DOCSLIB.ORG

Military Operations in Waziristan: Public Perceptions in Pakistan on Terra

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Military Operations in Waziristan: Public Perceptions in Pakistan on Terra MILITARY OPERATIONS IN WAZIRISTAN: PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS IN PAKISTAN ON TERRA Mirza Jan1, Sajjad Ahmed Paracha2, Muhammad Anwar3 & Muhammad Imran1 1Ddepartment of Mass Communication, Gomal University, D.I.Khan (KPK) Pakistan 2 Department of Media Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur,Pakistan 3 TESCO, Wapda House Peshawar ABSTRACT This empirical study examines the military operation launched by the Government of Pakistan in Waziristan. It will discuss the wide range causes and effects of the military operation. This study discusses the phenomena of military operation in Waziristan and the Taliban targeting US-led forces. This survey reveals the Public opinion regarding drone attacks of NATO forces. This explanatory study reviews the mastermind behind the terra acts and financial support. This study also synthesis the categorical opinion of the tribal flees from their native villages. _________________________________ INTRODUCTION The study is exploratory in nature. This in Afghanistan. Since the fighting began, paper specifically explores the public the Pakistani forces have suffered heavy perception of the migrated and innocent casualties at the hands of the Taliban people from South Waziristan to other militia due to roadside bombs and parts of the country (Pakistan). World ambushes. think tank is of the opinion that The military Operation Rah e Nijat (path Waziristan is a paradise for Taliban. to deliverance) is the latest attempt of Pakistan was stressed that the Taliban Pakistan army to inflict final blows to should be eliminated from this part of the Tehrik- i- Taliban in the world. The ongoing fighting began in Pakistan. Waziristan's new landmarks 2004, when the Pakistan Army entered speak eloquently of the intensity of the the region inhabited by the Waziri tribe conflict that still rages between Taleban in search of al Qaeda and Taliban and al-Qaeda militants and the Pakistani fighters who were using the Waziristan security forces. On 19th of June Pak area as a base for launching deadly army started the gathering of forces attacks against the US-led Allied forces on the border of South Waziristan. After Jan et al., Gomal University Journal of Research 27(1): 93-109 (2011) 94 three months of blockade and minor and, having cleared and consolidated the skirmishes with the Taliban eventually three major approaches to the area, the the army launched a full scale ground final battle will then be fought for the assault on the 19th of October 2009. The capture of Sararogha, the Taliban strong- Pakistan army has a total of 28000 point. Once could also assume that the troops and 500 special commandos on operation will continue as the popular their side while the Taliban have 10 to will is in favor of the military action 15,000 troops and 1500 foreign fighters. (Masood, 2009). Taliban is not a new The fighting is intense and arduous and phenomenon. It is a rebound of Russian each day brings reports of the Pakistan invasion. They have been used as army inching forward another few steps bullfighters. The fighters are the deep into a very difficult and dangerous Pakistan and America. Former President terrain (Global Voices Online, 2009) Pervez Musharraf has played the role of Threat to the U.S. Homeland,” asserted a sponsor while Bush was presented as a forthrightly that al- Qaeda “has protected pious villain and playboy by the western or regenerated key elements of its media. Musharraf’s yes to war on terror homeland attack capability, including: a is still a question mark (Rajat, 2007). safe haven in the Pakistan Federally The conflict began in 2004 as a result Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan's search for Al Qaeda members operational lieutenants, and its top in the mountainous Waziristan region as leadership” (Muhammad, 2004). part of the War on Terror. Militant tribes The Pakistan army is conducting who had ruled the area under a de facto Advance-to-Contact operations on three autonomy interpreted the searches as a axes: violation of their territorial claim and • East: Jandola-Kotkai-Sararogha responded with force. The US war on axis. terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan • South-West: Wana-Shakai axis has created many problems for the • North: Razmak-Makeen- investment community in the region, but Sararogha axis. the US could nothing gain; the people of The three advancing columns should Afghanistan and Pakistan have now eventually link up around Sararogha, filled many difficulties in the American Jan et al., Gomal University Journal of Research 27(1): 93-109 (2011) 95 forces and their so-called operation Public Perceptions in Pakistan on Terra”. against terrorism (Khan, 2003)". Significance of the Study Waziristan is America’s new front line in