthplace of al Qaeda. Taliban and al Qaeda was born in an allusion to US funding for the Afghan mujahidden in the 1980s war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan, it is unfair for Pakistan to own all the blame.

To cover its own failures the US always blamed Pakistan for not doing enough or for harboring terrorists on its soil. These terrorists nurtured by the US for its own objectives and then abandoned could not be get rid off so suddenly. Moreover the high handed US policies and killing of innocent people through indiscriminate bombing made things more difficult and complicated. Intervention in Afghanistan by regional powers like India and Iran further compounded the problem. How can Pakistan overcome such well entrenched insurgents in one of the roughest terrain in the world while its so-called allies and the Afghan government complicated matters and vitiated the atmosphere. This monster of terrorism has engulfed the region and Pakistan is clearly not responsible. Everyone including the US must take its share of responsibility for its own failings.

The contribution of this country in the US-led war against terrorism was always well above average. 248 al Qaeda operatives, among them senior leaders, had been captured by Pakistani armed forces. No other country in the world and no other security agency have done so much to interdict al Qaeda than the ISI and our armed forces. We have lost more or less 35,000 people of Pakistan including our civilian brothers and armed forces.

Pakistan was a peaceful country with a tolerant population till the time the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, after which the bad days for Pakistan started. The US, apparently, started to feel the pain for the “poor” Afghans. While this is no more a secret now that the US actually had no love lost for Afghan freedom as they themselves are a historic demon who had committed grave atrocities against other countries - not forgetting Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the total elimination of the native American. However this apparent pain was not for freeing the Afghans from Soviet occupation in fact, the US saw a golden opportunity to avenge its humiliation in Vietnam.

The proof is provided by Mr. Zbigniew Brzezinski (National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter) in his interviews. He acknowledge the fact that the US worked towards inducing the Soviets to invade Afghanistan through covert actions. Billions of dollars in military aid were provided to the most ignorant, bigoted and obscurantist forces to fight the Soviets. Thousands of criminals were released from prisons in US allied Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia etc to fight a holy war in Afghanistan. Hundreds of Madrassahs were opened to give militant religious education to young Afghan and Pakistanis to indoctrinate them to fight the Soviets. This was all done without any regard to the fact that this monster that was being created will one day attempt to devour its own creator. The area became awash with sophisticated weapons. After the Soviet withdrawal the US and its allies conveniently withdrew, leaving battle hardened warriors looking for another enemy. They found one in the United States. Al Qaeda an organization created by US trained zealots prepared for ten years while the US remained blissfully ignorant, of its plans. The terrorists struck the US on 9 September 2001. The US reaction was immature and beyond proportion. The sympathy wave generated due to the tragic events faded as the US policies became bankrupt and counter productive.

And the Great Satan then started the Great Global Game. Ever since then all what is happening on the world stage is been directed and produced by the Great Satan himself. The war in Iraq lead to Afghanistan is now being purposely drawn in to Pakistan. The Osama’s presence here in Abbottabad just paved a way for further advancement of US plans in the region.

Fortunately for us Pakistanis, the chief outcome of this incident is that Pakistan is now bound to deal with its problems internally. Expectantly it will give a little troubled feeling to the allies of GWOT but humbly it is stated that we cannot afford to put off the flaring self esteem which has aroused in the wake of this costly war.

Collectively, we must acknowledge facts and see our faces in the mirror of history and if the American mirror, unfortunately showing them vandalized then its not Pakistan’s fault.

Whose Blame it is Anyways??

Some intrigues keep one’s mind amused for quite some time. Apparently Al-Qaeda creation and usage for US’s (not national but few peoples) interests always make me salute the higher ups in the west whose mind is always busy in creating and controlling the scenarios with such an ease that the US citizens (actually the burden carriers of this war in form of taxes and their lives) don’t even try to think what is lost and what is at stake. This is really an accomplishment on the behalf of their government.

Pakistan and its army both are paying the cost of being an ally to the US in return of so-called aid which surely cannot live up to the cost of lives of thousands of its people (both Civil & Military) and the gone serenity of its land of pure. but in spite of a recognition, the tribute paid to us by the sweetheart ally of ours is that we are a party to OBL. it was an intelligence failure on behalf of security forces but the cost it has paid so far is much much more than this petty little failure. Even CIA was not able to find any trace of Bin Laden in spite of having far better technology and assistance then why to blame others for something even you were not able to do. US simply cannot null n void all the efforts Pakistan has done for crushing the devil they have actually nurtured.

Following is a salute to those who have the guts to admit own folly and pointing out own culprits rather than just blaming others for it. The piece is a cross post from “Take Over World” and can be accessed at:
http://www.takeoverworld.info/brzezinski_quotes.html

Let's take a look at what "Al-Qaeda" has accomplished so far:

• 1) Two entire countries turned over the western oil interests, Afghanistan now run by former Unocal consultants.

