War on Terror Archive
Look both ways before attacking Pakistan: This is probably one of the most sensible pieces of opinion I have read on the President’s visit to France and UK. Majority of the authors focus more on his personality than the need of the President’s visit.
We got leaked- by Sindhyar Talpur: Wikileaks, an international whistle-blowing website, recently leaked US and Allied forces military documents highlighting the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. One of the many things highlighted is Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI’s, double game in the War. If you
Pakistan has its own battle to fight – by Syed Saleem Shahzad: Source: Asia Times ISLAMABAD – Some of the 92,000 American classified military documents released by WikiLeaks at the weekend point to Pakistan’s intelligence service backing the Taliban, an issue that has been seized on by the international media, although
Fighting against Terrorism: ANP loses 485 diehard activists- by Javed Aziz Khan: PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) lost about 485 diehard activists during the ongoing ‘war on terror’ for its tough stance against militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas over the last many years. Most of the casualties were
Karachi needs unity – by Ahsan Abbas Shah: جنگ ہم جیت رہے ہیں یا ہار رہے ہیں؟ سوات میں پاکستانی پرچم عین محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو شہید کی خواہش کے مطابق دوبارہ لہرا دیا گیا۔۔۔۔ ٨ سال میں فوجی آپریشن سے جو نتائج نہیں مل سکے وہ چند
The Survivalist of North Waziristan: Hafiz Gul Bahadur Biography and Analysis – by Charlie Szrom: Source: Critical Threats Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters use Waziristan to prepare for and launch attacks against American forces in Afghanistan and Western targets abroad. Since early June, the Pakistani military has been conducting a campaign to kill Waziristan’s preeminent
Do not squeeze the tribesmen anymore —Daud Khattak: There is a Pashto proverb: ‘Oba pa kamzori zai mateegee’ (water makes its course on the weaker bank). It is happening in Waziristan now as the political administration is forcing the displaced Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen to hand over the
Does Pakistan have a civilian strategy? – by Mehlaqa Samdani: Source: AfPak Foreing Policy, JULY 9, 2010 As the Pakistani government tries to shape the future in Afghanistan by facilitating talks between the Haqqani network and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, its own citizens continue to bear the brunt of
US exit means Taliban’s entry – by Kuldip Nayar: Before the Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in 1979, I used to visit Kabul regularly. I found President Mohammad Daud a fatherly figure who had no idea of what was happening in his country. Even otherwise, he was dependent on
Negotiate with Taliban? – by Anas Muhammad: In a recent press conference Mian Nawaz Sharif – the head of the largest opposition Party Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) – claimed that terrorism in Pakistan is a result of government’s foreign policies. Sharif made the commen ts two
Alamgir Bhittani: when reporting can cost life -by Shafiq Ahmed: Alamgir Bhittani was the first to report Baitullah Mehsud’s death. But breaking news about the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a U.S. drone attack cost him his life. Journalists working abroad or in urban centers of Pakistan, are usually
Amn Tehreek : Dialogue on Ongoing terrorism and Punjabi Taliban: A dialogue was held by Amn Tehrik(Peace Movement) at Peshawar Press Club titled, Ongoing terrorism and Punjabi Taliban and why military operation is not being launched in Punjab against terrorists?. It was participated by representatives of almost all members
Shaitan is smiling in Balochistan – by Peter Chamberlin: Here is a special contribution to the LUBP by our friend Peter Chamberlin of the No Sunglasses blog. It is nearly impossible for the outside world to really know what is going on in Pakistan, which probably explains why
Where is my military coup? – by S Gulbadan: I wrote this for the Express Tribune’s sunday magazine and they published a much shorter (“mutilated”, according to the editor dude) version. General sahab, I have been a silent admirer of you and your methods for a long time
Lahore terrorist attacks, military actions and future prospects – by Dr Omar Ali: Terrorists (Punjabi Taliban) simultaneously attacked two Ahmedi sect mosques in Lahore during Friday prayers and killed over 80 people. First thoughts on this evil attack: 1. The choice of target is easy to understand. Ahmedis are a persecuted and
Militant splits span AfPak border – by Syed Saleem Shahzad: ISLAMABAD – The year 2009 was a second watershed in the Taliban-led struggle against foreign forces in Afghanistan as the resistance took the war, previously limited mainly to the south and western parts of the country, to north and
Strategic mess — by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur: “A people living under the perpetual menace of war and invasion is very easy to govern. It demands no social reforms. It does not haggle over expenditures on armaments and military equipment. It pays without discussion. It ruins itself;
Beyond state of denial: How blind hatred of United States is undermining our own interests: Raza Habib Raja has contributed this piece to LUBP which was previously published at Chowk. Here is Mr Raja’s brief introduction in his own words: I am an economist by education and a banker by profession. I have enormous
The Taliban scourge — by Ishtiaq Ahmed: When General Musharraf dissociated himself from the extremists, the links with al Qaeda were ruptured but an institutional decision was taken by the military top brass to continue secret low profile support of the Taliban. The more recent delinking
Irrational patriotism, liberalism and nuclear arsenal – by Raza Habib Raja: My article “Traitors and Reactionaries” which was just a satire has created this impression that I am some kind of a Taliban supporter or a media Taliban. A long emotional article of Chaudhary Ahmed Khan alleged that I am
