Good news at last from Pakistan! After reading my blog post of 21 April the Pakistani Government has decided to rout the Taliban completely (Just kidding - I don't think they read it , its just that great minds think alike).
Fighting has been going on for a week now and the militants have been more or less pushed out of Bunar Province, and the battle continues in Swat.
Today, The Pakistani Prime Minister ordered the Army to "Eliminate militants and terrorists" meaning presumably the Taliban and Al Quada. If the Pakistani Army can maintain their push into the heart of the Swat Territory, the Taliban stronghold, they will force them over the border into neighbouring Afghanistan where they came from in the first place. Now all we need is for the NATO Forces to be ready for them when they do! Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place!
The trouble is the terrain. Being extremely mountainous, it makes the job of the Coalition Forces very difficult in finding and tracking them. It was the terrain that defeated the Russians when they invaded Afghanistan in the early eighties.
I would imagine their best weapon will be drones that can loiter for hours over a section of mountains scanning for movement. Infra-red cameras could be used at night, and once militants are detected, it should not be too difficult to track them and move troops in ahead of them by helicopter to set up an ambush.
Now that sounds like a straightforward plan as I sit here with a cup of tea in my nice apartment in front of the computer. Piece of cake he said with a smile!
The truth is of course another matter. While I wish the troops on both sides of the border great success in ridding us all of this scourge, I do know it will not be easy. People like the Taliban are experts at moving through these mountains, they had enough practice against the Russians after all.
The meeting this week between President Obama and the heads of both countries told us that there appears to be unanimity of purpose by all sides. Talk is one thing, but try this for size.
There has been a great deal of criticism of the United States for the deaths of civilians during drone attacks in Pakistan, and aircraft bombing in Afghanistan. You know, and I know, that people like Al Quada and the Taliban, are constantly using civilians as human shields, although it seldom appears in the news because that does not sell newspapers.
However, today's BBC News page does quote Riffatullah Orakzai of their Urdu Service saying eyewitnesses have stated that the Taliban have set up roadblocks in the Swat Valley for the express purpose of stopping refugees from leaving.
You see! It doesn't matter which group it is, Al Quada, Hamas, Taliban, they are all the same, and then the world cries out for the good guys to stop killing civilians, when we should be condemning the terrorists!
Anyway, I digress. Would it not be prudent of President Obama to provide non-combatant help to the Pakistani Army by means of unarmed photographic drones, with the express purpose of scouting ahead of the army and warning them of Taliban ambushes and roadside bombs? It would be of tremendous help to the army, and would certainly help Pakistani/American relations.
All I need now is the President, or someone in the Pentagon to read my blog!! Nah! It won't happen! We will see in the coming days if someone comes up with this plan.
The good thing about the push by the Pakistani Army is that it may capture Al Quada and Bin Laden in the net too. I don't think they have a cat in hell's chance of capturing Bin Laden, but I should imagine his group are feeling somewhat uneasy at the idea of the army knocking on their door shortly.
Let's face it, they all hide in the same areas of Pakistan, and the army, if it keeps going to the border will surely flush them out. One quick bombing run and Bye Bye Bin Laden and his hierarchy. Now wouldn't the populace cheer at that news! I certainly would.
I am sure there are many people who will now sleep a lot safer in their beds at night, knowing the Taliban will not get hold of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. It seemed like a close run thing this time last week, but thankfully common sense has prevailed, and we have been saved the horror of a terrorist group with nuclear missiles.
Should that ever happen in the future, I think I'd move to Mars! It's quieter there.
Here's hoping I never have to miss our blue planet.
Roy
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