Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiPakistan Rejects 'America's War' On Extremists
Parliament vows to end military action on border • Relations with US will be strained by new strategy
ISLAMABAD - Serious doubts multiplied yesterday about Pakistan's commitment to America's military campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban after parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for dialogue with extremist groups and an end to military action.
![[Members of religious party Jamaat e-Islami yesterday at a protest against US airstrikes along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. (Photograph: Fayyaz Hussain/Reuters)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/pakistan1024.jpg "pakistan1024.jpg")
The new strategy, backed by
all parties, emerged after a fierce debate in parliament where most
parliamentarians said that Pakistan was paying an unacceptable price
for fighting "America's war". If implemented by the government, support
for Pakistan from international allies would come under severe strain,
adding further instability to a country facing a spiral of violence and
economic collapse.
"We need to prioritise our own national security interests," said Raza Rabbani, a leading member of the ruling Pakistan People's party. "As far as the US is concerned, the message that has gone with this resolution will definitely ring alarm bells, vis-a-vis their policy of bulldozing Pakistan."
The resolution, passed unanimously in parliament on Wednesday night demanded the abandonment of the use of force against extremists, in favour of negotiation, in what it called "an urgent review of our national security strategy".
"Dialogue must now be the highest priority, as a principal instrument of conflict management and resolution," said the resolution. "The military will be replaced as early as possible by civilian law enforcement agencies." It also said Pakistan would pursue "an independent foreign policy" and, in a pointed reference to US military incursions into Pakistani territory, proclaimed that "the nation stands united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland, and calls upon the government to deal with it effectively".
The force of the resolution was unclear last night, with differences in interpretation between the ruling People's party and opposition. The document is not binding on the government even though it was party to it. The army remains the ultimate arbiter of security policy. Some analysts believe that differences between the parties will see a tussle over implementation that could temper the resolution's thrust. The US response was muted, with officials saying they considered it rhetoric for domestic consumption.
But the intense American pressure on Islamabad to take on the militants was underlined yesterday by another US missile strike inside Pakistani territory, an instance of the heavy-handed intervention that parliament railed against. The attack came in Pakistan's border area with Afghanistan, at an Islamic school being used by suspected extremists, killing 11. The madrasa was linked to Afghan Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, who has an extensive network in Pakistan.
There have been about a dozen US missile strikes inside Pakistan since the beginning of September and a ground assault, fanning widespread anti-Americanism in the country. The US and Nato depend on Pakistan to prevent its tribal area being used as a safe haven for Afghan Taliban.
Past attempts by Pakistan at making peace with militant groups in the tribal area have allowed them to regroup and led to a sharp increase in cross-border attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Yesterday a US official made clear what it expected. "Pakistan needs to and is attacking insurgents in its northern areas," Patrick Moon, a deputy US assistant secretary of state, said during a visit to Kabul. "Sanctuaries for Afghanistan Taliban in Pakistan complicate our security operations. Pakistani Taliban and other extremists such as al-Qaida are posing a threat to the stability of Pakistan."
Pakistan is confronting multiple crises, political, security and financial, which threaten to overwhelm the nuclear-armed country and push it into chaos. It is heading towards bankruptcy, forcing Islamabad this week to approach to the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package. But the IMF bailout could be jeopardised if Washington is not on board.
Ordinary people complain that the country feels like it is falling apart, with a severe shortage of electricity causing blackouts of 12 hours or more in many areas, and crippling food price inflation, running at up to 100%, swelling the numbers living below the poverty line.
The country's north-west, especially its tribal border area with Afghanistan, is under the control of Taliban and al-Qaida, who are connected to militant groups that have networks across the country. Yesterday, in what is now a typical day for Pakistan, aside from the US missile strike, eight anti-Taliban tribal leaders were killed by militants in the Orakzai part of the tribal area, and the army killed 20 fighters in Bajaur, another part of the tribal belt.
