Pakistan’s military campaign against Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan has been seen very much as a punitive mission - and that has just been forcefully highlighted by reports that the Pakistani Taliban leader’s wife was killed in a missile strike. A relative said that Mehsud’s second wife had been killed when a U.S. drone fired missiles into her father’s house in the village of Makeen. He said four children were among the wounded.
The Pakistan government in June ordered an offensive in South Waziristan after Mehsud was accused of masterminding a string of attacks inside Pakistan, including the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. So far though, that offensive has been dominated by bombardments with air raids and medium-range artillery, while a full-blown ground offensive has yet to materialise. Attacks by U.S. drones have also increased, fuelling speculation that the CIA-operated missile strikes, though condemned by Islamabad, are being coordinated with Pakistan’s own military operations.
So what is the overall plan for South Waziristan?
The delay in launching a full-blown offensive has triggered a raft of media reports, including in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, that Pakistan had put off launching a ground assault against Mehsud due to secret talks between him and security forces.
However, Pakistani correspondent Rahumullah Yusufzai quoted a high-ranking military official as dismissing the reports, saying the time to seek a truce with Mehsud was past. He quoted the army officer as saying the reports were being spread by pro-militant sources to create confusion, and that the army would carry out a major offensive against Mehsud at the time of its choice.
Other analysts attribute the delay to a desire on the part of the Pakistan Army to lower the risk of taking heavy casualties by going in prematurely to a stronghold which is expected to be heavily defended, and to a need to complete operations following an offensive against the Taliban in Swat.
But the discussion about nature of the military offensive to some extent obscures what is perhaps a more interesting debate about its objectives. The offensive is being conducted under the Raj-era Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) 21, which provides for collective punishment of a tribe in the event of its members threatening the authorities. That notion of a punitive expedition is quite different from the military offensive in Swat which was designed not only to oust the Pakistani Taliban but to create the conditions for civil authorities to eventually step in and restore order. The objective in South Waziristan would presumably be to punish Mehsud and his tribe to such an extent that it never again threatened the Pakistani state.
What is less clear is how that objective, if achieved, would influence other militants holed up in Pakistan’s tribal areas, including those linked to al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban. Would the Mehsud tribe force foreign fighters to leave? Where would it leave the Afghan Taliban?
Nor does it carry a promise of a long-term solution to governing the tribal areas. Joshua Foust at Registan.net argues that the antiquated security framework used in the tribal areas condemns them to “a cycle of conflicts, retributions and ceasefires” rather than integrating them into Pakistan, while the collective punishment provisions in the FCR “are, technically, violating international law”.
The days when the British Raj could send an Army of Retribution to raze Kabul after its troops were massacred in 19th century Afghanistan have long gone. Nowadays British Foreign Minister David Miliband is more likely to stress the need to talk to ”moderate” Taliban and win hearts and minds in Afghanistan with economic development. “We will not force the Taliban to surrender just through force of arms and overwhelming might,” he said last month in Brussels.
So it’s rather curious that the vengeful spirit of the Raj has survived through the Frontier Crimes Regulation on the Pakistan side of the border with its stress on punishment over persuasion. And it will be interesting also to assess who has a better grasp of how to deal with the Taliban - the Pakistanis on one side of the border, or the U.S.-led allies on the other.
(File photos: Predator drone; tribesmen in Pakistan)
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“I am so glad this Indian agent and master terrorist has been eliminated !!
- Posted by Bangash Khan:”
Are there any sane Pakistani’s out there who are not so divorced from reality, rationality, reason, logic and sanity? Why are these words and their meaning an enemy to your mind?
What outlandish claim is next by some of our Pak blogger friends here?…That they found a Ganesh Statue, a Shiva picture, an Indian Flag as well as a CIA or Mossaid instruction manuals for the Taliban and their fighters on Baitullah Mehsud, perhaps some alcohol, a book on Hindu prayers, seems ridiculous? Is it? Well so are your claims that Mehsud is an Indian Agent. We could care less about your Mehsud, we are much more interested in productive, real-world development and forward endeavors, which will further the condition of Indian citizens. Rather than focus on keeping you down, unlike you, we would rather focus on bringing and rising ourselves up.
As I said earlier, some of our Pakistani friends, state politicians, what they lack in introspect, academic ability, or the ability to indulge in corrective human behavior, they more than make up in the humour value of their outlandish claims.
Thanks for adding comedic value to the blogs, it is appreciated as your comments are always good for a few laughs for the world to see. Just think before you blame India, for every ill, and without even a shred of proof.
What the government of Pakistan has not control over, is losing at or what it is weak at, it seems that Pakistani citizens will always blame India, the U.S. and Israel for them. This is the collective national mental illness that makes us non-Pakistani’s roll our eyes in utter shock and amazement and even laugh at it, shrugging it off.
What do the Universities and schools teach in Pakistan, for God’s sake? “Blame it on others, if you cannot succeed? If you fail at a course…do you just blame it on the teacher, or other students, or the noise outside, or blame CIA/Mossaid/RAW “Nexxus”? LOL
Your lack of intelligence and ability to admit responsiblity on Pakistan itself is absolutely hilarious. You guys are good for a few laughs.
