Osama's broadcasts are becoming funnier by the day and soon his al-Qaeda will be flattened out like a fajita.
first came his announcement earlier this year, claiming credit for the failed terror attempt by a Nigerian jehadi. Was this coming from the legendary Osama, who notoriously launched the incredibly well planned 9/11 attacks - pompously claiming a silly failed attempt by a lone disturbed student as a 'great' act of defiance?
and now, his declaration that he would kill any Americans he captures in retaliation of Khalid Shaikh Mehmood is killed, had me in splits. gotta be kidding or the dude must seriously be doing the weed that his Taliban friends famously cultivate if he thinks this is any threat?
gone are the days when the master of jehad used to would promise lightning attacks and threaten Americans with fear in their own homeland. he is so weakened now, all he can come up with, is 'I will kill those I take captives from my neighbourhood'. good fun. the Americans are feeling threatened. ROFL.
Friday, March 26, 2010
decoding Pakistan and the US-Pak 'strategic dialogue'
For quite some time now, analysts the world over have been completely befuddled by Pakistan. What exactly was going on there? On one hand you have all evidence to show the Pakistani State's sponsorship, training and support to jehadi terrorist groups of all shades sunni. Top leaders of the Afghan Taliban and even Al Qaeda have been in safe houses in large Pakistani cities - Peshawar, then Quetta and recently, Karachi. On the other hand, some of these very terrorists attacked the Pakistani State and Army with animal ferocity - suicide attacks on training academies, lone convoys, serving officers, even the Army headquarters itself. The brutality of these attacks removed any doubt if these were just stage-managed, especially gruesome was the attack on worshippers mosque frequented by serving and retired Army officers. This led currency to the shaky idea that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism as asserted by the foreign minister, in response to Indian calls to prosecute LeT leaders behind the 26/11 attacks. What exactly was the true picture?
Now with the Pakistani delegation in the US for their new 'strategic dialogue', things are a bit clearer. Basically there seem to be two powerful jehadi strands in Pakistan - one that is at least ostensibly in control of the Pakistani military-intelligence, which kowtows to the interest of the Pakistani nationalist elite. The LeT, which carefully avoids attacks within Pakistan, is of this type. Though they too share the overall jehadi vision, they are ready to wait it out and achieve it step-by-step, under the master guidance and choreography provided by the Pakistani Army.
There is another more virulent, transnational and more openly pan-Islamic jehadi strain, basically al-Qaeda redux, which does not care for the blinkered approach of the Pakistani state - so this jehadi network does not care about Pakistani state's placation of US and Chinese interests: they want total jehad and all-at-once, whether against US or China (Turkestan) or India. They wouldn't think twice about even attacking a sports team if they deem that sport un-Islamic or just show what they are capable of. So obviously, this network had no hesitation in attacking the Pakistani Army with utmost brutality, as they perceived it to be doing more harm than good by cooperating with the US. They didn't buy the Army rhetoric that this was all short-term*. They were fueled by the rage in the aftermath of the attack on the Red Mosque. Their strength was increasing ominously when a new Taliban was formed from Pashtun elements in Pakistan and even some Punjabi jehadi groups and most probably, even some elements of the Army and intelligence joined them.
However, the Army seems to have stemmed the tide by skilfully using some Punjabi jehadi groups loyal to its distorted vision to beat back the other Al-Qaeda-inspired elements. The LeT, Ilyas Kashmiri and thus 26/11 were important aspects of this plan. the Pakistani Army allowed LeT to execute 26/11 so that they could gain prestige and thus cut into the sponsorship of pan-Islamic groups. It also allowed them to woo back Kashmiri and his 313 Brigade, which were showing signs of alienation from the Pakistani army, and moving to embrace the Qaeda version - which would have been dangerous to the army. 26/11 was sort of like a crooked jehadi enticement. There were extra goodies like stalling action on their western border complaining of Indian provocation on the eastern. Meanwhile, they got the US to drone-out the Pakistani Taliban and did some cleaning themselves by their offensiveness in Swat and Waziristan more recently. They anyway always had the Afghan Taliban firmly in their bear hug, never tolerating any deviation from the script they write for them.
