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Mr Shashi Sekhar has been very diligent in trackign the rise of the TSP terror operatives.
Pioneer, 25 June 2010
OPED | Thursday, June 24, 2010 | Email | Print | | Back
Terror’s double game
Shashi Shekhar
As the UPA Government embarks upon yet another misadventure to reduce India’s ‘trust deficit’ with Pakistan, it would be useful to take note of the changing terrorscape following recent subtle though significant shifts in Islamabad’s cross-border jihad policy which have profound implications
Multiple signals are emerging from the jihadi landscape in South Asia in the aftermath of a Mumbai court delivering its verdict in the November 26 attacks on Mumbai. These signals also come as India prepares to affect a shift in its Pakistan policy through what it calls an “exploratory mode”. While the first four of these signals have been well reported and analysed quite extensively the last has received very little attention in India. As Home Minister P Chidambaram prepares to visit Pakistan it is imperative that these signals are paid attention to closely.
The first signal is the apparent splintering of jihadist groups inside Pakistan that manifested in the killing of a former ISI official with known jihadi sympathies Khaled Khawaja by a group known as the Asian Tigers. While Khaled Khawaja was killed back in early May, the fate of two others kidnapped by the Asian Tigers remains unknown. One of the hostages is a Colonel Tarar, also popularly known as Colonel Imam, who claims to have fathered the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The splintering within the jihadi outfits inside Pakistan has also spurred a low key factional war of targeted sectarian killings in the city of Karachi in recent weeks. These targeted sectarian killings follow an earlier sectarian attack in Lahore on two mosques of the Ahmediya sect. This string of sectarian jihadi attacks manifests in a second signal of political conflict within the Pakistani establishment with the ruling PPP taking on the PML(N) in Punjab for its overt and covert sympathies to jihadi outfits. While a Minister in the provincial Punjab Government has been accused of overt sympathies to an anti-Shia extremist outfit, evidence has also surfaced of the Punjab Government funding the Jamaat-ud-Dawa’h.
While the JuD continues to host anti-India political rallies in Pakistan, a third trend has emerged in recent weeks. It is the increased international focus on the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and the jihadist sympathies of sections within Pakistan’s establishment. This trend started with a paper by Stephen Tankel on how the Lashkar had evolved into a gateway for jihadis facilitating funds and logistics. In recent times, The New York Times and other international publications have published extensive narratives on how the LeT has been working at the behest of Pakistani agencies to hurt Indian interests in Afghanistan. The Associated Press, too, carried a narrative of a retired Pakistan Major and his continued jihadist sympathies. This increased international focus was further magnified in a paper by Matt Waldman of the London School of Economics on how Pakistan continues to sponsor the Afghan Taliban. Most recently the RAND publication has a report cautioning the US Government over continued aid to Pakistan.
This increased international focus on continued jihadi sympathies within the Pakistani establishment comes in the aftermath of the failed attempt to set off a bomb in New York City by Pakistani American Faisal Shahzad. Shahzad who pledged guilty in a US court earlier this week went on record to admit that he was trained in bomb making by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. He also revealed he spent 40 days with the TTP while he spent five days in actual training. He also revealed receiving US $4,900 in cash to fund his failed attack. The court documents, however, have not revealed much about the investigations in Pakistan in relation to the Shahzad case.
When taken together, the failed Times Square bombing, the factional infighting and the increased international focus on the LeT put into perspective a recent video from Al Qaeda. In a major setback to Al Qaeda, Abu al-Yazid, considered the third highest ranking member after Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, was reported killed in a drone attack. In a video that appeared last week from the Al Qaeda’s media communication channel, Yazid, who perhaps recorded his last message before his death, was seen appealing for funds, further underlining the weakening of Al Qaeda resources. The video was also significant for another reason.
For the first time, Yazid acknowledges that Ilyas Kashmiri’s 313 Brigade had a role in the February 13 blast in Pune’s German Bakery. Describing Kashmiri as leading the Al Qaeda in Jammu & Kashmir, this statement from Yazid has received very little attention in India.
