Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum.
On Tuesday, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for the attack on the Manawan police academy and threatened more such assaults in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the US. He stated that President Asif Zardari was ‘following US policies and allowing drone attacks’ and vowed that the Taliban would continue to commits act of terror until missile attacks are halted. He also claimed that the Taliban have the ability to attack Washington and threatened to target the White House. Attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan were also on Mehsud’s list.
A few days before the Manawan attack, on March 25, the US State Department put Baitullah Mehsud on its most wanted list and announced a $5 million bounty for capturing him or providing information that could help convict him.
Do you think the US State Department’s announcement of a bounty for Mehsud provoke the Manawan attack? If the drone attacks were to seize, would Mehsud call off future terrorist attacks? Is Mehsud’s real target the US and its affiliate NATO forces? What exactly provokes Baitullah Mehsud?
this is very sad, to see poor are killing poor by the name of islam, and the ruling classes enjoying and looting the country. it is not because of mahsud, but the rulers that pakistan has become a hell. we need social state and justice.
If a Muslim is fighting to quench his personal anger towards the enemy that is not accepted in Islam.
Ali r did not kill the enemy whom he had overpowered, after the enemy spat on him, and Ali r responded that if he killed him then , it would be for himself, and he was not fighting for his personal reasons.
Islam does not allow killing of civilians in war.
The messenger made sure civilians, old, women, children, trees, buildings were not destroyed in his 23 years in all battles.
Also, there is authentic tradition to support strict prohibition against killing of civilians.
Historically, also even the most criticized Muslim warriors have fought the combatants only in battles, and not killed the civilians.
Its funny why we have a dead person carrying out Terrorist attacks , who according to some media outlets died October 1st 2008.
Its very important that his identity be revealed, his face recognized, so once he dies for real, everyone knows it.
All these fanatic religious gurus have one thing in common :they do not understand Islam. They have not read or understood the life of Muhammad (pbhm).” These guys are on some one’s payroll to defame Islam and destroy Pakistan.
To all the good folks of pakistan:
Putting all the conspiracy theory’s aside, ask yourself’s one simple question. Why are people like Mehsud that are responsible for serious illegal activity (terrorism, treason, murder, etc) being tolerated, their behavior/motivations explained (eben on this board), and still roaming free in Pakistan? Why isn’t everyone in Pakistan (govt, military, isi, police, civilians) doing everything in their power to catch this guy? This man has no religion or conscience and is simply a very dangerous criminal that is targeting all of the worlds civil society. If you need help wiping criminals like him out (and it is obvious you do) seek the helping hand from the US rid yourselves of this cancer. At this point none of your friends or traditional enemies want Pakistan to fail because the alternatives like a talib controlled nuclear pakistan, are a lot worse. Join together and save your country.
Yes, Mahsud’s targets are the US-NATO occupation forces. If he is not a Muslim as some people in this discussion allege, then the police and military whom he targets are also not Muslims, because they join the infidels in killing innocent Muslims. The responsibility for the deaths either at Mahsud’d hands or US drones is on the government, because it has sold its soul to Christians and Jews and would not listen to people such as Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Fazlur Rahman and Qazi Hussain Ahmad.
These extremists are creation of Pakistan. They were used to further Pakistan’s intrest against both Afghanistan and India.
Now the government of Pakistan see its intrest in distancing himself from these extremists. They are no longer considered as Mujahedien.Ofcourse, these extremist don’t like this and are fighting back.
To the government of Pakistan: what goes around comes around.
I am a bit surprised that he is sitting there holding pressconferences with the journalists as no one can put up against the Army in a country as its the single most powerful source anywhere.
It is difficult to recognize who is hero and who is villain based on current political condition but I pray and hope that soon Pakistan will emerge as powerful nation in the world- ameen
Also killing is against islamic teachings so in other words, a fact Baitullah masood and talibans would do well to realize.
People like Mehsud simply get their high by war. Even if the whole US surrenders to the Taliban, he will still find some cause or excuse to fight. For such a man a life of peace or real spirituality is like giving a militant a desk job. He is simply psychologically poisoned, angry and a rebel without a cause. The only solution is if he one day finds real faith like Ashoka did after the Kalinga war.
American State is doing everything possible to inflame the situation by drone attacks as well as different statements by different concerning officials and certain elements in Pakistan pouring high throwing premium petrol on it in order to make our fight. Pakistan has neither occupied nor sent its armed forces in Afghanistan. The more it flames the higher shall be the raised voices against Taliban’s as well al-Qaida and very dangerous Pakistan? Baitullah Mehsud must be considered in this context. His terrorist actions and statements are not helping the real Taliban’s fighting for the freedom of Afghanistan from occupied forces. It’s crystal clear that He is acting as an agent to the power that is keen to have a burning Pakistan rather than a peaceful one. Therefore we must stop this nonsense war on terrorism. I strongly hope that one day in a very near future the hundred and seventy millions people of Pakistan shall raise themselves to make this World peaceful.
Not everything is some kind of conspiracy. I am tired of hearing it’s the Indians/Israelis/CIA who are somehow financing or controlling these thugs. We have militants among us, and now we must deal with them.
