PAKISTAN WAGING WAR - PHONEY OR REAL

AUM
WAR IN WAZIRISTAN IN LAST TWO DAYS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

It is the fag end of the battle on the second day in South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army wishes to show to the world that it had the better of the Taliban terrorists. On the other hand the Taliban terrorists are equally keen to exhibit their political prowess and military acumen by pinning down the leading elements of the advancing troops. At the end of the first forty eight hours, there is not much to show on the report card. The Army claims it killed 60 terrorists but does not show any dead bodies of the terrorists. The Army says it lost five soldiers but no body bags have been sent to the native places of the deceased. It is hard to believe that there is Truth in the Army's claim.
Truth is always a casualty in battle. In any case this is not the first time that the credibility of the Pakistan Army has taken a beating.

An independent military analyst will take with a pinch of salt the claim of the army top brass that eliminating the bad Taliban from South Waziristan has all ingredients of a successful military operation. Let us concede the point that a large body of troops, 28,000, is on the offensive and the general officer commanding XI Corps based in Peshawar, Lieut General Masud Alam has been put in command to plan and execute the battles. The army has an experience of combat against terrorists in Bajaur and Swat valley and their weapons, including heavy artillery, are modern; the fire power is effective and demoralising for the enemy. However, the most important factor not to be lost sight of is the fiercely independent spirit of tribesmen of South Waziristan. Right from the days of Alexander no outsider has succeeded in subjugating them after a win in battle. To the tribesmen of the area, the Pakistan Army is not only an outsider, being from the Punjab, but comprises infidels as they are lackeys of America.

Morale is to physical as ten to one; an axiom of the army all over the world. The morale of the terrorists is high as the Mullahs in the mosques exhort them day in and day out to defeat the army soldiers who are servants of an infidel state named the United States. The average soldier is also given lectures in morale but he is not convinced in his mind that the cause he is fighting for is Islamic and will take him to the heaven on attaining martyrdom. No wonder on the three occasions in the past that the army went into action in Waziristan, it lost men and material and per force had to retreat. Generals at higher levels were forced to sit at the negotiating table with the Taliban adversary who are not terrorists in the eye of even some army sympathisers.

Considering these important factors cited above, one will have to take the claims of serious fighting and victory of the army against the Taliban with a pinch of salt. No wonder the foreign news agencies writing about claims of killing terrorists in battle also write that there was no way to confirm the claim. Time alone will tell what is true and what is false. Will the Army run over South Waziristan or will the combine of tribesmen and terrorists vanquish the army that is fighting half-heartedly.
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Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com