It is funny how once the home-grown terrorists start blowing up Pakistan itself with suicide bombers, the so-called “miscreants” all of sudden become Indian agents, according to your citizens and state agencies….ROTFLMAO….
Did India also cause the Tsunami, Earthquake and Global Economic Meltdown as well? I am surprised that you do not believe in Green Aliens from Mars.
- Posted by Global WatcherPM Gilani calls for urgent US aid for IDPs without strings
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn -content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/09-g ilani-calls-for-aid-without-strings–szh- 09
PM Gilani urges U.S. to write-off debt
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Afgha nistan-Pakistan/idUSTRE5543JX20090605
Pakistan Air Force will induct four Chinese midair refuellers, four Chinese AWACS, 250 Chinerse JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft soon
http://www.sindhtoday.net/news/1/40182.h tm
New Pakistani Govt Motto: “US feeds us proudly, We feed Chinese Proudly”
- Posted by AndyI am so glad this Indian agent and master terrorist has been eliminated !!
- Posted by Bangash Khan:
Bangash Khan Sahab: Do you have enemity with reason? Your own minister Rehman Malik said:
“Al-Qaeda is trying to install a new ‘chief terrorist’ in Pakistan’s tribal regions after the claimed killing of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Monday.” Meaning BM was an A-Q operative, not Indian, unless your smart brain thinks that A-Q is an India-supported terrorist organization!!!
_________________________________
Global Watcher, Singh: Either these Pakistanis are liers or sincerely ignorant. Either way, it is a bad news for Pakistan–Pakistanis are their own enemies. As they say in Hindi “Vinash kaaale viprit Buddhi”, meanining during the times of crisis/destruction, senses work opposite to what is right.
- Posted by rajeeev@Singh
Baitullah Mehsud focused his attacks on Pakistan, with his elimination Alqaeda has an opportunity to turn his group into the direction of Afghanistan.
Try to understand what is happening rather than looking at everything from anti-Pakistan lens.
@Global Watcher
Learn to stick to the topic.
- Posted by BangashI am so glad this Indian agent and master terrorist has been eliminated !!
- Posted by Bangash
But Interior Ministor Rehman Malik thinks otherwise, see below link which says Al-Qaeda seeking Baitullah’s replacement: Rehman Malik
Sorry to give you bad news, he was not an indian agent, instead an AL-Quaida Terrorist, oops you just got one of your own Talibani killed.
Please find some real Indian agents, as Neocon Zionists of India, Israel and USA are threat to territorial integrity of Pakistan, RAW, Mossad and CIA are doing Anti-Islamic covert operations in Pakistan and trying to snatch your nuclear weapons. Indians are making Pakistan unstable and want to make Akhand bharat (United states of India). Its your right and duty to wage Jihad on these infidels.
Below is the link to story, even if I know that you guys are hopeless.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn -content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-a l-qaeda-seeking-baitullah-replacement-qs -09
- Posted by singh@Rajeev,
You said:
“@Now suddenly Behtulla Mehsud changed to AL-Q operative from RAW Agent and this is after his death. Pakistan as a state has lost all its credibility. This is the same Rehman Malik who was about to lose a lung shouting ,Behtulla Mehsud was an Indian RAW Agent. What do Pakistan bloggers have to say on it, that will be interesting.
- Posted by singh
-Pakistani bloggers: Shock me by commenting on this.
- Posted by rajeev ”
–>
Lying, blaming others, not taking responsiblity, backstabbing, conspiracies, lack of accountability justifying horrible gruesome things and violence in the name of religion, mistreatment of women, spitting in the foods of non-muslims are a cultural norm, for some (NOT ALL) in Pakistan.
Some Pakistani’s will say almost anything to save face or accepting blame as shame on one’s honour is the greatest personal defeat. If something wrong is done and nobody saw it happen, there is no guilt required for it, that is how it works. These are one of the tenets of Eastern Shame based societies. Lying is a cultural norm to protect one’s shame.
These things may seem abhorrent to us outside of Pakistan, where we live in much more civilized, accountable societies. But if this behavior, which is normally practiced there, is normal there, when Pakistani’s are confronted with these things head on, they act extremely baffled or get upset that they are being “maligned” or made out to be “bad” people. A classical example is the National Pakistani pre-occupation and selective memory of the Bengali holocaust. It is much more painful to Pakistani’s that they lost East Pakistan in shame than the 3million genocide that they committed on Bengal.
Still, not one Pakistani on this blog has admitted that their country even committed such a genocide, which was systematic, organized, gruesome and bloody, by its Army.
I ask any open minded Pakistani here, India returned your 90,000 POW’s, they were not harmed, yet you genocided 3 million humans in Bengal, why are you Pakistani’s so unwilling and unrepentant of those who were genocided? I want an answer.
- Posted by Global WatcherI am so glad this Indian agent and master terrorist has been eliminated !!
- Posted by Bangash