• 2) 3000 dead American civilians in NY, many more sickened by toxic and carcinogenic air, dying of cancer and other diseases, since Bush ordered EPA to tell them air was fine.

• 3) 6000 (approx) dead Afghani civilians, tens of thousands more starved to death, frozen, maimed and missing arms, legs, eyes, though the countryside is in utter chaos.

• 4) CIA-run heroin production which Taliban stopped, now skyrocketing.

• 5) 700,000 (approx) dead Iraqi civilians, with triple or quadruple that number permanently maimed, terrorized, displaced, dislocated. Robbed of all their possessions of a middle class lifestyle, or farming lifestyle, or whatever. Iraq being carved up by GLOBAL oil interests, with American companies in the lead, not simply to acquire oil for the US market, but to prevent other countries from buying oil directly without subservience to the Washington Consensus, i.e. neo-liberalism, or as Poppy Bush said, "What we say, goes".

• 6) 2500+ American troops dead (which Kissinger called soldiers stupid animals to be used as cannon fodder for political games), probably 20,000+ maimed and psychologically damaged (don't mention psychologically maimed Iraqis), many with permanent injuries, but don't worry, we'll cut veterans benefits (as in the past) so taxpayers aren't affected.
(according to Time, "... founders of the Chowder and Marching Society, formed in 1949 by 15 fractious young Republicans of the House [[Nixon and Ford among them] to oppose monthly bonuses for war veterans, ...") (see Bonus Marchers shot by Army)

• 7) 600+ Lebanese civilians dead, Shiite, Sunni, Druze and Christians of all sects, mostly farmers, shepherds, and the very poor in the cities, based loosely off America's War against Al-Qaeda, and with Al-Qaeda offering to "help" Hezbollah, Hz refusing Al-Qaeda's help (i think Hz is a legit resistance, as opposed to Al-Qaeda)

• 8) Uncounted numbers (mostly Arabs, and American troops, but worldwide) who will die from cancer and other conditions and have an epidemic of birth defects, due to dumping radioactive waste (depleted uranium) all over Iraq, Bosnia, Lebanon.

• 9) A few hundred dead Israelis, civilians and soldiers.
(as one American officer said about the staged Pearl Harbor event, "It was a cheap price") http://www.silverbearcafe.com/infamy.html (Lieutenant Commander Joseph Rochefort, head of the Navy’s Mid-Pacific Radio Intelligence Network.)

Gosh, it looks like this Al-Qaeda Project, rather than being good for Arab liberation, actually serves the role getting them killed and dominated by foreigners.

Who Benefits? entirely predictable

Since Al-Qaeda was undeniably, irrefutably an American-British Intelligence creation in the first place ... Hmmm ... Makes you wonder.
Arab people must be saying, with friends like him, who needs enemies?
If I were an oil speculator/investor, I'd be sending Osama a case of Old Malt Scotch for Christmas. Who's he working for anyhow?!!

(The current President is literally an American Intelligence creation ... by his father. And John Kerry, like Bush and like Heinrich Himmler, is admittedly a member of Skull and Bones ... only he and Bush told a giggling Tim Russert they can't talk about it.)

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case: My Honor Is Not For Sale, Not For a Lie By GORDON DUFF

VETERANS Today Editors, Jeff Gates, Raja Mujtaba and I were in the AF-Pak region over the last couple of weeks. Jeff and I are Vietnam veterans, Raja a decorated combat veteran, tank commander, from the India/Pakistan war. We met dozens of Pakistani military, including nearly all of their highest ranking retired officers, from Admiral Sirohey, Chairman of their Joint Chiefs of Staff to General Alsam Beg, Head of the Army to Lt. General Hamid Gul, former head of the ISI. In our party were our other Veterans Today contributors, BG Asif Haroon Raja and BG Raza Ali, of “Charlie Wilson’s War” fame.

Today, I received an email from Admiral Sirohey. His office is lined with memorabilia from a long career of service, service as an ally and friend of the United States. Sirohey and the rest were America’s most stalwart allies during the Cold War. These were the real allies that helped us bring about the downfall of the Soviet Union. I was honored to be among them. Today Admiral Sirohey is scheduled to attend a rally protesting the illegal kidnapping, brutalizing and conviction of Dr. Affia Siddiqui. America’s best friends in Asia, the finest soldiers in the world are horrified at what we have done.

Can it be that bad?

The Bush administration, when it saw its “War on Terror” wasn’t getting enough suspects, hired drug cartel members and criminal elements to kidnap innocent civilians to fill our secret prisons. Yes, we actually did this. In this case, we kidnapped a mother with 3 children, tortured her for years, murdered a small child and then charged her with attempting to murder her captors after years in a secret prison on Bagram Air Force Base.

