Terrorism AFGHAN WAR GAME PLAN

The Raging Fire of Revenge

General Mirza Aslam Beg

The end of the Cold War brought in its wake a sense of relief that the fire of hatred between the East and the West had at last been extinguished and that the world will see the emergence of a culture of peace and cooperation where justice would be the abiding principle. Sadly the hope could not be fulfilled. The intellectuals of the civilized world could not reconcile to the idea that without enemy the progress and affluence – the hallmark of their civilization – could not be sustained. Islam came in handy after Communism was knocked out from the ideological arena, and was immediately projected as the threat to their global interests. Clash of civilization thesis was an intellectual conspiracy symbolizing West with tolerance, liberalism and upholder of pluralistic values, whereas Islam was depicted as its anti-thesis – backward, regressive, belligerent, bigoted, extremist and prone to acts of terror. And thus, Islam with which the west had coexisted for centuries, became the new found enemy and an orchestrated campaign was started against it, as revealed by ESPOSITO: “Distorted portraits, or caricatures of Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam were created – mostly fabricated, with little concern for accuracy. Often beliefs and practices, which run directly counter to its most basic beliefs – were attributed to Islam”.

Having identified the enemy the fault lines were drawn from Albania to Chechnya, Kosovo, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir and beyond to Indonesia, blowing inferno of hatred which enveloped New York and Washington. “Steel birds” struck the massive Trade Centre buildings reducing then into rubbles. And the ghastly scenes of death and destruction, witnessed through T.V. thousand of miles away surpassed the magnitude of tragedy seen a decade ago during the Gulf War, when the allied warplanes and missiles had devastated the city of Baghdad in the spectacular display of fire power. Now an intense realization has dawned that if atrocities and injustices are not speedily combated, gruesome tragedies would proliferate in the world, as the concept of Safe War has become outdated, and its dimensions have expanded to reach the threshold of every dwelling and nothing remains protected.

New York and Washington were subjected to most deplorable acts of terrorism which must be condemned unequivocally, as it tantamounted to the murder of humanity. But who are these terrorists against whom USA has now declared war, when operationalized, it would be the deadliest war, reviving the memory of the Crusades and true to the Biblical Revenge, using the atomic and chemical weapons. The rhetoric is incessantly being repeated by the electronic media. The ferocity of anger is understandable, as the most formidable power of the globe has experienced, the gravest shock to its ego. The very nerve centre of its military power – Pentagon – considered impregnable, is badly deformed, mingled with blood and debris and the symbol of economic power, the World Trade Centre was dashed to the ground as the steel walls melted into fire.

Afghanistan is being targeted for revenge, the unfortunate country which is the victim of twenty long years of war, death, destruction, disease, hunger and famine. Over one and a half million people have lost their lives and there remains practically nothing to be destroyed. Yet the only intact assets are the courage, confidence and their faith in Almighty Allah, which were instrumental in humbling the mighty power of the Soviet Union, and the combined conspiracies of Russia, India, Iran and Central Asia. Now Afghanistan is pitted against the lone super power of the world – conjuring up an image of clash of two civilizations which the world is likely to witness. Who would be the victor and who the loser is hard to tell. But Afghanistan has nothing to lose, but only to gain as a free and proud nation and will fight to preserve its cherished values and principles and even if it falls, it would retain the right to rise again out of the depths of sorrow and sacrifice.

History is a witness to the fact that no aggressor had to encounter much difficulty in entering Afghanistan, but the doors of return were slammed and there was no exit except shame and defeat. No nation could ever enslave them. History further tells us that whenever Afghanistan faced external aggression, the people have united as one, to face the challenge, just as Iran did to defeat Iraq’s aggression. When Iraq invaded Iran, the general impression was that Iraq would overrun Iran within a few weeks but this did not happen. Iran recoiled back, crossed Shat-ul-Arab and concentrated its forces in the Faw peninsula, preparatory to the offensive towards Basra. Iraq feeling utterly helpless, used chemical weapons supplied by the so-called civilized world. Iran had no option but to agree to the ceasefire, as it had no defense against chemical weapons.

The drum beats of war against terror are getting louder and louder. Allied forces are being mobilized and resources being orchestrated, indicate that the objectives of the war against terrorism, goes much beyond “get Osama dead or alive”. Perhaps the aim is to create several autonomous regions out of Afghanistan and install a protégée of King Zahir Shah at Kabul, the old Great Game of the British, to keep Russia and Mid-West China, land-locked, by creating “a shatter region of Afghanistan adding instability and turmoil at the cross-roads of Asia”.

And as the American pressure increases on Taliban, they will thin out from the distant areas, to fortify their base between Qandahar and Kabul. This will help the opposition, to implement their plan, worked-out at Dushambe, by Russia, India, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This plan also aims at creating autonomous regions within Afghan and a pliable government at Kabul, but with a different objective. The Northern alliances is now well placed under the ex communist Generals Fahim and Dostam. Hikmatyar has left the alliance and Siaf just cannot work with the communists. Assassination of Ahmad Shah Masood, who had turned more pro-west, establishes the motive. This alliance has already consolidated their hold over Budakhsha province and Panjsher valley, and ready to push westwards to bring Mazar-e-Sharif region under control, where Dostam is already operating. From Panjsher valley they can threaten Kabul. To the north of Qandahar, Ismael Khan, from Iran, will regain control over Herat region. His supporters are already operating East of Herat. In the Bamyan region, the Hazarajats will be able to establish their autonomy over the region and will link-up with Ismael. This is the Dushambe Plan.

Leave the Dushambe plan at the moment, and look at the prospects of success of the Washington plan. With the launching of the allied military offensive against Afghanistan the tribal belt in Pakistan, which is linked with Afghan people in filial ties of blood, will join hands with them. The dimensions of war would thus considerably expand. The Afghan fighters who have established the superiority of their fighting skill over their adversaries during the last twenty years, will prove superior to American soldiers who may not be able to accomplish what they desire and their air power may not prove effective in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. Only the innocent citizens would be the casualty. There are no worthwhile targets in Afghanistan as it has ruthlessly been destroyed, and not a military or civil structure exists, equal to the cost of a single cruse missile.

