Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan - September 15, 2009

Masaru · Post by **Masaru** » 22 Sep 2009 02:00

Saeed under 'house arrest', was Pak army's iftar guest

Wonder what the response from Tharoor and SM Krishna would be ...

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 22 Sep 2009 06:37

Sensible solutions

Sir: Once again, your editorial “The Water War with India” (Daily Times, September 20) has proposed sensible solutions to the developing water situation in the Subcontinent. The Partition, arbitrarily completed in just 73 days in 1947, gave rise to perennial problems and the sharing of the Indus system of rivers is one of the major issues. The best course of action, suggested by many in the 1950s, was to look at the Indus Basin as an integral entity for the purpose of water sharing, but in the extremely strained relationship between the two countries, it was not possible and the best that could be achieved was the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960.

With the further drifting away of these two nations since then, it is no longer possible to take a holistic approach to the Indus system of rivers and that is especially regrettable with the dwindling flows due to climate change. Both nations must realise that they should not exacerbate an already fragile situation through actions not in conformity with the IWT which has so far stood the test of time.
SUBRAMANYAM SRIDHARAN
India

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Sep 2009 07:20

vaman wrote:'Musharraf rewarded Pak militant who slit throat of Indian officer'

What to the peaceniks have to say about this?

It sure will not be that they will be rewarding Sepoy Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar of the 17 Maratha Light Infantry along with seven of our solders for having laid down their lives to protect our country :

24-yr-old sepoy was beheaded in 2000 LoC raid

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2009 07:31

Many times, the letters written to the Editors of newspapers hide a lot more than what they overtly convey. When one talks of Indus Basin as an integral entity, it begs the question integral with what ? Similarly, when one says that flows are dwindling due to climate change, one can ony infer that it is not due to India impounding waters, a common myth propagated by the State and believed by the masses. Not, but not the least, IWT standing the test of time cannot mean anything other than the fact that India, the upper riparian, has so far scrupulously adhered to the provisions of the Treaty.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2009 08:26

Bring back Jagannath Azad's Pakistan Anthem

As children we learnt that Pakistan didn’t have a national anthem until the 1950s. My journalist uncle Zawwar Hasan used to tell us of a reporter friend who visited China soon after Independence. Asked about Pakistan’s national anthem, he sang the nonsensical ‘laralapa laralapa.’

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 22 Sep 2009 08:42

I understand SSridhar, one has to resort to reverse equal-equal to push that thought to jihadi publications.

Vivek_A · Post by **Vivek_A** » 22 Sep 2009 08:44

This is Gen McChrystal's unclassified report published in the washington post

COMISAF Initial Assessment (Unclassified) -- Searchable Document

Pakistan. Afghanistan's insurgency is clearly supported from Pakistan. Senior leaders of the major Afghan insurgent groups are based in Pakistan, are linked with al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups, and are reportedly aided by some elements of Pakistan's lSI. AI Qaeda and associated movements (AQAM) based in Pakistan channel foreign fighters, suicide bombers, and technical assistance into Afghanistan, and offer ideological motivation, training, and financial support. AI Qaeda's links with HUN have grown, suggesting that expanded HQN control could create a favorable environment for AQAM to re-establish safe-havens in Afghanistan. Additionally, the ISAF mission in Afghanistan is reliant on ground supply routes through Pakistan that remain vulnerable to these threats.

India. Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan, including significant development efforts and financial investment. In addition, the current Afghan government is perceived by Islamabad to be pro-Indian. While Indian activities largely benefit the Afghan people, increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures in Afghanistan or India.

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 22 Sep 2009 09:18

arun wrote:
vaman wrote:'Musharraf rewarded Pak militant who slit throat of Indian officer'

What to the peaceniks have to say about this?
It sure will not be that they will be rewarding Sepoy Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar of the 17 Maratha Light Infantry along with seven of our solders for having laid down their lives to protect our country :

24-yr-old sepoy was beheaded in 2000 LoC raid

Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 22 Sep 2009 10:00

(OT)

May I ask what happened to Maulvi RajeshA ji? Its been a while since he was sighted last. I miss his posts

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 22 Sep 2009 10:01

same question here. anyone in touch with him ? is he ok ?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2009 10:10

Have just sent him mail.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 22 Sep 2009 10:15

g.kacha arun wrote:
vaman wrote:
'Musharraf rewarded Pak militant who slit throat of Indian officer'

What to the peaceniks have to say about this?

