US moves in Central Asia

THE world holds its breath as the American war machine warms up to teach the perpetrators of that “Black Tuesday” a tough lesson. Though details of military operation are still unclear, it is anticipated that a multilateral force under US command would enter the Afghan territory to hit and destroy perceived targets.

It is not very difficult to predict the result of this completely one-sided combat. But one question remains: are the Taliban worth such a mighty military buildup? Is this not like hunting and hitting sparrows with tanks and missile?

Then what real motivation is behind all this exercise? Are the Taliban and terrorist network the real target? May be, but I have doubts in my mind as the present situation seems to me a repetition of the Gulf war. Same plot, same rhetoric, same heroes and villains. A sense of deja vu!

With the benefit of hindsight, we can understand better what happened in the name of “operation desert storm”. It is no secret today that the Americans knew in advance about Saddam’s designs.

They were looking for an excuse to bring their forces to the Arabian peninsula. A decade past since, US forces are stationed in the gulf on the pretext of protecting the area rulers from Saddam.

Now the American forces are coming to South and Central Asia to protect what they call the interests and values of the free world. Saddam has been replaced by Osama bin Laden. The region of the Caspian basin and Central Asia has been dubbed as the second Persian Gulf, suggesting that the oil and gas reserves are of substantial amount. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, America has been trying to get unhindered access to the Caspian Sea basin and Central Asian oil and gas resources.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the real motives behind America’s military build-up in this region. The Taliban are not the real target, they are just a scapegoat. Americans were looking for some good reasons and the terrorist attacks on WTC and the Pentagon provided the same.

The American leadership is trying hard to maximize the count of nations under American military shield. I think the American forces would be staying here to influence the political and economic course of the region in favour of American and western oil companies’ interests.

DR ALI AHMED RIND

Karachi

OIC and the Muslim Ummah

THE OIC Foreign Ministers’ conference is scheduled to commence on Oct 9 to consider and formulate the policy for tackling the current Afghanistan situation. It is generally believed that the OIC would probably endorse all the actions taken or planned by the US.

The OIC had been, at the time of its inception, considered to have come up as a potent organization for the safeguard of the interests of the Muslim Ummah. But its performance over a period of time, leaves much to be desired. It has hardly played any significant role in safeguarding the integrity and wellbeing of the Muslim countries.

Much against the expectations of a certain segment of society in this country, no member of the OIC extended any support to Pakistan during the secession of East Pakistan under instigation and military support from India.

The OIC has failed to prevent Israeli atrocities on the Arabs and it was utterly ineffective in handling the situation arising out of Iraq’s offensive against Kuwait and the subsequent thrashing of the Iraqi people by US-British air strikes.

The OIC played the role of a silent spectator in the creation of East Timore as an independent Christian state carved out of Indonesian territory. The OIC has also been silent on the atrocities being committed by the Indian army on Kashmiri Muslims.

So far, the OIC has remained an inactive organization. Can we expect it to act now and to put up a unified stand against the forces which are out to destroy the identity of the Muslim Ummah?

MUKHTAR AHMED

Karachi

Seminar on heart diseases

WORLD Heart Day was observed on September 30. A seminar on the prevention of heart diseases was arranged in Karachi. The chief guest, obviously, was the governor of Sindh and the seminar was attended by the affluent only, as could be seen in the PTV Khabarnama.

It was quite disturbing to note that the poor segment of our society was conspicuous by its absence. Do they not suffer from this killer disease or they simply don’t matter ?

A visit to the Civil Hospital, Karachi, or to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, shows that most of those suffering from heart ailments belong to the poorer classes of our society. They also lack proper awareness of the precautionary measures.

Mere high profile seminars would not help. There is a need for an enormous effort to educate the masses about these diseases.

SAFIR SIDDIQUI

Karachi

Afghan refugees in the city

A FEW days back, a friend of mine was dispossessed of his car and cash by four persons. All of them were Afghans.

They pushed him in the back seat of his car and started beating him although he had handed over the money and the key of the car to them without any resistance. One of them threatened to kill him because he was a Pakistani and Pakistan was allowing the US to use its air space to attack Afghanistan. He also said that if his country was attacked, the Afghans in Karachi would completely destroy the peace of this city.

That man was not boasting. I am sure that if the US takes any military action against Afghanistan, these people would certainly do something in retaliation. And it would not be difficult for them because they have been given free access to our cities, Islamabad and Karachi included.

