War briefing
IT remains to be seen whether Wednesday’s joint session of parliament that heard a top general on the Fata situation helps evolve a national consensus on how the war against terrorism is to be conducted. The war against terrorism is Pakistan’s own war. Those who doubt this should perhaps revisit the hulk of the Islamabad Marriott and recall the agony of the dead and the dying on that Ramazan evening on Sept 20. Yet, despite the seriousness of the Taliban’s challenge — a challenge not just to the government of the day but to the Pakistani people’s way of life — the nation’s representatives were never given the impression that it is they who should ultimately determine the direction of the war and chart out a strategy reflecting the nation’s will. Ignoring the Taliban sympathisers and some conscientious objectors to the military operations, even the right-minded among the MPs were appalled that the government should conduct the battle as a generals’ war and virtually bypass the people’s representatives. If, therefore, the military is finally reporting to parliament that is how it should be, for the military’s monopolisation of patriotism and policy formulation has done enormous harm to the country and militated against the evolution and consolidation of constitutional institutions which are perhaps the only guarantee of a nation’s political stability. It is also important that a government that is widely viewed as sitting idle as the country bleeds make at least a show of doing something concrete to allay people’s fears.
The briefing comes against a background of talk of peace. Not only do the UN and some European circles seem to be opting for a negotiated solution to the insurgency in Afghanistan, even America has no objection to talks with ‘reconcilable’ Taliban, provided they distance themselves from Al Qaeda. As a member of the global alliance against terrorism, Pakistan has to be in the picture. After all, parts of Pakistan are a battle theatre, and peace in Afghanistan cannot be a viable proposition without Islamabad being part of the process. In a sense, Pakistan stands vindicated, for Islamabad had much earlier realised the need for combining force with talks and was quite often reviled, distrusted and subjected to a well-orchestrated ‘do more’ campaign by people who themselves now appear to be doing some rethinking. The point to note is that Pakistan should not lose sight of its own perspective of the war, and other capitals should not take Islamabad for granted. What is at stake is our future. Pakistan cannot be allowed to become a theocratic state, for that would nullify the values which Jinnah visualised for this country. On this point, there should be no ambiguity in the MPs’ minds.
Three years after
THREE years after the devastating Oct 8 earthquake struck Azad Kashmir and parts of the NWFP, there is much work that remains to be done to rehabilitate thousands of affected families. Indeed, one would have thought that the government’s pledges to ‘build back better’, the outpouring of national grief and the considerable domestic and international assistance that followed the earthquake would have ensured that no effort would be spared to put the people back on their feet. That this has not proved to be the case is a telling indictment of the performance of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) and of the government in general. Moreover, where is that sense of unity that Pakistanis had displayed in abundance in 2005 when they volunteered their services and worked round the clock to send aid material to the quake zone?
Unfortunately, the victims’ plight no longer pricks the national conscience, while the government drags its feet over their rehabilitation. True, some progress has been made on rehabilitating victims — and one should also thank the international community and non-governmental organisations for this. But many families, dogged by rising inflation, still await monetary aid to rebuild their homes; several schools — among the most poignant media images after the quake — still present a derelict picture with children now studying in makeshift premises; and proper sanitation and health facilities are still an urgent requirement. All this has raised questions about the ability of the relevant authorities to use funds in a judicious manner, while tales of corruption have heightened suspicions that large amounts are unaccounted for.
The situation obviously calls for a review so that shortcomings in the rehabilitation process can be rectified and people in the affected region can return to a normal way of life as soon as possible. Additionally, there is a need to assess our ability to respond adequately to a similar natural catastrophe in the future. We live in a part of the world that is susceptible to seismic activity, flooding and cyclones. However, the government has yet to develop an effecter disaster preparedness and management strategy that could reduce the loss of life and limb to a minimum. The fact that it has not formulated one, even after the deaths of over 73,000 people in the 2005 quake, speaks volumes for the little value it places on human life. It is incumbent on the current elected government to change this perception.
