Thursday, April 23, 2009
By Imran Khan
The reason why there is so much despondency in Pakistan is because there is no road map to get out of the so-called War on Terror - a nomenclature that even the Obama Administration has discarded as being a negative misnomer. To cure the patient the diagnosis has to be accurate, otherwise the wrong medicine can sometimes kill the patient. In order to find the cure, first six myths that have been spun around the US-led “Global War on Terror” (GWOT) have to be debunked.
Myth No. 1: This is Pakistan’s war
Since no Pakistani was involved in 9/11 and the CIA-trained Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan, how does it concern us?
Is Imran really this stupid?
Pakistan was allied with the Taliban. We gave them support. They were dependent on Pakistan for goods and services that came into Afghanistan. They were hosting a foreign terrorist organization which was plotting global attacks. It is very much Pakistan's concern since we were their parental care takers.
Myth No. 2: This is a war against Islamic extremists ó an ideological war against radical Islam
Was the meteoric rise of Taliban due to their religious ideology? Clearly not, because the Mujahideen were equally religious - Gulbadin Hekmatyar (supported by the ISI) was considered an Islamic fundamentalist. In fact, the reason the Taliban succeeded where the Mujahideen warlords failed, was because they established the rule of law
Again total nonsense by Imran.
The Taliban were used by Pakistan as mercenaries to guard truck convoys from Central Asia. Then ISI hatched a plan to install them in Afghanistan. They were not welcomed with open arms by the Afghan population. Their tactics in installing law and order can be compared to the Nazis in Germany in 1930's when their Gestappo Police Units rounded up people and murdered them or tortured them.
For a person like Imran Khan to defend Taliban is really pathetic.
Myth No. 3: If we keep fighting the US war, the super power will bail us out financially through aid packages.
Recently, the Government’s Adviser on Finance stated that the war on terror has cost Pakistan $35 billion while the country has received only $11 billion assistance from the US. I would go a step further and say that this aid is the biggest curse for the country. Not only is it “blood money” for our army killing our own people (there is no precedent for this) but also nothing has destroyed the self-esteem of this country as this one factor.
The only way for Pakistan to bail out is end its jihadi wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir and concentrate on building schools, infrastructure and betterment of the country. As for financial aid, It's America's money, they wish to despensce as they see fit.
As for killing our own people. 6,000 Pakistanis have been killed by the Taliban animals. They openly attack Pakistani Soldiers, fly a different flag instead of Pakistani Flag, and openly attack any non-tribal who comes to visit this area.
What is Imran Khan smoking to think that these are our people.
The Tribals were against the creation of Pakistan in 1947. They were never our people. We just got lumped with these idiots when Pakistan got created.
Our people, my ass.
Myth No. 4: That the next terrorist attack on the US will come from the tribal areas.
First, there is an assumption, based purely on conjecture, that the Al Qaeda leadership is in the tribal areas. In fact, this leadership could well be in the 70 % of Afghan territory that the Taliban control. More importantly, given the growing radicalisation of the educated Muslim youth - in major part because of the continuing US partiality towards Israeli occupation of Palestinian land - why can it not follow that the next terrorist attack on the US could come either from the Middle East or from the marginalised and radicalised Muslims of Europe, motivated by perceived injustices to Islam and the Muslim World.
Lets see. 9/11 came form Tribal Areas. 7/7 came from Tribal Areas. Other plans hatched came from Tribal Areas. There is no other place on earth where there is no government jurisdiction where Al Qaeda terrorists are actively seeking out terrorist attacks throughout the world.
As for 70% of Afghan areas not under US control. The difference is US can move troops there and temporarily control that area. Not so in Tribal Areas as soon as they move troops there they get attacked. So while USA can neutralize areas of Afghanistan this cannot happen in Pakistani Tribal Areas.
And thus this area is the largest source of potential terrorist attack in the world.
Myth No. 5: That the ISI is playing a double game and if Pakistan did more the war could be won.
If Talibanisation is growing in Pakistan because of the covert support of ISI in the tribal areas, then surely the growing Taliban control over Afghanistan (70 % of the territory) must be with NATO’s complicity? Surely a more rational understanding would be to see that the strategy being employed is creating hatred against the US and its collaborators. Aerial bombardment and its devastating collateral damage is the biggest gift the US has given to the Taliban. According to official reports, out of the 60 drone attacks conducted between 14 January 2006-April 8 2009, only 10 were on target, killing 14 alleged Al Qaeda. In the process almost 800 Pakistani civilians have been killed, while many lost their homes and limbs.