Every soldier on that base, everyone who has served there has to live with the dishonor of this act until something is done. Remember when America, after World War II painted the people of Germany with the stain of guilt for not knowing about the death camps? Tell me what is different here? We didn’t know that druglords and gangsters were stealing people off the street to fill our prisons with “terror suspects” so Bush/Ashcroft and Cheney could crow about their successes?

If you didn’t know before, this is what all the secret “torture memos” were all about, not real terrorists, but innocent people we “bought” as though we were slave runners of old.

A few years after we bought our phony terror suspects, tortured, raped and brutalized them, most were released. They had committed no crime other than to be standing on the wrong dark street corner when the druglords working for Bush were out hunting “meat” for America’s gulags.

Dr. Aafia had to be convicted, had to be jailed and silenced. The crimes against her and her children were so heinous, only a kangaroo court in America, a country whose news is orchestrated by the Islam hating MSM/Corporate media and powerful Israeli/AIPAC lobby would have the audiacity to bring her to trial.

Do we need to review the case? Remember the OJ case? He was released because of a glove not fitting. Dr. Aafia was shot by the “translator” during her “debriefing.”

She has a Doctorate from an American university. She comes from a country where everyone speaks English. “If the translator doesn’t fit, you must acquit!”

Do we now call a person with a cattle prod a “translator?”

When the My Lai massacre happened, I was with a Marine unit less than 50 miles away. All of us who were there then, not so many are around any more, carry the stain of that dishonor and have for decades. I can talk of honor or service but all people see is babies and their mothers, shot to death, lining the bottom of a ditch.

It is a matter of honor.

There are no “secret prisons” and nobody is tortured without someone knowing about it. We are all responsible, I don’t care if you are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere around the world, active duty, reserve, National Guard, retiree or veteran. We are nearly 30 million strong. Many of us don’t have much, memories, wounds, a small pension and our honor.
Our silence strips our honor away.

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was not a terrorist. The newspapers lied, we all know why. Either she is guilty or we all are. Better to destroy her than to arrest those guilty of real crimes, arrest people some of us voted into high office.
“We were just taking orders.”

Where have we heard that before, Nuremberg? It isn’t just this one life. We already killed over a million people in our ill fated invasion of Iraq.
Fog of War. We know better, everyone with eyes to see knows better, know it now. Then why are we still acting like criminals? No more lies. We are at war, a war with real enemies. We have so little, our short lives, our families and what we believe in.

Did a tiny crippled woman, illegally imprisoned for years try to murder a room of FBI, Special Forces and Blackwater/CIA operatives?

I can tell you this: If I get my butt kicked by a 100 pound woman in a wheel chair, you won’t see me in front of a jury in New York City crying for my mama.

The only possible answer is that everyone involved in the trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is a liar. Nothing else is possible. I know why they lied, they were ordered to “for the good of the service.” Was there something in the oath involving “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America unless told to lie for the good of the service?”

What are we protecting?

Once the public learns that we are buying phony terror suspects from the worlds largest drug dealers, people we are protecting, people flooding our streets with narcotics, there might be problems. Best not let the public know why we never found those weapons of mass destruction, that yellow cake uranium, those mobile bio-weapons labs or why our continual search for Osama bin Laden keeps failing.

The deal of the century, destroying an innocent life and earning the hate of a valued ally, all to stand behind the lies and rhetoric of America’s “dark age.” We would be lucky if it were only every citizen of Pakistan that was enraged at us for this travesty. It is worse, far worse.

Who are the real terrorists? In Pakistan, Admiral Sirohey, friend to half a dozen American Presidents is heading to a peaceful protest. What can we, Americans, claim? If kidnapping, torture, rape and covering it up by letting the victim rot in prison isn’t terrorism, I don’t know what is.

We should be thankful for that seat on the UN Security Council. We may need it for more than covering up for Israel. The next nation facing sanctions for international crimes may be us. All that stands between us and being cut off from the world is our veto. All that is keeping an entire administration from War Crimes trials is the Bush administrations withdrawal from the International Criminal Court at the Hague.
Why is President Obama allowing the outrages of the Bush administration to continue?

SOURCE: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/03/03/gordon-duff-freeing-dr-aafia-a-matter-of-honor/#respond

New Iran – New Intentions

Ishaal Zehra

The attack which killed the national Deputy Commander of the ground forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (RG), General Noor Ali Shooshtari and the provincial commander for Sistan-Baluchistan, Rajab Ali Mohammadzadeh along with some senior officers and 42 others in a homicide bombing inflicted Iran's worst military casualties in years.

Quick after the mishap, an Iranian military official went as far as to raise the prospect of a possible military offensive into Pakistan against the group blamed for the attack. "There is even unanimity that these operations (could) take place in Pakistan territory," the ISNA news agency quoted MP Payman Forouzesh as saying. While the headquarters of Iran's armed forces blamed the bombing on "terrorists" backed by "the Great Satan America and its ally Britain," Fars News Agency said Sunday.

