S Waziristan: A tough job for Pak Army
M Ashraf Mirza
Military operation has been launched in South Waziristan to deal with
the terrorists and militants, who are, of late, carrying out attacks on
the state institutions, committing suicide bombings and resorting to
bomb blasts with unprecedented loss of life. The operation was initiated
after endorsement by the country’s civil, military and political
leadership at a meeting held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Yusuf Reza
Gilani in the chair in the backdrop of a massive surge of terrorism and
militancy in different parts of the country. The operation had, in fact,
become inevitable as South Waziristan had since turned into the
epicentre of terrorism for quite some time. An escalation in acts of
terrorism and militancy was witnessed in recent weeks. About 120 persons
were reportedly killed in terrorist acts in Peshawar , Shangla, Lahore
and Kohat only during the past week.
The most subtle of them was the audacious attack on GHQ in Rawalpindi
that had jolted the whole nation as it constituted a direct challenge to
the nation’s symbol of military might. As many as 15 security personnel
including a Brigadier, a Lt. Col and five commandoes were martyred in
the attack while nine of the ten terrorists, who launched the attack,
perished in the military response. The tenth Aqeel alias Dr Usman,
believed to be the mastermind of the attack, was captured in injured
condition. He was also reportedly involved in the assassination of PPP
chairperson Benazir Bhutto. Described as the mother of all battles, the
war in South Waziriztan will undoubtedly be tough since the army will
expectedly encounter resistance from several thousand hard core foreign
militants including Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs unlike Swat and Malakand
where Maulana Fazlullah’s followers had primarily fought against the
security forces. Besides, Swat was not contiguous to Afghanistan and,
therefore, the militants could not get outside support.
But South Waziristan is a different case since it not only borders with
Afghanistan from where support in men and weapons may come for
terrorists and militants fighting against Pak army but may also receive
backing from Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan. The reported
vacation of a number of security check posts on the Afghan side of the
Durand Line along the Waziristan belt by the US/NATO forces will
certainly add to the Pak Army’s problems since it will provide open
border for the Afghan Taliban to come to the aid of the militants facing
the military onslaught in South Waziristan . The logic of and motive
behind this decision is simply incomprehensible since the security check
posts have been abandoned at a time when Pak Army has decided to take on
the terrorists taking shelter in South Waziristan. Pakistan will
obviously be justified in taking this act as ‘deliberate and unfriendly’
since it amounts to stabbing her in the back.
It’s, in fact, betrayal of Pakistan at the crucial time, besides
negating Washington ’s sincerity and oft repeated claims to support
Pakistan in the fight against terror. It’s disgusting that the US ,
which is supposed to enhance Pak Army’s capabilities to fight the
militants, has opted to vacate the check posts. The United States is
morally and militarily bound to revoke its decision and reoccupy these
check posts since their abandonment constitutes outright violation of
the understanding between the two countries on anti-terror war.
It’s essential to block the terrorists fleeing from South Waziristan as
a result of the military operation as well as to restrain the Afghan
Taliban coming to the help of the militants in South Waziristan if the
US is really interested in banishment of terrorism and militancy in the
region. It’s hoped that the COAS Gen Pervez Kayani would have also
raised the issue with Gen David Petraeus, Commander of the US Central
Commnd currently on a visit to Pakistan . It’s, however, a matter of
satisfaction that Prime Minister Gilani has reminded Gen Petraeus the
imperative need of provision of the military equipment to Pakistan ’s
armed forces for success in the anti-terror war. Gen Kayani has taken
the right step by seeking support of different Mehsud tribes through the
leaflets dropped in the agency. What’s, however, important is to build
public confidence in the armed forces to protect them from the
militants’ intimidatory tactics. And it will need to be done quickly so
as to have inroad in the local populace to evoke intelligence and
support.
The operation, however, has the potential of bouncing back if it’s not
carried out with swiftness and precision. Since the area has emerged as
terrorism’s centre of gravity, the militant outfits’ capability to
produce suicide bombers will have to be destroyed as quickly as possible
lest they might spread over and carry out suicide attacks in various
cities to create panic in the public and build public pressure against
the operation. The nation that had risen against the terrorists during
operation in Swat and Malakand will certainly remain equally undeterred
and committed to eliminate the menace from South Waziristan as well. The
masses will be at the back of the Pak Army as it’s a national cause.
It’s hoped that the military leadership will also be mindful of the
potent threat of suicide attacks in different cities from the terrorists
and militants especially when there is no let up in the anti-Pakistan
machinations of India and Afghanistan . It’s, however, important that
the morale of the Pak army officers and jawans is quite high after
successful operation in Swat and Malakand where over 2200 terrorists
were eliminated.
Hundreds of militants and their commanders were also captured as well as
the unqualified support from all segments of society. The Pak army has
been hailed by the nation for its success against the resolute fight by
the terrorists and militants. The bipartisan meeting held in Islamabad
with Prime Minister Gilani in the chair also expressed unstinted backing
to the operation in South Waziristan . It will, however, be a difficult
and different war from Swat and Malakand operation, since the army will
be expected to fight and defeat the hidden and the faceless enemy.
Ironically, the previous two military operations launched in the area
during Gen Pervez Musharraf’s era had not succeeded through due to the
half hearted initiative to deal with the well entrenched militants in
the area since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
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