India remained clueless while all this jehadi manoeuvring was going on. And result is that, the Army has rode back firmly in charge of Pakistan - the deal is that they will reign in the pan-Islamic transnational jehadis, the 'bad Taliban', while being allowed to retain their attack dogs, the vicious anti-India terror groups and the 'good Taliban'. America has bought this argument - after all, they need to cut loose and run as soon as possible before 2012 and that too, with a declaration of victory. The war-weary US and NATO generals would rather leave with an orchestrated victory than fight a never-ending war - especially when their hands have been tied silly into not attacking the terror sanctuaries and supply-chain in Pakistan.
So that is the planned end to the greatest hoax in modern history, the phony 'war on terror'. 9 years after invading Afghanistan on the pretext of defeating the Taliban, a clueless coalition will depart on the incredible premise that they have at least defeated the 'bad Taliban'. Afghanistan will be left to be ruled by a ragtag bunch of mujahedin, warlords and the 'good Taliban'. the Pakistani Army, which will facilitate all this, most likely by handing over the top leadership of Al-Qaeda to the US, will be entitled, as a reward, to both 'strategic depth' provided by their 'good Taliban' proxies and terrorist groups like LeT and HuJI, which 'are anyway just India-centric'. the Taliban who became 'bad' by associating with al-Qaeda and other pan-Islamic groups, will be declared 'good' after 9 years of hopelessly fighting them just because they will ostensibly sever ties with the transnational jehadi networks. Any Taliban who resist will end up in Guantanamo, anyway; or end up dead in drone attacks.
so this is the tightrope that Kayani hopes to walk and this is what he is out to sell in the US. This is what the 'strategic dialogue' is all about. The only spoiler is that, the transnational jehadi networks and their sympathisers in the Army and ISI may not take all this lying down and may fight back, plunging Pakistan into a civil war. Besides, their own carefully trained attack dogs may turn rogue. But with persistent support from US, NATO nations and China, this choreographed vision may come true - a newly Talibanized Afghanistan, an emboldened Army firmly in control in Pakistan. India must prepare for this eventuality by re-initiating dialogue with Iran and Russia on one hand, and the Northern alliance and secular and progressive Pashtun leaders on the other.
*I mean, who would buy it any way other than the completely stupid groups or those that are biding their time, given that the generals were making a killing out of their yankee appeasement! Billions of dollars have been poured into the pockets of these generals.
Now with the Pakistani delegation in the US for their new 'strategic dialogue', things are a bit clearer. Basically there seem to be two powerful jehadi strands in Pakistan - one that is at least ostensibly in control of the Pakistani military-intelligence, which kowtows to the interest of the Pakistani nationalist elite. The LeT, which carefully avoids attacks within Pakistan, is of this type. Though they too share the overall jehadi vision, they are ready to wait it out and achieve it step-by-step, under the master guidance and choreography provided by the Pakistani Army.
There is another more virulent, transnational and more openly pan-Islamic jehadi strain, basically al-Qaeda redux, which does not care for the blinkered approach of the Pakistani state - so this jehadi network does not care about Pakistani state's placation of US and Chinese interests: they want total jehad and all-at-once, whether against US or China (Turkestan) or India. They wouldn't think twice about even attacking a sports team if they deem that sport un-Islamic or just show what they are capable of. So obviously, this network had no hesitation in attacking the Pakistani Army with utmost brutality, as they perceived it to be doing more harm than good by cooperating with the US. They didn't buy the Army rhetoric that this was all short-term*. They were fueled by the rage in the aftermath of the attack on the Red Mosque. Their strength was increasing ominously when a new Taliban was formed from Pashtun elements in Pakistan and even some Punjabi jehadi groups and most probably, even some elements of the Army and intelligence joined them.