Islamabad strongly denied the allegations and said the attack was an attempt to "spoil ties" with Iran. "There are forces which are out to spoil our relations with Iran. But our ties are strong enough to counter these machinations," said the Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit while dismissing the allegations.

The point to ponder is that, how come Pakistan would be wishing to create unrest in some neighbour while its own house is burning. Pakistan has been the victim of worst type of terror since many years. The war which initially started in Afghanistan was purposely shifted to Balochistan province of ours as a part of the Great Game. Amid the GWOT the active involvement of many countries intelligence agencies in Balochistan was observed. These agencies, while playing with the internal conflicts of the center and the Baloch people, are subversively involved in provision of funds and arms to different armed groups. This has been proved many a times that the outlawed armed groups of Balochistan, BLA and BRA are funded and trained by Indian RAW. Even the websites of BLA and greater Balochistan are updated from India. The role of Indian consulate offices in Afghanistan is suspected since their origin.

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the problem, it is difficult for India to openly support the Baluch insurgency because it may harm her relations with Iran (never bother about Pakistan). If the Indians will come out openly in support of the BLA, anti-Indian elements in Pakistan will quickly bracket New Delhi with the alleged Great Game of the US against Iran.
Indian relation with Iran have generally been viewed by observers as a tightrope walking to balance out her interests in Iran as well with the US. India, knowingly, that sidestepping the international community’s efforts to thwart Iran’s so-called drive for nuclear weapons would only devalue her credibility in the eyes of global power, New Delhi is fast trying to convey an unambiguous message that a nuclear armed Iran is as unacceptable to India as it is to the US, the U.K. or France. Hence, India (a good time’s friend) seems to be all set to dump Tehran to seek new alliances and please her new friends.

Iran is a regional power and an aspiring nuclear state which poses a threat to Israeli expansionism in Middle East. There is no denying the fact that Iran’s nuclear programme has been a persistent worry for both, US and Israel. And the choice between new allies and old friend is getting tough on India. To understand India’s dilemma, it requires a critical view of her relation with both Israel and Iran. There has been a steady strengthening of the India’s relationship with Israel ever since India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. Ever since then, the flourishing Indo- Israel relationship has gained much potential to make a significant impact on the global politics, by altering the balance of power not only in South Asia but the Middle East as well. Today, India has become the biggest market for Israeli arms with their strategic, defence and intelligence cooperation growing at a rapid pace. Where as, on the other hand, the vast oil and gas reserves of Iran serve magnetic affiliation to the quenching India’s long term thirst for energy. And yet another attraction in Iran’s case is that she offers India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, side-lining Pakistan.

Given the scenario, India is more likely to tilt towards Israel in future. As regardless of her important ties with Arab countries and Iran, her lure for intelligence consultations with Israel seems a durable one. Until now, India has veered between cooperation and altercation in case of Iran yet in the time to come we may expect India to go along with Israel and US in destroying Iran, one of the country in Bush’s war against his self-selected axis of evil. A nuclear Iran suspected of supporting Palestinians and organizations sympathetic to them, faces a great threat of attack on its nuclear installations. And India would support such an operation clandestinely, while opposing in front of the world, not to annoy Iran because of economic reasons. Amusingly, India’s interest in the proposed IPI gas line project diminished sharply from the time the US-India nuclear deal began to take shape. Probably, the US wants to undermine India-Iran economic relations to such an extent that New Delhi becomes a stakeholder in its plan against Iran.

The geopolitical implications of the collaborations between India, US and Israel are grave and manifold. Despite the denials, India is playing a secret role in US strategy against Iran for past many years. India regardless of having close ties with Iran stabbed her in the back by joining EU-3 on Iran’s nuclear issue. It is no more a secret that EU-3 is no longer acting independently, but as a surrogate of the US. How piteous that a democracy ended up as a deputy of a surrogate. History has witnessed how India once used the friendly ties with Tehran as a ladder to achieve US and European community’s support to secure permanent seat in Security Council. Thanks to her mean and wanton nature which made her vote twice against the same Iran in the IAEA governing board, thus endorsing the US agenda for confrontation with Iran. Nevertheless, the Indian vote against Iran has extensively lowered her global structure and credibility. Despite her close economic and political relations, if India could stab a friendly country like Iran in the back, then she could not be considered trustworthy by other developing countries.

The thriving indo-Israeli relations are posing a direct threat to Iran. Their trade has grown exceptionally over the years, especially after the launch of Israeli spy satellite from the Indian Space center, the tie got even stronger. The launch of TecSAR has considerably enhanced Israel’s intelligence-gathering capability. The satellite is clearly affecting the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as its ability to produce image in adverse weather and even at night allowed Israel to obtain more information about the Iranian nuclear programme. Though India officially argues that she has commercially utilized her advanced technological capacity but the act brought to light India’s full cooperation to dissuade, isolate and if necessary sanction and contain Iran. Nevertheless, Iran should realize that a friend of your enemy can never be your friend and India has already established herself as Israel’s friend and Iran’s foe at many instances.