the war against the Taliban. The last People of Waziristan deserve to have British officer to have served there, now war. They have totally rejected our 81, tells it cannot be tamed by force constitution, because they reject the aloneFew places on earth are as remote values which Pakistan was founded and hostile as Waziristan, part of the upon, and because they are trying to Pakistani tribal belt that the Pentagon stuff a different legal system down the now sees as the new front line in the war throats of unwilling citizens. The on terror(Lamb, 2008). ongoing operation in FATA especially in South Waziristan has, understandably, Statistically speaking, the Pakistani caused heated debate in Pakistan as it security forces have lost more personnel raises issues of political morality and – almost three times more, since the military strategy. This is not the first operation was launched in 2004 – than time that the armed forces have taken the US has since 2001, in its ongoing upon themselves the task of weeding out war on terror in Afghanistan”( `anti-state elements`. Pakistan’s Mir,2004). historical context suggests that the Most of the tribesmen allegedly giving meddling of the armed forces in politics refuge to al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects and policing of the country hasn’t served and now fighting with them against the the country well. But fortunately or Pakistani army belong to the Wazir tribe. unfortunately the operation against the The tribesmen are traditional fighters militants is the dire need of the time. and learn the use of a gun at an early age in keeping with local traditions Objectives of the Study (Yusufzai, 2004). The main objectives of this opinion survey are as under: Statement of the Problem 1 To explore the origin of militants The problem of the study in hand is to activities and to whom Taliban explore the “Military Operations in fights Waziristan: 2 To know who are the Taliban Jan et al., Gomal University Journal of Research 27(1): 93-109 (2011) 96 3 To understand the Public Attribution Theory (Heider, 1958) perception regarding drone Attribution Theory is a humanistic attacks of NATO forces theory. Attribution Theory attempts to 4 To see that who is mastermind explain causes of behavior. It attempts behind Taliban to explain the causes of people's Research Questions behavior and attributing or explaining 1. Does Taliban fighting for reasons as to why people behave the way financial benefits? they do. 2. Why Taliban targeting Pakistani entities? Theory of Terrorism Theoretical Underpinning of Opinion More than one criminologist has pointed The theoretical framework presented out that the disciplines of theology, here guides and structures this study. It religion, and philosophy have had has set the foundation of the theory of important things to say about terrorism the “Military Operations in Waziristan: (Stitt 2003; Kraemer 2004). It is also a Public Perceptions in Pakistan on Terra”. fact that about a quarter of all terrorist The framework of this study has its roots groups and about half of the most in three communication theories: public dangerous ones on earth are primarily opinion, Attribution Theory, and Theory motivated by religious concerns of Terrorism. (Hoffman 1993). They believe that God not only approves of their action, but Public Opinion Theory that God demands their action. Their Public opinion is the aggregate of cause is sacred, and consists of a individual attitudes or beliefs held by the combined sense of hope for the future adult population. Yet conflict situations and vengeance for the past. Of these present their own challenges, and the two components, the backward-looking traditional tools of public opinion desire for vengeance may be the more research cannot simply be imported important trigger for terrorism because (Irwin C 2001). the forward-looking component (called apocalyptic thinking or eschatology) produces wild-eyed fanatics who are Jan et al., Gomal University Journal of Research 27(1): 93-109 (2011) 97 more a danger to themselves and their sensation and perception are virtually own people. impossible to separate, because they are part of one continuous process. Main Concepts Assumptions 1. Military Operation 2. Public perception on terra • Our common-sense Perception is the process by which understanding of militancy. • Our common-sense organisms interpret and organize understanding of belief may be useful predictions sensation to produce a meaningful experience of the world. Sensation Theoretical frameworks are also usually refers to the immediate, important in exploratory studies, where relatively unprocessed result of you really don’t know much about what stimulation of sensory receptors in the is going on, and are trying to learn more. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or skin. A conceptual framework is a concise
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pashto Language & Identity Formation in Pakistan
