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| Wiping out Taliban | | | Sushil Vakil
The Greek saying " money is the sinews of war" is proving true in Pakistan as its armed forces have mobilised an all round assault against Taliban in the northwestern province. It appears more to be an eyewash than a reality. With the promise of billions of American Dollars as civillian and military aid, Pakistan has told the US administration that it has begun massive anti-Taliban offensive to drive them out. Incidently, it was after two earlier failed attempts that Pakistan has again assured Obama administration that its forces are marching forward to dislodge the extremists and Islamic militia from the areas held by them. The US officials in Washington had been informed that six brigades have already been dispatched to the trouble torn areas.
According to the Pakistan military sources, the Taliban and its allies had around 5,000 fighters in Swat. As over the past few years some of the most feared Jihadi movements opened offices in Swat, a halfway point in a militant transit route running between Indian Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. How far Pak is serious in wiping out Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives in the region can be ascertained only after counting the dead bodies duly acknowledged by the Jihadi leaders. So far one is dependent on the claims made by the Pakistan army officials as mediamen and international rescue and relief operations are not allowed inside the war zone.
Apart from financial kitty US Central Command Chief General David Patreaus had also warned Pak that it will be forced to act if the country is not able to take concrete action against the Taliban in the next two weeks. More than anything else the deteriorating situation had forced Obama to comment that the civillian government in Pakistan was fragile and was unable to handle the crisis on the ground. Sensing the mood and warnings of US superiors Zardari had been left with no other option except to act against the Taliban. Otherwise, he was certain to lose both-the billions of US dollars as well as the government. It is a fact that no Pak leader would ever wish to kill the very people indoctrinated, trained and supported by the government through the notorious ISI. One can very well understand their plight as "parting is a sweet sorrow." This fact was honestly revealed by Mr Zardari in US while maintaining that Taliban is the creation of CIA and ISI to free Afghanistan from Soviet occupation. Adding that Taliban can be wiped out with the US support only.
It is undoubtedly because of the military's patronage that Taliban was marching towards major cities of Pakistan. Moreover, Pakistan's last month agreement with Islamic Jihadis on Sharia in the terrorist entrenched region had added to the fears of the political watchers that government doesn't want to displease them. Needless to say that Taliban from the near Swat valley had alarmed the world this month when they entered Buner by the hundreds and began setting up check points, patrolling streets and warning locals to abide by strict interpretation of Islam. They had also imposed Jazia on minority Sikh community living in the valley since centuries. Their strict enforcement of Jazia forced four hundred members of the community to flee their homes.
There is nothing new as Pakistani troops have gone on the offensive twice earlier and a similar reaction is expected this time around as government seems to be less serious. Not surprisingly, a banned organisation involved in Mumbai attacks is running an extensive aid programme for people fleeing fighting in Swat. The organisation is the renamed relief wing of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a group the Pakistani government banned last December after the UN declared it a terrorist organisation, said confirmed sources. Previously, the government has demonstrated a lack of capacity and lack of will to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda. Suggestively Pakistan needs to learn lesson from Sri Lanka, if it is serious at all, how they had destroyed the LTTE and reclaimed the areas occupied forcibly by its cadres since decades.
Undeniably, it is almost improbable task for the Pakistan army to wipe out Taliban completely. However, it can make it possible with the outside support. The situation so far suggests that Pakistan is not as much sincere as it shows. For outward consumption Pakistan army says that more than eight hundred Taliban workers had been killed by its forces during the week long action yet there is no trace of the bodies. This fact has been confirmed by war correspondents representing national and international newspapers and deputed to cover the offensive. It all sounds strange.
It is quite interesting while guns are booming, warplanes hovering over skies and infantry marching ahead yet there is no capture of arms and ammunition or recovery of the bodies of felled down terrorists. On the contrary the army spokespersons claim hundreds of causalities every day. Of course, there are casualties reported not of extremists but of poor civilians. The goof up clearly indicate that like previously Pakistan is again twice bitten and twice shy on the Taliban offensive.
For one reason or the another Pakistan has launched an offensive against the Taliban elements in Buner and surrounding areas yet no one is convinced of its bonafides. Islamabad's action and motive is questioned by critics as it seems to be a mere window dressing to extract aid from the US. The fact remains that Pakistan's failure will not only prove fatal for Pakistan but for the entire world.
There is a growing evidence that battle hardened extremists are filtering out of safe havens along the Pak-Afghan border into east Africa. According to US counter terrorism officials if the trend continues a day is not far of when Somalia would turn into next Afghanistan. Though only few dozens of terrorists have yet moved out one could well understand what will happen if others too are given safe passage.
Significantly, Pakistan's military operations against Taliban militants have been welcomed by all the countries including US. Many world leaders voiced hope that Islamabad would keep up the offensive. "We think that the military operations that are under way in Buner and Dir districts are exactly the appropriate response to the offensive operations by the Taliban and other militants over the past few weeks," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference. "We are very much encouraging of those efforts and stand ready to help them in any which way that we could." Still there are perennial doubts over Pakistan's resolve.
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