In Swat, a valley in the north-west, the headless body was found of a policeman, previously kidnapped by Taliban, and posters went up in Swat warning women against shopping in markets, saying it was "unIslamic".
"Our country is burning," said Senator Khurshid Ahmad, a member of Pakistan's upper house of parliament for Jamaat-e-Islami, a mainstream religious party. "We don't want Bush to put oil on the fire. We want to extinguish this fire."
Sherry Rehman, minister for information, said the motion was a "firm resolve to combat terrorism". But Talat Masood, a retired general and security analyst, said: "The army will be disappointed there was not a clear consensus. I think the army will continue with the existing policy."
Backstory
Pakistan's tribal territory, formally known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), is a legacy of the Raj, a 10,000 square mile sliver of territory that has become central to geopolitics and the homeland security of the US, Britain and Europe.
The laws of Pakistan do not extend to the tribal belt, which is run under its own punitive laws and tribal custom, a system developed by the British. Fierce customs mean that men all carry guns, and guests, including al-Qaida militants, must be protected.
Al-Qaida's leadership and thousands of Taliban escaped the US war in Afghanistan after September 11 2001 by slipping into the tribal area, which runs along the border.
Under a treaty with the tribes, the Pakistan army was not allowed to enter the Fata, but the accord broke in 2004 under US pressure calling for al-Qaida bases to be disrupted. This sparked a tribal insurrection and pushed the locals towards extremism, creating a Pakistani Taliban. Taliban militants killed hundreds of traditional leaders and now control most of the Fata, imposing a rough and ready Islamic law, though it is believed that most tribesmen remain moderate.
40 Comments so far
Show All"Mission Accomplished"
is what comes to my mind. Taking a panoramic view over what is happening all over the world right now, a disturbing suspicion arises. All this could just go the way it was planned in the beginning. Pakistan is not the only country experiencing insolvency. Most of the Nations that were formerly aligned with the USSR took the train to the American Dream. No one should ever blame them for that, because America still stands for the ability to leave differences behind in times of hardship, even if those hardships are self inflicted. To focus on Pakistan and to point one's finger at it is certainly the wrong approach. Pakistan does the right thing for the first time since the British have left a region in instability. We can solve our troubles only through dialog.
I leave it to You to fill in the rhetorical blanks of responsibilities that are at hand in regards to the disorder in the Middle East and Central Asia. But there is this statement "We have to fight them over there...", lingering over this whole mess that has befallen us. The truth would have been 'we have to rethink our global policies here to avoid destruction over there, which in turn will ultimately backfire on us.'
Why do I feel that the world wide economic crises that started in the US is hitting those countries most, that did indeed choose to convert their systems into more democratic versions? The New World Order is intended to arise out of complete global disorder, that can be achieved in just the fashion we witness right now. Divide and conquer is much easier if You let the world slide in a deep recession. Each country that does not know how to print money is now at the brink of collapse. The prospects of war between Nations that pose a nuisance to US hegemony was the goal behind foreign policies all the way. It will be easier to fight two warring Nations that destroy each other. Old proverb: 'When two are fighting, the third one rejoices.'
The upcoming election will not change a thing. The only way things can change to the better is a change of mind on behalf of the people. Not only Americans, all Nations, no matter what their political system might be, need to go into introspection and meditate about the required solutions. The Statue of Liberty is not just a 'goddamn piece of metal' and the Constitution certainly not a "...goddamn piece of paper..."
War is not healing, war is cancer.
God bless this planet with all living beings in it (including the ones we don't perceive as such).
May all Beings be blessed. Specifically the weak and ill minded.
Pakistan parliament will say anything to appease its Pakistani population. The fact of the matter is, Pakistan as a country, is already sold to USA military corporation, let by USA government. The proof of this is the military aid and money it gets from USA, to run its economy and its military.
Unless and until, Pakistan develops its own infrastructure, for job, industry, manufacturing, services and increases its GDP, to become self standing, it will always remain a pawn on the international chessboard for countries like USA and China. So, it does not matter what the pawn says on its TV channels and newspaper. Behind the scene, Pakistani government will remain bowed down to USA demands and will continue to play aligned with USA. To do otherwise, will be the biggest challenge for the new Pakistan government.