    Pashto Language & Identity Formation in Pakistan∗ Tariq Rahmany Contents 1 Linguistic and Ethnic Situation 2 1.1 In Afghanistan . 2 1.2 In Pakistan . 3 2 Pashto and Pakhtun identity 4 2.1 Imperialist mistrust of Pashto . 6 2.2 Pre-partition efforts to promote Pashto . 7 2.3 Journalistic and literary activities in Pashto . 8 2.4 Pashto and politics in pre-partition NWFP. 8 2.5 Pashto in Swat . 10 3 Pashto in Pakistan 11 3.1 The political background . 11 3.2 The status of Pashto . 13 3.3 The politics of Pashto . 15 4 Conclusion 17 References 18 Abstract Traces out the history of the movement to increase the use of the Pashto language in the domains of power in Pakistan. Relationship of the movement with ethnic politics; Linguistic and ethnic ∗Contemporary South Asia, July 1995, Vol 4, Issue 2, p151-20 yTariq Rahman is Associate Professor of Linguistics, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. 1 Khyber.ORG Q.J.k situation in Afghanistan; Pashto and Pakhtun identity; Attitude of the Pakistani ruling elite towards Pashto. Pashto, a language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, has more than 25 million native speakers. Of these, 16 to 17 million live in Pakistan and 8 to 9 million in Afghanistan.1 Pashto is the official language in Afghanistan, along with Dari (Afghan Persian), but in Pakistan it is not used in the domains of power–administration, military, judiciary, commerce, education and research–in any significant way. The activists of the Pashto language movement of Pakistan have been striving to increase the use of the language in these domains–i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    GOVERNMENT OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Qabail Led Community Support Project (QLCSP) Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) Public Disclosure Authorized December 21, 2019 To be executed By Planning & Development Department (GoKP) Through Public Disclosure Authorized Directorate of Projects under the Merged Areas Secretariat (MAS) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP), through Directorate of Projects Planning & Development Department (DP&DD), intends to implement “Qabail Led Community Support Program (QLCSP”) in Khyber district of merged areas (MA) – the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)1 – and Peshawar and Nowshera districts of KP with the proposed assistance of the World Bank (WB).2 This Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) has been prepared to meet requirements of national legislation of Pakistan and World Bank environmental and social policy requirements to address potential negative impacts from the proposed project. Project Overview Background The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA1000) aims to facilitate electricity trade between Central Asia and countries in South Asia by putting in place transmission infrastructure. As part of CASA1000 project, each participating country3 is implementing Community Support Programs (CSPs) to share the benefits associated with the project and to generate support among local communities. Project Area In Pakistan, the CASA1000 transmission line (TL) will pass through approximately 100 kilometer long territory passing through various parts of KP province. The project area accordingly lies in/includes Peshawar and Nowshera districts and Khyber district4 of merged areas (MA). Project Components The Project has four components as briefly described below; and its Project Development Objective (PDO) is “improve access to local infrastructure and strengthen community engagement in the project areas”.
    [Show full text]
  • Pakistan Response Towards Terrorism: a Case Study of Musharraf Regime
    PAKISTAN RESPONSE TOWARDS TERRORISM: A CASE STUDY OF MUSHARRAF REGIME By: SHABANA FAYYAZ A thesis Submitted to the University of Birmingham For the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Political Science and International Studies The University of Birmingham May 2010 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The ranging course of terrorism banishing peace and security prospects of today’s Pakistan is seen as a domestic effluent of its own flawed policies, bad governance, and lack of social justice and rule of law in society and widening gulf of trust between the rulers and the ruled. The study focused on policies and performance of the Musharraf government since assuming the mantle of front ranking ally of the United States in its so called ‘war on terror’. The causes of reversal of pre nine-eleven position on Afghanistan and support of its Taliban’s rulers are examined in the light of the geo-strategic compulsions of that crucial time and the structural weakness of military rule that needed external props for legitimacy. The flaws of the response to the terrorist challenges are traced to its total dependence on the hard option to the total neglect of the human factor from which the thesis develops its argument for a holistic approach to security in which the people occupy a central position.