The Yazid statement comes at the same time Pakistan seeks to deflect attention from the JuD’s Hafiz Saeed. While one media statement by a Lashkar spokesman sought to put some distance between JuD and the 26/11-accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi who remains under trial in Pakistan, other media reports described Saeed as being under house arrest. This simultaneous shifting of spotlight to Kashmiri’s 313 Brigade and deflection of attention from Saeed has some history as is evident from the David Headley chargesheets and in the timing of a previous anti-India Al Qaeda video, also issued by Yazid in March 2009.
While this double game between the 313 Brigade and LeT could have a benign explanation coming as it is in the week before Home Minister Chidambaram’s visit to Pakistan, there is another unverified signal that must be paid attention to. In the first week of June, a new jihadist website was registered in the name of 313 Brigade. The website carries a eulogy to Yazid apparently mourning his death in a drone strike. At this time the website does not carry any explicit threats. However, the timing of its launch is ominous as Mr Chidambaram prepares to visit Pakistan on June 26, which also happens to be a Saturday.
A_Gupta wrote:A bit of history - the source of Pakistan's strategic thinking:
October 14, 1947, the Nawab of Bhopal wrote to Jinnah about the British and the Commonwealth's unsympathetic response to Pakistan's appeal to intervene in East Punjab.
He pointed out that Pakistan was important to the West from strategic, economic and political aspects (because of what we now call the Cold War) and that they should be made to realize that.
Quote:
3. In this global and international peace strategy, the Dominion of Pakistan occupies a unique and vital position. If one may describe the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean as an arch, then Pakistan and its port at Karachi can be rightly named the keystone of that arch.
Were Pakistan, stretching from the Himalayas to the sea, forced to align itself, for any reason, with the powers hostile to the peace-loving nations, then the apex of the great arch of the Indian Ocean would be controlled by the enemies of the British Commonwealth, the resources of the Dominion of India would be at their disposal, and the whole strategic position in the Middle East would be out-flanked and turned.
The oil resources at present available to the Western Democracies in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, would fall under enemy control and air and sea fleets would then be free to attack the continent of Africa.
In addition, the Dominion of Pakistan represents the only area on the face of the globe from which a counter-offensive, in sufficient strength against Russia could be mounted. {long argument to prove this is omitted.}
6. In the analysis, therefore, not only is the survival of Pakistan vital to the interests of the Western Democracies and those other states willing to combine in an alliance to curb the aggressive ambitions of the Soviets, but its transformation into a base capable of maintaining a modern army is of equal importance.
...
{I won't reproduce the economic and political analysis.}
14. In renewing this appeal for a sane approach on the part of the Commonwealth in this inter-Dominion dispute in the Punjab, it would be as well for those responsible for making the decisions to look at this problem from the lowest, and purely materialistic level of self-interest and to face the facts and come to the assistance of the Dominion of Paksitan in this, the first desperate crisis which has over-shadowed the country at the very outset of its career as an equal partner in the British Commonwealth. This is the crucial test. Are the other Dominions capable of rising to the occasion?
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Papers
First Series, Volume VI, #63
Editor Z.H. Zaidi
I am a Pak-Canadian living in Toronto. I found this website couple of days ago regarding Indian Defense issues so I got little curious. I was born in Karachi and have lived in that city till I was 13. We than moved to Canada with my family but I have lived nearly in all parts of Pakistan including Pakstunistan & Punjab. I have a bunch of relatives in the Pak Armed Forces as well. My ethic background is Pakstun-Urdu speaking if you want to know. I am 28 years old and I am an Electrical Engineer by profession in a UK-Canada engineering corporate firm.
So far I am not too impressed by your knowledge about Pakistan so I am here to answer all your questions. I truly regret what happened in Bombay but we need to move forward to make peace in the area. I have tons of Muslims friends who are Indians.
I have to admit that I have this deep repulsion of Hindus whenever I look at them. But I am trying to get over that.
