Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum.
Pakistan rejected on Tuesday a US proposal for joint operations in the tribal areas against terrorism and militancy as differences of opinion between the two countries over various aspects of the war on terror emerged. The proposal for joint operations in the tribal areas had been floated by US presidential envoy for the region Richard Holbrooke and Joint Chief of Staffs Admiral Mike Mullen during a series of meetings with the civilian and military Pakistani leadership.
During meetings on Tuesday, US officials were told that continuing drone attacks inside Pakistan’s territory were counter-productive and Pakistan requested that drone technology be shifted to the Pakistan Army. US officials were also told that it would be difficult to bridge the trust deficit if statements maligning the ISI kept coming from the US and if US officials kept ignoring the contributions of the Pakistan Army and ISI in the war on terror.
Do you think the Pakistani decision to refuse to conduct joint operations in FATA is correct? Should Pakistan’s cooperation with the US in the war on terror be made conditional on the cessation of drone attacks? How best can the US proceed without the support of the Pak Army and ISI?
Im an Indian, Pakistan has every right to say NO, but in current circumstances would that be preferable? Pakistan should understand that it has to stop abbetting militancy. It is creating a problem for itself. It should come out of that shell and be practical, coz there are many people across the borders who want frienship as its is good for both countries. Economies will improve. This will result in lessening budgets for military. Curb this Pakistan. You will have no fear from India. We cannot manage our own borders, forget invading a new territoty.
Well! I say NO! A firm no! No joint operations whatsoever. I think our army is fully capable of dealing with the bandits and extremists. However they might lack sophisticated weaponery or technological assistance which US should provide, if it’s sincere in this war against terrorism.
If joint patrols solves the issue then why not? Pakistan army will have Local Intelligence and US Army has the wherewithall and willpower – The soverignity argument is useless because US Army is anyway in Pakistan via drones and the sad truth is that Pakistan cant do anything about it. Guys when you are fighting for your life and very existence one needs to put the pride apart.
I think Joint Operation looks more face saving for Pakistan and its Army than unilateral DRONE attackes by American on its soil. How can Pakistan say no to Joint Operation when they have the UK Police probing an investigation in Pakistan currently?
I think Pakistani people and its Govenrment should oppose these Drone attacks more as its complete violation of sovereign Pakistan .
Pakistan has depicted a rare show of expressing its difference of opinion publicly with the US, something that it hasn’t done on countless occassions since its inception in 1947!
However the bottom line is that can Pakistan alone solve this? As of today the militants have recahed with in 100k of the capital, so i dont see any objective evidence of letting Pakistan alone handle it and see the positive results!
Our Army and our private military companies are quite capable of looking after our own home affairs, it is our army who has been used all along by the americans to wage this war on terror, and now they feel that they can just barge into my country and dictate their terms, these american soldiers have no chance in hell to overturn our people, even though they are trying to formulate ways into coming in full force into our territory, our army and our private military companies will not and should not allow them in. I feel our country was living in peace until the time USA smelt Oil and Gas in our vicinity.
What have the Americans achieved in Afghanistan after being physically there for more than eight years, and in Iraq since 2003?
With that track record, should we really allow their forces to operate in Pakistan? I dont think so.
I think that there should be no cooperation with US unless they stop drone attacks, remove all indian consulates and provide a plan for going back home. Pakistan can only help in their exit plan. The sooner it is, the better, or else, as it seems, Afghanistan will be Obama’s Iraq!!
The DAWN editorial says it all:
“On the Pakistani side it has to be accepted that this is primarily a fight for our own survival. Right now the militants have the upper hand and we need to put more boots on the ground and improve intelligence-gathering to reverse the tide. If we can’t defeat the enemy, others may feel justified in filling the breach.”
Pakistanis need to understand what is at stake here for the US. Most Americans now agree Bush made a big mess by going to Iraq without taking care of Al Qaeda and Taliban. Americans fear that if left alone, Al Qaeda with the help of Taliban will continue to plot against the US and west. In other words, the US is fighting for its survival. The US is not going to stop until the Talibs are completely rooted out, with or without Pakistan’s help. They just don’t have any other options left but to pursue Talibs no matter where they are. No matter what the cost is.
I feel many here think the US is out to tear apart the state of Pakistan. If that is what they wanted, they could have done it in a year. But if Pakistanis give them no other options, they will do what they have to, to prevent attacks.
As far as letting the Pakistanis themselves taking care of the problem at hand, well it was tried for more than 5 years and the Talibs have only become stronger. The US is convinced the Pakistan army and ISI are aiding the Talibs, whether that is accurate or not. Just because Pakistanis shout a strong “NO” to the US request, do you all really believe the US will pack their bags and leave?
definitely tying up with usa is a good option,it will only help in stabilising pakistan which in turn will be useful for there long term prosperity. i think this is the time for all the pakistanis to think what they want- a prosperous pakistan or pakistan under brutal and barbaric taliban.We indians also want a peaceful and prosperous pakistan taking help from any friend.
My comments may hurt some of you but as an unbiased person I truly beleive my opinion is objective. Sovereignity only comes in play when you can control your boundries, provide security internally, and make sure your boundries are not used to launch hatred/terrorism across other countries. The hard fact is that the theoretical assumptions of a “sovereign nation” are not holding true, and Pakistan military is unable to control the terrorists and Taliban. This WILL cause a major upheaval in world security “again” – what we are seeing now is nothing. To manage this I’m in full support of not only joint operations but a “real” comprehensive ground war involving multiple countries. I feel that a “big” problem is that people living in Pakistan are becoming “immune” to terrorism. Please understand if not controlled NOW, it will not stay a Pakistani problem – it will become a problem like in Afghanistan and Germany during WW2, where everyone needs to step in “TAKE CARE” of the problem.