I do not know why the Afghan refugees were not kept in camps and were allowed to enter our cities and mingle with our population. In an event of emergency, they would definitely be a great internal threat to our security.

I appeal to the government of Pakistan to take some firm steps. Afghan refugees should not be allowed to roam about in the streets. They should be immediately confined inside camps outside the cities, before is too late.

ARSALAN FARUQI

Karachi

Pakistan’s legitimate concerns

EVERYDAY, the world’s media gathered in Pakistan attends the briefing by the F.O. spokesman. The world’s focus is on Pakistan to assess the developments in Afghanistan. The terrorist attacks against the heart of U.S. military, economic and financial power base killing thousands of innocent people, including Pakistanis, have brought about the world’s largest coalition in human history. So, Pakistan through divine intervention has become the frontline state against terrorism.

God has given us an opportunity to be counted amongst the comity of nations as an anti-terrorist state and also to eliminate terrorism inside Pakistan, which has been holding 99% citizens of our country hostage to India’s putrid terrorists as also to sectarian violence, a legacy of Zia-ul-Haq.

It would be a great tragedy if we do not portray Pakistan’s legitimate concerns vociferously. The manner of the F.O. spokesman in handling this incredibly sensitive and crucial opportunity is visibly wanting in alacrity and enthusiasm. The foreign office has the serious responsibility to follow up our President’s courageous stand in which he took a swift decision to save Pakistan. Now it is for the foreign office to boldly, logically and analytically follow up his decision and not look routinely tired while handling this cardinal mission. This is not to suggest that it should do an exercise in psycho-fancy, rather the F.O. ought to be the President’s eyes and ears, monitoring events as they shape up.

A very crucial aspect of the current US build-up is the size of the force present, in the Gulf, the enormity of impending build-up not only by the US but the UK in Oman and a task force enroute to backup the already humongous military might. There is already an enormous overkill capability against a devastated and wretched nation. It does not offer a target-rich environment, as the weapons with the Taliban are equal to nothing. There is virtually no escape route from this landlocked country.

Another factor that needs analysis is why the US has not asked its allies for military join-up, except its most trusted friend, the British. Not even the NATO has been placed on alert or given any indicators of its military involvement. Could it be then that the US has a plan much wider in its objectives, beyond Taliban, beyond terrorism and a scope beyond revenge or justice?

Could the Bush expressions of “war”, “crusade” and “conflict of civilizations”, not a “war” against Muslims, be seen in a different even though eerie dimensions? I pray these were a slip of the tongue. Tony Balir’s missionary zeal to remove any misconceptions about Islam being targeted, combined with Bush visiting the mosque in Washington may not alleviate the fears of American and British Muslims and the other inference will be for posterity to judge, and humanity to see if things don’t go out of control and context.

AIR COMDRE (R) SAJAD HAIDER

Islamabad

NDFC mark-up

REFERENCE the letters appearing on the non-payment of mark-up by NDFC.

In my case I had deposited the sole proceeds of my house in fixed deposit certificates of NDFC six years ago, which was substantiating my limited means through the monthly mark-up. As of today, I do not have the means to pay the tuition fee of my son.

I attribute the entire failure to the indifference of the State Bank of Pakistan. We want our mark-up till our total assets are transferred to NBP.

BRIG (R) A.S. NASIR

Karachi

What leads to terrorism

A GUNMAN wearing an orange police vest stormed into a morning joint session of the state government and the parliament in Zug, a wealthy lakeside town near Zurich, fired indiscriminately and set off an explosive device.

This single act took a toll of 14 dead. The intruder seriously wounded another 10 including the state President Hanspeter Uster, before killing himself, in Switzerland’s worst-ever shooting spree.

Swiss officials later identified the gunman as Friedrich Leibacher, 44, who had been harbouring a grudge against local transport bosses. Police were also quick to stress that the attack was not to be connected to the Sept 11 incidents.

Why do people resort to extreme actions or to terrorism, as George Bush and Tony Blair would call it? That needs soul searching.

What I believe is that injustice leads to extreme actions.

Lt Col (R) SYED AHMED

Karachi

Release of prisoners

THIS refers to Muhammad Zaman Jamali’s letter ( Sept 17). Releasing prisoners on probation and parole should be encouraged as this helps to reduce the jail population. In Pakistan too, this measure should be adopted, at least in respect of offenders under 21 years or over 60 years of age.