I hope this conversion is civil and not a typical Slumdog mob mentality that is fed to me by the Pak media. So prove me WRONG.
Do you have any questions ???
Last edited by Lestat on 03 Nov 2010 02:35, edited 1 time in total.
Lestat wrote:
I have to admit that I have this deep repulsion of Hindus whenever I look at them. But I am trying to get over that.
Care to share where you got this enlightenment ?
Well, to be purely honest. I was fed this hatred of Indians in general through the Pak education system.
But, I sort of agree with it b/c WE ARE JUST TOO DIFFERENT. We might have some commonalities such as our somewhat similar language. But again, we are just TOO DIFFERENT.
Pakistan is a NATION OF THE WILL. AN IDEA. A DREAM. Not an ethnicity.
Lestat wrote:I have to admit that I have this deep repulsion of Hindus whenever I look at them. But I am trying to get over that.
This is some thing I've noted before in the Indus treaty thread.
We tend to think that they hate us and this is strictly not true. The education/cultural system of TSP actually propagates revulsion for Hindu and by extension Indian existence. This is a process for dehumanizing an entire people. This allows all manner of conflict and outrages to be carried out. It is is very hard for one human being to harm another in normal circumstances. Normally this process of dehumanizing is carried out in times of conflict.
I suspect the elite of TSP don't understand this aspect of what they are doing. For them it is just hatred for the enemy. But by dehumanizing you are instilling a very core of evil within your population. Nothing good can come of it.
This is the flip side of Huxleys 'Brave New World'. Where religion is dedicated to carnal pleasure (even if in the after life) rather than the search for a transcendent truth. Where all individuality is stripped away. And people are conditioned to believe the same untruths. One of the defining characteristics of such a society is the propagation of rumors and the lack of resistance to such.
Sadly this also means that compromise is impossible. Historically One or the other must prevail. Pakistan might be a dream for some people but it has been set on a path of destruction.
Last edited by Theo_Fidel on 02 Nov 2010 20:28, edited 3 times in total.
shaardula wrote:this thread is getting derailed. this thread has been centered on facts and analysis/discussion/collation of facts pertaining to tsp. lets keep it that way.
lestat, put your thoughts together and do a comprehensive writeup and start a new thread and see if you can proctor a discussion. this thread is not for your or anybody else's resume pushing.
thanks. admins please let this thread not derail.
Sure, if I stay unbanned and get some time. I am actually at work and bored.
Well, to be purely honest. I was fed this hatred of Indians in general through the Pak education system.
But, I sort of agree with it b/c WE ARE JUST TOO DIFFERENT. We might have some commonalities such as our somewhat similar language. But again, we are just TOO DIFFERENT.
Pakistan is a NATION OF THE WILL. AN IDEA. A DREAM. Not an ethnicity.
I'd have to agree that we are just too different. We live by day not night, we don't suck blood, we don't lie in crypts during the day or night, we like garlic and don't get unduly alarmed by crucifixes. These are fundamental differences and unrelated to ethnicity.
Right now, Pakistan is a nation of the Wont. It is your generation's job to make it a nation of the Will.
shaardula wrote:this thread is getting derailed. this thread has been centered on facts and analysis/discussion/collation of facts pertaining to tsp. lets keep it that way.
lestat, put your thoughts together and do a comprehensive writeup and start a new thread and see if you can proctor a discussion. this thread is not for your or anybody else's resume pushing.
thanks. admins please let this thread not derail.
Sure, if I stay unbanned and get some time. I am actually at work and bored.
If you continue to state that you have hatred towards Indian citizens I see no place for you. May I remind you that this is Bharat Rakshak Forum and not a debating forum.
Lestat wrote:
Well, to be purely honest. I was fed this hatred of Indians in general through the Pak education system.
But, I sort of agree with it b/c WE ARE JUST TOO DIFFERENT. We might have some commonalities such as our somewhat similar language. But again, we are just TOO DIFFERENT.
