Interesting dicussion. You have all the right not to agree wityh it. M Shahid Akhtar. In Defense of Gen Kayanis Strategic Calculus Shahid Rehman No problem, I’ll be sharing your views with my respected friends. We may all like to look at a complete overhaul of the national narrative, specially now as the country is in preliminary existentialist threat, due to its identification crisis. However, changing the narrative needs an empirical decision by all stake holders including the right wing and religious leaders. Will they do it? Are they ready for rewriting and pledging to a different resolution than that of the Objectives Resolution? Should we drop the Islamic from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’? What about Articles 62, 63 of the Constitution? Presently, too, most of the elected members of parliament do not qualify to sit in these august houses if these two Articles are followed in letter and spirit. So, where do we begin? Answer solution is not difficult too. Sarkozys case is the latest in front of us, as how the people view their leaders and are serious on the subject of corruption. For the people of that country, as also in other democratically-developed nations, individuals are not important; the country takes priority, like Pakistan First (if Im permitted). Will our people shun and dump their political leaders who are up-to ears down in corruption? As this very corrupt system helps the people to solve their personal issues with local authorities. But, if we have LBs functioning, such as was the Nazim-system, we can get rid of corrupt practices, and demand the same from political forces at the provincial and national level. Once people participate in self-rule, then religion will take a back-seat. Radicalism and extremism will no more be pronounced. The youth will be getting along at the grassroots level to better their lives. I feel, it is the will of the people which matters. They should be motivated to demand and pursue a Naya Pakistan. Someone needs to be the source of inspiration. The present lot of politicians is averse to change as the current system is to their benefit, why should they change it? These are mindsets of the past. They are in family-dynasty buildup mode. They will never espouse a Naya Pakistan. As I have said earlier, we also need to tell our brotherly-country friends to stop financing and aiding their proxies in Pakistan. This is another vital issue. Needs immediate attention by the powers that be. Till funds and material support to anti-state groups keep pouring in, it will be difficult to get out of the present predicament. Only a stolid personality with an impeccable reputation may succeed. Till then, we can only pray. Khalid Aziz (Since there is a discussion on this matter within the group could you please forward my views to the group and also reference to the link below, a short introduction by you may help to get the message through more easily) I once had the chance to request Gen Kayani to explain what criteria did the military planners adopt that on the one hand accepted the need to stabilize FATA but were reluctant to undertake similar operations against Jihadists in S. Punjab that showed similar characteristics? He had a rational answer and replied - I have difficulty in handling one S. Waz and you are now proposing that I open another similar front? He had a point. The link below is some work that you may wish to read as it identifies a huge social problem that we face; that is a religious unanimity of views in large segments of the Afghan and Pak populations for their support of a particular brand of Islam, that believes in establishment of another Caliphate in this region similar to IS in Iraq & Syria. Thus when a gentleman in this group remarked that we face a huge problem, he is right. Ours is an appeaser state and such countries have problems. We need to shift to creation of a secular state with especial emphasis on focusing on our youth, urbanization, education and jobs. We must also revise our syllabus, do a strategic rethink of our foreign policy and give up using the proxy multiplier. The latter has always devoured the hand that fed it. We must also have a closed door policy against the location of refugee camps in our midst; Fata and KP security was sacrificed by this policy of the GoP; the problems that we face in Fata and KP largely resulted from the location of such camps that radicalized the locals etc. The Link: DIIS, Conditions for a Successful Transition in Afg Post-2014 (March 2014) Best wishes, Khalid Aziz | Chairman Shahid Rehman Well said. What has been done or not done by Gen Musharraf and his team, is over and gone. We are ruing its negative effects. I see the major problem looming over us is the extremist mindset. This has to go. Our leaders of all institutions have to firmly assert themselves to end this monster of radicalism and extremism. And the first step is to urge the foreign sponsors i.e., House of Saud to cease all their non-diplomatic activities in Pakistan. Same for other external powers. As long as funds and material is flowing into the coffers of our extremists groups, well be confronted with radicalism and confrontation. Another important step would be to restrict the overseas traveling of radical-leaders. Their interaction with intelligence agencies of foreign sponsors of extremism has to be stopped. Pakistan Protection Bill should have had this Clause in it too; any foreign source seen providing assistance to anti-state actors will be punished under the law of the land, irrespective of diplomatic status. Till we do not take drastic steps to eliminate radicalism, extremism and terrorism, the narrative will not change. Our forces will continue to bear the brunt physically and the nation, economically. SR. Col Naeem Why are we so confused? Catastrophe’ is looming up, across our face and we are still mired in ifs and buts – to do or not to do. Terrorism has to be subdued by ruthless force to create political space for the government to affect ameliorative measures. So Kayani did not take action, because this was not adequate or that was not ready. The point is that the army was calling the shots in the entire