However, the Army seems to have stemmed the tide by skilfully using some Punjabi jehadi groups loyal to its distorted vision to beat back the other Al-Qaeda-inspired elements. The LeT, Ilyas Kashmiri and thus 26/11 were important aspects of this plan. the Pakistani Army allowed LeT to execute 26/11 so that they could gain prestige and thus cut into the sponsorship of pan-Islamic groups. It also allowed them to woo back Kashmiri and his 313 Brigade, which were showing signs of alienation from the Pakistani army, and moving to embrace the Qaeda version - which would have been dangerous to the army. 26/11 was sort of like a crooked jehadi enticement. There were extra goodies like stalling action on their western border complaining of Indian provocation on the eastern. Meanwhile, they got the US to drone-out the Pakistani Taliban and did some cleaning themselves by their offensiveness in Swat and Waziristan more recently. They anyway always had the Afghan Taliban firmly in their bear hug, never tolerating any deviation from the script they write for them.
India remained clueless while all this jehadi manoeuvring was going on. And result is that, the Army has rode back firmly in charge of Pakistan - the deal is that they will reign in the pan-Islamic transnational jehadis, the 'bad Taliban', while being allowed to retain their attack dogs, the vicious anti-India terror groups and the 'good Taliban'. America has bought this argument - after all, they need to cut loose and run as soon as possible before 2012 and that too, with a declaration of victory. The war-weary US and NATO generals would rather leave with an orchestrated victory than fight a never-ending war - especially when their hands have been tied silly into not attacking the terror sanctuaries and supply-chain in Pakistan.
So that is the planned end to the greatest hoax in modern history, the phony 'war on terror'. 9 years after invading Afghanistan on the pretext of defeating the Taliban, a clueless coalition will depart on the incredible premise that they have at least defeated the 'bad Taliban'. Afghanistan will be left to be ruled by a ragtag bunch of mujahedin, warlords and the 'good Taliban'. the Pakistani Army, which will facilitate all this, most likely by handing over the top leadership of Al-Qaeda to the US, will be entitled, as a reward, to both 'strategic depth' provided by their 'good Taliban' proxies and terrorist groups like LeT and HuJI, which 'are anyway just India-centric'. the Taliban who became 'bad' by associating with al-Qaeda and other pan-Islamic groups, will be declared 'good' after 9 years of hopelessly fighting them just because they will ostensibly sever ties with the transnational jehadi networks. Any Taliban who resist will end up in Guantanamo, anyway; or end up dead in drone attacks.
so this is the tightrope that Kayani hopes to walk and this is what he is out to sell in the US. This is what the 'strategic dialogue' is all about. The only spoiler is that, the transnational jehadi networks and their sympathisers in the Army and ISI may not take all this lying down and may fight back, plunging Pakistan into a civil war. Besides, their own carefully trained attack dogs may turn rogue. But with persistent support from US, NATO nations and China, this choreographed vision may come true - a newly Talibanized Afghanistan, an emboldened Army firmly in control in Pakistan. India must prepare for this eventuality by re-initiating dialogue with Iran and Russia on one hand, and the Northern alliance and secular and progressive Pashtun leaders on the other.
*I mean, who would buy it any way other than the completely stupid groups or those that are biding their time, given that the generals were making a killing out of their yankee appeasement! Billions of dollars have been poured into the pockets of these generals.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
well let them leave soon!
recently Asia Time's M.K.Bhadrakumar has been writing some very insightful pieces. In this column he seems to confirm my hunch for some time now, ever since the Headley 'deal' drama started unfolding, that at some level the US knew of 26/11 attacks and allowed them to happen, just to placate Pakistan:
...The speculation gaining respectability in Delhi is that Washington knew in advance about the Mumbai attack and deliberately chose not to pass on details to Delhi.
Indeed, Washington knew of Headley's repeated missions to India from 2006 but did not share the information with the Indians. Headley, in fact, visited Mumbai once even after the city was attacked. ...
For once, I agree with his analysis, that all this linked to US eagerness to depart from Afghanistan as soon as possible:
..The US's obsession is to somehow end the fighting in Afghanistan before the US presidential election campaign commences in 2012. The extent to which the US is beholden to the Pakistani military today is apparent from the about-turn lately by even a self-styled "agnostic" like the AfPak special representative, Richard Holbrooke, about the Pakistani military leadership's commitment to the fight against terrorism. ...