It is time that India’s credibility as a friendly democracy should be weighed by other developing countries of the world. The Indo-Israel nexus, under the US patronage, is posing a threat to the Muslim world. All their ambitions revolve around targeting particularly Muslim states that are energy rich and either nuclear or threshold nuclear states. It is high time that the Islamic countries take a unified and concrete step to cater this ghastly menace, or else it might become too late.

South Asian Fake Nuclear Power

India's nuclear tests shocked the world

Ishaal Zehra

Every now and then, in the democratic entity called India, something unusual happens which keeps one amused for so many days. The feeling is almost the same as some magician waves his wand and ‘woof’……. here comes a surprise (which eventually turns out to be a shock at the end of the day) and then another and another and the story goes on.

Some time back Mr. P. K. Iyengar, former head of India's main nuclear body, told the BBC that he made it clear in 2002 that India's nuclear tests were inconclusive and ambiguous and that the 1998 nuclear test was not a deterrent against China, though it was against Pakistan. His comments came as atomic scientist K Santhanam, who was associated with India's 1998 nuclear tests, said they were not as successful as claimed. Meaning, the yield of the thermonuclear explosions was actually much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle. Now if his statement is accurate then it points to a massive cover-up by India and also confirms what many in the West suspected at that time - that the nuclear devices India tested were not as powerful as had been thought. Revising history, Pakistan was forced to test her nuclear capability and declare itself a nuclear state after India made this dramatic presentation in front of the world boasting her fake strength in 1998 which actually disturbed the balance of power in the region.

Sometimes it is believed that countries exaggerate their achievements for political posturing against their enemies. Realistically, this is the part of the global game but this insanity of India in 98 unfortunately accelerated the arms race in the region and saying this would not be wrong that it is actually India who pushed the region towards an unending nuclear race.

This time the surprise came when the former US president Bill Clinton made it public that in the event of a nuclear war with Pakistan, Indian leaders had predicted a bizarre victory. Surprisingly the Indian officials had calculated that while 300 million to 500 million of their countrymen would die if Pakistani nukes hit India, all 120 million Pakistanis would be annihilated in a tit-for-tat Indian strike. What is more amazing is the Indian government’s willingness to play fast and loose with its citizens lives to notch up a bizarre win against Pakistan. Now this is actually called the height of enmity. In the heart of their hearts such is the hatred for Pakistan that they simply assumed their 500 million people dead just for the wish to see Pakistan dead and gone. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Taylor Branch's new book, The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, which goes on sale in early October, has an unguarded Clinton venting about Indian leaders' so-called willingness to threaten the death of millions in their standoff over nuclear arms.

India-Pakistan relations do not move at a comfortable pace. They zigzag from crisis to crisis. In the interregnum the two countries either engage in negotiations or struggle to revive an interrupted dialogue. And in such scenario keeping nuclear weapons free from risk is a mad fantasy. There is always a fatal risk that sooner or later, in a situation of political tension and panic, someone somewhere will err and millions may die.


Today many a brilliant writers including Mr. Iyengar himself stress upon conducting further tests to prove Indian nuclear capability. While talking to the BBC Mr. Iyengar said that If India wants to declare itself as a nuclear power and confirm to the military (read “Pakistan” instead) that it has all the means of designing a thermo-nuclear device which can go into a missile, which can be dropped from an aircraft or can be launched from a submarine, it needs many more tests. Humbly, for all such statements of conducting further nuclear tests just to establish India as a true nuclear power, I would suggest them to spend that money helping its gigantic rock bottom poverty rather then experiencing again a global embarrassment while raising their so-called ego by doing another fake test, provided someone cares to listen.

Pakistan - A Sleeping Superpower

Masood Sharif Khan Khatak

Way back in the 1960s Pakistan was truly on the move.

The early Ayub years gave us the “Green Revolution” because of the construction and commissioning of dams such as Mangla and Tarbela. Barrages were erected all the way down to the Guddu near Hyderabad.

These dams and barrages gave birth to an efficient network of canals and small distributaries which in the sixties not only made Pakistan self-sufficient but surplus in agricultural products.

In the 60s the building that we all know as Habib Bank Plaza in Karachi was the tallest building all the way from the Middle East down to Singapore. In the 1960s almost every army, navy and air force in the Middle East was manned by Pakistani officers and men. We literally raised those armed forces.

Many airlines that operate from the Gulf have actually been trained, organized and manned by PIA staff when they initially started operations. Today they are amongst the best in the world while PIA is in a total mess.

In 1972 it was Pakistan that created history and paved the way for the world to move in the direction that it actually has moved by being instrumental in bringing about President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing (then Peking). That visit helped both China and USA equally and opened the world to be shaped as it is today. Not long after that, in 1979, if Pakistan had not taken on the USSR on its own initially, along with the Afghan Mujahideen, the world today would have been very different.

