J.W.Marriot, Pakistan

[updated: 25092008 / 01:03] Exactly a year ago (September 20, 2007), Osama Bin Laden called on Muslims in Pakistan “to carry out jihad and fighting to remove, Musharraf, his government, his army and those who help him. September 20, 2008, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said, his dream is to free Pakistan from poverty, hunger, terrorism and disunity. He closed his dream with the declaration, “we must root out terrorism and extremism where ever and whenever they may near their ugly heads.” An hour later, a truck full with 1 tonne of explosive was driven into the front gate of the Marriott and the rest story was as you read in newspaper. In an immediate respond, Interior Minister said Tehrik-e-Taliban was responsible for the attacks. Intelligence said it was Al-Qaeda and Afghanistan Talibans. The attack which was altogether different scale was the outcome of the implementation of wrong policy not only by Pakistan but American too shall be blamed partially. I believe, it was an outcome of wrong policy;

i. Pakistan – it has become an open secret, Pakistan ISI and army are behind the Taliban/Al-Qaeda activities. Many Talibans have settled down into the northwest tribal areas from across the border in Afghanistan and much of the region is now out of the army’s control even when Musharraf was still in office. The major failure was when Musharraf fails to overcome the issues. Musharraf shall dismantle the intelligence service for all their unilateral decision all this while and place the service under the civilian authority and not the army. ii. The intelligence service was said the elements who are supporting the militants from training to cash. The militants have received all the assistance and now they retaliate to the state authority especially after Pakistan have become close ally to Americans. iii. United States of America – It has become norm to American strategist to make pact with their enemy’s, enemy. That’s happen during the Afghan-Soviet war. American gave all type of assistance’s to Taliban and Mujahidden who fought against Soviet Union. They arm the militants to defend the fall of Afghanistan to Soviet Union. iv. Then later, after the war, the militants who are better trained and armed with latest technology retaliate to American’s. For Taliban’s both American and Russian are same, infidels. The wrong strategy by American has created the powerful Taliban’s who later backed Al-Qaeda. They are well established with their own battalion of Ghurkhas. They are willing to die for the sake of forming the Islamic State in accordance to Osama’s Islamic interpretation. v. The present situation will make the situation harder for the Pakistani and American force to overcome the militants in Pakistan. Definitely it will take longer durations to dismantle the Al-Qaeda’s network in Pakistan but it’s not too late to restrategise the war against the extremism. vi. The Security Analyst and Strategist must bear in mind, do not repeat the past mistakes. No matter in what ever circumstances does not, arm the civilians or any groups to counter the big enemy. Philippines government are repeating the same error when they decided to supply arms to the people in Mindanao to defence their self from militants. The error in this policy will create more damages and create more problems later. vii. Pakistan civil government need to do more to reshuffle the security agency and build new security defence capability not only to counter the militants but to make sure no more interferences from army’s in daily administration of civilian government. viii. When I was typing my article, I received an e-mail reading, unknown extremis group identified as “Fedayeen-e-Islam” has proclaim they are behind the attacks. They claim motive of the attacks was to kick American crusaders out of the Pakistan. No matter which terrorist group involved but now it’s high and right time for the new president Asif Ali Zardari to make his dream to reality. If he success then we can see new Pakistan otherwise the country will be another failure nation.