Pakistan, justifiably has agreed to the demands of USA and a major crisis has been averted, otherwise India taking advantage of the situation could have targeted our nuclear and sensitive military installations. Pakistan thus joins USA in its war against terrorism. Pakistani people can go only that far and no more in supporting the war against terrorism. Use of Pakistan’s land or airspace by alien forces will be considered as military aggression against Afghanistan and there will be a wave of sympathetic reaction in our country. The religious elements and Jihadi groups will rise in protest, to be joined by the disgruntled and unemployed youth, who even though not belonging to any of the extremist groups are overly sensitive to the injustices and discriminations meted out to the Muslim world. Perhaps the same psyche prevailed among those eighteen young people who took part in the New York and Washington carnage. They apparently did not represent any fundamentalist stream of thought.

USA does not consider it enough that Taliban have asked Osama to leave the country on his own volition. The offer of dialogue has also been rejected. The suggestion, that Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia should be allowed to intervene, has not been acceded to. As a consequence therefore the attack against Afghanistan is imminent with all its consequences. The vibrations will be felt in the entire region particularly in Pakistan, where the elections are to be held next year. Three elements i.e. religious and Jihadi groups, the youth, and the moderate political parties may coverage to determine the new contours of political power, which would be far different from what has been the usual pattern. It is also possible that in view of the grave situation, the elections may indefinitely be postponed, keeping democracy in abeyance, and at the mercy of the radical forces.

USA and the allies are fully poised to combat terrorism with state power. People all over the world know what has tragically occurred in USA is only a symptom of the real malady which exists in the minds and hearts of the people, breeding on injustices prevailing against the Muslim world and on the sinister idea of Clash of Civilization, which does not co-relate with the reality. Therefore, the priority must be given to eradicate this malady rather than punish Afghanistan. As the first steps, therefore sanctions and embargos on all the countries must be lifted. It will have a soothing effect and would establish confidence and credibility. This should be followed by a combined and concerted efforts by the world community to bring about the settlement of the three main conflicts, i.e. Chechnya, Palestine and Kashmir, which are the killing grounds of the unarmed and the innocent, breeding hate, contempt and revenge. If USA fails to address these problems it would only confirm what Edmund Burke said: “The greater the Power, the more dangerous is the abuse”.


Nations under Siege

General Mirza Aslam Beg

Caliph Hazrat Ali (KW) counselled: “If you truly wish to understand a person, see him in his state of anger”. The 11th September American tragedy triggered terrible rage and anger exposing the true face of America. Immediately there was a call for revenge:

- Osama bin Laden is the real culprit, and is wanted dead or alive.
- Afghanistan would face unprecedented punishment as it has provided shelter to Osama.
- Those who side with USA will be the friends, and those who do not, will be the foes.
- The Taliban tyrannical rule must come to an end.

These need be analyzed to determine the gravity of the situation, and the challenges posed to Afghanistan and Pakistan, in particular and the region in general.

To pronounce a judgment on Osama that he and his organization Al-Qaida are conduits to terrorism, without any proof, defies all norms of justice. It does, however, establish that USA was well predisposed to unleash aggression on Afghanistan and was only waiting for an excuse, provided by the New York and Washington tragedy, to achieve the Strategic Objective, expounded by Brezezinski, the former advisor to President Carter, in his book “The Grand Chess Board”, that in order to maintain American Primacy, it was necessary that USA consolidates its hold on the Southern Front of Eurasia, i.e., Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, to preempt the possibility of collusion between Russia and China. Preparations are therefore being made to implement the plan for the fulfillment of the Strategic Objective.

The Anti-Terrorist Resolution has been passed by the United Nations, Security Council. The strategy has been worked out with the NATO countries and Friends and Foes are clearly identified. The operational plan is ready for implementation. Since Pakistan is not prepared to offer space for the ground forces, therefore, on the basis of intelligence gathered, targets have been selected for punishment. The US air force operating mainly from Indian Ocean and the air fields in Uzbekistan would target the hide-outs of Taliban and other vital areas, and after softening up, the heli and airborne troops may land to undertake quick flushing operations and return to their bases. In other words, selective destruction of sanctuaries of the terrorists would be effected based on a well coordinated intelligence acquisition net work. The purpose of launching low intensity operations, instead of massive retaliation would be to avoid creating undue fear, lest it triggers sympathetic reprisal in Pakistan.

Taliban have deployed their ground forces comprising nearly thirty thousand soldiers, having the experience and skill of fighting for over twenty years. A fairly sizable chunk of this force is placed to fortify Kandhar, Ghazni and Jalalabad region. Their Headquarters is located near Khost, and its command is under Jalaluddin Haqqani, a very experienced, brave and a relentless fighter. To assist this force a large number of tribal and Pakistani fighters are only waiting for the call for Jihad.

One of the objectives of USA is to establish a broad-based government, in place of the Taliban regime. The UN Secretary General for Afghanistan Affairs, Francis Vendrel, has spelt out its contours. The Six plus two i.e., Afghanistan and its six neighbours alongwith USA and Russia, would ensure that all minorities get representation in the government and a person having wide popularity would become the ruler of Afghanistan. The Ex-king Zahir Shah fits into this slot. This, in nutshell, is the harmonized version of Washington and Dushanbe plans, which they contend, would be the harbinger of peace in Afghanistan and terrorism would be eliminated. But if history is any witness to such efforts made in the past, the British East India Company in 1939, did establish a regime of their choice at Kabul, but what happened subsequently, is a sad story to tell. Similarly, in 1979, the Russians installed a pro-Moscow government at Kabul and deployed over 120,000 Russian troops to protect it, which turned out to be a nightmare and a shameful retreat. The Americans can repeat the same mistake, if they are not prepared to learn from others mistakes.