Keep in mind that it was Obama who threatened to send U.S. troops into Pakistan and has expressed repeatedly wanting to escalate war in Afghanistan. I don't expect any great improvement with Obama and Biden who will perceive a need to demonstrate their imperialist bona fides. May God and Allah conspire to save us all from these liberals.
Neither God nor Allah can help solve this problem and I dont believe Obama wants to 'invade' Pakistan. He wanted to hold the Pakistani dictatorship accountable, which in retrospect is pretty naive considering we run that country. Obama merely said if there is actionable intelligence he wouldnt hesitate to bomb the jihadi camps. This is clearly happening already - with or without Obama.
Neither Obama nor McCain are liberal. They are elitist representatives of two parties that are very similar to each other in terms of foreign policy objectives and to a large extent internally as well. Obama is definitely more palatable as he is more open to dialogue unlike the stark raving mad lunatic McCain.
If God (im assuming the christian one) or Allah gave a rats ass, they would definitely hold back their most ardent followers from committing mayhem on innocents.
Allah is not the "Muslims' God", Allah is the Arabic word for God. Arabic speaking Christians call their Gos Allah!
There no significant difference between Obama's and McCain/Bush's foreign policy objectives. They all want to screw the brown people; the only difference is that Obama and the Democrats may use Vaseline.
Vote anybody but the Two Parties.
If you are tired of the turmoil caused by the USA government: just don't vote.
In time, probably a short time, the system will collapse.
You want evidence:
The world economy is malfunctioning. The politicians are busy bailing out their friends, but not paying attention to their duties. Wars are becoming more free for alls, like king of the hill.
And the USA has two right wing to center candidates for president.
Maybe out of chaos will come order.
Very good news indeed! Finally somebody is standing up to the Great American Bully. Clearly, Busharoff is gone from Pakistan!
I hope that others follow suit.
The ISI is the Directorate for Inter Services Intelligence. It was founded in 1948 by a British army officer. It's Pakistani, not American, and it wasn't mentioned in this article.
Why do the posters slinging such a term around here think that explanation of it isn't important?
Only the united beat of sex and heart together can create ecstasy.
Anais Nin
American friends, your country is stuffed! You must rise up and cut out the cancers that are eating it away: the Zionists, the Capitalists, the Militarists, the Evangelists, the Nationalists.
Why can't you see what is happening? Why don't you do something while there is still time? Is there no one with integrity, with wisdom, with courage who can stand up and lead you?
Civil War or Revolution, I care not. BUT IT'S TIME TO ACT, TIME TO TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK!
www.dangerouscreation.com
Now that Obama has sold his soul to the corporate war machine in order to get elected, he'll have to continue their bidding. The only thing that will put an end to this war machine is its running out of money. And that will happen as the economic system, which is dependent upon shrinking natural resources, continues to wind down.
the War Machine is broke along with western Imperialism.... Obama is now free to experiment the best of his ability and he ain't stupid or Evil.
He will have the power to tell the scared shitless Federal Reserve to get with his new program (whatever he wants it to be and if he is smart, he won't say now and blow the election) or get "Nationalized"
Jim The Wise Guy... .
I have never understood why the US seems to think that it must run the whole damn world. Pull all our troops back, let them build new manufacturing plants, roads, bridges, water systems along with the rest of the unemployed and let us begin to build a peaceful country in this land.
Take this bogus "war on terror" out of the script and what will the DOD do with itself?
We have sacrificed so much on the altar of this military enterprise including our national honor.
The Pakistani Parliament has more sense than the US Congress.
The DoD is devouring the republic. Barrack Obama, Constitutional scholar, doesn't seem to care.
The insanity of the US may not be temporary.
Just more evidence that the Reverend Wright was, in fact, RIGHT!!! Too bad Obummer wouldn't stand behind the Rev's finger pointing at U.S. aggression in the M.East.