    [Show full text]
  • CTC Sentinel Vol 2, Issue 12
    DECEMBER 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 12 COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT CTC SEntinEL OBJECTIVE . RELEVANT . RIGOROUS Contents The Danger of Prison FEATURE ARTICLE Radicalization in the West 1 The Danger of Prison Radicalization in By James Brandon the West By James Brandon REPORTS 5 LIFG Revisions Posing Critical Challenge to Al-Qa`ida By Paul Cruickshank 8 Assessing the Progress of Pakistan’s South Waziristan Offensive By Rahimullah Yusufzai 12 The Internet and its Role in Terrorist Recruitment and Operational Planning By Sajjan M. Gohel 16 Prisons in Iraq: A New Generation of Jihadists? By Myriam Benraad 18 Developing Regional Counterterrorism Cooperation in South Asia By Alistair Millar 21 Singapore’s Approach to Counterterrorism By Gavin Chua Hearn Yuit ince sayyid qutb wrote Milestones consequently more terrorist convictions) 24 Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity Along the Road in an Egyptian than any other Western country. 28 CTC Sentinel Staff & Contacts prison almost 50 years ago, Extremists whose paths toward terrorism prisons have become widely began in European or U.S. prisons include Srecognized as important incubators of numerous high-profile terrorists. In the jihadist thought.1 In Muslim-majority United Kingdom, they include Richard countries, a number of prominent Reid, the 2001 “shoe-bomber,” and jihadists were radicalized, at least in Muktar Ibrahim, the leader of the July part, in prison, including Ayman al- 21, 2005 London bomb plot.2 In France, Zawahiri and Abu Mus`ab al-Zarqawi. Safe Bourada, an Algerian originally
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing the Progress of Pakistan's South Waziristan Offensive
    DECEMBER 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 12 the Moroccan government to initiate Al-Qa`ida has thus far not officially Assessing the Progress a similar process.37 In Mauritania, 23 commented on the LIFG revisions. imprisoned Islamist militants issued a According to Benotman, al-Zawahiri of Pakistan’s South statement in late November rejecting is maintaining a strategic silence Waziristan Offensive violence against the state.38 The because he does not want to draw more breakthroughs could further isolate al- attention to the document since he fears By Rahimullah Yusufzai Qa`ida in North Africa. the consequences.41 For al-Qa`ida, the revisions are even more problematic in october 2009, after approximately The LIFG peace process may also have because several of its top leaders four months of preparations, Pakistan’s had implications in the West. Despite operating out of the Afghanistan- armed forces launched a highly early opposition to the talks, the Pakistan border region are former anticipated ground offensive against approximately 30 LIFG members living members of the LIFG. For Abu Yahya Taliban militants in South Waziristan in the United Kingdom threw their al-Libi, currently al-Qa`ida’s chief Agency of the Federally Administered weight behind the shura council in July. propagandist, the rebuke from the LIFG Tribal Areas (FATA). The objectives of Their number included several senior was personal because his brother, `Abd the mission, called Rah-e-Nijat (Path members of the group and 12 individuals al-Wahhab Qa’id, is one of the authors. to Deliverance), are to clear the area of once subject to UK government “control Mid-level LIFG commander Tarek terrorists and militants and stabilize orders” because of their threat to Durman said that he expects Abu Yahya the region.1 The current offensive in national security.
    [Show full text]
  • Counterinsurgency in Pakistan
    THE ARTS This PDF document was made available CHILD POLICY from www.rand.org as a public service of CIVIL JUSTICE the RAND Corporation. EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Jump down to document6 HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit NATIONAL SECURITY institution that helps improve policy and POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY decisionmaking through research and SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY analysis. SUBSTANCE ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND Support RAND INFRASTRUCTURE Purchase this document WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND National Security Research Division View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Counterinsurgency in Pakistan Seth G. Jones, C. Christine Fair NATIONAL SECURITY RESEARCH DIVISION Project supported by a RAND Investment in People and Ideas This monograph results from the RAND Corporation’s Investment in People and Ideas program.