It sure will not be that they will be rewarding Sepoy Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar of the 17 Maratha Light Infantry along with seven of our solders for having laid down their lives to protect our country :

24-yr-old sepoy was beheaded in 2000 LoC raid

Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...

And the P-Sec crowd clamer for interviews, Apologize for what India has done to Pakis, and oogling at his son and him in Private visits.

Its obvious that these people serve foreign masters and life of an patriotic Indian is the cheapest.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 10:42

US approves 2.376 billion dollar aid package for Pakistan

Washington, Sep.22 (ANI): The United States has approved 2.376 billion dollars as aid for Pakistan.

The US government has also tabled an aid bill of 2.282 billion dollars in the Congress for Pakistan for the financial year 2009-10.

The bill placed in the American Congress includes both military and humanitarian assistance, The News reports.

It is worth mentioning here that the US has pledged 1.5 billion dollars of annual assistance to Pakistan for five years through the Kerry-Lugar bill.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 22 Sep 2009 12:01

What can India do if there's another 26/11? Nothing!'
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/sep/ ... can-do.htm

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 12:20

We can do nothing because America is sitting in our Backyard.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 22 Sep 2009 12:26

shravan wrote:We can do nothing because America is sitting in our Backyard.

Keep watching more people die

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 22 Sep 2009 12:37

^^ I suspect that Pakis are hiding deep $hit secret about US. As a simple observer of US policies since September 2001, I have failed to find the answer to some of the key questions.
1) Why did US allowed Taliban's and AQ escape into pakistan when they knew that they will flee and that too only towards pakistan. The idea of lawless region existed long before so why did US did not equip pakis to deal with the situation simulateneously while attack on Afghanistan.
2) I believe that pakis are hiding some ugly cold war truth about the nefarious US designs in the region and its anti-India activities during last few decades only in that scenario can US succomb or wink to so much blatent nuclear proliferation, human rights violation and anti-India activity of paki army. The amount of aid given to pakis from all quarters of US and its friends is mind-boggling, I would rate is more than $50 billion since 2001.
So just what is the interest of US lies in keeping pakis intact. Why does US thinktank have the myopic and tunnel vision of thinking that only stable pakistan is good when 95% of time, stable pakistan is bad.
I believe that the real suspect is pentagon. Pentagon considers pakistan its baby and despite being under control of washington, I believe that it sometimes acts independently and gets its way in doing what they want to do. They are probably in a simple terms arms brokers. They want to keep theconflict going to usurp more funds for war on terror. Iraq was for oil while Af-pak is for arms industry.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2009 13:55

Stan_Savljevic wrote:What can India do if there's another 26/11? Nothing!'
http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/sep/ ... can-do.htm

I hope that Najam Sethi has done a great service in opening many closed Indian minds through a most comprehensive and vicious exposition of Pakistani position with respect to India.

If there is another Mumbai-like (why Mumbai-like, any attack for that matter bigger or smaller than 26/11) carnage and if past history is anything to go by, India will simply twiddle its thumbs and sit on its haunches while politicians will talk of bringing the perpetrators to justice at any cost. It is in this abhorrence and moral standing to meet violence with more violence and with inflicting unacceptable violence on the original causers, lies the root of Indian problems. Our enemy countries, China & Pakistan, have well understood this psyche. That is why they mock at us. All this debate about whether TN fizzled or sizzled is useless because our political leaders will never summon enough courage to lob a few of them even after being nuked. This is plain truth.

Leave that as it may. Najam Sethi makes many assumptions and analyses that are patently wrong. But, as a Pakistani, he is entitled to all that. The only two things he is right about is that there will be future attacks on India and India will not react.

