Situation in Swat and changing strategy.

[Med911]

No, I'm sorry, I DO blame them. Its when a whole hoard of idiotic people are so apathetic and ignorant of the plight of their brethren that this bullcrap ends up happening in the first place.

We're seeing media coverage on this being pretty tight and conservative, and I don't know why after all the hulla-gulla they made over Lal Masjid, except that they do not want to end up with their dead bodies hanging over a square for everyone to see.

But its not like the media wasn't making the Pakistani people aware of Radio Mullah, Behtullah Maisud, the presence of the a new Taliban group forming along the border with Afghanistan - the Pakistani people knew all this and they supported (pretty vocally) anyone who was daring to show the Americans in Afghanistan a thing or two. They were supporting these people even seeing what they were capable of in Lal Masjid - Lal Masjid should not even be a controversial issue - the press coverage of the militants was pretty frightening, their acts completely out of line, and EVERYONE shoudl be freaking out if masjids are being used the way Lal masjid was. The reaction of the Pakistani people, instead was directed at Musharraf, and Pakistanis were the ones who gave a silent approval to the ways of the Ghazi brothers. The result is in front of you - Pakistanis have supported terrorist groups that were anti-US, and now they're going to deal with what it means to have a oh-so-friendly terrorist group totally pulverizing your next door neighbors.

Today its Swat. I promise you that war doesn't shrink- it only spreads - this monster will be rearing its head in urban areas next. No one thought they'd dare take a tourist area, but they have. And even that hasn't deterred Pakistani civilian support for the jihaadi groups fighting in Afghanistan - well, keep supporting trash, and what you get at your doorstep will be just that: trash.

I agree, but the thing with Pakistanis is, as some other analysts point out, that many people feel disconected from the state. After so many years of misrule, it appears, and I think its evident, that many Pakistanis dont feel any real nationalism. They feel divorced from the country and tend to focus on their own personal well being. Its only when something hurts them directly, such as the loadshedding, that people suddenly make a hue and cry.
The only other thing that many people are still passionate about is Islam, and so you see so many people protesting what happens in Gaza.
Issues like Swat seem to be remote for one, and second, the Taliban claim to be Muslims, so people simply dont concern themselves.
Its sad, but true about the mentality of the average Pakistani today.

[burqaposhx]

@Med911

.....After so many years of misrule, it appears, and I think its evident, that many Pakistanis dont feel any real nationalism.

Agreed that Pakistanis are disconnected from the Taliban atrocities. However the reason is not "Misrule". Compared to our neighbors Pakistani street is much better managed considering our budget and other limitation.

The reason Pakistanis are disconnected is that so far they are stuck with 6th century version of Islam. Problem is that Islam back then was needed to rule tribals. Now we need Islam to rule a much more civilized societies. The versions of Islam suitable for tribals vs. the version of Islam suitable for 21st century are at odds. And Taliban and other criminals are taking advantage of this conflict and trying to take Pakistan back to 6th century, when people used to travel on donkeys, and camels were the Volvo trucks, and gold coins were the dollars.

Until and unless Pakistanis move forward to 21st century, the trouble of Pakistan will continue.

[JaanBaazz]

Re: Situation in Swat and changing strategy.

If you take the history of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, during times of invasion or uprising, people of every region were adept at realizing who is winning and go along with that group. Same is happening in Swat and in Sarhad in general. People tried to resist the Taliban elements hoping that our fauji bhai will come and fight in support. But once they saw "aman muayday" and payoffs to the various Taliban "commanders" and "ameers", they knew who is winning. The only people who tried resisting were killed and the rest have fled or just accepted the fate. :(

[Waahid_Doyum]

Re: Situation in Swat and changing strategy.

War in your own backward, but Pakistanis are more obsessed with gaza arab-israeli wars.

[Med911]

@burqaposhx

Agreed that Pakistanis are disconnected from the Taliban atrocities. However the reason is not "Misrule". Compared to our neighbors Pakistani street is much better managed considering our budget and other limitation.

The reason Pakistanis are disconnected is that so far they are stuck with 6th century version of Islam. Problem is that Islam back then was needed to rule tribals. Now we need Islam to rule a much more civilized societies. The versions of Islam suitable for tribals vs. the version of Islam suitable for 21st century are at odds. And Taliban and other criminals are taking advantage of this conflict and trying to take Pakistan back to 6th century, when people used to travel on donkeys, and camels were the Volvo trucks, and gold coins were the dollars.

Until and unless Pakistanis move forward to 21st century, the trouble of Pakistan will continue.

Your right, but by misrule I meant a lack of a voice for the comman man. No one in Pak really listens to the comman man, the police are arrogant, the politicians drive around in their VVIP carvans and everyone ducks to get out of the way. There is a lot of injustice in Pak, and I think many people have given up trying, and have simply become cynical and self centered as a result.
We see people who are better of, such as many of us, who are more nationalistic because the state actually caters to the upper class, while the vast majority are just trying to make ends meet.
Thats why democracy is so important for a country like Pak, because it gives a voice to the common man.

[junaid001]

You know the funny thing - the entire country is acting like this problem isn't even there. I asked some people in Pakistan who recently visited if they've met any refugees from the Swat area, and they were like..."people are running away from Swat...why?".

actually irony is we know but dont accept it as a problem.
most of retarded souls here are still undecided who is right and who is wrong not because for their love to ISLAM but because they have doubt that all this has happened just because of amercia alright may be and would go away when america gets out (here we ar wrong).

there were three reason why i hated mushy and this was one of them.

this guy should have finished them off when it was becoming other than allowing to breed...

i think it would be lot easier for army to take over fata than this swat/mallakand division because it has population, green mountains etc.

also i think they have deliberately allowing them space there while they are pushing them in Bajaur and MOhmand as soon as they are done done there in my opinion would come to them squeezing them from both end...