However, if the broad based government plan is implemented it would result in the emergence of several autonomous regions. The areas now under control of Northern Alliance, including Mazar-e-Sharif would be for the Uzbeks. Bamyan would be the abode of Hazara tribes. Herat and the adjoining areas would be under Ismail Khan, representing mainly the Tajik minority, and the land, which spreads in the South from Kandhar to Jalalabad, would constitute the Pakhtoon autonomous region, finally merging into the Pakhtoon belt of Pakistan, thereby actualizing Bacha Khan’s dream of Pakhtoonistan into reality.

The Master Plan thus envisages dissecting Afghanistan into autonomous regions, pitched against each other, vying for influence and power, and working under a loose federation – a fulfillment of Washington and Dushanbe plans. It is rightly said that between idea and reality falls a shadow. The experience of the past, indicates that such measures may ignite a fresh wave of civil war. Russia’s access to the Indian Ocean would be blocked. Pakistan also would be deprived of trade routes to Central Asian states.

There are also apprehensions, that the sensitive intelligence gathering instruments would pick-up information about Osama and his organization, as well as the activities of various Jihadi Groups cooperating with Taliban. Pakistan would thus be compelled to take punitive action against these as per UN resolutions. On the Indian side, with Indo-Israel cooperation, the intelligence acquisition system would identify Jihadi Groups operating in Kashmir. Pakistan will therefore be obligated to take action against them as well, thus creating the dilemma. The exigency warrants that Pakistan be prepared to face this situation. After all, who could foretell that before 11 September calamity, the Americans watching the flames of fire raging in others’ dwellings in other parts of the world would be witnessing the same gory drama at their own door steps. The changed scenario therefore has completely exposed futility of the notion of total security. As a consequence, developed nations are gripped with a terrible state of insecurity, fear and revenge, characterizing a siege mentality, in sharp contrast to Taliban frame of mind, who have fully submitted to the will of God and are overly proud of the fact that no power on earth has ever been able to subdue their will for freedom. As they have not lost any war, they would not let USA win this war.

Two civilizations are about to collide in the fieriest duel in human history. One is overly intoxicated with sense of being a super power, boiling from within with anger and urge for revenge. The other having resigned to their destiny, and faith in Allah, which makes death an adorable commitment is ready to face the challenge. Both are under siege. Who would win and prevail, no one can foretell, as divine will asserts in its own way. The dialectics of the opposing will determine the outcome. The moving finger, having moved will write the verdict.

It is time for the world’s most formidable power, to transcend anger and dispassionately come to grip with the reality. The infinite justice is only in the domain of Allah and becomes an attribute of mankind, if he possesses the serenity of judgment, to discern the truth and the courage to act, as truth is revealed. If war strategists only adhered to Thomas Paine - the great freedom lover of America - who said: “The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren and to do good is my religion”, the world would not be as Hobbesian as it is today.


George W. Bush Vs Mulla Umar

General Mirza Aslam Beg


Both the leaders are as much far apart in their approach to life as is the distance between Washington and Kabul. William Bush threatened to hunt the terrorists, kill them, inflict such punishment on Afghanistan as to turn it into stone age, get Osama dead or alive, defeat the Taliban and install a pro-American regime, whereas Mulla Umar has remained calm, cool and mysterious as the deep sea. Taliban shoora suggested that Osama could leave Afghanistan (provided Saudi Arabia restored his citizenship). It also suggested dialogue with the Americans, but these suggestions were considered too presumptuous and were promptly rejected, and American and allied forces were mobilized to undertake aerial attacks on Afghanistan starting 7 October, hitting targets such as air bases, command and communication centres, electric power stations, suspected hide-outs of Osama & Taliban and the terrorists training camps. In response Mulla Umar declared jihad and asked the Muslim countries meeting at Doha on 10th October to either choose to support the Americans or Afghanistan. The Ummah opted in favour of the Americans.

Mulla Umar therefore is alone in his fight against the Americans and the allies, while in the eighties the Afghans fought against the Soviets supported by USA and its allies. The odds now seem to be one to hundred for Mulla Umar and Taliban. And after six days of air action, Americans claim to have achieved air superiority over Afghanistan. (I bet that a Pakistani pilot, with one F-16, can gain air superiority over Afghanistan in a single day against the absolete aircraft and air defense system of the Taliban). More than 300 innocent civilians have been killed , ground opposition has been softened, and the Americans are now preparing to launch heli and paraborne troops against selected targets. Bush has threatened, that such punishment will continue indefinitely.

After six days of aerial bombing and targeting, it is claimed that communication centres have been destroyed, yet Taliban’s command communication net-work, based on portable walkie-talkie sets is fully operative. Their logistic support has no tail, as it follows the foot soldiers and the local population provides extra support. Their strength has swelled to about 60,000 armed fighters. The local militia and the armed jihadis now number 30,000/40,000. More are on the move from the tribal belt of Pakistan and other areas. Taliban are waiting for the ground battle, as their strength lies in the foot soldiers, difficult terrain and the experience of fighting out-numbered. Taliban plan to hold cities and towns lightly, to lure the enemy in, and then encircle them to destroy. Their morale is high as they have not experienced the shock of American air power. In fact they compete with each other to locate the falling bombs and claim the lead and cartridges which sell at a premium. They prefer cluster bombs, as they deliver greater payload of lead and cartridges. They have already collected about 20 unexploded Tomahawk cruise missiles, waiting for a buyer, including Pakistanis who got free of cost 27 such missiles in 1998 for reverse engineering. Taliban hold enough stocks of weapons and ammunition. Replenishment is no problem, because borders with Pakistan and Iran are porous. It is reported that the stinger missiles, whose shelf life is almost over, have been replaced with more effective systems.

