Afghanistan News January 19, 2004

January 19, 2004

5 killed, 14 injured in Afghan clash
KANDAHAR: Three suspected Taliban guerrillas and two Afghan soldiers died in a shooting on Saturday after insurgents ambushed the convoy of a government official in southern Afghanistan, officials said.

About 40 guerrillas opened fire on the convoy near Khakrek, a town in Kandahar province some 240 kilometres of Kabul, as it brought a local leader to his office, a spokesman of the Kandahar governor said.

Khakrek district chief Hayatullah, who goes by one name, was unhurt. But in addition to the fatalities, nine soldiers and an estimated five Taliban were injured, the spokesman, Khalid Pashtun said.

The battle lasted 40 minutes before the attackers withdrew, taking their wounded with them, Mr Pashtun said. He said US troops were not involved in the skirmish. About seven rockets landed near the US air base at Khost in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, the second off-target barrage there in three days, a military spokesman said.

The rockets landed near the base, but caused neither damage nor injuries, said Lt Col Bryan Hilferty. Troops sent to investigate found no suspects. Col Hilferty said seven rockets had landed near Khost military base some 150 kilometres from Kabul on Friday night but there were no coalition injuries. —AFP

Karzai backs Musharraf to fight terrorism
The News Int.
KABUL: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai on Sunday welcomed a statement to parliament by his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf, who vowed a determined fight against terrorism.

Karzai supported Musharraf’s appeal to his people to wage a "Jihad against terrorism", a spokesman for the president said. "Reaffirming the strong desire and commitment of the Afghan people to fight terrorism, the president expresses backing for President Musharraf’s call," the spokesman said. "The president is confident that eradicating terrorism will strengthen peace, stability and prosperity for all the people of our region who have suffered great losses at the hands of the menace."

In his first address to Pakistan’s parliament Sunday, Musharraf, who braved opposition heckling and demands to step down to give his speech, called for a holy war on extremism.

Musharraf calls for removing slurs on Pakistan
By Rana Qaisar
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that Pakistan was facing charges of being an extremist society and supporting terrorism in Afghanistan, supporting militants across the Line of Control (LoC) and spreading nuclear technology.
- We have to take important decisions to correct this image, otherwise our future generations will have to pay a very heavy price for our neglect and inaction,” the president said in his first-ever address to the joint session of parliament.

The treasury members had to put on their headphones to listen to the president’s address, as lawmakers from the opposition, except the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, shouted “Go-dictator-go” and “Go-Musharraf-go” throughout his address. Without saying whether or not any of the accusations were true or false, Mr Musharraf said it was the collective responsibility of all Pakistanis to change the negative world opinion. The president vowed to eliminate the groups fanning hatred, sectarianism and terrorism and urged parliamentarians and the nation to wage jihad (holy war) to eradicate these menaces.

“We will have to take action with full force to stamp out foreign elements that can indulge in terrorism in Pakistan or Afghanistan,” he said. “Only a handful of people are involved in extremism which is weakening the country. We will have to deal with these people sternly and eliminate them forever.” It was the first time that the president differentiated between anti-religion extremism and religious extremism and said both forms were weakening society. “There are two types of extremism. Some ultra-modern westernised people want the elimination of the religious system while there are some extremists who misinterpret religion and want to impose their ideas on others.” The president said there was a big majority of Pakistanis that believed in moderation.

He said the only way to counter allegations of terrorism in Kashmir was to move towards a peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute. “The progress that has been made in that direction has to be taken forward with sincerity and in keeping with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir,” President Musharraf said.

General Musharraf said that Pakistan’s nuclear and missile capability was solely for the country’s defence. “It is in our interest to strengthen this capability. We cannot ignore these vital assets. We will have to assure the world that we are a responsible nation and will not allow proliferation of nuclear weapons,” he said, expressing his determination to make Pakistan’s economy and defence impregnable.

He said he had fulfilled all his promises to the nation including the restoration of genuine democracy. He said God had given Pakistan every blessing but the country could not exploit its resources and potential for the prosperity of the masses because of corruption. “I believe corruption and nepotism are the main causes of our failure,” he said. The president regretted that some people were trying to bring the armed forces and other institutions into disrepute for their nefarious designs. “We will not allow anyone to malign any of our institutions.”

