A Taliban suicide bomber struck for the third time in three days in Pakistan’s volatile Northwest Frontier Province.
A suicide car bomb was detonated in a market in the district of Charsadda, killing 24 Pakistanis, including many women and children. According to a report, 55 people were wounded; six of them are said to be in critical condition.
Today’s suicide attack follows similar Taliban bombings near Peshawar, the provincial capital. On Nov. 9, a suicide bomber detonated at a police checkpoint on the Ring Road just outside the city, killing four. On Nov. 8, a suicide bomber killed an anti-Taliban militia leader and 12 others at a market in Matni south of Peshawar.
The military has also prevented several suicide attacks. A police sniper killed a suicide bomber in Islamabad on Nov. 8, and two suspected suicide bombers were killed in Mansehra on Nov. 7.
Today’s suicide attack is the latest strike in the Taliban’s terror offensive, which began on Oct. 5. The Taliban have launched suicide attacks and terror assaults in Pakistan’s major cities and throughout the northwest.
The Taliban and allied jihadi groups have launched military assaults against the Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and against police centers in Lahore. In addition, suicide bombers have struck in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Kohat, Swat, Charsadda, and Shangla.
The military is currently on the offensive against Hakeemullah Mehsud’s faction of the Taliban in South Waziristan. The military claimed 17 Taliban fighters and four soldiers have been killed over the past two days, and that more than 520 Taliban fighters and only 44 soldiers have been killed since the operation was launched on Oct. 17.
The Taliban maintain they have conducted a “tactical retreat” and will wage a guerrilla campaign over the next several months. So far, no senior Taliban leaders or military commanders have been killed or captured during the offensive.
Qari Hussain Mehsud, the notorious trainer of child suicide bombers, is thought to be behind the current Taliban terror campaign in Pakistan.
Some Pakistanis refuse to believe, however, that the Taliban would conduct such attacks against civilians, according to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post. Some Pakistanis blame the US, India, and Israel for the attacks, claiming their Muslim brothers in the Taliban would never conduct such un-Islamic attacks. The government and the military have done little to counter this perception, and have presented flimsy evidence of Indian support of the Taliban in South Waziristan.
Major attacks in Pakistan since Oct. 5:
Nov. 10, 2009: A suicide bomber killed 24 people in a market in Charsadda.
Nov. 9, 2009: A suicide bomber killed four people during an attack at a police checkpoint outside Peshawar.
Nov. 8, 2009: A suicide bomber killed an anti-Taliban leader and 12 others in an attack at a market in the town of Matni near Peshawar.
Nov. 5, 2009: An Army brigadier and a soldier were wounded in an ambush in Islamabad.
Nov. 2, 2009: A Taliban suicide bomber killed 34 Pakistanis and wounded scores more in an attack in Rawalpindi.
Nov. 2, 2009: A pair of suicide bombers killed one policeman and wounded 25 security officers and civilians after the pair detonated their vests at a security checkpoint.
Oct. 28, 2009: A Taliban suicide bomber killed 119 Pakistanis and wounded hundreds more in an attack on a bazaar in Peshawar.
Oct. 27, 2009: A brigadier general who served as the director of defense services guards at the Army General Headquarters escaped an assassination attempt in Islamabad.
Oct. 23, 2009: The Taliban detonated an anti-tank mine and hit a bus transporting a wedding party in Mohmand. The explosion killed 15 of the passengers and wounded six more.
Oct. 23, 2009: The Taliban detonated a car bomb outside a popular restaurant in the residential Hayatabad area in Peshawar. The attack wounded 13 civilians; nine are said to be in critical condition.
Oct. 23, 2009: A Taliban suicide bomber killed seven people during an attack at a security checkpoint near the Kamra Air Weapon Complex in the district of Attock in Punjab province.
Oct. 21, 2009: The Taliban assassinated a brigadier general and his driver during an ambush in Islamabad.
Oct. 20, 2009: A pair of suicide bombers detonated their vests at Islamabad’s International Islamic University, killing five.
Oct. 16, 2009: A pair of suicide bombers, including a female, attacked a police station and a building housing an intelligence service in Peshawar, killing 11.
Oct. 15, 2009: Terrorist assault teams attacked the Federal Investigation Agency building, the Manawan police training centre, and the Elite Force Headquarters in Lahore. Twenty-six people, including nine terrorists and 12 policemen, were killed.
Oct. 15, 2009: A suicide bomber rammed a car into a police station in Kohat, killing 11 people, including policemen and children.
