Reevaluation of Counter Terrorism Policy
Politics Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 The images of Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain traveling to Shakai, South Waziristan, and embracing Naek Mohammad, the then enemy number 1, and making a peace deal with him are still very vivid in our memories. The main elements of the peace deal were that the tribal people will be granted amnesty in return for their pledge to remain peaceful and not to use Pakistani soil against any other country and getting the foreign militants registered with the authorities.
The peace deal was annulled apparently, when misunderstanding evolved on the registering of foreign fighters; but many at the time believed that the real cause of failure of the peace deal was displeasure of Washington. The top US commander at the time Lieutenant General Barno, declared that foreign fighters in Pakistan had to be killed or captured instead of being given amnesty. The US forces started violating Pakistan airspace and conducting search operation in the border villages on Pakistan-Afghanistan border; these intrusions were in fact a signal to Pakistani authorities that US will take unilateral actions against ‘terrorist’ if Pakistan fails to cooperate. The presence of US boots on Pakistani soil would have tremendous fallout on the Pakistani domestic front, therefore, under direct US pressure; Pakistani forces launched a fresh offensive in the tribal areas to take on Mr Naek Mohammad and his companions. Major offensive was initiated in South Waziristan agency resulting in many casualties including tremendous loss to Pakistan Army, but no major arrest could be made.
However, Naek Mohammad while giving interview to BBC on his satellite telephone was traced by US and a precision guided missile hit his hideout near Wana, injuring him seriously. Naek Mohammad was rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later. The Pakistan government claimed the responsibility but according to many eye-witnesses the missile was launched from a US drone. This brings an end to an episode of Naek Mohammad but many analysts predicted that it will start a major insurgency instead of bringing an end to a major conflict in Waziristan. Even a cursory glance at the events that have taken place ever since, proved the prediction to be self fulfilling prophecy. The insurgency not only spread to the settled area of Pakistan but all the major cities of Pakistan also saw manifold increase in the terrorist activities.
The brief account of the events has been done to accentuate the proverb that history repeats itself, especially for the nations who fail to learn lessons from it. History is repeating itself in Pakistan and now instead of Naek Mohammad, Baitullah Mashud is the enemy number 1 and US drones are throwing precision munitions on his hideouts to kill him. Even the funerals are not spared by the US drones. If anyone thinks that elimination of Baitullah Mashud will end the insurgency in Pakistan needs to volte-face his thoughts. I believe that removal of Baitllah Mashud from the scene will not finish the bloody conflict in tribal areas but will further fuel the insurgency in tribal areas and may even spread to Balochistan. If an immediate review of our present counter terrorism strategy is not made, the present strategy will definitely take Pakistan in the cave age, even if the perceived notion of US attack on Nuclear Pakistan will not.
Let us reevaluate the policy of war on terror so that further damage can be controlled. The study of the history of counter insurgency brings this enduring lesson that foreign military interventions further stiffen the resolve and widen the appeal of insurgents especially if the foreign troops are labeled as infidels. Therefore, the first step I would suggest is to ask USA to give the deadline of leaving the Afghan territory; this will immediately lower the tempers of many Pushtons and devoid the Taliban of getting new recruits from joining the struggle to liberate their homeland from occupying force. If Americans and its stooge regime led by Mr Hamid Karzai have started giving indications that they are willing to indulge in peace talks with the Taliban then why are we increasing the conflict in our tribal area, after all tribal area has been with Pakistan since 1947 and has never caused a major security threat to Pakistan before US led war on terror struck Afghanistan.
Secondly, identifying the states involved in sponsoring insurgency in our tribal area rather than being maligned by them and try to mold the world opinion in our favor. India – Afghanistan nexus is the case in point; they are very successfully running a blame campaign against Pakistan for all the wrong happenings in their countries. Yet, it is beyond understanding that our foreign office is afraid of pointing a direct finger on either of them.
Thirdly, relocating the Army outside the tribal area and restoration of decades old Frontier Constabulary (FC) for maintaining peace. Army has been directly linked to be American collaborator and its presence fuels the anger of the tribal. FC’s organization of recruiting local tribal under regular Army command structure perfectly blends with the requirements of an effective tribal law enforcement force. It enjoys the status of bona fide force amongst the tribal people as service in the Frontier Corps is considered an honorable duty. It enjoys the powers of Frontier Crime Regulations which is the most effective law enforcement mechanism for dealing with the highly independent and aggressive tribes.
U.K. Dar is a free lance columnist based in Manchester, UK.
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on Jun 30 2009. Filed under