He said Pakistan had achieved economic stability but “we will have to work hard to further improve the situation by bringing the budgetary deficit below four percent, maintaining a surplus balance of payments, further reducing foreign debt and by increasing exports, foreign exchange reserves and remittances by overseas Pakistanis.”

He urged development of agriculture, construction of new dams and canals and improving the irrigation system to alleviate poverty in rural areas. Mr Musharraf called for more investment to alleviate poverty in urban areas and to tackle unemployment. “We will have to reduce the electricity tariff for the benefit of people and the industry,” he said, urging more resources for education, healthcare and for the welfare of women and minorities.

The president expressed confidence that the checks and balances introduced by the 17th Amendment Bill would enable the assemblies to complete their tenure and prevent martial law in the future. He said the establishment of the National Security Council (NSC) was necessary to strengthen this system. “I hope that in the case of the NSC bill you will be as responsible as you were in the passage of the 17th Amendment.” He thanked the nation and the elected representatives for reposing their confidence in him.

Bomb rocks Quetta; 80 Afghans held Muhammad Ejaz Khan
The NewsInt.
QUETTA:A powerful bomb went off outside an under construction building in the provincial capital on Sunday evening near Masjid Road. However, no loss of life was reported.

The bomb exploded at around 5:45 pm when the street was presenting a deserted look. The bomb went off with a big bang. Senior officials of police and administration rushed to the spot and started probe into the matter and to examine the splinters of the explosive device to ascertain the type of the bomb.

Confirming the blast, the Inspector General Police Balochistan Dr Shoaib Suddel told The News that efforts were under way to trace out the terrorists involved in the bomb explosions and rocket firing incidents. He announced that Rs. 1 million would be awarded to those whose information would lead to the arrests of the saboteurs involved the terrorist activities.

He warned that strict action would be taken against those DSPs and SHOs of the police stations from where the rocket firing and bomb blast incidents reported and added that no relaxation would be given to those police officials who would show negligence in performing their duties.

He urged the people to extend full cooperation to the law enforcement agencies in foiling the nefarious designs of the anti-social elements. He also appealed them to keep themselves away from the sites of the explosions.

Agencies add: Police, meanwhile, have arrested more than 80 Afghans for allegedly entering the country without visas to work and study at a religious school, Suddel said. They were likely to be deported. the Afghans were arrested in raids in Quetta and the nearby town of Kuchlak over three days, Suddle said. They include 31 students of an Islamic seminary in Kuchlak, about 25 kilometres north of Quetta.

Arsala agrees Omar, Osama not in Pakistan
PNS, Pakistan 01/18/2004
ISLAMABAD, January 19 (Online): Afghan vice President, Hedayat Amin Arsala has accepted Pakistan stance that Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden are not in Pakistan.

"We don't know about the where about of Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden.

Taliban are creating hurdles to weaken Afghan government. However steps are being taken to over come these difficulties which will take some time", he said in a press briefing here Sunday after his meeting with Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz.

He termed the deletion of goods from negative list by Pakistan with reference to Afghanistan transit trade a welcome development saying that Pakistan is striving for reconstruction of Afghanistan and improvement of its economy. "We welcome efforts of Pakistan in this respect", he added.

Expressing gratitude to government of Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees, he said that thousands of Afghan refugees are in Pakistan for the past several years due to civil war. "We are thankful to government of Pakistan for the steps being taken by it for the rehabilitation and return of these refugees to Afghanistan.

He hoped that a recent visit by Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali to Afghanistan will help improve bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He held that Pakistan has also given this indication that steps will be taken for the promotion of trade in Jalalabad and other areas.

Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz welcoming the Afghan vice President visit to Pakistan, he said that it is matter of honour for them that Pakistan wants to see Afghanistan strong and prosperous and is keen for good friendly relations. He stressed that Afghanistan should open its borders to the world countries for the sake of its economic stability. He informed that National Bank branch has been opened in Afghanistan.

Licenses have been issued for establishment of Habib Bank. Jalalabad Toorkhum road project will start from the next month. One hundred million dollar package has been approved for setting up kidney and IT centres in Mazar-e-Sharif. He maintained that Chamman-Kandhar railway road will be built up.

Gawadar port is being built up with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank. He held out assurance that Pakistan will provide every possible assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Pakistan arrests one of its 'most wanted' Islamic militants
KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistani security agencies arrested one of the country's "most wanted" Islamic militants in a late night raid here and seized a large quantity of explosives including letter bombs, an official said.