I doubt you will have ANYONE here who will argue with you about that. Yes Pakistan's education system (as pointed out by a Sri Lankan scholar) feeds you with hatred and untruths in general. Also, you are spot on when you say "WE ARE JUST TOO DIFFERENT"!
Well, to be purely honest. I was fed this hatred of Indians in general through the Pak education system.
But, I sort of agree with it b/c WE ARE JUST TOO DIFFERENT. We might have some commonalities such as our somewhat similar language. But again, we are just TOO DIFFERENT.
Pakistan is a NATION OF THE WILL. AN IDEA. A DREAM. Not an ethnicity.
I'd have to agree that we are just too different. We live by day not night, we don't suck blood, we don't lie in crypts during the day or night, we like garlic and don't get unduly alarmed by crucifixes. These are fundamental differences and unrelated to ethnicity.
Right now, Pakistan is a nation of the Wont. It is your generation's job to make it a nation of the Will.
So, mon cher L'e(s)tat c'est vous non?
Finally, an educated Indian. This is my favourite character in all the books I have read since grade 9. Seriously, I feel sorry for Anne Rice. Hollywood totally messed up her books.
So far I am not too impressed by your knowledge about Pakistan so I am here to answer all your questions
Well this forum has predicted many issues in Pakistan pretty accurately in the past. If you are not too impressed with the knowledge on this thread try BENIS. There are lots of highly educated mullahs doing the rounds. Truly a revelation.
lestat, I see no evidence that you are interested in any contribution other than flaming. if at all you are capable of normal conversation, which I doubt. you receive your first warning for the thinly veiled trolling above. one more transgression and you are out of this board.
guys, do not feed the troll. respond to his flames and you will get warned/banned as well.
Rahul.
Rahul M wrote:lestat, I see no evidence that you are interested in any contribution other than flaming. if at all you are capable of normal conversation, which I doubt. you receive your first warning for the thinly veiled trolling above. one more transgression and you are out of this board.
guys, do not feed the troll. respond to his flames and you will get warned/banned as well.
Rahul.
Thank god that pakis have abysmal rate of literacy. If they had more subjects go through their schooling systems as say developed world then we would be staring at armageddon.
The guy went to paki school till age of 13 (that is 8th grade max) and says he is 28 so got he is in kanada for 15 years (now I want to know how he got the fabled kanadian vijja hope its not the Mukhtar Mai way) any ways so staying in a multicultural country for 15 years has not washed away the poision that paki educational system instills in mango abduls then hats off to their educational system. I mean most of our kids do not remember the name of lessons they studied asking what was inside that lesson is like asking for moon. I am sure the guy must have come across lots of Indian (aka Hindu's) when he was studying in school and university and when he tried to relate his high school paki studies to what he saw in real world the guy was in for a shock his classmates went on to best schools and became top successes and he was teethering behind so now his macho pride makes him jealous of his SDRE counterparts. They are designing new micro controllers and marketing new artificial intel products, here you have a TFTA who is soldering PCB's for them and is repulsed at their religion because frankly that is the only thing he has been taught.
Last edited by Brad Goodman on 02 Nov 2010 22:05, edited 1 time in total.
harbans wrote:So far I am not too impressed by your knowledge about Pakistan so I am here to answer all your questions
Well this forum has predicted many issues in Pakistan pretty accurately in the past. If you are not too impressed with the knowledge on this thread try BENIS. There are lots of highly educated mullahs doing the rounds. Truly a revelation.
I agree. Lestat, you should visit that thread. Kinda like the mountainous regions in AfPak-border . A wee bit lawless but in general there is a lot more freedom. Yes, the Breapers do come there but they aren't too interested in the banter between the mullahs. Throw in a few lactating goats and some choicest fresh herps, and we have parteee! See you there.
harbans wrote:Lestat ji, so tell me who did 26-11? Enlighten us on what you think. The majority opinion on this forum is the ISI planned it. What do you think..?