One can go on recounting many more aspects of Pakistan to show what a potently viable country it should have been today with an economy strong enough to stand it in good stead for exercising an independent foreign policy as well as in bringing about an environment in which the country would have had a content population which would, in turn, have excluded space to all sorts of disruptions.

What, then, went wrong and why do people now talk in terms of whether Pakistan will be able to outlast its present crisis?

Pakistan indeed lost its way in the years that followed the incidents I have quoted; military coups, the judicial murder of an elected prime minister, frequent derailing of the political process, an erratic foreign policy pursued by a bunch of minds that were driven by reasons other than prudent statecraft, importing of self-seeking bankers and making them prime ministers, denying of provincial autonomy to the federating units, allowing ethnic and other kinds of militancy to grow, letting fiefdoms be created right under the nose of the state, making talent become subservient to cronyism, treating education as if it was insignificant and so much more is all responsible for the dire straits we find ourselves in after having made a great start in the early years of our freedom.

It is said that South Korea laid its foundations for progress and prosperity on Pakistan’s First Five Year Plan. Pakistan never made a second five-year plan and in fact the First Five Year Plan was followed by unplanned improvisation. Who knows, had Pakistan followed its own First Five Year Plan like South Korea did, in the subsequent years Pakistan too may well have been one of the biggest economies of the world today. (South Korea is now the fourth-biggest of Asia and the world’s 15th.)

Most Pakistanis are known to have a strong faith in the country’s ability to bounce back from the wilderness. Pakistan is not a country that can be written off because a handful of insurgents have taken the state on frontally and because the state has not responded as responsibly as it ought to have ever since the crisis was evolving. Reacting to situations when crises explode in the face cannot be the best of situations for any state.

The present crisis should never have gotten to where it now stands. Now that it has and now that it has to be handled, let all Pakistanis take strength from the fact that this great country needs to be put back on the track from which it got derailed in the 1960s.

We Pakistanis have to once again regain our lost glory and win back our rightful, respectable and dignified place in the comity of nations. We can and must do it.

The writer- Mr. Masood Sharif Khan Khatak- is former Director General of the Intelligence Bureau and former Vice President of the PPP Parliamentarians.

Email: masoodsharifkhattak@gmail.com

PAKISTAN’S NEED FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY

Amjed Jaaved

Our country is in throes of a full-fledged energy crisis. There is a discernible upsurge in enthusiasm for nuclear energy worldwide. Industrial production and household routines are being regularly disrupted by outages and planned power cuts (euphemistically called load shedding). The country’s backbone that is textile mills, steel smelting operations, shoe factories, small businesses and other key components operate on a limited schedule.

It is the poor who have to bear the brunt of power cuts. They do not have uninterrupted power supply units to beat load shedding. Besides, they lose jobs as the result of power-induced layoffs. Ordinary hospitals have no generators. As such, it is difficult for them to take care of the country’s ill.

At present, nuclear power accounts for only about one per cent of the country’s energy consumption. The country has two civilian-use nuclear reactors. Construction on a third one is underway. The country generates only about 450 MW of nuclear electricity. It has plans to increase the current capacity to about 8,800 MW by year 2020!

The technologically- advanced West has paid only lip service to Pakistan’s voracious need for nuclear power. They have extended the benefit of civilian nuclear energy to India, but not to Pakistan. During the former president Bush’s visit to Pakistan in March 2006, Pakistan’s prospective energy requirement was a topic of discussion. The communiqué issues at the end of the Bush trip committed the two countries to inaugurating `an energy working group, which will explore ways to meet Pakistan’s growing energy needs and strengthen its energy security’ and to working together `to develop public and private collaboration on a broad range of energy sources’. Unfortunately, there has been no tangible follow-up to the sanguine communiqué.

Ignoring Pakistan's dire need for energy, the USA has not signed a similar agreement with Pakistan. Stephen Cohen, Brooking Institution's South-Asia expert, echoed Pakistan's principled position on civilian-use of nuclear energy while addressing the United States’ Homeland Security Sub-committee. Key points of Cohen’s address are: (a) The 123 agreement should have been criteria-based instead of one-time India-specific bonanza.

The preferential benefits, envisioned in the deal, should have been extended to other eligible countries. Focusing, in particular on Pakistan, Cohen Called upon Washington to offer a similar deal, akin to European Union's criteria-based membership to the Union, to Pakistan. Cohen suggested that because of Washington's nonchalance to Pakistan's request, Pakistan has been forced to seek nuclear cooperation with China. In his view, Pakistan could be offered civilian nuclear cooperation in exchange for some reasonable nuclear restrictions.

There is worldwide enthusiasm for tapping the source of nuclear civil energy. This enthusiasm is outcome of over two decades of disappointing growth, coupled with economic recession. Industry leaders are forecasting a nuclear renaissance. The `nuclear renaissance' envisions a doubling or tripling of nuclear capacity by 2050. It is predicted that nuclear power would spread to new markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. A host of new fuel-reprocessing techniques and reactors would be developed.

