Will War against Terror end?

by Zaheerul Hassan

(November 24, Islamabad, Sri Lanka Guardian) First World War commenced in 1914 and ended after five years, Second World War covered almost six years from 1939 to 1945. Besides losses to material both the wars have proven disaster to the mankind. The Great War (First World War) began as a clash of 20th century technology and 19th century tactics. In this war 40 million casualties resulted which include approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths. The Second World War was humanity`s deadliest war and also known as war of revenge which caused tens of millions of deaths.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the most civilized claimant nation (American) dropped two Atomic bombs over the innocent people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima on August 6 and 9, 1945 and forced the Japanese to surrender by August 14, 1945. By inflicting such a human loss US proudly argued that she had won the war. Now in 20th century another American President (Bush) again brought and dragged the world to a point which would be remembered as another future catastrophe of the universe. The war on terror will definitely be accounted for in his credit in the future history.

Despite various differences, there are a number of similarities in three wars, for example, the major characters are almost same i.e. US, British and other European countries which were allies during WW II. The war against terror was initiated by Washington in 2001 to eliminate Al - Qaeda militants but twisted into religion war due to the negative propaganda of western media against Islam. Both the world wars culminated within six years or so but war against terror has taken more than seven years and still continues.

Let`s hope the world ruling powers should get together and decide to save the world instead pushing it to anarchy just for the sake of individual gains. The basic cause of the war against terror was the debacle of 9/11, in which approximately 3000 individuals suffered death but as a revenge or by design Bush administration pushed the world into the war which has taken the lives of millions of Iraqis, Afghans and Pakistanis. The Muslims and NATO countries are now mentally convinced that war against terror have been waged against them by Bush administration. Though this war has caused more losses to Pakistan, Afghanistan and somewhat to Iran but is also proving a cancer to American and European countries too.

During the last seven years the Americans have received bodies of thousands of war victims and its annual war spending is more than 41 billion dollars in Afghanistan. Despite so much loss, Obama has shown his intentions of increasing his forces after withdrawing from Iraq. The newly elected US president must know that induction of more troops in Afghanistan will affect the already depleted American economy. The turnover of troops per annum is more than one million both in Iraq and Afghanistan which are causing negative financial and moral affects within Nato countries and US too. The rate of desertion, cases of depression and disobeying orders in US led coalition Forces are much more as compared to earlier.

American Congress must also remember that any further misadventure in Pakistan will increase the tension between two allies and also provide a chance to Islamabad to pull her hands from supporting war on terror. This stoppage of logistic support only would be a set back to the economy of US and Nato countries. The continued violations of Pakistani territory by US drones is fueling the already lit flame against Bush policies. It was revealed on an electronic media that 355 persons were killed in 35 US drones attacks. Out of these 301 were innocent civilians, 36 alleged members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and 18 were members of the Pakistani security forces. Only eight out of 35 strikes were based on human intelligence, which proved to be correct. Among these eight strikes was one in which Abu Laith al-Libi, projected by the US as an important Al Qaeda operative, was killed. The remaining 27 strikes were based on human intelligence, which proved to be incorrect. 16 out of the 35 US attacks were carried out between January 1 and August 31, 2008. The remaining 19 strikes were carried out between September 3 and November 15, 2008.

If Obama is not going to revise this policy of intrusion then Pakistani government will be forced to adopt her own means to deal war against militancy. Pakistan has suffered heave toll of economic and physical losses. Her traditional rival India found an excellent chance to exploit the American interference to destabilize our country. RAW has established more than 100 foreign training centres and 17 Foreign Offices in Afghanistan and along the north-western border. They are launching well-trained agents, equipped with weapons in Frontier and Balochistan provinces. Some of leaders of banned organizations are also receiving heavy money from foreign intelligence agencies to gain the sympathies of uneducated, poor and innocent individuals in the name of holy war and are playing with the lives of the innocent women, children and youngsters.
So far they have carried out 1000 blasts in various cities of Pakistan and caused heavy damages to the men and material. Apart from suicide attacks and bomb blasts in other tribal regions, similar aggressive acts are being conducted by them in Balochistan. They are basically hiring the services of Uzbeks and criminal persons of the area.

In an Internet report it was revealed that a new gruesome of South Waziristan Laddha based are imparting Jihadi Training to innocent girls and women ageing between 10 - 35 years old. He is being funded by foreign agency too. This new hatchery of producing female suicides bombers is being headed by Commander Moulvi Shamim at his Muddrassah in Laddha South Wazirsitan. The Uzbak and Afghani women instructors are imparting religious and suicide training to these innocent women folk of the area. Trainees include Mehsud, Punjabis and Sindhi women and girls. Apart from these nursery of potential suicide female bombers couple of houses in Sam Sarai, South Waziristan Agency are also acting as a school of future suicide bombers where 30 /40 girls and boys of Baderzai South Waziristan Agency are also being trained on similar lines. It was also revealed that about 100 to 120 girls and boys of Baderzai South Waziristan Agency are also being engaged by locals in a maddrassah to prepare them for so-called Holy War against Pakistan.

There is a need to check all these activities now because there are unknown foreign hands who are exploiting the situation of tribal belt of FATA to complete their nefarious design against Pakistan. President Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quresh at the Inter-faith conference very rightly said that Pakistan paid huge price both in economic and human terms. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also confirmed while conducting a news briefing in New York in second week of November 2008 that $34.5 billion have been spent by Pakistan since 2001.

American leadership must know that the deployment of Indian troops cannot be acceptable to Pakistan since the latter has already paid heavy price because of malicious activities of RAW, Mossad, Khad and CIA. In short Obama has a chance to review the muddled Bush Policy regarding war on terror which will save persistent deteriorating condition of US as well as world economy; otherwise one should remember that continuous bleeding cancer results into ultimate death, which could be the death of America and its allies.

(The Writer can be reached at zameer36@gmail.com ) - Sri Lanka Guardian