Taliban who have been fighting the internecine war against the Afghan opposition since 1994, are now fully steeled and have found substance and meaning in jihad against the Americans and are prepared to fight to the last, to defeat the aggression. The American war against the Taliban goes to prove the point that Taliban are not an implant. They truly represent the tribal will of Afghanistan. In fact they are the young generation in the form of Taliban, which has taken control of the destiny of the Afghan people, something similar to the youth in Iran which has given the verdict in favour of an Islamic Democratic Order, thus providing the psychological harmony between the two countries, to face the common threat.

Opposing the Taliban on ground are the three factions of Northern alliance, who are mainly mercenaries. The faction working under Muhammad Ismail had been operating East of Herat in the province of Ghor. They claim to have made some gains, in Ghor province, which is a far off place, and does not bother the Taliban much. Some supporters of Dostum are operating west of Mazar-e-Sharif but they do not pose a real threat, as the Pakhtoon population around Mazar-e-Sharif in itself is capable of thwarting any attempt towards the city. The main wing of the Northern alliance comprising 10,000 - 12000 soldiers, under command Mulla Faheem in Badakhshan province is a demoralized force, waiting to ride the American tanks to capture Kabul, where they will find the Taliban waiting for them.

In the south, Zahir Shah supporters, with the help of agencies and some political parties are trying to raise a militia from the tribal belt of Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Loghar. Some of the old jihadi commanders like Dr. Abdullah, Dr. Abdul Rahman and Commander Bismillah, have been identified as leaders. All possible methods are being employed to buy the support of the tribals for the new opposition group to the Taliban, but most of the tribes like Waziris, Shinwaris, Muhmands, Kharot, Zadron and Tanais have decided to support the Taliban. The Tanais who are a known pro-Shah tribe, received the bulk of relief airdrop, recently but were condemned as Israeli/American agents and were forced to burn the food stuff to prove their loyalty to the Taliban. This pro-Zahir Shah group, when formed, will try to enter Kabul and Kandahar where they will find Taliban waiting for a befitting reception.

The turn of the events have placed Iran in a unique position. The recent statements by their leaders, condemning American military action against the Taliban, reportedly brought tears in the eyes of Mulla Umar, as they are the only country, which shares with them, the pain of their sufferings, deprivation and isolation. Mulla Umar acknowledges the support by the people of Pakistan, particularly the people of Punjab, whose support he considers of special significance.

The Americans have a clear technological edge over the Taliban so long as they continue using the air power from the safe heights of 20,000 ft and above. And now, they appear to be ready to launch lightening ground attacks, to occupy and destroy selected targets and return to their bases without getting involved in combat with the Taliban. Such operations will continue for some time, till the Northern alliance under Mulla Fahim or the southern alliance under Dr. Abdullah is ready to venture towards Kabul and Kandahar. They may well reach their objectives but to hold on to these cities would be impossible without the physical support of American troops. In 1979, having installed a puppet regime at Kabul, Soviets had to induct more than 100,000 troops to sustain them, but failed. How many troops can the American bring, is yet to be seen.

William Bush and Mulla Umar, representing two different civilizations and with different values of life are pitched against each other, not being able to establish balance between freedom and responsibility. One is overly intoxicated with a sense of being a super power, enjoying the support of the civilized world, is boiling from within with anger and urge for revenge. The other, having suffered the ravages of war for over two decades, with a population suffering from hunger, drought and disease, abandoned by their traditional friend Pakistan and forsaken by the Ummah, have totally resigned to their destiny and faith in Allah, which makes death an adorable commitment, is ready to face the challenge, presenting dialects of the opposing wills - one equipped with material strength and the other through faith. This indeed is a unique war, which will prove that grandeur and depth of human life is too great to be captured in one culture.

American and Allies military power has failed to break the will of the Taliban, and both are drifting towards a deadly grid-lock. With such a mind set, the aerial punishment will continue, producing more rubbles and much greater number of casualties of innocent Afghans. This will not weaken, but would rather strengthen the resolve of the Taliban to fight back, as the tribal support gravitates towards them. Thus Pakistan would face a very difficult situation, as the prospects of holding elections in October 2002 may greatly diminish. Even if the elections are held, the youth may emerge the ultimate victor to face the crisis or even otherwise, just as youth now prevail in Iran and Afghanistan.

Tolstoy said: “Faith is the force of life” and Taliban may well prove it right.


Culture of Terrorism in USA


Dr. S. M. Rahman



“Terrorism”, says Mahathir Bin Mohamad of Malaysia, “was not invented by the Muslims”. He elaborates: “The first Hijacking of air craft was by an American. But the Muslims learned this quickly enough as they did other terrorist acts. Soon terrorism the invention of non-Muslims became synonymous with Islam and the Muslims. But their acts have availed them of nothing except the increased hatred of the enemies, who retaliate with equal ferocity”. The recent Manhattan and Washington tragedy is probably going to unleash revenge at a scale much higher than ‘equal’, when Afghanistan would be targeted as scapegoat. The apprehensions conjure up a dreadfully threatening scenario.

The moral imperatives of the super terrorism which USA has encountered not only necessitates total condemnation by the world community, but also taking retributive measures against the perpetrators of the colossal crime. Not only individuals involved, but also the net-working of heinous acts is to be unearthed, so that the menace is nibbed in the bud. Terrorism through an evolutionary process has become the greatest threat to the security of all nations, irrespective of how loaded a country is with conventional and non-conventional weapons. If terrorists groups, get hold of loose nukes or miniature versions of weapons of mass destruction, it would spell disaster beyond calculation. In the Fall 2000 issue of Strategic Review, John Train contends that there was consensus among counter terrorist personnel, “that even more likely than a World Trade Centre type of bombing from a foreign source are further Oklahoma City like bombings launched by Americans from inside our own country. These would not constitute a strategic threat to the nation, of course: just a very big headache”. The prediction was a wishful understatement. The 11 September massacre impact has taken the whole nation in a state stupor and intense shock with concomitant feelings of insecurity and paranoid like apprehensions. But where John Train is right, is that it is rising militancy in America which is promoting terrorism. “The likely origin of such domestic attacks is the militia movement. There are already hundreds of these private armies, some claming thousands of members. Michigan alone has dozens. Many of them are organized along US army lines and practice field exercises with weapons and uniforms”.