Silence or conditional condemnation of the Times Square bomber — by Dr Mahjabeen Islam: Ours is a nation with many Joseph Goebbels. We rattle on in convoluted, minute details and in the effort to convince others, delude only ourselves, unfortunately so deeply that we lose the beginning of lies and the death of
North Waziristan: the new terrorist epicentre?: The investigations into Faisal Shahzad’s attempted car bombing in New York have shifted focus to his links in Pakistan. While little evidence has so far emerged of his link to one or the other terrorist group, his own admission
Faisal Shahzad: The Air Marshal’s incompetent bombmaker son: By Dr Omer Ali Someone posted comments about the Times Square bomber and why Pakistan is breeding so many Islamic fanatics (thankfully so many incompetent Islamic fanatics). Someone else posted Dhume’s article from the WSJ today. I wrote a
Banned outfits eye new recruits through jihadi material – by Faraz Khan: KARACHI: Religious organisations outlawed by former president Pervez Musharraf continue promoting terrorism in Karachi by distributing material to convince the youth to enlist themselves in the name of jihad, Daily Times learnt on Monday. Sources revealed that Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan,
Get the militant leadership — by Daud Khattak: In wars, the death of a leader means half the war is won. But, interestingly enough, in the anti-terror war in this region, the leadership is intact despite the use of all air, ground and intelligence resources against them
Finally, the Deobandi awakening against Taliban terrorists?: No condemnation Dawn Editorial Monday, 03 May, 2010 There is little doubt that there still exist, across Pakistan, mosques, schools of religious learning and other religious centres that continue to spew hate. Unless that infrastructure of hate is shut
Keeping the Profit in Oil and Persistent War – by Peter Chamberlin: Source: No sunglasses The accelerating pace of events in south and central Asia suggest that we are nearing the end of the “nice guy” phase in the terror war, where the need to keep-up appearances is overridden by military
The Final Solution – by Tariq Saeedi: Just in case our readers haven’t seen the following articles by Tariq Saeedi et al (News Central Asia), presenting an extensive investigative (and speculative) assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the broader region, we encourage our readers
A salute to martyrs of Pakistan’s war on terror – by Nazir Naji: شہیدوں کو سلام….سویرے سویرے …نذیرناجی 30 اپریل کو شہدا کا دن قرار دیا گیا ہے۔ یقینی طور پر اس کی وجہ سوات‘ ملاکنڈ اور قبائلی علاقوں میں کثرت سے شہادتیں پانے والے وہ فوجی جوان اور افسر ہیں‘ جنہوں
No ‘good’ Taliban – by Zafar Hilaly: The regularity with which the military claims to be killing as many as 30-40 militants in a day may be gratifying, but the frequency with which the Taliban are bombing schools and police stations and killing friendly tribals, police,
Tirah massacre: insensitive state response — by Farhat Taj: The Pakistan army simply does not have the tradition to punish its rank and file, unless the aggrieved party is also from within the army Recently, Pakistan Air Force fighter planes bombed Sra Vella area in the Tirah Valley
The kidnapped: Why did Punjabi Taliban capture Colonel Imam and Khalid Khwaja? – by Rahimullah Yusufzai: The kidnapped Rahimullah Yusufzai There is no doubt that North Waziristan is dangerous territory. It is a major sanctuary of local and foreign militants espousing diverse causes. No other place in the world has been subjected to so many
Who if not Baitullah? By Amir Mir: The United Nations Inquiry Commission report into Bhutto’s murder has put Musharraf regime in the dock The three-member United Nations Inquiry Commission has almost absolved the slain Ameer of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Commander Baitullah Mehsud of the Bhutto murder
The outcome of fighting the footsoldiers and mentoring the masterminds: Can there be an end to this war? — by Daud Khattak Friday’s attack on a convoy of army soldiers in North Waziristan and the fresh wave of violence in parts of the newly-renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signifies that armed
No matter what Pakistan army claims, the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters have merely relocated – Dawn report: On the run, militants find new haven ISLAMABAD: They were never routed, no matter what Pakistan claimed. Instead, the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters have merely relocated. They’re still near the Afghan border. Months after Pakistani troops chased them from
Innocent Shias and Sunnis of Kurram agency thrown to the Taliban wolves – by Tayyab Ali Shah: Thrown to the wolves The Taliban accepted the Turi surrender with the condition that tribal elders would be loyal to the Taliban, would dismantle the current lashkar, would never raise another anti-Taliban lashkar in the area again and would
Whither civilian governance?: By Raza Rumi Cross Posted from Pakteahouse While the gurus of security and international affairs continue to unpack and make sense of the high-profile and much-hyped Pak-US ’strategic dialogue’, the people of Pakistan continue to ask questions about its
Aafia Siddiqui’s daughter’s reappearance: The CIA and ISI should come clean – by Kamran Shafi: Maryam Saddiqui, the missing daughter of Aafia Siddiqui, has been identified after mysteriously reappearing on her family’s doorstep, a top Pakistani official said. The 12-year-old is one of three children of Aafia Siddiqui. Come clean, there is still time
Pakistan: a nation under attack – by Robert Fisk: Thanks: The Independent American drones overhead, Taliban troops on the offensive, and the horrifying rise of child kidnapping – Pakistan is in pieces, writes Robert Fisk, in a devastating portrait of a country thwarted by violence and corruption Pakistan
A plea for Bara IDPs — by Farhat Taj: The IDPs request the government to open vocational centres in the camp for training in employable skills like carpentry, masonry, welding, electrical wiring, plumbing, etc. The IDPs also request for vocational centres for income generation and skill development purposes