Our armed forces are more than capable of dealing with elements like Mehsud and we were capable of killing him our self. It is about time that our military leadership to make a bold stand and put a stop to US drones attacks and the violation of our airspace. It is also necessary to stop drone attacks in order to gain the confidence of our tribal population and this may also help to neutralize the legitimacy of insurgents which they gain by US interference. Elimination of insurgent leaders would prove to be truly effective only when it is done by our on forces. Only then would such successes be truly moral and military success for the entire nation and will be capable of delivering long-term gains.
"Low intensity conflicts such as the on going war on terror are won not through military might alone; they are won by winning the hearts and minds of the people. In order to eliminate the insurgency, their cause has to be eliminated first...."
For What Gains? Commentary on Baitullah Mehsud's Demise
How to Win the Insurgent War? Muhammad Rehan Zafar Sunday, August 9, 2009
Another successful strike by US drones leaves another top Taliban commander dead. Systematic elimination of insurgent political leadership is a proven tactic in Low intensity combat and this tactic has been used very successfully in previous examples of such conflict including French Algerian freedom struggle against FLN, by the British in Malaysian insurgency etc. However, it must be noted that these wars were eventually lost politically and morally despite military successes. Why? The answer lies in one word; Legitimacy. Low intensity conflicts such as the on going war on terror are won not through military might alone; they are won by winning the hearts and minds of the people. In order to eliminate the insurgency, their cause has to be eliminated first.
The information regarding the whereabouts of Mehsud was acquired and transmitted by the Pakistani intelligence forces to the American forces, which then killed him by a missile strike. Mehsud was a wanted criminal, who was accused of taking many innocent lives and depriving this nation of an excellent stateswoman Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. His demise is a moral success for the entire Pakistani nation and hopefully it will demoralize many insurgents and prove to be a vital blow. However, the military results will also prove to be short-lived as this man can now become a martyr in the eyes of many just because he was killed by a US missile. The gains of this success would be short-lived due to this factor.
Why can’t our security forces which also happen to be one of the most sophisticated and largest armies of the world and a highly trained and well equipped air force, eliminate such people themselves instead of passing on this information to a foreign army which can then violate our airspace and do the job that our army is equipped, capable of and supposed to do. And all this in the light of the fact that it is the job of a country’s military apparatus to ensure the sovereignty of its country and its territorial integrity. This entire episode seems to be a pathetic attempt for legitimizing US drone attacks which are not acceptable to any Pakistani.
Moreover this attack will do nothing more then prove the rhetoric of these so called Taliban that they are fighting against the US and that Pakistan Army does not have the capacity to stop US army from violating the country’s territorial integrity whenever they want and that the Pakistani leadership, intelligence agencies are little more than puppets to US wishes.
With 14th August fast approaching, I am forced to ask myself this question, when, we will learn to live like independent nations and when will our leaders learn to make of decisions based on the wishes of our people and in the interest of the nation instead of their petty gains and getting a pat on the back from Washington. When will our leaders learn to respect the sacrifices of the thousands of brave soldiers, who gave their lives for honor and integrity of our beloved homeland?