If one took into account a large number of US citizens who were found guilty of blowing up state buildings, trying to use plague bacteria, poisoning municipal water supplies, murdering federal judges and several such grave crimes, one tends to believe what a scholar in the American Dissident Voices – a radio talk show – proclaimed: “I suspect Americans will begin engaging in terrorism on a scale the world has never known – there is nothing the government can do to stop it”. The free society of America in a way facilitates the process of socialization of various cults of violence. Novels are written with such exactitude that makes terrorism a cook-book like recipe. For instance, the above mentioned author reveals that Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City got the idea from the Turner Diaries – the Main Kampf of militia movement. The similarities in the book and crime are striking. In the novel a truck containing somewhat less than 5000 pounds fertilizer explosive detonates shortly after a 9:00 am, before a federal building, killing over seven hundred victims. The Oklahoma City bomb contained 4400 lbs fertilizer explosive and was detonated shortly after 9: 00 am in front of a federal building. It killed or wounded just under 700 people. One has seriously to ponder, whose crime is greater, the culture which teaches modalities of crime or terrorist who only implements ideas?

There exists a mind set of Christian fundamentalists or fanatics, who believe “that their bombings will trigger a conflict leading to a different America with the federal government and its laws and its taxes rolled back, the New World Order bugaboos suppressed and white Christians back in the saddle – reversion to the world of 1850”. In every society there exists a category of people who have a self-righteous sensibility and are obsessed to fix things right, using terrorism as a weapon.

At international level US track record of violence since World War II is incredibly high, as 23 countries have been subjected to bombings – China 1945-1946, Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53, Guatemala 1954, Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960, Congo 1964, Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Veitnam 1961-73, Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala 1967-69, Grenada1983, Lebanon 1984, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1980, Nicaragua 1980s, Panama 1989, Iraq 1991-1999, Sudan 1998, Afghanistan 1998, and Yugoslavia 1999. Moreover, in the Post World War II USA assisted in over 20 different coups in the various parts of the world and the CIA was responsible for half a dozen assassination of heads of states.

There is also element of naked Machiavellianism in USAs strategic thought process. Two examples my be cited:

· President Truman is reported to have said on 24 July 1941, the day Nazis invaded Russia: “If we see that Germany is winning the war, we ought to help Russia and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany and in that way let them kill as many as possible”.

· In the context of Iran – Iraq war Ramsey Clark says: “In contrast to its reaction to Iraq’s, relatively bloodless entry into Kuwait ten years later. Washington expressed no moral outrage at the 1980s Iraqis attack on Iran. The attack served US interests by weakening Iran and of course war against much larger Iran would weaken Iraq as well. Washington did not want either side to win”. Henry Kissinger said without moral pinch, “I hope they kill each other and too bad they both can’t lose”.

The plan in Afghanistan appears no different. The Northern Alliance is being promoted and encouraged to weaken Taliban. USA thus is prone to channelizing ‘anger’ and ‘revenge’ for strategic ends. The Pearl Harbour anger was directed to demonstrate the nuclear might of USA – as dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not serve any military logic. The Gulf War of 1990 was to ensure the full control of the oil wealth of Arab and the Gulf states and not to punish Iraq for invading Kuwait. The onslaughts on Afghanistan is for a similar gain – the rich reservoir of oil and gas in the Caspian Sea basin. The Dushambe Plan is contrived to atomise Afghanistan into various autonomous zones – the Great Old Game of Balkanization. How for USA and its allies could succeed in this dangerous adventure is hard to tell, but one thing can be said with relative certainty that “Afghan spirit” has unique resilience to succeed and survive.

If combating terrorism is USA’s cherished objective, Pakistan and by and large, every Muslim country will lend its helping hand. The Holy Quran very explicitly says: “Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good in joining what is right and forbidding what is wrong” (Surah-3, verse 104). It is an obligation for a Muslim to condemn act of terrorism even if the victim is non-Muslim, as the Quran strictly forbids: “Let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. (Surah-5, verse 9). Therefore, to allude terrorism to Islam is an intellectual aberration. Muslims may turn to terrorism but in that they would transgress the sacrosanct principles of ‘equity’ and ‘justice’ – the hallmark of their faith.

USA’s threat of terrorism, basically emanates from within, which must be introspectively analyzed and uprooted. Alfred Adler very rightly said: “It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them”.


Whither War on Terror

Dr. S. M. Rahman


Violence wherever it occurs is detestable and cannot be condoned. Yet, paradoxically human history has never been free of violence, and particularly this age has earned the notoriety of being the most violent. Our confusion is further confounded if terrorism, which falls in the taxonomy of violence is to be given a definition, which could lend international consensus. The central idea behind terrorism is that “dissatisfied elements within a state cannot tolerate the indifference of the latter to their grievances beyond a limit and take recourse to violence. But once that violence is unleashed the state too does not tolerate it beyond a limit and retaliates with massive force. In the process it tends to violate certain human rights of individuals not necessarily associated with the said disgruntled elements. A vicious cycle is thus created which has no beginning and end, only a rotational motion”. The same is true of international war on terror.

So pervasive is the phenomenon “terrorism” that it has become a matter of flesh and blood. Every nation has faced it in varying degrees. The British media, for instance brought the gruesome tragedy so vividly in the electronic media that the whole Western world became so panicky when two time bombs placed in the crowded Birmingham pubs on 21st November 1974 led to loss of several innocent citizens. The terrorist acts have made the entire human civilization vulnerable, be it through hijacking episode or hostage taking. The threat of terrorism has multiplied to a staggering proportion, but it is ironical that no serious notice or remedial measures were considered unless a super power like USA was targeted on 11th September 2001. This, in itself, is a question to ponder why some lives are so sacrosanct to be concerned about while the rest who die in thousands and millions are hardly taken notice of, as if they were the children of lesser gods.