Banks in trouble?
STATE Bank Governor Dr Shamshad Akhtar has tried to reassure Pakistanis unsettled by the global financial crisis that the local banking sector is in good health. “There should not be any cause for concern about the stability of the banking system in the coming days,” according to the governor. First, the good news. Local banks face no direct threat from US mortgage-related assets that have roiled the western financial world. Banks here have been well-managed for the most part in the 21st century under the watchful eye of a professionally run state bank. Dr Akhtar correctly identified a seasonal spike in withdrawals around Eid as a contributing factor to the extreme liquidity crunch in the banking sector in recent days. And while the profitability of banks continues to suffer from the generally gloomy economic outlook, the portfolio of loans has not suffered alarmingly.
Now, the bad news. Dr Akhtar would not have issued the press statement if she was not concerned about looming threats. The country’s macroeconomic indicators are a general cause of concern; however, two factors are of immediate relevance. One, the widening current account deficit has caused the rupee to slide, creating an incentive for depositors to opt for the dollarisation of their rupees. In such a shaky economic scenario, where the line between fact and rumour is increasingly blurred, a dramatic increase in rupee withdrawals may cause events to spiral out of control. Bank deposits are not insured — this was not unusual, even in the developed world, until recently — and a whispering campaign can overwhelm otherwise viable banks if it culminates in a run. Second, the banks’ portfolios of loans are relatively stable for now but that could change quickly if local businesses begin to sink in a hostile economic climate. These are worst case scenarios but bear stating because of an underlying problem: there is not much the government can do if panic strikes the banking sector. On the fiscal side, the government’s budgetary woes mean that there is no cash for a bailout plan. On the monetary side, the state bank will not want to print money to save banks, given that the economy is already gripped by high inflation. Realistically, the main tool left in the state bank’s policy box is the merger of banks if panic does grip the sector. Dr Akhtar was right to highlight the strengths of the banking sector; however, the real worry is that extraneous factors may wreck the sector.
Forgotten by the world
LAST week’s UN Security Council meeting on the issue of Palestine caused hardly a stir, for it was seen as a mere public relations exercise.
But it did reinforce the pervading sense of frustration and apathy among Palestinians, who could not but lament the convenience with which their fundamental right to a viable, independent state appears forgotten by the international community.
Whatever his faults, and he certainly had his share, there can be no denying that Yasser Arafat had come to symbolise his people’s profound yearning for freedom and independence. With his passing away, the Palestinians have had the misfortune of being led either by discredited leaders, or by those whose credentials are unacceptable to the West. Consequently, the occupied territories, already criss-crossed by Israel’s illegally constructed Separation Wall, have been effectively divided into two administrative units — one ruled by the politically kosher Fatah and the other by the popular but unrecognised Hamas.
Meanwhile, many Arab states have abandoned even the pretence of opposing the Jewish state’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory. Some have succumbed to US pressure and established diplomatic relations with Israel, while others have skirted around the issue of formal recognition by establishing commercial and cultural ties with Israel.
The suffering Palestinian masses must therefore have been amused to read that during the Security Council debate, Arab foreign ministers slammed Israel over its settlement policy. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, emphasised that “settlement makes [the] creation of a viable Palestinian state impossible”, while Palestinian President Abbas, an increasingly pathetic figure, pointed out that this policy “will not allow for the emergence of a viable Palestinian state because [it divides] the West Bank into at least four cantons”. Secretary Rice chose not to focus on the issue and instead urged Arab countries to “consider ways they might reach out to Israel”.
The commitments made by the US and Israel at the November, 2007 Annapolis conference appear now to be a distant dream. In the meanwhile, Israel has continued its policy of acquiring more Palestinian land for settling Russian and east European Jews. Expanding Israeli settlements, a deadlock on Palestinian borders, rival claims to Jerusalem and the Bush administration’s failure to push Israel to accept a viable Palestinian state have thus combined to prevent any progress on this issue. In fact, President Bush during his meeting with President Abbas admitted that “it must be frustrating at times for you” but counselled him to remain “hopeful”. Coming from a president who has only a few more months in office, it could not but have sounded cynical to the Palestinians.