What kind of bull**** is Imran Khan quoting?
What official reports. Please tell him to provide links.
In all the attacks that USA has launched almost 95% of people killed have been Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists. Thats why Taliban go on the rampage when their comrades die. Thats why they quickly show up at the bombed out area and bury their buddies. Where are the wailing relatives of 800 dead innocent Pakistanis?
And what about the thousands that have been killed in Taliban suicide attacks.
Is this guy really this stupid.
Myth No. 6: That Pakistan could be Talibanised with their version of Islam.
First and foremost we have to give our people access to justice at the grassroots level - that is, revive the village jury/Panchayat system. Only then will we rid ourselves of the oppressive “thana-kutchery” culture which compels the poor to seek adjudication by the feudals, tribal leaders, tumandars and now by the Taliban also - thereby perpetuating oppression of the dispossessed, especially women.
That is the exact opposite apporach. Vilalge and Tribal Justice does not work. The powerful in the village will rule over the rest and the weak will suffer.
We need an impartial justice system where everyone is equal before the law.
Men and women are treated equal and no longer will a woman's testimoney be worth 1/3 of a man or a woman has to produce 4 witnesses to collaborate her side of the story.
Second, unless we end the system of parallel education in the country where the rich access private schools and a different examination system while the poor at best only have access to a deprived public school system with its outmoded syllabus and no access to employment. That is why the marginalised future generations are condemned to go to madrassahs which provide them with food for survival and exploit their pent up social anger. We need to bring all our educational institutions into the mainstream with one form of education syllabus and examination system for all - with madrassahs also coming under the same system even while they retain their religious education specialisation.
I agree with that. But can thoe madrassahs not teach hate of Jews, Hindus and Westerners?
The concept of Madrassah is not bad but when they incorporate terrorism, hatred and jihad into the mix....then its when it becomes deadly....
Merging school systems is a myth and it will never happen Pakistan. Public education will never reach a level in which middle class people will send their kids to public schools.
The plan should be get the madrassahs not to teach hate, terrorism and jihad but instead a modern curriculum.
Third, the level of governance needs to be raised through making appointments on merit in contrast to the worst type of cronyism that is currently on show. Alongside this, a cutting of expenditures is required with the leadership and the elite leading by example through adoption of an austere lifestyle. Also, instead of seeking aid and loans to finance the luxurious lifestyle of the elite, the leadership should pay taxes, declare its assets and bring into the country all money kept in foreign banks abroad. All “benami” transactions, assets and bank accounts should be declared illegal. I believe we will suddenly discover that we are actually quite a self-sufficient country.
Agree 100%
Fourth, the state has to widen its direct taxation net and cut down on indirect taxation where the poor subsidise the rich. If corruption and ineptitude are removed, it will be possible for the state to collect income tax more effectively.
Agree 100%
A crucial requirement for moving towards stability would be the disarming of all militant groups - which will a real challenge for the leadership but here again, the political elite can lead by example and dismantle their show of guards and private forces.
The militant groups will not disarm by themselves. They will have to be forcefully disarmed.
Finally, fundamentalism should be fought intellectually with sensitivity shown to the religious and heterogeneous roots of culture amongst the Pakistani masses. Solutions have to be evolved from within the nation through tolerance and understanding. Here, we must learn from the Shah of Iran’s attempts to enforce a pseudo-Western identity onto his people and its extreme backlash from Iranian society.
Pakistan is no where as open as Iran was in the 1970's. And Iran is a very nationalist state and thus it felt its culture was being threatened. So it was not just a fall back to religion but also to nationalism. When Khomeni landed from Paris his supporters were from the Iran's communist party to Iranian secular and nationalists.
As for fundamentalism...it can be cured by setting up schools not teaching hate and terrorism and eliminating those who still do.
Nazi Germany could not be reasoned with and thus it was utterly destroyed.
Similarly we have to do the same.
The threat of extremism is directly related to the performance of the state and its ability to deliver justice and welfare to its people.
If that was the case then every poor nation in the world would be breeding terrorists.
Pakistan is a unique case as it used Jihad to create this taliban monster that it now cannot control.