Firstly, his claim that non-state actors who became state actors have again become non-state actors is patently wrong. There never was any non-state actor (except perhaps Shia terrorist organizations). Period. All of the mainline Jihadi terrorist tanzeems branched off from Sipah-Sahaba-e-Pakistan (SSP or its offshoots) which was formed to protect Sunni interests against the Shia with the revolution in neighbouring Iran. There has never been any confusion in the minds of Pakistani State or Pakistani Army or these terrorists as to what they should do vis-a-vis India. The terrorists attacked Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz and the Pakistani Army because they changed their policies mid-course. They abandoned the Taliban under US pressure, they made alternate approaches to resolving issues with India, they had to take some action (reluctantly though) against the Punjabi Taliban under UN/US pressure etc. This led to resentment against those whom the neo-Taliban termed as American lackeys and tried to settle score with. The ordinary citizens of Pakistan as well as most political and religious leaders (like PML-N, PML-Q, JUI-F, JI) have always reposed faith in jihadi terrorists and supported them to the hilt even during those trying circumstances. The nexus between the jihadi terrorists now represented by the neo-Taliban (which includes Afghan Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, Al Qaeda, and Punjabi Taliban) and the Pakistani State (represented by the Pakistani Army, President, Prime Minister, Judiciary, Political Parties, Clergy and common Abduls) had never wavered and has remained strong.

The argument that it had taken Pakistan 30 years to build up these terrorists and it will therefore take a while to dismantle them and so India must not delay talks cuts no ice. While, it will certainly take a while to entirely wipe out the terrorist infrastructure, it is easy to start decapitation activities. Pakistan has made absolutely no moves to eliminate jihadi terrorist leaders, Hafeez Saeed being a prime example. The elimination of Ilyas Kashmiri of HuJI recently was not due to Pakistai efforts. It was an American operation because Kashmiri, an Afghan veteran, was a part of neo-Taliban fighting American forces. Besides, Pakistan has made absolutely no efforts to stop inculcating its students with hatred for Indians and instilling a jihadi fervour in them right from primary levels of education. It has not collaborated with India freely and willingly to unravel various terrorist plots against India. It gives asylum to most wanted Indian terrorists and ignores Interpol RCNs. Any meanigful dialogue during this period will therefore amount to Pakistan putting a gun at India's head.

Sethi sometimes makes assumptions that are blatantly incorrect. In one of his editorials, he said India awards death sentences freely, which is simply contrary to truth. Similarly, he has been saying right from day one of 26/11 that the tough Indian posture (by Indian standards !) was because the elections were approaching and Congress has to be seen to be tough. He forgets the huge outrage that India felt when 26/11 happened. The memories may be fading now amongst many, except folks in BR and other similar fora, but no country, not even a pacifist India, will forget the unforgivable and cruel 26/11 attacks and take part in talks as though nothing happened. Had Pakistan not lived in denial initially, not delayed accepting its responsibility in terror even though by the the so-called non-State actors, cooperated satisfactorily with India, and prosecuted everyone including the ideologue without dumping every Indian dossier as insufficient, things might have been different. But, Pakistan being Pakistan, cannot be expected to do all these things.

The other myth that Pakistan has been successful in sustaining vis-a-vis India is that Pakistan and India fight their 'wars' in all theatres of the globe, from the UN to Afghanistan. This is totally untrue. Wherever India has retaliated, it has done so after Pakistan provoked. India's retaliation, if at all, has been minimal and insignificant. There lies the rub. India has to realize that it has to go the whole hog once it decides to retaliate. Half measures not only do not produce any result but also bring only bad name. It is time for India, in fact well past the time, to decide that it will do everything to dismember Pakistan and pay it back several times more than what that country has been doing to us in terms of a 'thousand cuts'. A small attempt in the Sind and another small one in Balochistan, like the much derided Hindu rate of growth, will be useless. On the other hand, it gives a handle to Pakistan to equate their massive efforts with our puny and half-baked retaliatory efforts. This is what Najam Sethi is attempting in this article and has been constantly harping on in his various editorials too.