Thousands of Palestinians are dying and so are the Kashmiris and Chechnyans but the super power is so callously indifferent. Nobody in his senses has ever condoned the killing of the innocent citizens in the Trade Centre Tragedy but what has intrigued the world is the way the revenge war was launched on innocent people of Afghanistan, who had hardly contributed to the tragedy. Real culprits are still hiding and their identity has not fully come to light. A Global Inquiry Commission should have unraveled the mystery.

USA with great alacrity unilaterally targeted Afghanistan, which was already devastated due to the ravages of war, and the anarchy that came in its wake, tore apart the entire social fabric of the society. Talibanism was a creation of that callous neglect which USA has shown after its strategic objective of attaining unipolarity was accomplished. History, will perhaps never condone this gross injustice meted out to the people of Afghanistan who fought so valiantly to repel Soviet-aggression.

While terrorism is indeed to be detested but under its fog, if nations are taking recourse to crushing the legitimate liberation movements it is indeed worst form of terrorism and gross violation of moral values and norms of justice. India, Israel and Russia deemed it expedient to crush the legitimate aspirations of people for independence. To call their uprising ‘terrorism’ is a great distortion of semantics. Wars of liberations cannot be treated at par with terrorism.

Acts of violence have always manifested due to pathological human personalities, more specifically due to low self-esteem and ‘injured narcissism’ but these aberrations could not be equated with political terrorism, which are conceived as weapons of last resort to seek justice, which is denied to the seekers of freedom. Modern science and technology and weapons of destruction are no monopoly of any individual or any nation. Concepts and ideas and in fact, knowledge of all kinds need no visas to travel across borders. To underestimate the ingenuity and capabilities of a terrorist is based on self-conceit and grandiose ideas about one’s own infallibility. This is the major flaw in the whole concept of so-called war against terror.

Terrorism is multi-causal and no one concept can do justice to the understanding of this complex phenomenon. Socio-economic injustices, alienation of the marginalized groups in the society are as much causes of terrorism as the denial of much coveted sense of freedom. Therefore, it is imperative that terrorism is not used as a blanket term to cover legitimate aspirations of the people, which ultimately manifests itself in their apprising against repressive forces. Without finding a judicious solution to the issues of Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Chechnya, which are hanging far too long on the global conscience, one cannot hope to succeed in any war against terror.

Political deprivations, whether it is in Ireland, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia or elsewhere should not be labeled as fundamentalism to malign any community or religion. In fact religions extremism is itself result of denial of justice. For instance, the success of the religions parties in the recent elections of Pakistan is an eye opener, for never in the political history of Pakistan, Islamic parties have been able to muster 3 to 4 percent support. Why did the Frontier Province in Baluchistan favour religious groups is a question which seeks objective assessment. These people who live in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan have seen the tragedy that their brethren in Afghanistan have gone through at the hands of USA. Their vote reflects a total condemnation of the American policy being followed in the name of so-called war against terror.

What has America gained out of the war against terror is enigmatic. The scope of terror in the world has widened. CIA Director George J Tenet issued a warning that “Al-Qaeda posed as much of a danger to the US as it did before the September 11 terrorist attacks. That’s a bummer because, if true, it means that “the much-celebrated regime change in Afghanistan didn’t even slow down Osama bin Laden’s gang of psychos. It is then doubly difficult to make the case that a regime change in Iraq would make Americans safer from Al-Qaeda terrorism because there is not a shred of reliable evidence linking that to Hussein”. Neither Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden nor Taliban leader Mulla Omar have yet been apprehended to bring them to the court of justice nor there appears to be any likelihood that they would be traced, yet the punishment is given to people who had nothing to do with the Al-Qaeda or any such terrorist groups. It is this gross violation of human justice, which makes the whole war on terror look rather suspicious. The very nations who supported USA initially are reluctant to go along with the US Agenda of attacking Iraq for possessing so-called weapons of Mass destruction. There is no evidence whatsoever. The concept of preemptive strike being pursued by George Bush is nothing but a total defiance of international law.

Edward Spannaus rightly says: “Japan would have been justified launching its pre-emptive strike against Pearl Harbor in 1941. The United States certainly posed a threat to Japan, was quite hostile to it, and indeed, was developing weapons of mass destruction which it later used against Japanese civilians – unnecessarily and after Japan was already effectively defeated”. Planning and initiating aggressive war is a Nuremberg principle and for the same reason George Bush could also be subjected to the same process of accountability.

The war on terror has brought into salience the following latent aspects.

President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney having been fully exposed in the immoral and unethical dealings at Harkan and Haliburton are using the war on terror to distract attention from the real issue.

To prop up a macho image of Republican Party to be able to earn a second term in the coming elections in USA.

To salvage the sinking economy of USA and the impending disaster of the Brettonwood institutions. The lucrative oil wealth of Iraq, the Gulf and Caspian Basin in Central Asian States are the latent motives behind the façade of so-called war against terror. Eric Margolis makes it explicit:
· The US attacked Afghanistan’s Taliban government to exact revenge for the Sep. 11 attacks on America. But it quickly occurred to George Bush and Dick Cheney that retribution against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden offered a golden opportunity to expand American geopolitical influence into South and Central Asia, scene of the Caspian Basin oil boom.

· Central Asia’s oil and gas producers are landlocked. Their energy wealth must be exported through long pipelines. Competition over potential pipeline routes has become the 21st century’s geopolitical equivalent of the great power race to build strategic railroads, a rivalry that helped spark World War 1.

· He who controls energy, controls of globe. The US imports only 7% of its energy from the Mideast, but holds on to vital region in order to control the energy sources of its European and Japanese allies.

The doctrine objective of Primacy of USA in the global affairs, is the basic determining factor to intimidate nations that are likely to resist US global hegemony. In fact the Evil of Axis comprises mainly Muslim countries who are not reconciled to hegemony, which USA tends to perpetuate.