But, unlike some Indians who want the Americans to stay and 'finish' the fight before leaving, I believe its actually good that they left as soon as possible. All they have managed to do in their last 8 years in Afghanistan, is bring back Taliban to a power of strength. I feel, actually, this was their plan throughout. All that fight against the Taliban etc was mere drama - why would they have tolerated the airlifting of almost entire top Taliban ranks to Pakistan in the beginning of the war and the cross-border sanctuaries for Taliban militia to regroup there later on otherwise? Why would they have created a distraction by unnecessarily invading Iraq otherwise? Sad as it seems to say, the US is run by military-industrial criminal mafia. The entire 'war on terror' was a drama, a charade enacted with the help of pliant states like Pakistan, just so that their war machine was kept oiled and the attention of the US public was diverted from the serious (economic and otherwise) problems back home.
So I say, forget all that naive optimism, let these useless guys leave the region as soon as they can. the US has not won a single war after the 2nd world war - it lost disastrously in Vietnam and now going to, in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is the biggest supporter of regimes with abysmal human rights record the world over and the biggest perpetrators of crimes across the world. How can someone in their right mind expect this inefficient bunch to 'finish the terrorists' in Afghanistan? In contrast, India's military-intelligence has proved far more efficient and resilient. We have fought off any number of deadly insurgencies and terrorist uprisings in India. Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Mizoram, Nagaland Assam..the list of provinces where the fires of separatism have been doused is endless. The Indian state has great persuasive power and it has incredible soft power. Close to 2 decades after kickstarting the insurgency in Kashmir through its proxies and waves after waves of jehadi terror later, Pakistan is nowhere close to a mass rebellion in Kashmir. And in Afghanistan itself, the anti-Taliban war in 2001 was won largely on the strength of the Northern Alliance footsoldiers - another example of resilient and shrewd Indian foreign policy initiative. Don't forget Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc.
So, I say, let them leave. We'll then finish the job!
...The speculation gaining respectability in Delhi is that Washington knew in advance about the Mumbai attack and deliberately chose not to pass on details to Delhi.
Indeed, Washington knew of Headley's repeated missions to India from 2006 but did not share the information with the Indians. Headley, in fact, visited Mumbai once even after the city was attacked. ...
For once, I agree with his analysis, that all this linked to US eagerness to depart from Afghanistan as soon as possible:
..The US's obsession is to somehow end the fighting in Afghanistan before the US presidential election campaign commences in 2012. The extent to which the US is beholden to the Pakistani military today is apparent from the about-turn lately by even a self-styled "agnostic" like the AfPak special representative, Richard Holbrooke, about the Pakistani military leadership's commitment to the fight against terrorism. ...
But, unlike some Indians who want the Americans to stay and 'finish' the fight before leaving, I believe its actually good that they left as soon as possible. All they have managed to do in their last 8 years in Afghanistan, is bring back Taliban to a power of strength. I feel, actually, this was their plan throughout. All that fight against the Taliban etc was mere drama - why would they have tolerated the airlifting of almost entire top Taliban ranks to Pakistan in the beginning of the war and the cross-border sanctuaries for Taliban militia to regroup there later on otherwise? Why would they have created a distraction by unnecessarily invading Iraq otherwise? Sad as it seems to say, the US is run by military-industrial criminal mafia. The entire 'war on terror' was a drama, a charade enacted with the help of pliant states like Pakistan, just so that their war machine was kept oiled and the attention of the US public was diverted from the serious (economic and otherwise) problems back home.