The militant was believed to be involved in Thursday's car bomb blast outside a church in Karachi in which 13 people were injured, the official told AFP on Sunday. The raid was conducted in the city's southern district of Mahmoodabad. The militant, who belonged to the outlawed Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was hiding in a small house.

"A huge quantity of explosives including letter bombs were recovered along with some hand grenades," the official said. "It was like a mini arms factory." Army and navy experts were examining the explosives before disposal, he said.

He did not disclose the name of militant but said the man was in the list of the country's most wanted terrorists. The arrest came on information provided by another militant arrested recently. "We are not disclosing the name because we are expecting more arrests," he said. He added that an explosive recovered was similar to that used in Thursday's blast.

A grenade followed by a powerful car bomb exploded outside Karachi's Holy Trinity Church and the adjacent Bible Society library in a crowded downtown bazaar on Thursday.

Two men riding on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the library in an apparent attempt to draw people to the site before detonating the car-bomb. The attack was the first anti-Christian violence since a spate of deadly hits on Christian and Western targets in 2002, four of them in Karachi.

"Prepare the beds, you are about to receive a stream of bodies of policemen," an anonymous caller told a hospital in Karachi shortly before the car bomb attack, which officials described "a well-planned act of terrorism".

Several western targets came under attack in Karachi in 2002. Two suicide car-bomb attacks killed 14 people, including 11 Frenchmen, outside the Sheraton Hotel in May and 12 people, all Pakistanis, outside the US consulate. US journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and killed in Karachi in January 2002.

7 al-Qaida Suspects Held in Pakistan Raid
By SHEIKH SABIR, Associated Press
KARACHI, Pakistan - Pakistani agents seized seven suspected al-Qaida militants and a weapons cache in a pre-dawn raid on an apartment complex in Karachi on Sunday, a day after Pakistan vowed to renew its fight against terrorism.

Police found five hand grenades, four handguns, ammunition and maps of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan , an intelligence officer told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate word on whether the arrested suspects were engaged in an active plot. They included two Egyptian and three Afghan men and two Arab women, the officer said. Police did not identify them or say what rank they allegedly held in Osama bin Laden 's terror organization.

"Our information is that these are al-Qaida people," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. "One is a recognized man." Neighbors said about 50 to 60 armed officers surrounded the Cassim Complex, a block of 160 apartments in the middle-class Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighborhood where the suspects had lived for two months.

Police moved in at 3 a.m., broke down the door of a fourth floor apartment and brought out the suspects about a half-hour later, residents said. There was no gunfire. Residents also said police also took away three children: an infant carried by one of the women, and two boys ages 4 and 5.

The arrests in this teeming port city of 14 million people came one day after Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf vowed to crush terrorism in his first-ever speech to Parliament. Musharraf, a key U.S. ally, also held talks Friday on fighting terrorism with U.S. Gen. John Abizaid, head of the American military campaign in Afghanistan.

Sunday's detentions coincide with stepped-up military operations to hunt al-Qaida fugitives in Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal areas along the rugged border with Afghanistan, a possible hiding place for bin Laden and his chief lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri.

Tribal elders have turned in more than 40 men to Pakistani authorities in the past week, though it is unknown whether any are al-Qaida members. They are believed to be tribesmen who may have helped shelter the fugitives and fighters of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime.

Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are believed to use the tribal lands to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan and then slip back across the border to relative safety. The Pakistan government exercises little control over the lands.

Pakistan withdrew its backing of the Taliban after the Sept. 11 terror attacks and has arrested more than 500 al-Qaida suspects in the past two years — including alleged organizers of the Sept. 11 plot. Many of the suspects have been handed over to U.S. authorities.

Afghanistan opens foreign bank with hopes of first ATM
Sat, Jan 17, 2004
KABUL (AFP) - Over the next few weeks Afghanistan 's banking sector will move from comprising just six rundown specialist banks to one where several international commercial operations compete for business -- with perhaps even an ATM machine around the corner.

The National Bank of Pakistan is the only foreign bank operating in the country, but competition is building with First Micro Finance Bank, majority-owned by the Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development, and British-based Standard Chartered preparing to open soon.

The Afghanistan International Bank (AIB), a local bank with international shareholders and ING management, and Pakistan's Habib Bank are also set to open their doors in the capital once they receive licences, all but a technicality, according to Afghanistan's central bank governor, Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady.