spectrum of major national issues; right from the advent of Musharraf; so why was no National Security Policy, COIN policy or antiterrorism policy prepared? The only conclusion, supported by empirical and circumstantial evidence is that, Musharraf was never serious about taking on the terrorists. He handed over the two western provinces to MMA, discriminated between good and bad Taliban, supported terrorist organizations like MQM, SSP, LeT and LeJ etc. He, extremely reluctantly took action against Lal Masjid, that too, after been pushed by the Chinese. During all this debate, has anyone realized that military operation alone cannot do the job? What is being done to eradicate the extremist mentality from among the people? The army might be able to over-whelm the terrorists in the short term; but as long as the Wahabi psyche remains intact, all the sacrifices of our jawans would be in vain. Masood Akhtar I hope and pray this Operation succeeds. Only time shall tell as to who was right- Gen Kayani or Gen Raheel? Both made their decision under extremely difficult and complex circumstances. Kayani had Swat and S Waziristan cleared. Though complex as an LIC and Asymmetric War, it was still the easy part for a disciplined and capable force like Pak Army. Kayani was probably mindful of the fact that the government and the civil bureaucracy totally let the army down and were not able to BUILD and TRANSFER with all kinds of difficulties. He probably was equally cognizant of a weak and politicized police and other CAFs to adequately take up the blow-back. That is probably why all the terrorist incidents and our inability to forewarn and handle these with efficiency and speed. In the absence of a National Security Policy, Counter-Insurgency Policy and Counter-Terrorism Policy; there actually is almost nothing to galvanize the nation and there is no national guidance to any Instrument of Statecraft. That is what is taught in all War and National Defense Courses. Churchill said that World War 2 was won by the staff and war colleges in the USA. But maybe we were all teaching and learning the wrong books/ lessons. Maybe the Clausewitz that we taught and learnt from was wrong? Even the War Course DS who taught all this never gave us any direction when he made President? Recall Op Search-Light? We were all so happy and delighted after Tikka Khan steam-rolled over the Mukti-Bahini and so-called SAVED PAKISTAN? Our military now has great tactical prowess, good operational expertise but like 1971 has no strategic guidance. That could be catastrophic. Insha Allah, our brave men and women led by capable and equally courageous young officers shall clear NW also within a month. Will the government be able to lead a multi-institution effort to build, transfer and handle a possible extreme blow-back (maybe over a long period) by TTP leadership in Afghanistan, is THE KEY MILLION DOLLAR Q? Our national (including military governments) track-record has been vow-fully abysmal. Why all this confusion? In the absence of any national ends, whatever we do with all sincerity in our senior ranks and appointments still amounts to be INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE INTERESTS and not National Interests/ Ends! This operation was/ is a must and could have been done early. But it will achieve its tactical and operational level objectives but not National/ Strategic goals. Simply because none have ever been put together by any government, civil or military? There was no dearth of belief courage and bravery at the filed and unit levels in the last 3 wars, yet we didnt do well in these. WHY? Meanwhile good luck to both Generals. To Kayani, because he has some explaining to do and to Raheel Sharif, because he must succeed now for the sake of us all and this poor/ wretched nation! A reluctant general cost the country dearly The havoc a military leader’s indecisiveness can wreak is best illustrated by the consequences of Gen (retd) Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani’s hesitation to launch a timely operation in North Waziristan Agency. We are told that military leadership was in favour of launching the operation in 2010. Besides numerous attacks on the law enforcement personnel, the year was marked by major assaults on civilians in Lakki Marwat, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. It was widely understood at the time that the leadership of almost all terrorist groups was centered in NWA. The indecisiveness was to cost Pakistan highly. Attack on PNS Mehran came in 2011 as did the suicide bombing in Charsadda, killing 80 paramilitary trainees. Kamra airbase was targeted the next year. During these two years scores of civilians died in terrorist attacks. During 2013 elections the terrorists killed a number of candidates. There were major attacks on Shias while about a hundred worshippers died when a Church was bombed in Peshawar. A serving general of the army was also targeted at Fazlullah’s directives. The terrorists shot trekkers belonging to different countries, damaging Pakistan’s image abroad and harming local economy in which tourism plays an important role. The failure to launch the offensive at the right time allowed the terrorists to strengthen their position. They built tunnels and IED making factories in areas under their control. The PML-N which delayed the operation for full one year on the pretext of talks must also share the responsibility for the tragic consequences emanating from inaction. While some might attribute Maj Gen (retd) Athar Abbas’ revelations to personal grudges, few would differ with his conclusions that the delay in operation strengthened the extremists, increasing their numbers, adding to their resourcefulness and providing them time to strengthen ties with one another. This explains the difficulties the operation is currently facing in NWA. Despite the softening of targets for a fortnight, the army is still taking casualties. Two more soldiers died in an ambush in Mirali on Tuesday, taking the total in 16 days to 19. Masood Akhtar Air Marshal (Retired)
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:11:55 +0000
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