    [Show full text]
  • CTC Sentinel Objective
    DECEMBER 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 12 COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT CTC SEntinEL OBJECTIVE . RELEVANT . RIGOROUS Contents The Danger of Prison FEATURE ARTICLE Radicalization in the West 1 The Danger of Prison Radicalization in By James Brandon the West By James Brandon REPORTS 5 LIFG Revisions Posing Critical Challenge to Al-Qa`ida By Paul Cruickshank 8 Assessing the Progress of Pakistan’s South Waziristan Offensive By Rahimullah Yusufzai 12 The Internet and its Role in Terrorist Recruitment and Operational Planning By Sajjan M. Gohel 16 Prisons in Iraq: A New Generation of Jihadists? By Myriam Benraad 18 Developing Regional Counterterrorism Cooperation in South Asia By Alistair Millar 21 Singapore’s Approach to Counterterrorism By Gavin Chua Hearn Yuit ince sayyid qutb wrote Milestones consequently more terrorist convictions) 24 Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity Along the Road in an Egyptian than any other Western country. 28 CTC Sentinel Staff & Contacts prison almost 50 years ago, Extremists whose paths toward terrorism prisons have become widely began in European or U.S. prisons include Srecognized as important incubators of numerous high-profile terrorists. In the jihadist thought.1 In Muslim-majority United Kingdom, they include Richard countries, a number of prominent Reid, the 2001 “shoe-bomber,” and jihadists were radicalized, at least in Muktar Ibrahim, the leader of the July part, in prison, including Ayman al- 21, 2005 London bomb plot.2 In France, Zawahiri and Abu Mus`ab al-Zarqawi. Safe Bourada, an Algerian originally
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Drone Strikes in Pakistan
    The Impact of Drone Strikes in Pakistan Zeeshan-ul-hassan Usmani1 Hira Bashir2 December 4, 2014 Abstract This paper provides a quantitative analysis of data on the CIA’s drone war in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Our unique database, Pakistan Drone Count (PDC),3 combines data from Pakistan Body Count4 with information from newspapers, media reports, think tank analyses, and personal contacts in media and law enforcement agencies. We provide a count of the number of people killed and injured in drone strikes, including those who died later in hospitals or homes due to injuries caused or aggravated by the strikes, making PDC the most comprehensive current source for drone-related data in the region. The relationship between drone strikes and suicide bombing by militants in Pakistan is also assessed, as are questions of the efficacy of drone warfare. The paper concludes with recommendations for the acknowledgement, registration and compensation of civilians harmed in this conflict. Introduction The United States has targeted militants in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas [FATA] and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KPK] in Pakistan via its Predator and Reaper drone strikes since 2004. The Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and the Joint Special Operations Command [JSOC] run this program. Although drone strikes are used by the US in lieu of deploying troops on the ground, legal and political problems plague drone warfare. Drone attacks are rejected by a variety of legal entities because they kill without declaration of war and without trial. Covert drone operations are also condemned because affected civilians are left with nowhere to turn to for justice and compensation.5 Though data sources, including reports from the Pakistan government, are imprecise and often miss or inaccurately report information, several organizations have kept statistics on the impact of the drone war in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
    [Show full text]
  • View by Providing Many Research Articles
    Florida State University Libraries 2015 Public Diplomacy or Propaganda: A Case Study of Voa Deewa Pashto Radio Service for the Tribal Region of Pakistan and Afghanistan Mehnaz Gul Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OR PROPAGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF VOA DEEWA PASHTO RADIO SERVICE FOR THE TRIBAL REGION OF PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN By MEHNAZ GUL A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2015 Mehnaz Gul defended this dissertation on November 10, 2015. The members of the supervisory committee were: Stephen McDowell Professor Directing Dissertation Lance Dehaven Smith University Representative Jennifer Proffitt Committee Member Patrick Merle Committee Member Jay Rayburn Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii This dissertation is dedicated to my husband Zia, our son Faiz and daughter Malina, to my parents, parents in law, brothers, sisters and their families for their enduring love and support. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This onerous yet rewarding journey of pursuing a PhD would not have been possible without the guidance and support of many people and organizations. I owe my gratitude to all those people and organizations that made this dissertation possible and because of whom I will always cherish this achievement. Foremost, my parents, for encouraging me to get higher education, for confidence in my abilities and for their unconditional love and support that made it possible for me to reach where I am today.