Of the existing six banks in the country, the Pashtuni Tejaraty Bank and the Milli-e Bank (National Bank) will be restructured. The remaining four -- the Agricultural Bank, Industrial Bank, Mortgage Bank and Export Promotion Bank -- will be merged or liquidated, Ahady said.

The government has also had "at least two more applications" for banking licences and a number of other banks in Pakistan and Iran have expressed interest, Ahady said. "In the past, that section of the market economy was heavily controlled by the state, we are abandoning that," Ahady told AFP. "We will move to a more market economy type of economy, which means competition and that competition is open to Afghans and to internationals."

Ahady said he hoped the foreign banks, each of which must guarantee capital of five million US dollars to gain a licence, would become more important than the public system and develop the market for credit in the country, until now an unknown quantity.

"The demand that is really a legitimate demand, I don't know what the size of that is and I hope these banks will develop it." Ahady would like to see 10 banks operating in Afghanistan, with the option of handing out more licences if demand is strong enough.

While it isn't Wall Street, the opening of foreign banking institutions in Kabul will mean residents of the war-shattered capital will be able to stop carrying wads of cash everywhere. They will also be able to avoid using the traditional and informal "hawala" money transfer system, which does not record transactions and is suspected of being used by terrorists and money launderers.

Chief executive officer of the AIB John Haye said one of the bank's main tasks would be to provide international aid workers, embassy staff and non-government organisations with money transfers.

"The only transfer system that exists is the hawala system. From what I hear that system works well but it's not transparent, you don't get a receipt and that's what self-respecting institutions want."

Getting money out from under people's beds and into banks where it could be used by businesses would also help the economy, Haye said. AIB, which plans to open between five and seven banks in major cities, will also assist reconstruction and trading companies by providing credit and working capital.

There is also a plan to provide some ATMs, initially inside the bank itself then within other secure compounds such as those of embassies, the UN and military forces. President of the National Bank of Pakistan Syed Ali Raza said his bank planned to expand into the troubled main southern city of Kandahar and the eastern city of Jalalabad and install an ATM network within three months.

He said he was not troubled by the increased violence in the country, marked by attacks in the south and southeast. "We are quite comfortable to do this... we don't believe it (increased unrest) is going to be an impediment to our business," he said. But for now the issue of foreign banks in the country is probably of little interest to most Afghans, who live in poverty, and Ahady admits as much.

"For most individuals they have so little, such a small amount of money, that it doesn't probably make sense for someone who has 2,000 Afghanis to establish a bank account because that's 50 dollars," he said. And does Ahady think there will ever be an ATM in Kabul? "I don't know," he said. "But for the time being I am pleased that they want to do that."

Deadline extended as tribal elders fail to attend meeting
Daily Times
WANA: The political administration of North Waziristan Agency on Saturday extended till Monday the deadline for the arrest of three suspected collaborators of Al Qaeda from Shakai area after tribal elders failed to attend a meeting.

Assistant Political Agent Rehmatullah Wazir told Daily Times that some tribal elders of Shakai area were not present despite the summons and the administration thought that consulting with these elders was necessary and that was why the deadline had been extended. He said that notices had been sent to all the chieftains of Shakai asking them to ensure their participation in the Grand Jirga of Wazir tribe at 9:00am on Monday at Rustam Bazaar. —Rasool Wazir

Al-Qaeda launches online terrorist manual
Jason Burke, chief reporter January 18 The Observer (UK)
Al-Qaeda has issued a chilling new call to arms to recruits who remain undetected by security agencies. In a terrorist manual published on the internet, Osama bin Laden says: 'After Iraq and Afghanistan will come the Crusader invasion of Saudi Arabia. All fighters all over the world must be ready.' The manual has been masterminded by Saif al-Adel, the organisation's third most senior man and the only terrorist other than bin Laden and his partner Ayman al-Zawahiri to have a $25 million reward on his head.

It is directed at new volunteers who are 'below the radar' of counter-terrorist authorities and who cannot break cover to undergo formal training in terrorist techniques. Like bin Laden, Zawahiri is quoted in the publication, called 'The Base of the Vanguard'. Other writers encourage the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The manual is an internal al-Qaeda document and will be of enormous interest to security agencies. The fact that al-Adel, a former special forces colonel in the Egyptian army, has risked discovery to publish it is an indication of its importance.

'Though it shows that we have taken down a lot of the training infrastructure and made it hard for [al-Qaeda] to operate, it is very worrying in that it implies that there are a lot of recruits around who we have yet to pick up,' one British senior police counter-terrorist officer said.