And finally, he reveals his true colurs, like a true Pakistani that he is. We have nukes and India cannot even wag its little finger. Pakistani elite believe that with overt nuclearization, they will be able to sustain the low intensity conflict in Kashmir and indeed the whole of India, with India being unable to retaliate without running the risk of escalating the conflict, in which case Pakistan would immediately threaten with nuclear weapons to either make India scale down or draw an alarmed US into the scene. In their opinion, both these scenarios will work to their advantage. These give a raison d’etat for the Government of Pakistan to perpetuate the hostility with India. The former Chief of PAEC, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, openly accepted the Pakistani strategy when celebrating the Youm-e-Takbir Day in May 2009 when he said that it was the nuclear weapons that saved Pakistan after the Dec. 2001 Indian Parliament and the 2008 26/11 Mumbai attacks. India must call that bluff. There are various ways it can and must be done. Let's make no mistake. Pakistan doesn't believe that nuclear weapons are weapons of political deterrence. It believes that these must be used and Pakistan will certainly use them, reckless and inferior they are. However, there is ample space below that nuclear threshold where India can inflict pain on Pakistan without inviting a nuclear attack. We have done nothing so far.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 22 Sep 2009 14:16

Brilliant write-up Ssridhar saar.

I see no reason for TSP to change their strategy at all. Wonder why there's been no repeat of 26/11 at all since 26/11, actually. Or maybe I speak too soon, it might happen tomorrow.

Also, given India's utter lack of will to retaliate with extreme (or even mild) prejudice, what stops TSP from sending JDAMs our way, I wonder? TSP can maintain its plausible deniability coupled with blanket denials just as well then too. No? Why, it would also tie-in neatly with Sri Obama's and Sri Jintao's pious calls for global test bans and complete N-disarmament amongst the non P5.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 14:21

Pakistani Army, Taliban clash in Waziristan
By Bill RoggioSeptember 22, 2009 2:04 AM

The Pakistani military and the Taliban clashed in the Taliban-controlled tribal agencies of North and South Waziristan.

The Taliban claimed it killed 45 Pakistani soldiers after assaulting two security checkpoints in Ramzak, a military garrison town on the border of South Waziristan. A battalion of more than 600 Taliban fighters attacked the two outposts in Ramzak, according to Dawn. Azam Tariq, the new spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, confirmed the attack.

The Pakistani military claimed eight Taliban fighters were killed during the assault but did not report its own casualties

In South Waziristan, Pakistani Army helicopter gunships struck Taliban camps in the strongholds of Makeen and Spina Tigha. The military said 26 Taliban fighters were killed in the attack.

The clashes in North and South Waziristan take place moor than a week after the Pakistani government gave the military the approval to launch a military operation in Waziristan. The military indicated it was "looking for a suitable time to launch the operation," according to Dawn. There are reports the Pakistani government has begun forming lashkars, or tribal militias, to support the operation. But the military has discarded so-called "pro-government" Taliban leaders like Haji Turkistan Bhittani, who opposes the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.

---
I was waiting for this news for a long time...

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 22 Sep 2009 14:37

The TSPA, contrary to many fond hopes and jingo dreams on brf seems like it has managed to stamp out TTP influence in the areas where it has launched ops. Of course it helps that no concern for human rights or collateral damage has served to tie TSPA's blood-soaked hands.

IMO, this waziristan op was long in coming and it can be successful once all the pro-TSP talibunnies are evacuated from there. The pure talibs can now be roasted merrily only.

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 22 Sep 2009 14:51

Nice observation, Sridhar.
Till the day India elects young, energetic and non-Gandhian leader with balls, nothing will change ever.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 15:58

Girls school attacked in troubled NW Pakistan

kidoman · Post by **kidoman** » 22 Sep 2009 16:41

g.kacha wrote:
24-yr-old sepoy was beheaded in 2000 LoC raid

Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...

Can you please throw some more light on this??
I am burning after reading the IE story and eagerly want to know how our men took revenge..

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 22 Sep 2009 16:51

Revenge what revenge, our political class want to only uphold the ceasefire

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Sep 2009 16:52

X Posted.