It was however outgoing Prime Minister Olmert’s valedictory interview with Yedioth Ahroneth on Sept 29 that shocked his own people even more than it surprised the Palestinians. Olmert emphasised that if Israel wants peace with Syria, it must give back all of the Golan Heights, and if it wants peace with the Palestinians “we must withdraw from almost all of the [occupied] territories, if not all of them”. Olmert went further when he said that Israel must let go of predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as their capital.
How deeply regrettable that while in office Olmert showed no evidence of any courage or vision, seeking instead to consolidate his power by adopting rigid positions while refusing even a modicum of relief to the Palestinians from their daily pain and suffering. Can his likely successor, former Mossad agent Tzipi Livni, be any bolder? Or will Rabin’s fate (shot by a right-wing Jewish extremist in 1995), frighten her (and others) to hunker down and view Israel as under permanent siege?
The Israelis must also abandon the myth so assiduously propagated that it is primarily the Palestinians who were never able to grasp an opportunity to make peace with Israel; or, as articulated sarcastically by Abba Eban, the former Israeli foreign minister, the Palestinians “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity”. But an objective reading of history confirms that while the Palestinians have rejected the scraps thrown at them in the name of peace, credible Israeli scholars such as Uri Avnery have argued that it is Israel that has missed many important opportunities for peace.
Of course Israel has every right to ensure its security but the reality is that it is already the region’s strongest military power and also enjoys total US support. In any case, Israel cannot be secure or live in peace as long as the Palestinians’ powerful yearning for an independent, sovereign state on land that has been theirs for a millennium and more is not accepted. If Israel chooses to forget this, it will do so at its peril.
In the meantime, the situation in the occupied territories is painfully abysmal. State structures have either been destroyed during Israeli attacks or crumbled over time. The intifada that had given hope to the Palestinians has been snuffed out, thanks to Israel’s brutal policy as well as the Arab failure to influence Washington to take a balanced view of the problem. Recently, a group of 21 leading aid agencies warned that the Middle East quartet “was losing its grip on the peace process and must radically review its approach”. They also pointed out that the quartet had failed to hold Israel to account for expanding settlements in the West Bank.
Can the Palestinians expect the next US administration to adopt a fairer approach to the problem? Not likely, given Sen McCain’s track record and Sen Obama’s pronouncements. In fact, the latter has had to bend over backwards to counter the allegation that his African origin and Muslim father may preclude him from being as committed to the Jewish state as earlier presidents. He did this during his visit to the region, when he spent an entire day with Israeli leaders, sparing only an hour to meet Abbas. But it was his reference to Israel’s creation as a ‘miracle’ that struck people as a dramatic expression of his intent to pander to Jewish influence.
The US vice-presidential debate too must have been painfully revealing to the Palestinians. Both candidates discussed the Middle East, but avoided using the words ‘Palestine’ or ‘Palestinians’ and of course neither dared to talk of ‘Israeli occupation’. Even Biden, otherwise an intelligent and seasoned politician, could not resist the opportunity of demonstrating his loyalty to the Jewish state when he claimed that “Pakistan’s nuclear missiles can already hit Israel”, clearly confirming that American electoral considerations take precedence over the sensitivities of an embattled ally.
Gehrig’s disease
THE deaths of a growing number of Italian footballers from a rare and debilitating disease may be due to pesticides and fertilisers used on soccer pitches in the ’80s and ’90s, an Italian magistrate has claimed.
Fifty one professional and amateur players have now died from it, six times the average in the general population, said the Turin magistrate Raffaele Guariniello, who has run checks on every man who played in the top three divisions from the ’60s to 2006.
Roberto Baggio, Ruud Gullit and Franco Baresi will play a charity game in Florence organised by the latest sufferer, the former Milan, Fiorentina and Italy striker Stefano Borgonovo, 44.