Personally, I think ISI was involved in this operation. It was successful that it highlighted India's lack of preparedness. Plus, it showed that Pakistan can hurt the Indian elite who think they are sheltered in their corporate offices and hotel rooms. Start to finish, it was a Pak Commando trained operation. Sure, Indian forces caught that one survivor but he was trained to give up his life for Pakistan. It's win-win situation for this guy, if you hang him then he's a heroic martyr to the internal services. If you throw his ass in jail, he will use that time to pray for redemption from G-D for the rest of his life.
Lestat wrote:
Personally, I think ISI was involved in this operation. It was successful that it highlighted India's lack of preparedness. Plus, it showed that Pakistan can hurt the Indian elite who think they are sheltered in their corporate offices and hotel rooms. Start to finish, it was a Pak Commando trained operation. Sure, Indian forces caught that one survivor but he was trained to give up his life for Pakistan. It's win-win situation for this guy, if you hang him then he's a heroic martyr to the internal services. If you throw his ass in jail, he will use that time to pray for redemption from G-D for the rest of his life.
This post is similar to the "Kargil victory if not for Nawaz Sharief" delusions that Paki elites hold and yet they are laughing at the Indian elites, to whom Pakistan is at best like a houbara. Yeah, sometimes the houbara leave droppings on Indian elite's Bentley hood ornament, but then they are nothing but game birds for the powerful nations of the world, including India. Indian elites are thriving along with the non-elites and only feudal paki men want to believe otherwise. That is ok, they are entitled to their fantasies and most important, your women folk does not indulge in such fantasies
Kasab was "trained to give up his life for Pakistan", yet despite ample opportunity, he did not. Right now he is embarrassing himself in front of the security cameras of his cell by whining like the wussy little b*tch he is. Last count, he is not praying for any "redemption from G-D", but trying to do some "shameful acts" as per the pissed off judge who is going to hang his sorry ass after the formalities. If that is how Pakis pray to God for redemption (by doing shameful acts in front of camera), you guys' education system is just fine
What is there to gain by entertaining this guy? Waste of 0s and 1s.
This is not even an interesting troll to spend time and energy poking at. I am wary of anyone who comes into a board and announces 'HEY GUYS, i know everything, you are all wrong, ask me questions'.
It was successful that it highlighted India's lack of preparedness
Not that I know, don't understand why some countries want to test & highlight the preparedness of India. Leh, NE, Kutch, Chamb, Siachen, Kargil, 26/11...
I am not sure any of these countries got something out of it or whatever they wanted. It becomes more intersesting that checking itself is considered a success rather than defeating India or achieving something by doing that
Lestat wrote:Plus, it showed that Pakistan can hurt the Indian elite who think they are sheltered in their corporate offices and hotel rooms.
Boss. I belong in there, Millions of my fellow elite remain totally untouched. If your car windshield is broken and your cellphone is stolen, you learn not to leave it there. Use one of your other cars while that one is fixed. A few people got killed in Mumbai - no skin off the balls of millions like me. I am still sitting in my various clubs sipping whisky and still playing golf several days a week. Do you seriously believe all the crap about elite being affected?
And a few hundred thousand more Indians with little education have now got employment as guards and watchmen and now earn more than the bottom 120 million Pakis. The extra money and effort is peanuts. I am hardly spending more and India's foreign exchange reserves have gone up by several Pakistans since the attack even as more Indians got employed as guards. I alone pay more taxes than any one of the bottom 150 million Pakis but I haven't had to pay a single paisa extra for enhanced security. Goes to show where I am and India is compared to that rat's ass home of Pakistaniyat.
You can come on here and believe that I am shivering in my dhoti. But I worship what's in that dhoti and none of us are actually as badly affected as you say. But we act as if we are because that is going to screw Pakistan. And probably screw you too.
Me? I'm just going to play 18 more holes and have a couple more drinks before I retire for the night. You sir are a joke. Shoo.
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Marten the Pakroach is at work. That means he lives in the West. Need to look at his IP address and see where he is and then alert the right people so he does not remain bored at work.