The big push for nuclear power plants is expected in Asia, particularly from China, India, Japan and South Korea. In Europe, Italy is reconsidering nuclear energy. Besides, countries such as Germany and Sweden might delay or abandon phasing out nuclear power to meet climate change goals. Other countries (such as Canada, South Africa, and South Korea) have also planned to expand their programs to include uranium enrichment, plutonium reprocessing, or both.

Over two dozen additional states mostly in developing countries, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, have ardent interest in taping nuclear energy to meet their power deficiency. It is predicted that if the demand for nuclear energy continues to rise, the number of states with nuclear reactors could double.

A few more words about Pakistan’s current nuclear-power status. Pakistan has two pressurized-heavy-water reactors. One is the 125MWe Karachi Nuclear Power Plant. The other is Chashma Nuclear Power Plant with 325 MWe. Construction of Chashma-II is in progress with China’s assistance.

The project is expected to be completed in year 2,011. Because of political and feasibility constraints, it is not possible for Pakistan to tap new sources of hydel energy. As such, nuclear energy remains the only avenue to be tapped. The government is willing to design necessary policies and provide funds to implement nuclear-energy projects. The benefits of nuclear energy outweigh its costs. That's the reason the USA and India have signed the 123 agreement to benefit from cooperation in the field of civilian use of nuclear energy.

An energy-deficient Pakistan will be poor, politically unstable and environmentally-unsustainable. Impoverished Pakistanis would be an easy prey to the blandishments of preachers of religious bigotry or xenophobia. It is time the major powers shunned discriminatory policy towards Pakistan.

The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, members of international business community should see Pakistan as a potential investment target. The international financial institutions and the developed countries should extend cooperation in field of civil nuclear energy to speed up industrial activity in Pakistan. Faster economic growth will provide jobs to frustrated youth. As such, the unemployed youth would no longer find the extremist ideologies alluring.

Terrorism, Islam and Pakistan: The Fault-Line

Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan

According to famous Roman historian Josephus; terrorism has existed in one or the other form, ever since the origin of human being. However the act was formally known to be called as, ‘Reign of Terror’ (terrorism) during the French Revolution (1789–1799), in the Christen and Jewish dominated Country, as cited by Jacobins. At that time it was neither labeled as Christen nor Jewish terrorism.

However, in the ensuing history of mankind, this act of violence has been committed by people from various religions, areas, communities and casts/ creeds, but never ever, it was linked with a religion to call it either; Jewish, Islamic or Christen terrorism. Unfortunately it was only after the incident of 9/11, that the term was dubbed as the ‘Islamic Terrorism’.

While analyzing the Islamic dictate on the subject, it is very clear that; Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. Whereas Islam teaches peace and tolerance and orders its believers to compassion and justice; thus “Islam and terrorism cannot stand side by side”. Islam forbids terrorism and aims to bring peace and security to the world. Indeed, no divine religion permits terrorism and violence. As Holy Quran says, “If someone kills another person - unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he had killed all mankind”. Thus, the teaching of Islam is that, ‘a person who kills even a single man indeed commits a crime as if he had murdered all mankind on earth and such people will have a painful punishment’. In no part of the Quran does God command believers to "respond to violence with violence", but commands Muslims to "respond to evil with goodness".

These directives from the Holy Quran are enlightening for a better understanding of the Western disinformation in the name of, “Islamic Terrorism”. In reality those conduct and harbor these acts of terrorism in the name of Islam cannot be regarded as Muslims, as Islam do not allow such inhuman acts. In fact, whether a conspiracy or otherwise, against the essence of Islam, these militants try to make Islam, a tool of barbarism. In fact the beginning of this barbarism, which may well be called, “third world fanaticism” is the benighted initiatives of people who are devoid of love for human being. In 11th century, the way Crusaders distorted and misconstrued the Christianity as a teaching of brutality, some tainted groups might have budded in the Islamic world to get the wrong impression about Islam through brutal acts of terrorism. The commonalities of Crusaders and these so called Islamic terrorists are their "Bedouin" nature, that; “they were ignorant, unrefined, uncultivated, vulgar, and isolated people”. The violence they resorted resulted from this social structure, rather than the religion to which they claimed to adhere. The true message of a religion or another system of belief can be at times exposed to distortion by its pseudo-adherents. The Crusaders, who constitute a dark episode of Christian history, set a good example of this.

