The Afghan & Pakistani Taliban

The word Taliban has been used in the western and even in some local media for referring terrorist outfits and/or non-state actors. There is confusion among the masses regarding what “Taliban” refers to; where some people admire them there are some who ridicule them. Let us discuss what Taliban mean in the current geopolitical environment and explore a solution for curtailing them of endless bloodshed in Pakistan. ‘Pakistani Taliban’ is a child of very complex circumstances and to understand who they are we need to revisit the years 2002/2003 when Musharraf in his effort of getting international legitimacy, compromised Pakistan’s strategic national interests by blindly following all western dictation and ordered military to enter in FATA for the first time since 1947 to assist the US in stopping Pakistanis from supporting the Afghan resistance against the US-led occupation forces in Afghanistan. During this era and the coming years, many people were arrested, kidnapped, murdered and handed over by the Musharraf establishment to the US without any judicial process as required under the laws of Pakistan. Even today there are over 600 such missing persons. It was this point in time when the youth of FATA and various other groups in the country sympathetic to the Afghan resistance started to become disgruntled with the Pakistani military establishment. In the excitement of having an opportunity of receiving a vote of confidence from the Americans; the then internationally isolated Musharraf and his accomplices who had taken control of Pakistan through an unconstitutional and illegal coupe failed to recognize that (1) there are strong cultural and close family ties between the Pakhtuns living on both sides of the Durand Line and it is natural for them living on the east side of the Durand Line to cross over and help their brothers on the western side of the Durand Line because they consider themselves as one family and Durant Line is irrelevant for them; (2) the people of this area have a sweet-tooth for Jihad against foreign occupation forces, a concept which was also exploited by US back in 1980s; (3) their decision to support the US invasion of Afghanistan was an unpopular decision which would be rejected by the masses; and (4) extra judicial and target killing of Pakistanis who were supporting the Afghan resistance or secretly arresting such Pakistanis and handing them over to the US for few dollars would stir a wave of anti-state feeling. Such actions helped Musharraf become an American asset and gained short-term personal support for his rule over Pakistan but these actions damaged Pakistan in the long run. Despite the atrocities and crackdown on sympathizers of the Afghan resistance; support to the Afghan insurgency did not cease specially from FATA. Therefore, during 2004 thru 2006 under pressure from US, Musharraf ordered full fledge military operations in Waziristan. During these military operations the Pakistani groups sympathetic to the Afghan resistance had become so infuriated that they started to rebel and repulse the military offensive and Pakistan military suffered huge losses at their hands prompting the commanders on the ground to execute peace agreements. These peace agreements were periodically broken, sometimes by Musharraf under American pressure and sometimes by direct US missile strikes in FATA killing many innocent people. One such good example is of Nek Muhammad, a rebel leader who was killed along with many other innocent people by a US missile strike soon after his rebel group and the military entered into the famous Shakai peace agreement of 2004. Ironically, military upon the orders of Musharraf took the responsibility for this missile strike to cover-up the airspace violation by US. Another example is the peace agreement of 2006 with the rebel group led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur of South Waziristan which was again broken in 2008 when a US drone missile hit South Waziristan straining his relations with Pakistan military because by then it had become clear that military was fully on board and cooperating with the US on the issue of drone strikes and were issuing condemnation statements only to avoid steering up anti-State emotions. In December 2007, about 13 rebel groups of this area started to work more closely and after killing around 200 rival tribal elders unified under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud titling themselves “Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan”. After the Lal Masjid massacre of innocent girls, many other rebel groups were formed and joined the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan to avenge the deaths of their loved ones from the security forces. This incident alone raised emotions against the military to a new height. Furthermore, half-hearted and luke warm condemnation statements by the military and civilian government without any serious action for repulsing US drone sttacks which were responsible for killing many innocent people in various parts of FATA provided evidence that the govt had given consent to the US for conducting drone strikes which led to anti-military feeling in the people. Killing innocent Pakistanis on the pretext of trying to hit handful terrorists via bombardment thru tanks, fighter jets and drones in FATA is as barbaric act as a suicide bombing in settled area of Pakistan which kills innocent civilians. In February 2009, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan led by Baitullah Mehsud, and three other strong rebel groups led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur of South Waziristan and Maulavi Nazir of North Waziristan formed an alliance titled “Shura-Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen” (Council of United Mujahedeen) and declared allegiance to both Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden who were based in Afghanistan. It is this unified group which is known in the media and claimed by the government of Pakistan as the “Pakistani Taliban”. In Afghanistan there is another organization titled Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan (the ‘Afghan Taliban) which is headed by Mullah Omar and mainly comprises Afghans who are fighting for the liberation of their country from US-led occupation forces. The ‘Afghan Taliban’ closely coordinate its struggle with other freedom fighters including Hezb-e-Islami, headed by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and the Haqqani network, led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani. Now that we know the difference between the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ and the ‘Afghan Taliban.’ lets first be clear that ‘Afghan Taliban’ are in no way involved in what is happening in Pakistan as Mullah Omar in early 2009 sent a message first through his envoy Mullah Abdullah Zakir and then through a letter requesting the Pakistani Taliban to stop attacks on Pakistani security forces and concentrate their efforts on helping the Afghan resistance. However, Pakistani Taliban are playing on both fronts, it is supporting the Afghan resistance on one side and but on the other side it isalso battling the military. There are two reasons why the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ are battling the state.First reason is that due to the self-serving and wrong policies of Musharraf as explained above, ‘Pakistani Taliban’ started a rebellion to avenge atrocities inflicted by the Musharraf regime and started to target military installations, killing primarily military personnel. Instead of having dialogue and initiating a peace process, Musharraf under the American pressure chose the military option and attacked ‘Pakistani Taliban’ with full force using tanks, helicopter gunships and bombarded their villages killing many innocent people. As a tit-for-tat reaction, the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ have been waging a war against the State hitting both military and civilian infrastructure and killing innocent women and children in the settled areas of Pakistan. The second reason why the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ are creating havoc is that when an insurgency starts at home then it is natural for the external enemies of the state to try and take advantage of the situation. While initially ‘Pakistan Taliban’ were created due to the irresponsible and self serving policies of Musharraf, however today the situation is far more complex. It is a known fact that RAW and assets of other foreign secret agencies who want to damage Pakistan have penetrated the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ and are using the high emotions of these people to destabilize Pakistan for their own ulterior motives. These external enemies are supplying the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ with weapons, money, strategic guidance, planning and communication technology to create havoc on one side and at the same time are pressuring Pakistan military to attack the Pakistani Taliban so that the Pakistani military is bogged down in FATA with the ‘Pakistani Taliban’. An important catalyst though which this conflict is being kept at high intensity is the continuing US drone strikes which in addition to hitting a handful of rebel leaders are also killing hundreds of innocent Pakistanis. US policy makers and their assets like Musharraf have done an excellent job for their western paymasters in developing a situation which is in the best strategic interest of the US as this situation is expected to reduce the intensity of the Afghan resistance because: (1) when Pakistan military is made to fight with ‘Pakistani Taliban’ and other rebel groups, support to the Afghan resistance from Pakistani territory would cease as Pak-Afghan boarder area on the eastern side of the Durand Line would be in flames thus eliminating the safe havens; (2) Pakistani Taliban would be concentrating their efforts on Pakistan military and will not have capacity to assist the Afghan resistance; (3) some rebel groups which are fighting the US-led foreign occupation forces in Afghanistan could be motivated to help the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ on the eastern side of the Durand Line; (4) some elements of the military establishment which may be sympathetic or supporting the ‘Afghan Taliban’ as alleged by the west would cease such support as they would be concentrating on the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ and the internal destabilized security environment; (5) US Forces in Afghanistan will get a breathing space to consolidate their control in Afghanistan while the Pakistan military used is by them as cannon fodder. This internal destabilized environment of Pakistan is being maintained by the likes of RAW and internationally hired hit-men who execute majority (if not all) of the terrorist activities in Pakistan and point the blame on Taliban so that Pakistan military remains engaged in FATA. When Pakistan is significantly destabilized then US and India will have an opportunity to disarm the only Muslim nuclear power. India will be allowed to expand its influence over Afghanistan and intensify the RAW sponsored separatist movements in Balochistan, NWFP and FATA with an aim to further destabilize and disintegrating the only Muslim country which has the military capability to challenge both Israel and India. The military and the civilian leadership of Pakistan need to get its act together and recognize the real enemies of Pakistan and the great game which is being played. Musharraf has absconded and the military has a fresh leadership team today which has an opportunity to make peace. The onus to correct the course and move in a direction which is in the best interest of Pakistan rests more on the military leadership now since it is a known fact that policies concerning India, US and FATA affairs are dictated from Rawalpindi and not Islamabad. There is still hope because all has not been lost as yet. On the west side of the Durand Line, US-led foreign occupation forces are facing defeat after eight long years of war as evidenced by US General Stanley McChrystal’s words “We are like the bull that repeatedly charges a matador’s cape – only to tire and eventually be defeated by a much weaker opponent.” Further, the troop levels of countries aiding the US-led foreign occupation force are also under pressure due to the economic crisis and a surge in receipt of coffins at home. The Afghan Taliban have created a shadow “government-in-waiting”, complete with cabinet ministers that could assume power at a moment’s notice and shadow governors in 33 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, including those in the north thus threatening the security of the Northern Supply Route which the US established to supplement the vulnerable supply routes through Pakistan is under serious threat. At this point in time when US is facing a defeat, Pakistan should provide as much moral, financial and equipment support to the ‘Afghan Taliban’, the Hekmatyar Group and the Haqqani Network not only because they are Muslims fighting their war of independence but because: (1) the current Pro-India Afghan government is acting against Pakistan’s strategic interests under the watch of the Americans; (2) Indian influence and hegemony in Afghanistan is increasing day by day which is enabling the Indians to destabilize Balochistan and FATA; and (3) it is important that Pakistan supports pro-Pakistan Afghans so that when they take control of Kabul, Pakistan gets a friendly, trustworthy and dependable neighbour on the western border. As far as Pakistan’s internal security is concerned; military operations, population displacement, turning a blind eye on US drone strikes and having jets bombard FATA resulting in unavoidable loss of innocent lives (collateral damage) will have serious repercussions in the long run. The solution to the internal destabilized environment lies in dialoge with the rebel groups comprising the ‘Pakistani Taliban’. Yes RAW agents and assets of other external enemies of Pakistan have penetrated these groups but by and large they are sons of this soil and have been disillusioned and infuriated with the state due to the acts discussed above. Solution lies in dialogue and peace agreements so that the external enemies in these groups can be exposed and isolated, guarding the peace agreement by repulsing any future US drone attacks with full diplomatic and conventional force, devising a foreign policy with US and India as per the aspiration of masses, eliminating the RAW and other foreign assets through intelligence and even considering pre-emptive strikes on the Indian consulates on the Pak-Afghan border which are fueling anti-state feelings and are the source of external support to the Pakistani Taliban. Peace will only be achieved through dialogue and not through military operations. Lastly, but not the least, it is high time that red warrants for Musharraf be issued and he be brought back and tried and an example be set for anyone who tries to violate the constitution and betrays this nation. This small act alone will start the healing process of many wounds the pain of which is the cause of this existing destabilized environment.
Frontier post

Even this guy is being coy, doesn't name the enemy.
At least it's not just me.

Does anyone know!