Oct. 12, 2009: A suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives as a military convoy passed through a checkpoint in a market in Alpuri in Shangla. The attack killed 41 people, including six security personnel.
Oct. 10, 2009: An assault team attacked the Army General Headquarters and took 42 security personnel captive. Eleven soldiers were killed, including a brigadier general and a lieutenant colonel, along with nine members of the assault team; and 39 hostages were freed.
Oct. 9, 2009: A suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives in a bazaar in Peshawar, killing 49 civilians.
Oct. 5, 2009: A suicide bomber entered the World Food Program office in Islamabad and detonated his vest, killing five UN workers, including an Iraqi.
27 Comments
Can you blame them? Most are raised to believe the CIA-Mossad-RAW nexus is behind everything. If they knew the truth, the entire point of the federation would be obviously and publically pointless. In otherwords, its a nationalist thing.
For last few months, talibans are expanding in the northern areas of afghanistan to stop nato supplies that are now coming from the north. Ex Soviet Diplomat to Afghanistan spoke thus few weeks back. Before this, talibans stopped nato supplies coming from pakistan.
these terrorists are not idiots as we often believe. they may be illiterate, but there are brains behind them who are nurturing, using them for their jihadi strategic goals.
I see a long drawn war. Any talk of making deal with taliban is actually emboldening them.
In case you missed this one. An excellent analysis of Sundays attack on Adezai village south of Peshawar last Sunday.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/14-militants-open-a-new-front-zj-02
Fortunately, where the credibility of Taliban attacks on fellow Muslims is concerned, they and AlQueda have demonstrated that they have only one play in their playbook – kill, kill, kill. Indiscriminately, viciously, sparing no one, no religion, serving no cause but their own.
They are obviously tyrants using religion as their excuse in exactly the same way the Communists used Marxism as their excuse. The ONE BIG THING our founding fathers got right is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. They designed our government from the ground up to frustrate any concentration of power.
The one constant in politics is tyrants will forever be finding new beliefs to hide behind. Why is this still news to the world?
“Some Pakistanis blame the US, India, and Israel for the attacks, claiming their Muslim brothers in the Taliban would never conduct such un-Islamic attacks. The government and the military have done little to counter this perception, and have presented flimsy evidence of Indian support of the Taliban in South Waziristan.”
Can someone please explain why India has not pulled troops from its border with Pakistan and redeployed them to Afghanistan in support of NATO and the war on terror — particularly given the Mumbai attacks last year? Has NATO ever asked for India’s support? Sending 50,000 Indian troops from the Pakistani border to this front might help dispel the notion among Pakistanis that India, rather than the Taliban, is their enemy. To minimize any negative political impact surrounding this move, India could ask for Muslim volunteers from within their army’s ranks to lead this assignment. Given that Muslims comprise roughly 14% of India’s population, finding sufficient numbers in the ranks of a 1.8 million man army, (including reserves), should not prove too daunting.
The Pak army by virtue of its many coups over the decades and utter disregard for democracy has been at the heart of the problems of this fast-failing State.
As a nation (if one can call this loose and artificial confederation a nation) they have been an even more active creator of the jihadist mentality than any other muslim state, including any Arab country or peoples.
America as an unflinching ally must take some responsibility in its oversight of this rather unholy alliance over many decades.
Even at this stage US support is effectively holding up the inevitable break-up of this confederation. Granted that with Paks nuclear arsenal it becomes important that the situation is skillfully managed to enable a final extrication of these weapons. Failure here is not an option. One hopes that the Obama administration has the foresight and courage to pull this off, and not get lost in the fog of war.
“Some Pakistanis refuse to believe, however, that the Taliban would conduct such attacks against civilians….”
In denial much? Pakistan’s miltary, government, and intelligence service is rife with Taliban influence. You’d think the Taliban would be grateful for such accomodations.
The current operation in South Waziristan by Pakistan Army and the sudden timing of evacuation of check posts along Pak-Afghan border by coalition forces on Afghanistan’s side is something not very encouraging and sends very bad signals of some level of inconsistency and irregularities speaking of the ‘immense’ coordination America has in the war on terror with the Pakistan Army. (http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=155192)
Then why would not ordinary Pakistanis suspect some foreign axis to be indirectly aiding terrorist activity? Maybe evacuating checkposts may let Afghanistan to be the newer safe haven in coming months?