    [Show full text]
  • PAKISTAN Sought to Gain Control of Areas of the North-West, Including in Waziristan and Swat
    EDUCATION UNDER ATTACK 2014 COUNTRY PROFILES PAKISTAN sought to gain control of areas of the north-west, including in Waziristan and Swat. When the Pakistani Taliban did gain control of the Swat Valley, they first There were a reported 838 or more attacks on banned girls’ education and banned women from schools in Pakistan during 2009-2012, more than in teaching, through an edict in December 2008, and any other country, leaving hundreds of schools later amended their edict to permit the education of destroyed. Militants recruited children from schools girls, but only up to grade 4.1204 and madrassas, some to be suicide bombers. There were also targeted killings of teachers and Many children are unable to access education for academics. reasons that range from cost to community attitudes towards education, attacks on school structures or CONTEXT the long distance to the nearest school. Many who enrol may not complete a full course of study and, The extremely high number of schools attacked in for those who do, other problems, such as teacher Pakistan during 2009-2012 was the result of multiple absenteeism and poor facilities, impinge adversely sources of tension but, in particular, the Pakistani on the quality of their education. The nature of the Taliban insurgency in the north-west. curriculum and the parallel existence of private, public, and madrassa school systems are seen by In addition to the unresolved conflict with India over some as contributing to social divisions.1205 Boys Kashmir, a series of conflicts, internal disturbances from urban areas attend school for 10 years if they and sectarian tensions plagued Pakistan in the run- come from the country’s richest 20 per cent; poor up to and during the reporting period.
    [Show full text]
  • BACKGROUNDER Military a Nalysis Andeducation for Civilian Leaders January 27, 2011
    INSTITUTE FOR THE David Witter STUDY of WAR BACKGROUNDER Military A nalysis andEducation for Civilian Leaders January 27, 2011 UZbek militancy in Pakistan’S TRibal REGion The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) leader, had met with Taliban officials and al- has been active in the Pakistani tribal region Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan since late 2001, where it reconstituted after as early as 1997.1 While living in Kandahar in sustaining heavy losses fighting alongside the 1998, Yuldashev secured the Taliban’s approval Taliban during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. to set up a base of operations in Afghanistan. 2 After years of targeting the Pakistani military In November 1999, Juma Namangani, the other and pro-government tribal elders, the IMU is founding member of the IMU and the group’s now an increasingly active part of the insurgency military commander, led 600 IMU fighters into in Afghanistan and has recently planned Afghanistan from across the border in Tajikistan.3 terrorist attacks in Europe. This new strategic The IMU set up a training camp and several orientation—targeting coalition forces in political offices in Mazar-e Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan and civilians in Europe instead of the Afghanistan’s Balkh province, with the militants’ Pakistani security establishment—has made the families housed nearby in a former United Nations IMU a much more dangerous organization. refugee camp.4 This report will first provide a brief background In exchange for using Afghanistan as a safe haven on the IMU and its movement from Afghanistan to from which to launch attacks into Central Asia, the Pakistani tribal region, as well as its subsequent the IMU provided militants to the Taliban to fight entrenchment in South Waziristan.
    [Show full text]
  • An Overview of Major Military Operations in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan Ishrat Afshan Abbasi1, Dr
    Journal of Academic and Social Research, 2018 VOL. 1, NO. 1, 1-14 An Overview of Major Military Operations in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan Ishrat Afshan Abbasi1, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Khatwani2, Dr. Mazher Hussain3 1Department of International Relations, University of Sindh, Jamshoro 2Area Study Centre, Far East and South East Asia, University of Sindh, Jamshoro 3The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur Abstract Keywords: Insurgency, terrorism, In the aftermath of 9/11 scenario, the US and its coalition forces designed a joint military operations, strategy to eradicate Al-Qaeda and their supporting Taliban regime in negotiation, Afghanistan. Being coalition partner against ‘war on terror’ (WoT), Pakistan reconciliation & peace agreements deployed its military and security agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) in order to ensure and maintain her hold in these areas. Removal of Taliban regime in Afghanistan pushed these terrorists and their supporters to flee away and find out hideouts in bordering areas such as Bajaur Agency. Consequently, the insurgents and terrorists with the support of local tribesmen launched terrorist activities in Afghanistan from the soil of Pakistan and also challenged the writ of the state of Pakistan. Realizing the sensitivity of the situation, terrorist attack on security forces and public places, Pakistan’s armed forces launched considerable military operations and campaigns against the militant groups. The major operations were launched in the course of 2003-2009 in FATA and PATA. 1 Introduction This paper attempts to critically analyze these major actions, highlights the pros The United States accused Osama Bin Ladin, leader of a religious extremist and militant group and cons of these operations and also adequacies and inadequacies of various Al-Qaeda, responsible for being the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on World Trade peace agreements signed with terrorist commanders and tribesmen during that Centre.
    [Show full text]