The track record of USA as a perpetrator of aggression and terror is indeed mind-boggling since the Second World War, USA has attacked twenty-one countries from Vietnam to Yugoslavia, to Nicaragua and yet the American strategists cannot make out why the world tends to hate them. Infact, it is totally fallacious argument that USA’s liberty and individual freedom is object of jealously for the world, if anything the soft power of America with all its concomitants like liberty, individual freedom have a seductive appeal for all the immigrants. They have never despised America for these values. But what is ironical and even a greater tragedy for USA is that these liberal values are on the wane and America is fast regressing into that very syndrome, which was despised by it as a typically authoritarian, in the erstwhile USSR. The soft power of USA is a casualty of no lesser magnitude than that of 9/11 tragedy.

USA bombed Afghanistan as a sequel to the 9/11 retaliation to target one person – Osama bin Laden – yet innocent people were massacred and nothing happened to the main culprit. What ethical standard US is adhering to in killing hundreds and thousands of human beings for the sake of one individual is hard to discern. This callous sensibility can be gauged from the fact when the former Secretary of State Madam Albright was confronted with a question that as part of the policy of sanctions against Iraq half a million children had died – that is more than what had died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She replied back, “that though it was a hard choice but we think, the price was worth it”.

The reality is that no one hates America for its domestic policies and its commitment to quintessential values of freedom and liberty but for the reason that American foreign policy was and continues to be Israel’s policy. Thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians died because of Israeli aggression but no sanction was ever imposed upon it. Only when Iraq become an enemy of Israel USA severed all its friendship with Iraq and Saddam Hussein became the arch enemy. Who does not know that in late 1940’s the Zionist took over Palestine and drove out 700,000 people from their homes through wanton terrorism? The cold-blooded massacre is the gory drama, which is still being perpetuated on Palestine. There is no let in Israel terror, which has surpassed much beyond Stalinist Russia. “Arabs know that almost every bomb that kills people came from America, every bullet, every tank, every fighter plane is manufactured or paid by the American dollars. It is America’s billion of dollars of support to the Jewish state that has enable the Jewish state to terrorize the Arab people for half a century.” Why should then Arabs not hate America?

Double standard is at the root of the global chaotic order, which prevails. If invasion of Kuwait was Iraq’s cardinal sin so was Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Nearly 3,000 Kuwaitis were killed but in Lebanon there were 40,000 causalities. If Iraq disobeyed UN resolution to vacate Kuwait, Israel also disobeyed UN resolutions to leave Lebanon. If Iraq violated international conventions, on chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, Israel is a much greater violator of all the conventions and has all kinds of weapons of mass destruction in its arsenal. If Iraq refuses UN inspection so did Israel. Only a perverted logic can explain that Iraq gets bombed whereas Israel continues getting dollars. Only recently North Korea made explicit commitment to have developed nuclear weapons but it is only Iraq, which is being discriminated against. Terrorism in the world has its roots in the notorious concept of clash of civilizations and Muslim countries are being made special targets. Ironically USA supports dogmatic regime but it has all the disdain for a country like Iran where democratic values are being practiced. Bosnia and Kosovo are never anywhere near fundamentalism but their miseries have hardly subsided.

Muslims countries are resolving their existential dilemma as after World War II a good number of them became decolorized. Initially there were only three countries, which remained independent like Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. Now the number has swelled to fifty-seven. No doubt they have attained freedom but they are till going through the excruciating period of transition from traditional to more liberal social order. A good number of them are still under dictatorial pattern of governance. Osama bin Laden was essentially voice of dissent against the imperial social order in Saudi Arabia and is overly critical of the continued military presence of USA on the sacred soil of Arabian Peninsula. It is wrong to simply take him as a person. He is a metaphor of defiance and is not isolated in this respect. Colonel Qadafhi of Libya and Castro of Cuba reflected the same sensibility. Muslim societies face dual tragedies. There is appalling poverty and ignorance and their rulers whom they generally dislike are being patronized by USA and nothing has been done to ameliorate their sufferings and deprivations. In other words, the imperatives of de-colonization have never been taken into account. According to a political scientist: “Decolonization represents a watershed in human history. It is both the rejection of a dominant power structure and the affirmation of a new awakening. The people in struggle, in revolt, manifest a yearning for a new relation between man and man and groups of men. But decolonization is not always a complete or a completed process. Sometimes it is piecemeal, fragmented, partly genuine, partly spurious, partly accomplished, partly compromised. Whatever shape and form it takes, decolonization nevertheless represents a decisive break with past, a step away from the domination of the colonial masters and their indigenous agents”.

Frantz Fanon rightly characterizes violence in the backdrop of colonial education. He says, “since violence was used in the ordering of the colonial world, which has ceaselessly drummed the rhythm for the destruction of native social forms, therefore when the time comes, violence would be used by the natives to wreck the colonial world”.


Afghan War: Game Plan

General Mirza Aslam Beg

Media war against Pakistan preceded much ahead of the Aerial Savagery that was let loose on Afghanistan and it appeared that the USA and its allies would turn the war ravaged country into rubbles and Taliban collapse would happen within days and the triumphant US soldiers would march into Afghanistan to enthrone King Zahir Shah as the caretaker of de Talibanized Afghanistan. But such expectations despite heavy aerial bombardments, commando actions and desperate northern Alliance offensives, did not produce the desired results. More than one month has lapsed, and the US military strategy seems to have created very little dent in the Afghan will and resilience to resist. Truly speaking, the Taliban have gained victory even without engaging in ground war. USA thus being utterly dismayed is impelled to prolong the bombings, which only speaks of the state of frustration and helplessness. This high-profile offensive yielding no dividends has turned attention towards Pakistan and every visiting scholar and journalist is concerned about the health of Pakistan. These concerns are: How stable is President Pervez Musharaf’s government? How secure is the nuclear capability of Pakistan and How best the Afghan problem could be resolved? This article attempts to answer these.