"Crack open a cynic and you will find an angry idealist!"
."They hate us for our freedom"....
They hate us because we have allowed an inept President to ruin our economy, alienate our friends, engender the loathing of many in this world for the way we murder innocents, torture those whose connections to terrorism is unknown to us.
I think I hate us too.....well, not our citizenry, but certainly our leaders, and on both sides of the aisle. A motivated opposition party could have fought the illegal stolen elections of 2000 and 2004, refused to cooperate with the invasion of Iraq, spoken directly to the American people and undertaken impeachment proceedings against Cheney certainly, and on a number of grounds.
I cannot help but wonder what Barack is thinking of this news, after stating his intention to move the war to Pakistan.
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
I being the wise guy here ...not the only one, I will tell you what Obama is thinkin about this...
He is thinkin the Moslems are gettin their ducks in order so I'll just shut up and not blow the Election.
He is thinkin... "Peace will be easire than I thought!"
Obama migh be a Moslem in spirit as well as a Christian..... that could be a good mix for Peace!
If a child could figure this out I think Obama can.
Oh and who was it that bet me Israel and the US would bomb Iran before the election?
The bet is still on. I can look it up.
.It is easy to put thoughts in someones head, harder to find verification in his actions and words.....
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Obama never said I will bomb Afghanistan no matter what.... maybe you are mistaking a presidents need to act strong during war in order to even have a chance of being elected as trumping his promise to negotiate with enemies.... You are projecting as much as me about Obama on CD.... Your projections are all negative.....
Peace is required now... the whole connected world sees it clearly and they see Obama positively.
Even though The whole world is running wild with "lesser evilists" they see him Positively.
Will he disappoint?.... Of course and so would anyone with the mess the world is in.
"I think I hate us too.....well, not our citizenry, but certainly our leaders, and on both sides of the aisle."
I believe most of the world feels that way. I don't buy the world hates America and Americans line for a moment. I haven't found it so in any country I've been in. But they detest Bush and I mean really DETEST Bush, our leadership and our policies for the last decade.
A Turk said it best to me I thought, he said..."we'll call you when we need you"
I feel that hate generally might be too strong a word although to some it would certainly apply.
What is most attractive about the United States to many outsiders has nothing to do with the day to day reality of the nation state itself but rather the idea of the American nation. Many of us outsiders still consider the United States as one of the great ideas in human history. As far as democratic nation states are concerned many of us are in some ways children of the United States. Yes, like everyone else you fall short of your many commendable ideals but the very foundational ideas themselves are still very much alive. These ideas are contained in each and everyone of you.
"A Turk said it best to me I thought, he said..."we'll call you when we need you"
Now that is the straight talkin express. Turkish style.
That was a very nice thing to say and I believe the real truth. Hopefully we can return our country to coming closer to those ideals again. I believe we will.
(and I didn't mean to imply for a minute there weren't folks out there that actively hate us)
This will become the 3rd war, then there will be the 4th war (Iran), then the 5th war (Georgia), then the 6th war (Somalia), the the 7th war (pick a country), ad infinitum ....
...China, Venezuela, and Russia. Competition against Commie countries for Oil Resources and Strategic Control. The Domino Effect, War by Proxy, Capitalism style. There is no War on Terror folks, just cave dwelling scapegoats.
"The New World Order", as prescribed by George H W Bush has ruined our country,
we are in a depression and cannot get out of it. Pakistan is simply trying to
survive and the "Bush new world order" is not doing this country any good.
How many countries will we destroy for the Bush Regime? We cannot take care of our
own country..We must re-establish Borders, and rebuild our Industrial Base.
The service economy is not working for us and for other countries.
France and England fell for that Crap, and they also are in a depression..
Reducing our workforce to third world countries has caught up with the Bush family.
I feel very sorry for the people of Pakistan and the hell that they are living through. I am sorry that my country has seen fit to light a fire and then pour gasoline on it.