Created on the ideology of Islam, the terms like; extremism, violence, terrorism and suicide attacks were alien for the peace loving society of Pakistan. It was never the panorama of nonsensical violence and unpitying massacres even until 2003. Ever since the start of global war on terror in the post 9/11 scenario, this peaceful nation has lost innumerable innocent civilians and security forces personnel while acting as a frontline state. These losses have been caused by so called Islamic militants; the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and their accomplices, during their terror attacks either on security forces, innocent masses or else due to collateral damages caused in the process of combating the militancy. In fact the number of causalities Pakistan has suffered during this so called war on terror is much more than what we afforded during combat operations in all wars with India. The inopportune incident of 9/11 was a milestone in our current history and has caused inconceivable domestic turbulence in Pakistan. In reality, the incident was fallout of Western sponsored Jihad against the invasion of former Soviet Union in Afghanistan (1979 -1989). After disintegration of Soviet Union, the Western backed former Jihadis were left out of work, as US lead West left the region in haste. A majority of them kept itinerant along Pak- Afghan border until 9/11. Thereafter their presence in tribal areas was mulled over as a budding risk; therefore security forces launched operations to flush them out, to which they resorted to terrorist attacks on innocent civilians and security forces. Starting from Waziristan in 2004, they successfully made inroads into our major cities and carried out terrorist attacks across the length and breadth of the country. Over the years these militants were strengthened by acquisition of latest weaponry and equipments and an unending financial support by forces operating from outside the Pakistani borders, having historical rancor against us. In 2008 alone, over 5000 innocent Pakistani have lost their lives in the ongoing wave of terrorism.

The question arises who caused this all? Essentially these are those elements, fighting under the wrong pretext of promoting their version of Islamic ideology which is contrary to true spirit of Islam. It is worth mentioning here that Islam preaches peace and tranquility not violence and killings. These militants kill the innocent people indiscriminately, basing on which one can safely say that they are pursuing a philosophy contrary to Islamic one. Infact the militants fighting against the world in general and Pakistan in particular are sloppily damaging the Islamic ideology and impression of Islam, which cannot be done by a Muslim. All tangible evidences and analysis are indeed leading to the coherent conclusions that; camouflaged like Muslims, these militants are operating against Islam. It will be impulsive to say that who’s cause they are promoting? But indubitably none is follower of Islam or well wisher of Muslims in general and Pakistan in particular.

It is beyond doubt that, Pakistan is suffering, mainly because of its historical alliance with US and West whose policies and actions against Muslims have created the so called Islamic militants in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Time has come where Pakistani nation has to understand these so called Islamic militants, damaging the very basis of existence of the only ideological Muslim country in the world by promoting terrorism and extremism. Their uninterrupted flow of finances and munitions and secured hideouts has to be questioned and ceased consequently. It was unimaginable until a few years ago to target mosques that were known to be place of protection for every Muslim, but recent attacks on religious congregations in mosques/imam bargahs etc. have become a routine. These terrorist and immoral acts, violence and armed assaults on national, social and religious congregations are seriously leading towards their long term out of sight un-Islamic intentions. Their activities have made everyone and any one insecure in Pakistan. They have seriously hampered the economic progress of the country by encumbering the foreign investment through acts like; kidnapping and terrorizing the foreigners. They are openly torching the educational institutions specially girls schools and colleges, the very basis of our intellectual growth and quintessence of Islam. They are publicly butchering and beating the innocents including women and all those who question their true motives and ideology. They are promoting sectarianism, ethnicity and factional divide among the nation. In short, these militants are at war with all the peace loving people of Pakistan for motives better known to them or their abettors.

As in Islam, every divine religion, commands love, justice, mercy and peace. Violence turned into terrorism on the other hand is divergent to the religion and promotes; brutality, carnage, misery and unscrupulousness. This being the case, the origins of a terrorist act should be sought in disbelief rather than in any religion. Irrespective of their native religion, people with fascist, racist or materialist ideologies should be alleged as possible perpetrators. The name or the identity of the triggerman is not important. If he can kill innocent people without blinking an eye, then he is a nonbeliever, not a believer. Therefore, the misinformation that Islam promotes terrorism is rather a flawed concept which contradicts its basic teaching as referred above. The religion of Islam can by no means countenance terrorism, rather, terror in Islam is a great sin, and Muslims are responsible for preventing these acts and bringing peace and justice to the world. And this is what Pakistani as a nation is doing to save itself and the world from terrorists.

Terrorist are carrying out attacks in all corners of the world. Sadly, the fact that the perpetrators of various terrorist acts carry Christian, Muslim or Jewish identities cause some people to put forward claims which do not concur with divine religions. The truth is that even if terrorists have Muslim origin, the terror they perpetrate cannot be labeled "Islamic terror", just as it could not be called "Jewish terror" if the perpetrators were Jews or "Christian terror" if they were Christians. Therefore, it is felt that media, think tanks and intellectual should report to the real motives and un-Islamic practices of the terrorists. As terrorists attacking the Mosques (House of Allah) cannot be considered Muslims. Their motive is not supremacy of Islam rather they are actually playing in the hands of anti-Islamic and anti Pakistan elements.

The writer is a South Asian analyst. Email; drmk_edu@yahoo.com