Cordell-
The Indians would probably do it, but if they did send troops, Pakistan would raise a stink saying that India was gonna use the situation to box them in on both sides (and indeed, they already are saying that with India’s civillian involvement, putting actual troops there might send the Pak Army over te edge).
Also, unlike Pakistan, which doesn’t really have an excuse to have so many troops along its border with India since India never starts anything, India actually needs those troops there because Pakistan has always been the one to start a war, especially through sneaky means (Operation Gibraltar and the Kargil War come to mind).
Cordell, the Pakistanis would simply cry ‘wolf’ at the Indians ‘encircling’ them, which in a sense would be true.
The Indians HAVE offered troops which the US have declined because it is pathetically cowardly in regards to offending its worst allies.
Ahmed Tariq: That’s insane. I can see how it would help the P-stanis in the short term to let them move over the border, but there are plenty of safe havens within P-stan and there is little incentive for the Americans to value P-stan over A-stan. My guess is that it is a simple strategic move. Please hold back your conspiracy theories till you’ve got something of minimal substance.
A lack of ability to take responsibility will continue to condemn these cultures, especially Islam, which see themselves as supremely rightous merely on principle.
Ahmad Tariq,
I think you have a point. But here is my guess about what is going on.
Pakistan from day 1 of GWOT has trained/armed and nurtured terrorists to strike at ISAF forces. Refer to operation evil air lift, Haqqani network, ignoring “good Taliban”(that strikes only ISAF), making deals with Afg Taliban, reluctance to deal with Quetta shura, there are so many other cases.
May be the US/ISAf had enough and they will ignore the “good Taliban”(who attack Pak) and focus on “bad Taliban”(who attack Afghan/US).
Too bad it took US/ISAF 8 years to figure this out.
Hmmm… If Taliban/AQ attack on US/Israel/India, the Pakistanis will praise Taliban/AQ for seeking revenge for this attack which killed their brothers? Either way Taliban/AQ wins with Pakistani public. Pathetic…
Zeissa, coalition troops already are having a difficult time in Afghanistan, which means the problem is on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border, let alone Pakistan’s safe havens. Check posts evacuation may be a strategic move but does not seem to be one when that area is primarily touching the border where South Waziristan lies. There is more the reason to express serious concerns which were passed by Army Chief Pervez Kayani to General Petraeus about the evacuation of these check-posts, which is a mere fact.
Moreover, I think Pakistan also has its national interests, Islam or no Islam. From my point of view, Pakistan’s national interests come first, and then the United States’ national interests, naturally.
Xavier,
I cannot say about training/arming/nurturing ISAF-attacking terrorists, but I can say, yes, they are probably here with us or amongst us. Whichever network it may be.
It is quite interesting to note that Pakistan has always worked in its national interest (so it does have the right to do so) and focus on the bad Taliban (who attack Pakistan) and let the other Taliban be free. But the only reason I see why they would let the other Taliban free is that Pakistan knows ISAF/US is not going to stay here for forever and tomorrow when the coalition forces leave, the other Taliban (which is the source of support Pakistan has in southern Afghanistan) could counter Indian consulates opened on the Pak-Afghan border.
So the equation is quite complex. Pakistan is most probably insecure by the presence of these Indian consulates. So its a regional problem. Am quite sure if there is some kind of resolution with India, things can be much better, and such divergence of interests between US and Pakistan could be narrowed down to a great extent in attacking the anti-U.S. Taliban.
Ahmad Tariq,
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It is quite interesting to note that Pakistan has always worked in its national interest (so it does have the right to do so) and focus on the bad Taliban (who attack Pakistan) and let the other Taliban be free. But the only reason I see why they would let the other Taliban free is that Pakistan knows ISAF/US is not going to stay here for forever and tomorrow when the coalition forces leave, the other Taliban (which is the source of support Pakistan has in southern Afghanistan) could counter Indian consulates opened on the Pak-Afghan border.
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The Pakistani attitude – philosophy – plan of supporting the Taliban against the U.S. – NATO in Afghanistan is troubling because it is supporting a group that has a policy that is quite regressive and rejects much of the modern world.
If the people living in those areas wanted or voted for harsh Taliban rule, then Pakistan’s attitude – philosophy – plan would be a bit more understandable.
From what I have read from various sources, the majority of the people in Taliban controlled areas (both in Pakistan and Afghanistan) do not favor the harsh Taliban rule.
