Originally printed in Daily DAWN , Pakisttan
02 November 2010
By Kamran Shafi
WHEN Musharraf made his U-turn on the Taliban upon American `urging`
after 9/11, some of us thought he meant it. And, being the boss of
bosses of the establishment of the Land of the Pure, would influence
the Pakistani Deep State to change its stance too, and help the rest
of the world fight the scourge wholeheartedly. And that the Taliban
could do little against the rest of the world if no foreign power
helped them.
Consider: the Russians, the Central Asian Republics, China, Iran, all
the countries surrounding Afghanistan except for some extremist
elements in Central Asia and Pakistan were against the Taliban. They
were isolated and could easily have been eliminated.
Little did we know, however, that Musharraf and his junta did not mean
what they said; that they were being two-faced; that the Deep State,
with his approval, wanted to keep the Afghan Taliban as their proxies
in the ongoing Great Game in Afghanistan, and their cousins, the
Pakistani version of the bloodthirsty lot, as its `strategic assets`
against India.
Whilst we well remember Musharraf`s spin-doctors (aka `spin-quacks`)
patting themselves on the back and exulting over the honorific
bestowed on the dictatorship when it was anointed a `non-Nato ally` of
the US, they never really meant it.
While his junta milked the Americans of billions of dollars it allowed
the Afghan Taliban to maintain their safe houses and bases inside
Pakistani territory where they repaired after effectively targeting
our `allies` in Afghanistan and inflicting damage on coalition troops.
This was two-facedness of a particularly vicious kind, but one that
the Americans naively ignored, as it now turns out, to their cost.
Never mind too, that the Pakistani Taliban would be allowed, indeed
helped, towards taking over large swathes of Pakistani territory,
particularly Swat, through a mixture of acts of omission and
commission of the Deep State to send a signal to the Americans that it
was hard put to defend its own country, so what could it do to help in
matters Afghan? And to inveigle more monies out of them, a reported
$11bn in nine years, much of it unaccounted for to date.
American naiveté boggles the senses when we note that it swallowed
hook line and sinker the absurd machinations of the Commando and his
junta. Indeed, it was sad to see that whilst it paid out billions of
dollars to the dictator, it turned a blind eye to what was being done
to this poor country and the region by this ludicrous man and a Deep
State that acts only in its own interest.
Indeed, the Americans went on mollycoddling the dictator even when —
just one example will do — the dictatorship with none other than the
chief of army staff sitting atop the heap called the government of
Pakistan wouldn`t find Mullah Fazlullah (aka Mullah Radio)`s
clandestine FM radio station for well on four years during which time
it broadcast messages of death and destruction.
Its radio-show host Muslim Khan (who has vanished into thin air after
being `captured` a full two years ago!) actually exhorted the
terrorists to slaughter such and such a person (including women
teachers) on a particular night at a particular location.
We have to note with disgust and revulsion that there were credible
reports that the security forces, including the much-vaunted Pakistan
Army, did not lift a finger to stop these most awful and cold-blooded
killings which in some cases were reportedly carried out under their
very noses. Which reminds me: whatever happened to the inquiry into
the horrific killing of the four SSG officers and men who were
mercilessly tortured and then killed and then mutilated by these
barbarians and in which the commissioner Malakand was said to be
involved in some way? What are the actual facts, can the ISPR please
tell us? Where, for example, is the commissioner fellow? Was he
guilty, innocent?While I am on the subject of inquiries, what happened
to the inquiry ordered by COAS Kayani into the alleged firing squad
murders as seen on YouTube? Another thing — there is a video on this
same site showing what seem like army soldiers beating at least two
people, one an old man well above 60, both lying on their backs and
trying unsuccessfully to ward off the hard blows with their raised
arms and legs.
From the curses used freely and very audibly one can tell that the
laughing stick-wielders are Punjabi speakers. I urge the COAS to order
an inquiry into this video too. It is possible of course that, this
too is a Hindu/Jewish/Christian/Indian/Israeli/American conspiracy to
destabilise our country. But can we please be told if it is?
It`s all been a game for our Deep State, which little realises what a
very dangerous game it is: that it is being too clever-by-half. The
end is near, however, both for the Americans and for us hapless
Pakistanis.
For the present let us consider this region. While formulating its
Taliban strategy, the Pakistan Deep State, in keeping with its
penchant for making mistake after disastrous blunder, has given no
consideration to the balance sheet of the Taliban when they were last
in power in Afghanistan. While their rule in Afghanistan was noted for
utter brutality, specially towards women, it was no better for us,
their foremost supporters and providers.
The Taliban were bad for Afghanistan and its people; they were bad for
Pakistan and its people; they were bad for Iran and its people, and
for the region as a whole. Whilst we are told by their apologists that
they have learnt their lessons and will be `kinder, gentler` this time
around there is no evidence to suggest that they have changed in any
way. Every piece of evidence suggests that they will be as backward as
heretofore; as brutal.
--
Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear
of punishment and hope of reward after death." --
Albert Einstein !!!
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