I hope common sense will prevail – focus on the “problem” and solve it. No one is interested in taking over Pakistan. Everyone is concerned about terrorism.
Pakistani public and leaders alike are unfortunately not realizing the gravity of the threat that the country faces. The barbarians are not only at the gates, they have entered the cities and are within striking distance of the center of power in Islamabad and Lahore. It is time for all of Pakistan to wake up.
As somebody stated as a comment ‘when your house is about to come crumbling down due to a fire, you want to get all the help that you can to extinguish it and save your home’. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda are treacherous enemies for whom there is absolutely no loyalty to Pakistan as Islam does not consider nationalism to be desirable. Their goal is nothing short of bringing the entire world under a Caliphate with their brutal interpretation of Islam as the law.
Pakistan desperately needs to decrease the all encompassing hold of religious fanaticism over every facet of life especially fueled by the proliferation of religious programs over the electronic media.
There needs to a massive PR to gain people’s support that the savages who are slaughtering innocent people day in and day out are not our MUSLIM BROTHERS and need to be eliminated. The American drones are doing exactly that; eliminating the top leaders of Al-Qaeda and their foreign fellow travellers. Rather than opposing this policy, the Pakistani government should eagerly request expansion of this policy to Taliban in NWFP, Swat and Balochistan.
How can US ask for joint military operation inside Pakistan’s borders, No sovereign nation can allow such a operation. Pakistan has to fight militancy by it self without anyone’s help. Remember “God helps those who help themselves”.
Drone technology should not be given to Pakistan, because soon it will be in the hands of Chinese. Pakistan already does not enjoy any sovergnity over much of it, because it is already shared by the Taliban. It is good fortune that USA has made fighting this menace its own cause. If this help from a well meaning friend is rejected Pakistan will soon find itself at the mercy of Taliban and that will mean goodbye education, goodbye progress. Infact goodbye everything worth fighting for in the world.
In my point of view, Pakistani Military does have the will and capability to fight the internal insurgencies but the volatility of the eastern border doesn’t let them focus on the capricious situation in NWFP. It’s extremely wrong to assume that Pakistani Military with the possession of current weaponary and technology, can’t take a group like Taliban where they have proven defensive capabilities to sustain full blown war with India. No armed forces in this world has the capability of taking volatility on multiple fronts.
Saying that, joint operation is not a great idea because at the end of the day, Pakistani police have to bare the responsibility of the security as US presence diminishes from this region. So, NWFP Police should be appropriately trained with anti-terrorism, anti Narcotic and counter-insugency, advanced criminal investigation with latest technology in forensics and proper equipment. This way they would be called in for any ambushes and criminal activity instead of the army.
Does Pakistan’s NO matters ? US will do whatever serves its own intrest and your leaders know it. I really feel sorry for patriotic pakistanis. I wish no country has to go through this. You are caught between the devil and deep sea. Situation is out of control. I fear , though i wish not, something terrible will happen in the region.
Absolutely Justified! This is one of those few moments where we feel proud that Pakistan is taking a stand – A Nation with a Backbone stands firmly to safeguard it’s Sovereignty and Dignity.
How come it took more than 6 years to locate the FM radio transimissions of Baitullah Masood ?
So how can anyone believe, that they were hard to trace ?
Obviously some higher ups should have been tacitly supporting the FM radio broadcasts.
Why are they supporting, what is their agenda, who is giving money to Baitullah ?
We need answers to those hard issues.
God bless my nation to fight these criminals. I see no problems in fighting jointly with US.
These our common enemies. They have misused our faith. Allah will see them.
I feel Pakistan’s army is hand in glove with the Taliban. US must pursue terrorists on their own in the territory not in “control” of the governement. This is bound to happen. One more attack by some crazy guy in Europe or US and Pakistan should prepare – for another partition.
Are people really in their right mind when they think we should consider American ‘assistance’ in combating the Taliban? People who are suggesting this have no idea about the ground realities in Pakistan. it is hard enough trying to form a national consensus as to whether we should be involved in this ‘war OF terror’ in the first place. The only way forward is for the Pakistani establishment to gain some backbone and formulate and execute an indigenous policy which is in our national interest. America has been in Afghanistan for almost a decade, and what have they achieved? It has been an unmitigated disaster. Iraq looks like it is about to emplode any moment, but I believe that will probably happen once America withdraws. They will leave Afghanistan, squarely fixing the blame on us.
They are advancing to the other settled parts of Pakistan. Also emboldened by peace treaty. There should be no peace treaty with killers and gun totting fanatics. If PAK military can not contain and destroy them, then they should have joint operation with USA. STOP PEACE TREATIES ELIMINATE AND NEUTRALIZE THE ENEMY(TALIBANS THE CANCER FOR WHOLE HUMANITY)
Are we sure that our political System and our Armed Services have common objectives?
Then only could we resolve this issue viz
can US and Pak Armed forces have common agenda? Are we unanimous that we want to get rid of terrorism?
It seems that given the movement of the Taliban in Bunder (spelling?) region, I’m moving towards Pakistan letting the US help out. It seems to me that Pakistan cant stop the Taliban and its for Pakistan’s best interests to have the US help.