It will be interesting to see if “tomorrow” actually comes and if there will be a response to Simon Henderson’s surmise that the price exacted by Pakistan for co-operation in the War on Terror for the West in general, and the United States in particular, was that Pakistan’s “nuclear sins” were to be “placed to one side”

:

Ian Kelly
Department Spokesman
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
September 21, 2009 …………………………

QUESTION: Just wanted to get you to respond to an article in Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper written by Simon Henderson. In it, he talks about a letter dated December the 10th, 2003, which he says was written by A.Q. Khan. And the suggestion here is that the narrative around A.Q. Khan has been that he has been singled out as pretty much the sole source of the proliferation problem that Pakistan had, whereas the suggestion is that there was a much broader problem within Pakistan in terms of encouraging proliferation with the likes of China, Libya, Iran, and North Korea.

MR. KELLY: Yeah.

QUESTION: Do you have any response to that?

MR. KELLY: Well, I haven’t seen the article that you’re referring to. I certainly will look it up after the briefing. But I think that our concerns about Mr. A.Q. Khan have been very clear and very public, and we’ve passed them both through private diplomatic channels, and we’ve also made our views known publicly. I think that we’re working very closely with the Government of Pakistan to ensure that there are proper safeguards for their own nuclear program. And we’ve also worked very closely with them in terms of making sure that there isn’t any kind of proliferation of any kind of technology or information or hardware.

QUESTION: Do you know if the U.S. has seen this letter and whether there –

MR. KELLY: No. I don’t know what letter you refer to, so we’ll have to take a look at that, and maybe tomorrow we can get you some more information on that.

Yeah. …………………

US State Department

Simon Henderson’s article is available here:

Investigation: Nuclear scandal - Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 22 Sep 2009 18:21

kidoman wrote:
g.kacha wrote:
24-yr-old sepoy was beheaded in 2000 LoC raid

Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...
Can you please throw some more light on this??
I am burning after reading the IE story and eagerly want to know how our men took revenge..

Well ... from what my friend told me is that the folks of the unit in question formed a raiding party, sneaked across the LOC to a paki post and paid back our pakistani friends in same coin. The only difference being that they did not carry out the act in a "halaal" way but it was a "jhatka" way of doing things.
These were post kargil days with tempers running high on both sides, so these kinds of tit-for-tat incidents were not too uncommon across the LOC ...

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 22 Sep 2009 18:59

"If there's another Mumbai, what then," he asked and said, there is no way India can launch military strikes.

Nothing.

Has there ever been a bombing in Makkah?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Sep 2009 19:12

The raison d'etre of Pakistan is a permanent hatred of India and a daily tritual of terror against us.That has been the preverted legacy of JInnah which the miliytary rulers of Pak have fine tuned after decades of hostility towards us.Every example of the trickster's art has been used by Pak in deceiving the international community in obtaining aid and arms,especially from the US,which sees Pak as martial mercenary kindred spirit",ever ready to do America's dirty work.India's other mortal enemy China,has also been using Pak in the most virulent way against India since the '62 war.

The real question therefore is at whose feet should we lay the blame for the decades of conflict and terror committed against India from across the border,Pak, or the US and China,its godfathers? Pak we well know has ben a willing tool for the geo-strategic gameplan of these two nuclear powers and now possesses through China,every kind of N-warhead design (which China stole from the US),thus possessing a huge potential advantage over India in strategic terms.When you combine the threat from China and Pak,India is at a massive disadvantage .In fact we are at great peril from a surprise pre-emptive nuclear strike from China.After P-2,it was said that the Chinese did a quick evaluation of India's deterrent and came to the conclusion that it posed no significant threat to China.We are, as a member correctly pointed out ,in an inferior position to Pak,which knows that it N-devices will work,wheras we are at war within the scientific establishment over the performance of our TN warheads aqnd are under intense pressure form the US,to sign away forever our N-capability under the pernicious terms of the CTBT and NPT.

There can be no option other than to test as much as is required for India to be able to design TN warheads of any size that our delivery systems can comfortably strike anywhere on the globe.Anything less would be tantamount to singing away the country's sovereignity and conceding victory to the enemy without even firing a shot.Sun Tzu must be smilng!