So I say, forget all that naive optimism, let these useless guys leave the region as soon as they can. the US has not won a single war after the 2nd world war - it lost disastrously in Vietnam and now going to, in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is the biggest supporter of regimes with abysmal human rights record the world over and the biggest perpetrators of crimes across the world. How can someone in their right mind expect this inefficient bunch to 'finish the terrorists' in Afghanistan? In contrast, India's military-intelligence has proved far more efficient and resilient. We have fought off any number of deadly insurgencies and terrorist uprisings in India. Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Mizoram, Nagaland Assam..the list of provinces where the fires of separatism have been doused is endless. The Indian state has great persuasive power and it has incredible soft power. Close to 2 decades after kickstarting the insurgency in Kashmir through its proxies and waves after waves of jehadi terror later, Pakistan is nowhere close to a mass rebellion in Kashmir. And in Afghanistan itself, the anti-Taliban war in 2001 was won largely on the strength of the Northern Alliance footsoldiers - another example of resilient and shrewd Indian foreign policy initiative. Don't forget Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc.
So, I say, let them leave. We'll then finish the job!
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Biddu!
I can so identify with Biddu's thoughts here: Looking back at the foot-tapping Aap Jaisa Koi
Felt transported to the time many summers ago when I first interacted with 2nd generation Indian immgirants in the UK:
...I got back into the routine of my life -- one eye on my music and the other on helping my wife bring up our two kids. Perhaps it was tradition and my cultural inheritance speaking to me through the deepest stratum of my subconscious, but I wanted to be a hands-on father. I was beginning to see the break-up and desecration of the family unit in the West and, more pertinently, in the UK.
Vast numbers of old people lived in isolation, detached from the umbilical chord of their children's touch and concern. It was a time of Thatcher's Britain and though she took us out of the economic quicksand we had sunk into, and felled the power of the unions like a dragon-slayer, she had also taught us to worship at the temple of materialism and that greed was god and no price was too high to pay for it. We were turning into an 'I, me, my' society. I was a part of that society and yet I wanted to be apart from it. Easier said than done, I'm afraid...
Felt transported to the time many summers ago when I first interacted with 2nd generation Indian immgirants in the UK:
...I got back into the routine of my life -- one eye on my music and the other on helping my wife bring up our two kids. Perhaps it was tradition and my cultural inheritance speaking to me through the deepest stratum of my subconscious, but I wanted to be a hands-on father. I was beginning to see the break-up and desecration of the family unit in the West and, more pertinently, in the UK.
Vast numbers of old people lived in isolation, detached from the umbilical chord of their children's touch and concern. It was a time of Thatcher's Britain and though she took us out of the economic quicksand we had sunk into, and felled the power of the unions like a dragon-slayer, she had also taught us to worship at the temple of materialism and that greed was god and no price was too high to pay for it. We were turning into an 'I, me, my' society. I was a part of that society and yet I wanted to be apart from it. Easier said than done, I'm afraid...
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
the Saudi connection
B Raman gives facts on that previous post:
Jehadi terrorism in India - the Saudi Connection
excerpts:
...Like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has been following a dual policy on terrorism. It has taken ruthless action against Al Qaeda elements posing a threat to its internal security. At the same time, it has avoided taking action against Wahabi organizations which have been supporting terrorism in other countries. Many of the so-called charity organizations, which have been funding terrorist organizations in other countries including India and Bangladesh, are of Saudi origin. Despite international pressure on Saudi Arabia to act against such charity organizations and stop the flow of funds to global jihadi terrorism, the action taken by the Saudi authorities has been unsatisfactory
It would be futile to expect that Saudi Arabia could be of assistance to India in dealing with jihadi terrorism emanating from Pakistan or Bangladesh. There has been a long history of links between jihadi terrorist elements in India and Saudi Arabia ever since the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December,1992. In December 1993, coinciding with the first anniversary of the demolition of the masjid , there was a number of explosions in different railway trains in North India. The interrogation of one of the suspects arrested during the investigation revealed that the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had organised them...
Jehadi terrorism in India - the Saudi Connection
excerpts:
...Like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has been following a dual policy on terrorism. It has taken ruthless action against Al Qaeda elements posing a threat to its internal security. At the same time, it has avoided taking action against Wahabi organizations which have been supporting terrorism in other countries. Many of the so-called charity organizations, which have been funding terrorist organizations in other countries including India and Bangladesh, are of Saudi origin. Despite international pressure on Saudi Arabia to act against such charity organizations and stop the flow of funds to global jihadi terrorism, the action taken by the Saudi authorities has been unsatisfactory
It would be futile to expect that Saudi Arabia could be of assistance to India in dealing with jihadi terrorism emanating from Pakistan or Bangladesh. There has been a long history of links between jihadi terrorist elements in India and Saudi Arabia ever since the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December,1992. In December 1993, coinciding with the first anniversary of the demolition of the masjid , there was a number of explosions in different railway trains in North India. The interrogation of one of the suspects arrested during the investigation revealed that the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had organised them...