The objective of release on probation and parole is to deter the offender from committing a crime in the future and to ensure that he is rehabilitated in the society as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen. It may be mentioned that a non-institutional method of treating an offender is more effective than the institutional one because the company of bad characters in the prison leads a number of casual offenders to adapt to a life of crime permanently.

It has now been recognized that those who commit an offence not out of habit but under circumstances beyond their control, should be treated differently after conviction. The appropriate method is not to segregate them in jails but to let them serve their term in conditions conducive to their adjustment as useful citizens.

Probation and parole are the most widely acclaimed methods of treatment for non-habitual offenders. It is hoped that in all deserving cases, the magistrates and the provincial home departments would freely allow release on probation and parole under the relevant laws.

SAJJAD ALAM JAMALI

Hyderabad

Emotional reaction

JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI is the largest religious party of Pakistan and hopes to rule Pakistan some day. But the party leadership failed to show maturity and deliberation in its reaction to recent events.

Its response to the crisis was emotional and, instead of pacifying the masses, it took a contrary approach. This should be a wake-up call to all those who voted for the party in the local elections.

ZAFAR HUSSAIN

Ontario, Canada

Not a tank

The weapon shown in the photograph is actually a self-propelled gun and not a tank. Self-propelled guns are used to support the assault of mechanized troops in the desert. Being on tracks, it can move freely in the desert terrain, unlike a traditional medium or field gun which is on wheels and gets bogged down in a desert.

KHALID JAVED

Karachi

Sewerage lines

THIS refers to a news item ‘Criminal neglect’ published in the Dawn (Aug 16). The Governor’s Secretariat had taken up the matter with the concerned civic agencies and Karachi Cantonment Board. Apparently the main sewerage line passing along Rafiqui Shaheed Road in front of JPMC/NICVD had collapsed at several places. The problem has now been rectified by the Board.

GOVERNOR’S SECRETARIAT SINDH

Karachi

What breeds violence?

IT took much backtracking and circumlocution to explain to the world what President George W. Bush actually meant when he used the word ‘crusade’ for the American reaction to the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Similarly, ‘Operation Infinite Justice’ caused an outrage amongst the American Muslims. That code name has since been changed. What is interesting, though, is to examine the thinking that came before both words were used.

‘Infinite justice’ - did the United States really think (and possibly still thinks despite the name change) it was/is capable of absolute and evenhanded justice? Can the loss of lives and the suffering of any people be measured in definable quantities?

We have seen, on CNN, numerous interviews of children (among others) traumatized by the WTC inferno. Can the trauma of such children be scientifically measured against the trauma of those Afghan children whose only known home is a refugee camp, who have witnessed playmates’ limbs blown off by landmines, of who are growing up in a society bereft of all traditions and culture (and of course male members)? Or the Palestinian children whose entire lives seem to have been one running battle? Or the Bosnian girls who were raped only because they belonged to the ‘other side’? Infinite justice? Hardly!

At a primary school I visited, nearly all children were given breakfast of cereal, milk, juice and cookies. The principal of the school told me that for 90% of the students, this would be the only square meal they will have that day. In the same school, I witnessed a number of children suddenly get so violent that the guard had to be called for help. Each time the story was the same - the child was seriously disturbed because of events at home. Compare this to the splendour and sheer opulence of some of the ‘white’ schools, and one wonders if any sort of justice is possible.

Travelling in the late hours of the night, we have seen Americans (yes, mostly black) waiting by garbage dumps for restaurants to throw their leftovers (it has to be thrown by law and must not be handed out). The scramble for choice and whole items of food was exactly the same that I have seen in the bigger cities of Pakistan.

The Americans are the focus of the world’s attention today. Everything they say or do is being scrutinised under a magnifier. Their misplaced sense of righteousness should be an eye-opener for the rest of us. If the US, the world’s number one powerful nation, cannot provide justice to its own people, how can it even begin to think of providing justice in the world?

The Americans’ anger and desire for revenge is understandable; acts of terrorism are despicable and must be condemned in the strongest language possible. At the same time, the thinking that caused the acts of terrorism to happen needs to be examined. Rather than cause more suffering in venting the anger, it might be worth the Americans’ while to look within and start the clean-up process there.

SAMEERA RAJA

Islamabad

Machiavellian approach

“US may offer aid for toppling Taliban” (Oct 1).

“In order to enter a country one needs the goodwill of its inhabitants.” - Machiavelli.

MUSTAFA MAHESAR

Karachi