How stable is Pervez Musharraf Government
The present regime in Pakistan is well-poised, but would continue weakening in direct proportion to the intensity and duration of bombing of Afghanistan. In other words, the decision lies squarely with America, whether the government in Pakistan should survive or otherwise. Should it be necessary to remove it, what modality would be followed? There are precedences of the past, but God forbid, if Raza Shah Pehlvi’s fate is repeated, because there are indications to this effect. It is a patent reality that the Afghan tribal sardars have lost their hold and credibility, and Taliban’s ideology-based leadership has found favour with the people. Similarly, there is a marked trend in Pakistan where tribals are also increasingly leaning towards the religious and jehadi leadership. This is testified by the fact that on the call by the religious leaders, a great number of tribal people are lining up to join the Jehad in Afghanistan. In other parts of Pakistan also, public resentment against American aggression is progressively mounting. What is particularly significant is, that, even the moderate political elements are joining the agitation. Generally, the middle-of-the road political parties have endorsed the US plan, but now the issue is becoming more religious than political. It is on this account that otherwise not too popular religious parties are gaining political ground. It is indeed ironical that the idea of Talibanization of Pakistan, which was dismissed in the past, is now appearing to be the emerging reality.

How safe are Pakistan’s Strategic Assets
There are two kinds of apprehensions being expressed with respect to Pakistan’s nuclear capability. Should the religious parties gain power, the nuclear assets of Pakistan would be rendered insecure? If America continues to perpetuate the kind of atrocities on the innocent people of Afghanistan, the religious parties stand to gain and may eventually seize political power not necessarily through the ballot. But it is a fallacy to assume that they would be reckless with the nuclear arsenal, because they would be as prudent and patriotic as any political or military leadership could be. No matter, who rules Pakistan, be it Army, an elected political party or a religious group, patriotism would never be compromised.

The second aspect of the nuclear issue is directly linked to the sinister designs of our adversaries. In the past, Israel and India in collusion with each other, have attempted to attack our nuclear installations but their attempts were thwarted. The foolproof safety arrangements by Pakistan, makes it fully protected. Even if an attack is launched, Pakistan is fully capable of a second strike against targets in India because our nuclear programme is India-specific, even though range of our missiles is way beyond India to over 2500 miles. Since in the past India, in collusion with Israel made several attempts to attack our nuclear assets, now when USA and Israel appear to be predisposed towards such an action, India seems to be perturbed, and it is on this account that its Defence Minister has clarified that his country would not be a party to the conspiracy, which Israel and USA may be hatching. But who may believe India that they are not hand in glove with each other.

The Afghan war and its Implications
The attack on Afghanistan is expressive of extreme anger and motive of revenge, with no inter mingling of political dispensation. It is on this account that military action has failed to achieve its objectives. Political routes are seemingly blocked. The mistake that USA committed is that quit impulsively it waged war, without gaining full information and as such it is bogged down in the blind alleys of Afghanistan. The responsibility rests squarely with Colin Powell, Donald Ramsfled and General Richard Myer. They must be made accountable, as they are instrumental in not only embrassing America, but the whole world is dismayed. Disenchanted Pakistans’ predicament is indeed very distressing, as nothing seems to be clear and certain.

It is America, which initiated the war. To continue with it or to stop it is the choice it can exercise. It is very likely that the war would be prolonged, as America has objectives beyond uprooting of Al-Qaida and over throw of Taliban. It is the endeavour of USA that the eastern part of Afghanistan, extending from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul is brought under its control. In the first phase therefore, capture of Mazar-e-Sharif, is essential to open the Mazar-e-Sharif – Termez – Dushambe highway, for military build-up and logistic support. This objective has been achieved, and now after consolidating its hold over this area, it would move towards Kabul. This would enable USA to have full control over the land route from Pakistan to Uzbekistan. In other words the presence and control from the Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea, through the contiguous territorial areas, would fulfill the dream to control Eurasia and reservoir of wealth of oil, gas and minerals in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. This seems to be the Game Plan, and to carve-out Eastern half of Afghanistan, as an independent state, like East Taimur, a la courtesy United Nations, would be the first major step.

Afghanistan and Talibans problems are not that insoluble. God has endowed humans with intellect and power of rationality, and USA must reflect the magnanamity that is congruent to being a super power and the choice must be exercised through a cool frame of mind, and in conformity with what Taliban Shoora have counseled: Initiate dialogue and negotiations. Animosity must turn into friendly encounter as tolerance and accommodation are the pathways to peace.

Justice is the fulcrum of human existence. The world is an abode for both the weak and the strong. The affluent and the poor must coexist. What is sacrosanct is human dignity. Perhaps, God has ordained the valiant Afghans, to establish this reality. During the eighties, the proud Afghans defeated a super power, the Soviet Union. In the nineties, they defeated the combined forces of Russia, India, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. And now, after twenty years of incessant sufferings and sacrifices, draught, and destructions, they are pitted against the sole super power of the world, supported by its allies around the globe. Yet it is nothing short of a miracle that Afghans appear to have won the battle without fighting. Real battle would start now when the American ground forces get mobilized against them after the capture of Mazar-e-Sharif. The victory of Afghanistan is an eloquent testimony that ‘ntangibles’ entailing righteousness, and truth, prevail over “tangibles” – no matter how sophisticated the armament and equipment of the opposing forces may be.

Let me reiterate what I said in my earlier article titled: The Clouds of War over Afghanistan: “The Afghan nation has never lost a war. The future victory will also be theirs. It is truly, a clash of two civilizations. One is furiously inclined towards revenge, with overly inflated ego and arrogance of power, the other has faith in the will of God, which gives them a sense of composure, where fear of death does not distract determination. Verily the will of God would prevail”.

Afghans resolutely adhere to the adage: To be vanguished and yet not surrender that is victory”