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 22 Sep 2009 19:41

Post 26/11, 10 new Pak terror camps

India knew of 52 camps on Pakistani soil last year, around the time of the Mumbai attack. “Ten more have come up in recent months,” a senior government official told HT.

The Multi-Agency Centre — the Intelligence Bureau hub with representatives from all security agencies — counted 62 camps ahead of Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s visit to the United States earlier this month.

Chidambaram is understood to have shared details of the camps, along with maps and intercepts of conversations between terrorists and their Pakistani handlers, with the US government. {Shameless, ball less GOI!}

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 22 Sep 2009 20:42

I put this in the wrong place yesterday

Lalmohan wrote:there is an element of ritual in these killings, be it throat slitting or decapitation. its meant to impress those around them and reinforce the messages and inspire fear - killing like animals, etc

Absolutely right. Jihadi rhetoric loves to employ the phrase 'slaughtered like animals', and they like to act out when they get the chance.
For them its pure propaganda of the deed, meant to terrify those who oppose them, empower those who are on their side, and tip over those who sit on the fence.

At a ritual level it re-enacts the public ritual sacrifices of animals, etc of Muslims to celebrate big events.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 22 Sep 2009 20:47

Vivek_A wrote:This is Gen McChrystal's unclassified report published in the washington post

COMISAF Initial Assessment (Unclassified) -- Searchable Document

Pakistan. Afghanistan's insurgency is clearly supported from Pakistan. Senior leaders of the major Afghan insurgent groups are based in Pakistan, are linked with al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups, and are reportedly aided by some elements of Pakistan's lSI. AI Qaeda and associated movements (AQAM) based in Pakistan channel foreign fighters, suicide bombers, and technical assistance into Afghanistan, and offer ideological motivation, training, and financial support. AI Qaeda's links with HUN have grown, suggesting that expanded HQN control could create a favorable environment for AQAM to re-establish safe-havens in Afghanistan.

HUN should read as HQN, which is the American acronym for Jalaluddin Haqqani and sons outfit.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 20:55

Master of Film Piracy Racket is in Pakistan: Police

The six persons arrested in connection with the piracy racket of Bollywood movies used to send the movies to their mastermind in Pakistan, who then circulated it throughout the world, police said today.

The city police had arrested six persons, including the manager of Adlabs Processing at the Film City, for allegedly stealing the masterprint of Ashutosh Gowariker-directed What's Your Raashee? that releases in cinema halls on Friday, and making pirated DVDs.
---

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2009 21:00

AI Qaeda's links with HQN have grown, suggesting that expanded HQN control could create a favorable environment for AQAM to re-establish safe-havens in Afghanistan.

The above from Gen. McChrystal's internal assessment. Whether we refer to them as AQAM or neo-Taliban, these various factions from AlQaeda to Punjabi Taliban have all merged. Whereas Mullah Omar had only Afghanistan in his radar earlier on and simply gave sanctuary to Al Qaeda upon Pakistani prodding, that situation dramatically changed after 9/11. Haqqani was not a Taliban, but more a mujahideen and a warlord. They have all coalesced. Even the Waziris and Mehsuds had come together lately. Whether this coalition will survive after the Americans leave Afghanistan is a moot point. But, at this point, they are speaking in one voice.

The Pakistanis, IMHO, are cleverly exploiting the emerging thinking in the American minds to get rid of inconvenient individuals only while preserving most of the entire spectrum of AQAM or Neo-Taliban. This force will ultimately be needed to be let loose on India.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 22 Sep 2009 21:02

Hari Seldon wrote:The TSPA, contrary to many fond hopes and jingo dreams on brf seems like it has managed to stamp out TTP influence in the areas where it has launched ops. Of course it helps that no concern for human rights or collateral damage has served to tie TSPA's blood-soaked hands.

IMO, this waziristan op was long in coming and it can be successful once all the pro-TSP talibunnies are evacuated from there. The pure talibs can now be roasted merrily only.

The TTP is not a conventional military force. The bulk of their forces generally dont hang around to engage in a straight fight, but rather show up after the main force has passed. This is why there are areas of the Swat Valley that are still essentially controlled by the Pakiban.