Now paralysed and speaking with a computer-generated voice, Borgonovo is raising funds for research into the nerve-wasting condition known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or more commonly Lou Gehrig’s disease after the US baseball player who died of it in 1941. “I want to find the penicillin of 2008,” said Borgonovo, who scored the goal that put Milan into the 1990 European Cup final.
In Turin investigators have identified heading the ball as well as doping, including the use of legal anti-inflammatory drugs, as possible triggers for the disease among the footballers, typically those who played for more than five seasons in Italy during the ’80s and ’90s.
But Guariniello said the fertilisers used to treat pitches are also in the spotlight. “We are interviewing retired groundsmen and analysing chemicals they used, including those containing formaldehyde,” he said. “There could be a connection with the incidence of this disease among agricultural workers.” Further research is to be carried out by a group led by Paolo Zeppillo, a former doctor to the Italy team, who will be given funding of EUR150,000 by the football federation.
“We shall be looking at a genetic predisposition among sufferers, set off by something in football, although I have doubts about current theories,” he said. “Other sports are played on grass, involve head trauma and have doping, so why don’t we see the disease there?”
As research continues, the disease is cutting a swath through a generation of players, including the former Genoa captain Gianluca Signorini and former Como midfielder Adriano Lombardi, leaving tonight’s players wondering if they are raising money to fight an illness that will one day take them. “We need to find out about this,” said Celeste Pin, Borgonovo’s former room-mate at Fiorentina. “It is striking down footballers, which does not leave you feeling very serene.”
— The Guardian, London
OTHER VOICES - Middle East Press
Setting the tone
The Jordan Times
His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech from the throne at the opening of the 15th Parliament’s second ordinary session set the tone for the political, economic and social agenda of the country for the coming months. At the top of national priorities is the national economy and policies aiming to upgrade the living standards of the Jordanian people, His Majesty stressed in the speech, asking the government to increase salaries and to link them to inflation rates.
Also directing the government to raise minimum wages, the King highlighted the need to tackle unemployment through training the jobless and preparing them to join the market. In addition, His Majesty reaffirmed the need to better services offered to citizens, continue to aid the needy, expand the umbrella of healthcare programmes and forge ahead with the “decent housing for decent living” scheme which aims to provide homes for citizens with limited income.
And he noted that the Kingdom needs to continue attracting badly needed foreign investments….Unless citizens partake in the national effort to improve the economy and attract foreign investments, there is a limit to what the central government can do on its own…. Our people have to understand that Jordan, with its limited resources, is at the receiving end of a global crisis that is seeing oil and food prices as well as inflation rates rise to unprecedented levels. Thus, it is the duty of all to protect national interests. And at this particular time, economic interests are a top priority. — (Oct 6)
Sad snapshots
Turkish Daily News
Sons were laid to the cold bosom of mother earth. The nation, traumatised with the over 25 years of separatist terrorism that claimed lives of over 35,000 people, burst in anger and demanded revenge…. Politicians vowed there would be no letup in the fight against terrorism and at all costs the terrorists will be wiped out…. The military called an unprecedented press briefing and explained to the media that the military outpost… was indeed constructed at a wrong lower ground vulnerable to terrorist attacks….
People suffering from what might be defined as “army-phobia” were outpouring their anger with the military as well. A senior writer lambasted the government and the military for not doing enough against terrorism…. Yet another writer said he believed the time had come for Turkey to reassess its anti-terror struggle and introduce some new concepts and strategies….
A leading politician of the country, on the other hand, stressed that the Aktütün tragedy demonstrated in all bitterness that there was a serious intelligence deficiency…. The opposition politician also implied incompetence at the military decision-making process by stressing that it was awful to construct garrisons at such low and vulnerable places and called for a review of the location of all military outposts in the region that were ambushed by terrorists over the past years…. What do they demonstrate? A country united and determined to fight terrorism, or a country in confusion and disarray? — (Oct 7)