In the manual, bin Laden calls on the recruits to be cautious in their operations, given the counter-terrorist surveillance efforts against them. He says that all those Muslims living in the lands occupied by the unbelievers should study the manual and be prepared to act.

The appearance of the manual - the January issue of what promises to be a monthly publication - is a major boost to al-Qaeda's propaganda effort. Articles include the testimony of a 'martyred' suicide bomber and pages of technical advice on physical training, security counter-measures for operational terrorist cells and the use of light weapons. 'All that is needed to open the ideas of the zealous youthful Muslims to the techniques of our fighters,' a preface explains.

Al-Adel, 39, even warns operatives not to believe official media. 'They will try and wear down your morale by publishing false reports about the arrest of other cells,' he writes. Another author is Abdul Aziz al-Mukran, who is also known as Abu Hajjer and is one of the most wanted al-Qaeda suspects in Saudi Arabia. In his contribution, entitled 'The war of nerves', he lists the use of weapons of mass destruction, specifically biological and nuclear arms, as a potential tactic in the 'ongoing war'.

Daunting task of rebuilding Afghanistan
Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema The writer works for Islamabad Policy Research Institute- The News int.
Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s one-day trip to Afghanistan has undoubtedly improved relations between the two countries. Not only the presence of a Pakistani Prime Minister has helped in accelerating the growing ties with Afghanistan but also the reiteration of Pakistan’s commitments to extend all kinds of help in the rebuilding of Afghanistan further reflected Pakistan’s earnest desire to see a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

Perhaps the most tangible outcome of this short visit can be grouped into two broad categories; commitments and contributions. Among the commitments that needs to be mentioned here include Pakistan’s resolve to fight against terrorism and commitment to help Afghanistan reconstruction. During the visit Prime Minister Jamali stressed the continuation of s joint fight against terrorism. In this connection he promised to increase security along the border with Afghanistan in order to stop attacks across the two countries.

Recognizing terrorism as a global menace that has also infected our region and has caused sufferings to the people of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pakistani Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to intensify counter terrorism efforts. Not only Pakistan has joined international coalition to combat terrorism but has also undertaken substantive measures to curb this menace.

Measured by any yardstick, Pakistan’s contributions to global coalition against terrorism are indeed enormous. Not only Pakistan is the only country that has apprehended more than 500 terrorists but has also initiated search operations in areas, which are deemed to be extremely inaccessible, and nobody has undertaken any serious efforts during the last hundred years. One such area is Pakistan’s tribal belt. Pakistan has sent its regular forces into the tribal area despite objections from some quarters of Pakistani society. The most recent operation in Waziristan has proved to be a fairly successful venture and Pakistan’s forces have been able to apprehend sizable number of tribesmen who were harbouring and facilitating Al-Qaeda terrorists.

In addition to commitments to fight terrorism, Prime Minister Jamali announced substantive contributions aimed to accelerate the process of Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Not only he donated 100 buses and 200 trucks, but announced to build Torkham-Jalalabad road, establish a rail link between Chaman and Kandhar, a kidney center in Jalalabad, a limb center at Kandhar. A limb center is indeed badly required, as so many Afghans have lost their limbs because of mine explosions and long period of both civil war and war against the Soviets.

Pakistan has also agreed to open two new crossing routs in order to facilitate both human and commodity traffic. Pakistan’s official trade has already crossed $600/- million mark and is expected to reach $1 billion soon. Undoubtedly both countries have enormous trading potential and have been gradually increasing their mutual trade. For obvious reasons as the official trade increase, it not only erodes the unofficial trade but also increases interactions with each other.

Another significant pledge revolved around the training of manpower. Pakistani Prime Minister Jamali who announced to double the number of scholarships for Afghan students to study engineering, IT and business administration in Pakistan. Training manpower in different areas would indeed be extremely useful for Afghanistan. Pakistan seems too ready to assist Afghanistan in this area. Already many Afghan students are studying in Pakistani institutes and universities.

It is not too far fetched to assume that Pakistan has always wanted a stable and friendly Afghanistan as its western neighbour. Throughout its history Pakistan always made efforts to facilitate Afghans in many ways. During 80s Pakistan played host to nearly 4 million Afghan refugees and played a significant role in the Afghans struggle in ousting the Soviets out of their country. In the process Pakistan suffered severely in many areas. The presence of large number of refugees on Pakistan’s soil and Pakistan’s total commitment to Afghan freedom struggle against the Soviets caused adverse impact on Pakistani society.