Monday, March 01, 2010
bully, bully, your friend is pinching me
Either our leaders smoke some very strong stuff, or they are completely dumb and stupid, or they just make dumb and stupid statements for the consumption of our gullible public.
What on earth is Pradhan Mantri ji trying to achieve by things like this?
Persuade Pakistan to stop terrorism, PM urges Saudi Arabia
Isn't it common knowledge that the chief patron of the Pakistani state is Saudi? That Saudi material and other sponsorship of corrosive Wahhabi ideology is the chief culprit behind the ultra-radicalization of a whole generation of Muslims worldwide? That Saudi intelligence played a key role in the creation of the Taliban and they were the only country besides Pakistan to recognize the Islamic Emirate under Mullah Omar?
Funny thing is the Saudi regime has one of the worst records in the world, suppressing human rights, dissent, minorities and women. While our media went to town highlighting the atrocities committed by the Taliban 'Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice', they conveniently hide the fact that the Talib's inspiration was the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
And India should offer them a cloak of respectability by endorsing their good offices? Of course cannot expect much from a government which had the head of such a state invited as guest of honour at our cherished R Day parade some time back. Its comical then that they had the South Korean Prez over this time around when they should have rather invited Kim Jong-ill, going by their record.
Or it could just be that the US has managed to charm our leaders to such an extent that they now behave as clowns of their circus, entertaining whoever the US wishes India to entertain and wherever. A visit to Turkey must be up next.
What on earth is Pradhan Mantri ji trying to achieve by things like this?
Persuade Pakistan to stop terrorism, PM urges Saudi Arabia
Isn't it common knowledge that the chief patron of the Pakistani state is Saudi? That Saudi material and other sponsorship of corrosive Wahhabi ideology is the chief culprit behind the ultra-radicalization of a whole generation of Muslims worldwide? That Saudi intelligence played a key role in the creation of the Taliban and they were the only country besides Pakistan to recognize the Islamic Emirate under Mullah Omar?
Funny thing is the Saudi regime has one of the worst records in the world, suppressing human rights, dissent, minorities and women. While our media went to town highlighting the atrocities committed by the Taliban 'Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice', they conveniently hide the fact that the Talib's inspiration was the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
And India should offer them a cloak of respectability by endorsing their good offices? Of course cannot expect much from a government which had the head of such a state invited as guest of honour at our cherished R Day parade some time back. Its comical then that they had the South Korean Prez over this time around when they should have rather invited Kim Jong-ill, going by their record.
Or it could just be that the US has managed to charm our leaders to such an extent that they now behave as clowns of their circus, entertaining whoever the US wishes India to entertain and wherever. A visit to Turkey must be up next.
Kabul attack motives
after my previous post, I came across Sri Gaurav's post on the previous Pune attack.
If the motive was to disrupt the Indo-Pak talks as Gaurav has surmised, then this links it to the Kabul attack too as B Raman has suggested.Gaurav wondered whether the US had manouvered these talks backstage so that Pakistan was going to give some concession to India.
Asia Times Online's Syed Saleem Shehzad, usually with quite strong sources, suggests, this could be Pakistan handing over Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi to India! Now that would be something, if it happened.
If the motive was to disrupt the Indo-Pak talks as Gaurav has surmised, then this links it to the Kabul attack too as B Raman has suggested.Gaurav wondered whether the US had manouvered these talks backstage so that Pakistan was going to give some concession to India.
Asia Times Online's Syed Saleem Shehzad, usually with quite strong sources, suggests, this could be Pakistan handing over Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi to India! Now that would be something, if it happened.
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