I fear for the day when the US economy collapses and the Christians start killing us heretics. Oh, wait, an unemployed man in Tennessee already did. I expect it to get worse.
It was the head of the ISI who wired money to Mohammed Atta prior to 911
Read Seymour Hearsh's book Chain of Command: From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib. Pretty surprising revelation of what Bush let the ISI do after we first invaded Afghanistan. (Well I'll tell you to save you the time...he let them pull all their intelligence officers and military advisers out, along with all their Taliban and Al Qaida buddies by air. Nice commitment to the War on Terror, lasted a whole 2 weeks).
It was also the ISI that financed the creation of the Taliban.
And now the ISI has access to Pakistan Army nukes.
I doubt that the empire will allow Pakistan to desert.
Hoa binh
"I doubt that the empire will allow Pakistan to desert."
That is absolutely correct. Ive copy-pasted from a previous thread ..
_____________________
"The blame rests squarely at the feet of the U.S., the Pakistani Military and the dreaded ISI (Pakistani Intelligence. We have used Pakistan as a footrest to gain strategic advantage in South Asia while the Pakistani Military and ISI have used a steady supply of U.S. funds and policies, to wreak havoc in Afghanistan and India. They created the Taliban, the LET, JEM, HUM and a host of other radical islamist splinter groups which theyve used very successfully to destabilize Afghanistan and India to an extent. Blowback is a bitch and what they are facing now is just that.
Unfortunately the Pakistani people who courageously stood up to Musharraf, dont have any control over jihadi groups. The Army is losing control over its own as well as the jihadis. The ISI has achieved most of its objectives but seems to find itself in a bind right now.
The U.S. has conveniently washed its dirty hands off and is currently putting the squeeze on the military. However, the Taliban is way too deeply entrenched and dialogue is the only option. The only solution for the entire region is to bring in the neighbouring countries (Russia, India, Iran, China) into the mix and remove U.S. and NATO troops. The ISI needs to be completely dismantled if Pakistan can even exist as a viable State. A co-ordinated and commonly agreed upon platform by Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which somehow addresses Pashtun problems is the only answer.
Belligerent, violent, aggressive behaviour by U.S. and NATO troops is akin to pouring gasoline on a raging fire. Ofcourse, we, the U.S. can never agree to handing over the solution to others and therin lies the rub.
"
_____________________________________
"There have been about a dozen US missle strikes inside Pakistan since the beginning of September and a ground assault, fanning widespread anti-Americanism in the country........ Past attempts by Pakistan at making peace with militant groups in the tribal area have allowed them to regroup and led to a sharp increase in cross-border attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan."
Now these two sentences present an interesting case study in how one goes about determining the difference between cause and effect.
Is it Pakistan's attempts at making peace that primarily caused the increased attacks on US forces, or were the attacks primarily retaliation for the American missle strikes and ground incursion?
I don't really see this as a glass-half-full versus glass-half-empty puzzler.
Does violence cause violence, or does talking about peace cause violence?
As Noam Chomsky might put it, even a child could figure this one out.
Bill from Saginaw
Several weeks ago I was at a symposium where three former Secretaries of State (Albright, Schultz and Baker) were asked which country posed the greatest threat to the US Iran or Iraq. The unanimous answer: Pakistan. How sad but true.
Do you think Pakistan feels slightly threatened by being ruled by a US installed military dictatorship and then being bombed when they depose the dictator?
Is there any country left in the world today that back's America's War on Terror besides Israel? Shouldn't this tell us something? McCain wants to stay in Iraq. Obama wants to move the war machine to Afghanistan. Just different people in different parts of the world being killed by the same bombs made by the same corporations. Same corporations blackmailing different politicians.
Afghanistan, I think.
.Increasingly not, large areas of that country are under the control of opium growing warlords who put profits over politics, other regions are coming back under the sway of the Taliban. Thanks ever so much Georgie!
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Egypt. Syria. Not Iran any more...I think China does too.
.Saudi Arabia
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Columbia