The PA will have to be permanently deployed in force in order to prevent the Taliban from re-infiltrating the areas and taking over again.
That ties down significant PA forces, and makes them something closer to an occupying power particularly given the brutality of PA tactics.

The other option is to control the larger towns in NWFP and FATA and abandon the countryside to the Taliban. I believe this is what they will do. However, in a situation like that the TTP will have the room to grow and the PA will in a few years need a lot more troops to hold on to the towns.

Unlike NATO in Afghanistan, the PA have no real problem with manpower, or public opinion. But between their India fixation, and their conviction that they cant afford to eliminate the Taliban entirely they're trapped.

Rahul Shukla · Post by **Rahul Shukla** » 22 Sep 2009 21:10

Feds seek about a dozen people in terror investigation (CNN)

Federal agents arrested three men late Saturday in connection with what the Justice Department has said was a plot to detonate bombs in the United States. Najibullah Zazi, his father Mohammed Wali Zazi and Muslim cleric Ahmad Wais Afzali... All three men are originally from Afghanistan.

Investigators said Najibullah Zazi has admitted attending courses and receiving instructions on weapons and explosives at an al Qaeda training facility in Pakistan's tribal areas during a 2008 trip. They also say he lied to federal agents about explosives-handling instructions they found on his computer.

Criminal complaint against Najibullah Zazi (PDF)
Criminal complaint against Mohammed Wali Zazi (PDF)
Criminal complaint against Ahmad Wais Afzali (PDF)

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 22 Sep 2009 21:17

g.kacha wrote: Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...

I believe it was the Naga regt men who went and slaughtered some pigs across the yellow sea.

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 22 Sep 2009 21:24

Rishi wrote:
g.kacha wrote: Someone I know was posted in the same sector when this happened and I have it on good authority that heinous act this was avenged by our men in OG ...
I believe it was the Naga regt men who went and slaughtered some pigs across the yellow sea.

I believe Nagas gained a fearsome reputation during Kargil ... i heard stories (not sure of how much was authentic or how much was hyperbole) about our Naga brethren practicing the forgotten art of head-hunting on the pakis ...

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Sep 2009 21:41

^
Link
In the just concluded Kargil conflict, the first Naga regiment was deployed in Dras sector and the second in Patan. The latter captured many important peaks in Mushkoh valley and enemy mortar positions which earned them instant citation from the Army chief. The first Naga regiment soldiers killed about a dozen of intruders only with their ‘khukries’. But the best reaction was that of Sepoy Dnozoli of the first Naga. Down with serious splinter injuries and tied to hospital bed he is letting out war cries to go back to the battlefield and finish the remaining enemies.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 22 Sep 2009 23:32

X post
Post 26/11, 10 new Pak terror camps

.............Intelligence agencies have told the government that Pakistani security agencies are increasing the number of terrorist training schools they run in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India knew of 52 camps on Pakistani soil last year, around the time of the Mumbai attack. “Ten more have come up in recent months,” a senior government official told HT.

The Multi-Agency Centre — the Intelligence Bureau hub with representatives from all security agencies — counted 62 camps ahead of Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s visit to the United States earlier this month. (is there a Home Ministry attempt to let the Indian public know that MAC is up and running after all these years?)

Chidambaram is understood to have shared details of the camps, along with maps and intercepts of conversations between terrorists and their Pakistani handlers, with the US government.

The US was also given details of the 260 infiltration attempts this year. Ninety-one terrorists have been killed so far this year. Ten have been arrested.

Intelligence agencies have also reported that 199 terrorists infiltrated in the first six months of the year, up from 117 in the same period last year.

“We focus on Saeed as he symbolises Pakistani inaction,” said the official, who refused to be named. But, he said, the problem is larger and reflected in the rise in the number of training camps and infiltration bids.

Security officers who came face-to-face with the infiltrators say they move in groups of six to 10 and are well trained and equipped. “They seem as well trained as the ones who attacked Mumbai,” a Border Security Force officer in Jammu and Kashmir said.

Brilliant! Just tell Chacha everything. We will just sit on our hands and do nothing.