Not only Pakistan suffered economically, politically, and strategically but also the adverse impact was more acutely felt in social area. The menaces of drug trafficking and sectarianism were the direct product of Pakistan’s Afghan policy during the 80s. In addition the Klashnikov culture overwhelmed the Pakistani society that in turn increased corruption. The very social fabric of the Pakistani society was subjected to severe strains. We are still trying to get rid of the adverse effects that were the product of Afghan war against the Soviets.

While it is true that many donor agencies helped Pakistan to sustain the enormous burden of Afghan refugees but one should not overlook the fact that with the passage of time the contributions of donor agencies gradually decreased and eventually dried up. Pakistan, of course, stood by its Afghan brethren through this difficult period bearing the entire burden on its own meagre resources. However there is much that can be said about the policies pursued during the post-Soviet period.

Since the advent Karazai regime, Pakistan has made concerted efforts to facilitate the reconstruction process. Admittedly certain developments along with some aspects of Afghan policies have invoked Pakistani concerns which in turn caused some undesired misunderstandings between the two countries but the efforts of the top leadership in both countries enabled the quick removal of unnecessarily invoked concerns. Credit must be extended to top leaderships wisdom and vision that not only prevented the further deterioration but effectively reversed the process.

Pakistani Prime Minister Jamali’s visit has undoubtedly cleared many misgivings and has further strengthened Pak-Afghan relations. Pakistan’s contributions would indeed facilitate Afghanistan’s reconstruction process. The Afghan government agreement to release Pakistan prisoner is indeed a good omen. The Afghan government also agreed to allow the use of it territory during the closure of Lowari top.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share many commonalities and it can be safely assumed that if the present trends were kept on track the two countries would be once again bound in the traditional bond of friendships and brotherhood. Both are blessed with the presence of large number of Pakhtoon population. Both have enjoyed trading interaction since ages. Both are Muslim countries. Both have common history. During the difficult periods Afghan history, Pakistan has always come forward and willingly provided assistance in varied forms.

Focus on FATA
The Nation Editorial 1/18/04
CENTCOM head Gen John P. Abizaid made a second visit to Islamabad in three months to discuss matters of mutual interest with General Musharraf. General Abizaid is responsible for a region which includes Iraq and Afghanistan where the US forces are bogged down after effecting a regime change by force. While the US has succeeded in capturing Saddam Hussain, it has failed to get Osama bin Laden or Mullah Umar. Americans suspect the former is hiding somewhere along the Pak Afghan border separating Waziristan from Paktia and Paktika. US troops have faced stiff resistance in Paktika and suffered casualties in Shkin, not far from Wana.
The Afghan administration and US military suspect that the militants cross into Waziristan after their attacks. During the last two years pressure has mounted on Islamabad to comb Waziristan for Al-Qaeda suspects. The US fails to understand that the area, 5000 square miles of jagged mountains and thick forests, has over centuries provided an ideal terrain to tribal guerrillas resisting outside armies. Neither the Mughals nor the Sikhs could control the area. Later rebel leaders like Mullah Pawinda and the Faqir of Ipi inflicted heavy casualties on the British Indian army that had tried to establish a foothold in the region.

Under US pressure the Pakistan army has rushed in where British soldiers feared to tread. It has lost over a score of troops and officers while trying to capture suspects. Islamabad has taken steps to please Washington which many consider less than prudent. Invoking the FCR, a colonial black law, collective punishments have been imposed on tribes, relatives of the accused persons arrested, their houses demolished and their shops closed downs. The Wazir tribal jirga has surrendered 15 suspects so far but the government’s demands have continued to increase. If this does not end a desperate population might be forced to resort to massive armed resistance. The hopes that social and economic development would draw the tribal areas is the mainstream may be dashed if the Pakistan government continues to follow a regressive policy.

What the British learnt through bitter experience, which the Americans have yet to understand, is that tribal complexities require lengthy procedures while seeking surrender of suspects or recovery of kidnap victims. A Punjab minister kidnapped 10 days back in the same area has so far failed not been recovered despite pressure from Islamabad. This alone should demonstrate to the Americans that there is no footdragging going on. The Pakistan government must deal with the tribesmen, who after the extension of the franchise are in the process of joining the national mainstream, extremely carefully.