Militants will take money from whoever to finance their own agenda, whether it’s some kind of a tax on ordinary people or taking over Emerald mines in swat or getting money through drugs. Pakistan Army should get help from the USA and root out these fanatics.
It is strange that Dawn should even ask this question. Who cares what a criminal thinks? US is attacking with drones because Pakistan doesn’t want US & NATO troops to enter Pakistan. It seems Pakistan is protecting the terrorist by putting such conditions. Pakistan has intentionally given more and more to the demands of the terrorists under the excuse of buying peace. The results are clear – the terrorists have becomes stronger in last five years. How could it be possible without support of Pakistani government/military? Pakistan can’t claim sovereignty over the land and also claim helplessness in dealing with terrorists. Can Pakistan govern its own territory or not? If not, then accept that Pakistan can’t control its territory and let others take care of the problem. If Pakistan has control over its territory, then show the results by getting rid of the terrorists. If you like the terrorists, it is fine with the world as long as they kill people within your territory. If the terrorists start attacking other countries, then it doesn’t remain Pakistan’s internal issue anymore.
Baitullah attacking white house? Now that will be fun to watch live. Until now he has avoided attacking the Americans. Let us see if this is just rhetoric from the terror master.
Mehsud and people like him are true traitors of Pakistan and an ugly spot on Peaceful Religion Islam, they should be killed immediately. Sooner they die better Pakistan will be. They only have one agenda in their minds to enforce their own version of Islam on others, simple as that.
I hope one of the drones get you, sooner than later. Ameen!!
We as public are not provided proof beyond doubt that Osama was involved for 9/11. Same is true for Baitullah Mehsud. America wants to keep them alive and CIA would issue audio tapes in their names to keep al-qaeda alive. This provides them premise to kill people in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq to break the spirit of people who ever show courage to disagree or challenge them. Currently issue is simple, destabilize Pakistan in name of Osama or Baitullah and then pre-empt strikes to take out Pak-Nuke and then dump the Afghans to live their primitive lives hoping all this killing/beating will break their spirit for ever.
The point to ponder is why US had been saving Baitullah in the past? Pakistani intellegence in the past a number of times provided information to the US about presence of Baitullah but CIA drones avoided targeting him. Now one wonders how on earth suddenly US has started disliking its own agent Baitullah ?
The simple answer is that now Baitullah has become a liability for US/CIA like Hamid Karzai so the only option for US is to eleminate him. Thats the reason Baitullah is now trying to cling to straws for saving himself.
Jana
I agree. Being a muslim, we cannot hurt anyone. Killing innocent people and forcing his point of view shows how honest muslim he is.
Bulk of money supply, weapons and our media is what this person is all about. He is simply a hired killer, killing us in the name of Islam.
I agree completely with Tauheed Ahmed. The country has betrayed it solidarity by giving in to those who wield arms and perpetuate violence to get what they want. Such an act will only encourage the rest of the tribal areas that are fighting for their independence in the name of Islam.
I hope and pray the ALLAH ALMIGHTY put some sense in the heads of Army and Pak Govt to get rid of this cancer once for all. Spend money in tribal area for the well being of people and get rid few thousand monsters like Baitullah and his cronies. Who does not know that killing one human is killing whole humanity and saving one means, saving whole mankind as said by our Beloved Prophet PBUH.
Baitullah can not be a muslim for that matter he does not have any religion at all.
It is not due to any provocation. If it was not the drone attack, he would find another excuse. He is just trying to gain power and control over a region of Pakistan. He finds it easy to hide behind his so called jihad for preservation of Islam and the hatred of America. And as long as people like muhammad mushtaq with wild imagination (“trade centre attack was planned by CIA”)exist who live in denial and find fault only in others, Baitullah and people like him will continue to flourish. I am pretty sure that no amount of argument or evidence can convince people like muhammad mushtaq to rational thinking.
I am sick of the argument that a muslim cannot kill a muslim inspite of that happening every single day. The first step is to acknowledge that the problem is within. As long as that is not done, no one can solve this issue.
My only concern is the attitude of some political leaders and recently born media barons who does not have any clear policy on this menace imploding the pakistani state within,they are very deliberately vague on this.
Baitullah Mehsud is nothing but a toy left behind when US got its motive by pushing out Russians from Afghanistan. All US aid to these fighters were stopped, no communication, no reward. After 911, US Administration at that point had to do something about to contend its masses.
So they took out the weakest, Afghanistan, and bombed the country to ruins.
Taliban, spread out and went in every direction to avoid bombing. Pakistan being the softest spot and green with all the amenities acted as mother’s arms.
To answer the provocation, its a combination of our Indian neighbors settling the score, some of provocation induced by a sense of revenge, as we started killing his force no questions asked.
I think Mehsud is just a tool that anyone can use to get their agenda, all they have to do is pay him good.
What can we do to avoid this ?
The only way to avoid people like him is to have our politicians show some mercy for this poor nation and STOP pushing their personal agendas and work together for this great but ailing nation.
Baitullah Mehsud is not a true Muslim as the Quran clearly states that, killing an innocent is like killing the whole mankind.
Doesn’t it strike people as a bit odd that Baitullah Mehsood can sit comfortably in our soverign territory, can hold press conferences covered by scores of journalists, but despite this the Pakistani security forces are unable to locate/arrest him?
Am I missing something here..?