One Down - One to Go!

So, finally the Sri Lankan Army has defeated the Tamil Tigers, now all that remains is Pakistan and the Taliban Al Quada duo. Once they have been defeated perhaps life can get back to some semblance of normality for the rest of mankind.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians will remain however, but I do not see a solution to this problem until Israel is willing to give up its settlements on occupied Arab land, and Hamas is willing to recognize Israel's right to exist. I think Israel giving way to the first will solve the second. We can only hope that President Obama will make some headway in bringing the two sides together.

For now we must be content that one terrorist group is finished, as the Tamil Tigers seem to be.

Once the offensive began there was no doubt about the resolve of the Sri Lankan Army and its intention to wipe out this pest once and for all. The Tigers tried the usual terrorist tactics of using innocent civilians as shields, and playing up casualties in the hope of gaining public sympathy across the world.

It almost worked considering the outcry at the UN, by Aid Groups and the international press. Thankfully the army were not swayed in their resolve to see this through to the end and were victorious. The inevitable attempt at a ceasefire was tried when the Tigers were close to defeat, a ploy that would have allowed many of them to escape to fight another day.

Selvarasa Pathmanathan of the Tigers is quoted as saying there are "3,000 dead, and 25,000 critically injured laying in the streets with no medical attention". How easy it is to think of a number just to gain sympathy and blacken the reputation of your adversary these days. Josef Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, would have been proud!

The hypocrisy of the moment was further compounded with Pathmanthan's statement that The LTTE "was prepared to silence its guns if that is what was needed by the international community to save the life and dignity of the Tamil people". Considering that during the 26 year war an estimated 70,000 Tamil civilians have been killed I would consider that a bit late.

So now, hopefully we see a chapter in the Age of the Terrorist closed, but there are more.

I am happy to read the Pakistani Government has confirmed it's intention to go after the Taliban right into Waziristan, also the home of Al Quada. Bin Laden must be starting to get worried, he will soon be robbed of his bolt-hole, but knowing him he has plenty more.

I only hope the Pakistani Government shows the same determination as the Sri Lankan Government in ridding the world of this scourge. Sure, the Taliban employs the same nefarious tactic of using the population as shields, and exaggerating civilian deaths in an attempt to sway world opinion, but I hope the Pakistani Army, and in particular the weak politicians, do not give in to it.

If I was a Pakistani living at present in the Waziristan province, I would be making preparations to leave very soon, before the fighting reached my area (as an ex-Boy Scout I always try to be prepared!).

Yes! I know it is very hard to leave your house and most of your belongings, but consider the alternative, cannon-fodder for the Taliban - No contest!

I hope the countries of the world will stand by Pakistan at this time, although it's neighbour India is already accusing the Pakistani Government of "putting on a show". India however has its own agenda, and there is no love lost between these two countries who have a long-running dispute over Kashmir.

It is because of this distrust that Pakistan will not move troops from the frontier with India for fear of an attack by the Indian Army. Currently, the Pakistan Military has between 5,000 and 6,000 troops fighting the Taliban from a total force of 600,000 to 700,000.

After the Mumbai attack in India last November by militants based in Pakistan, the Pakistan Government is rightly afraid that these militants, probably backed by the Taliban or Al Quada, will again attack India thus initiating a retaliatory strike by Indian forces.

In the event India were to withdraw its forces back from the border with Pakistan and give them some breathing space, the Pakistani Army would probably move more troops to the fight. The Indian Army will not do that however for fear of strikes in India by the militants intent on taking the pressure off the Taliban by invoking a conflict. It is indeed a tricky situation.

With assurances from India that such a thing will not happen, things could improve rapidly. It really means that India has to decide what it wants most, peace with Pakistan and a final end to the insurgency problems in the area, or an excuse to go to war. If it is the latter, then we must be afraid, because both are nuclear nations.

The world has lived with terrorism of one kind or another since the sixties when the Palestinians started blowing up aeroplanes and attacking Olympic Games venues. In the last ten years the situation has become intolerable, and therefore the nations, and people, of the world have to get together and say 'Enough is enough!'. It is time to take a lead from Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and put an end to all this indiscriminate killing once and for all time.

It is time for politicians of all nations to come together with the determination to attack and attack and attack each and every group of terrorists and militants wherever they are based until they are either dead or in Guantanamo! There should be no room left for doubt that we, the civilized people of the world have had enough.

Whew! Having got that off my chest, I think there is little chance of it happening, but who knows, maybe we all as individuals can do something to persuade our politicians that such a move is necessary.

If I suddenly disappear from the Blog scene you will know that Bin Laden has been reading my Blog. Happy days!

Roy.

Tough Times Ahead For The Taliban?

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

A Foot in the Door and the Castle Falls!

About eight to ten days or so ago, I read a news item that reported the Pakistan Government had signed a peace deal with the Taliban after being at war with them since 2007. The two main conditions were, the government allows Sharia (Islamic) Law in the northern province of Malakand, and in exchange the Taliban would disarm.

Which Pakistani politician was stupid enough to believe that????

Events have since developed in a way that were obvious, and any fool could have predicted what would happen. I did, and I'm thousands of miles away!

Far from disarming, the Taliban have now moved from their stronghold in Swat into the neighbouring Province of Buner, and are expanding their influence at a rapid pace. This province is only 100kms from the capitol Islamabad.

Already they have ransacked international aid and development offices in Buner, moved into government offices, banned the playing of music in cars, and taken over the Mosques in an attempt to get young men to join them. There are also armed patrols on the streets, but there again, it will probably get sorted because Buner's police chief, Rashid Khan, has lodged an 'official complaint'. Oh My! That should do the trick!

Anyone like to bet the whole country will be ruled by the Taliban in just a few short years?

They lost out in Afghanistan because of the international backing for the Karzai government, and I am sure they have now set their sights on ruling Pakistan instead.

A government spokesman Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Information Minister for the North West Frontier Province, is quoted as saying "Sharia Law was implemented because it was the wish of the people". I would probably vote for it too if I had an AK47 pointed at my head.

According to a spokesman for the Swat Taliban called Muslim Khan, his people want Sharia law in the whole of Pakistan. Ah! The truth will out, eventually!

Mian Hiftikar Hussain is further quoted as saying "the people are with the government and will not back the Taliban if they do not cease their activities". Oh Really! It's amazing how convincing an AK up your 'jacksie' can be.

Personally, I think it is time for some international cooperation to rid the world of these parasites once and for all. Instead of complaining every time the forces of the USA cross over into Pakistan, or bomb militants from drones, the Pakistani government should be seeking their cooperation in a two-pronged assault from both sides and wipe them out.

Who knows, as a bonus they may get Bin Laden and his henchmen as well.

Peace be upon you.

Roy.