Do you know how much it costs 1 billion Indians to employ 1 million extra security guards? It costs 19 paise per day. That is less than on half cent a day. Do you know how much Mukesh Ambani spent on his house?
Do you seriously think the elite are even scratched by this Pakistan fart? But Pakistan will still pay. We may not be hurt but we are cheap bustards and will make the morons pay.
doctor saab, just as you worship what is in your dhoti, so does our friend. just that he calls it taller/deeper relationship or strategic alignment. either way, he remains on his knees with hands outstretched, in submission to a higher power...
Hey, I apologize for offending any Indians but, that was my honest opinion. So far I have been pretty civilized. Calling me a mullah or a goat doesn't really hurt my feelings. Instead, ask me questions but I respect your judgement. Thanks.
Lestat wrote:Plus, it showed that Pakistan can hurt the Indian elite who think they are sheltered in their corporate offices and hotel rooms.
Let's say the LeT showed that Indian elites are vulnerable. So what? What happens then?
Besides internal security, India would spend more on more weaponry. Our defense budget would go higher. Pakistani Army would start begging around, trying to match India, and would find itself woefully inadequate to match by just begging. Pakistan will increase the budget outlay taking money out from development, education, infrastructure and all the rest, to somehow match India. India increases its defense budget still more. Pakistan feels it cannot match India in conventional weaponry, so tries to train yet more jihadis. Jihadism spreads in Pakistan. More bombs going off in Lahore and Karachi. Pakistan in more deeper poop. No country wants to let in Pakistanis. Even Pakistani Air Force Officers going to USA for consultations get thrown off a plane. More badnami.
Pakistanis think Indians think just one step ahead like them. Indians know that Mumbais would take Pakistan further down the poop lane. No matter how many Indians die, nothing can stop Pakistan from sinking deeper into poop.
I am a Pak-Canadian living in Toronto. ...
My ethic background is Pakstun-Urdu speaking if you want to know. I am 28 years old and I am an Electrical Engineer by profession in a UK-Canada engineering corporate firm.
...
Do you have any questions ???
Can you elaborate on your ethnicity? I have read about pashtun tribes but never heard of a Pakstun-Urdu ethnicity. Is it geographical or religious or some other factor deciding your particular ethincity?
I would also like to know what you see as major differences between an Indian identity and a Pakistani Identity? i.e. what makes us different as a people in your opinion?
lestat, no need to apologize, no one got offended. we all know what to expect from our purer neighbours to the west. no one called you a mullah or a goat, you need to check out the BENIS thread to understand it. http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... f=1&t=5350
lastly, if you have something to add, do so. don't go around cajoling other people to question you.
BijuShet wrote:Can you elaborate on your ethnicity? I have read about pashtun tribes but never heard of a Pakstun-Urdu ethnicity. Is it geographical or religious or some other factor deciding your particular ethincity?
Well if a Punjabi from Pakistan, and not India, is a Pakjabi, then a Pushtun from Pakistan, and not Afghanistan, is a Pakstun. Most probably papa is Pakstun, mama is a Mohajir. I don't think, the Pushtuns give their daughters to Mohajirs.
Lestat wrote:Hey, I apologize for offending any Indians but, that was my honest opinion. So far I have been pretty civilized. Calling me a mullah or a goat doesn't really hurt my feelings. Instead, ask me questions but I respect your judgement. Thanks.
Is killing civilians an expression of success. Is that what is success in your view point.
That is a sign of coward ness.
If they are real men they will fight the armed police or the army and declare a war instead of wearing bangles and killing civilians.
Do you think corporate Indians are all inside one Taj Palace hotel. You mean 100 millions can be blackmailed and hurt by killing few.
Lestat wrote:
Pakistan is a NATION OF THE WILL. AN IDEA. A DREAM. Not an ethnicity.
Pakistan geo graphy and location is the Holy land for the Hindus from eternal times and will be Holy land into the future of infinity.
So this idea of your is sitting on the Holy land of some others and this idea cannot be a reality.
Shoo.