Pakistan would be viewed somewhat more favorably by the rest of the world if the Proxy group that it was supporting was In Touch with the modern world rather than advocating rejection of it like the Taliban do.
When will the Pakistani Army & ISI support and implement Taliban rule in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan? If the Army & ISI think Taliban rule is good enough for the people of Afghanistan, then it surely is good enough for the people of Pakistan.
Bard:
Pakistan would be viewed somewhat more favorably by the rest of the world if the Proxy group that it was supporting was In Touch with the modern world rather than advocating rejection of it like the Taliban do.
When will the Pakistani Army & ISI support and implement Taliban rule in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan? If the Army & ISI think Taliban rule is good enough for the people of Afghanistan, then it surely is good enough for the people of Pakistan.
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So true and don’t expect an answer to such assertive logic from Mr Tariq.
And, bard, how can you really expect Pakistan to be in touch with the modern world when after all, they are aeons away from being a modern country themselves.
They talk of putting their interests first–usually a euphemism to create mischief for others.
If they really wanted to serve their interests, they would focus on their economy rather than constantly standing at the front of the queue (at least among Asian nations) with their begging bowl.
Their lack of principles, of self-respect and respect for the family of nations will prove to be self-destructive.
I was speaking with some (progressive, yet traditionally cultured) Indian muslims recently seeking their views on what goes on in Pakistan. Their response: “Poor chaps….look at what options they have in their leadership.” Says it all for me. Poor victims!
Oh i should add and this was before Musharraf went on record with Seymour Hersh calling Pres Z a fraud and a criminal or whatever. Much exposed article imagine all readers here have read it, but since it hasn’t been referenced, here’s the link
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/11/16/091116fa_fact_hersh
To be clear, i have no judgment on zardari, nor do i feel compelled to and no axes to grind, other than this State is a unequivocal laggard. Democracy or not, you get what you deserve.
bard207,
I totally agree the Taliban can by no means take any country forward in terms of development and betterment of livelihoods, specially talking of the Pakistani society, which has begun to being affected by Taliban’s very ideology.
The Government of Pakistan needs to understand this dynamic of a slowly-silently-moving cancer of backwardness (which is more dangerous) compared to the quickie changes in Pakistani society.
Your analysis of Taliban-occupied regions is factually correct when taking numbers from the February 2008 General Election which totally rejected fundamentalist political parties. What I very very strongly feel is the public opinion to raise its voice strongly and emphatically of the total rejection of this ideology being spread by the Taliban (which is very close to the form of Islam practised by Saudi Arabia, namely Wahhabism)
Initially, what Pakistani society witnessed was lawlessness, a very important issue, which successive Pakistani governments have ignored and which the Taliban cashed on to earn a good name amongst people in NWFP and FATA. But later when they unleashed their atrocious behavior and enforced a Wahhabi ideology down the throats of the people, the common people were in total denial of the same justice-providers doing this to them.
To my knowledge of whatever I know about the Pakistan Army and ISI, it has an India-centric policy and come what may, their policy won’t change till their insecurities are addressed. This inflexibility is so hard to change since Pakistan has existed with it for the past 60 years. It will definitely take time and am confident, a democratically elected government can keep good check on Taliban advancements anywhere in the country.
As far as implementing Taliban rule in main cities of Pakistan, this is a far-away phenomena. If it is to ever happen, it will definitely meet public resistance. Since Pakistan’s Army’s majority officers come from Punjab (province with probably the longest border with India) the Army shall lose public appeal if it happened and also lose public appeal for any anti-India stance so to say.
Ahmad Tariq,
Thank you for your response, but I think you missed the point that I was aiming for.
As far as implementing Taliban rule in main cities of Pakistan, this is a far-away phenomena. If it is to ever happen, it will definitely meet public resistance. Since Pakistan’s Army’s majority officers come from Punjab (province with probably the longest border with India) the Army shall lose public appeal if it happened and also lose public appeal for any anti-India stance so to say.
The Pakistani Army & ISI feel that Taliban governance & culture is suitable for Afghanistan because they are supporting the Taliban against Afghanistan, U.S. and NATO.
Yet, they aren’t interested in enjoying the Taliban governance & culture for their own country?
Why does Pakistan deem it is suitable for Afghanistan, but not good enough for themselves?
If the Pakistani Army & ISI were pushing for an immediate Taliban takeover of Pakistan (including the Punjab), at least they would be consistent by promoting the same for Afghanistan.
Since the Pakistani Army & ISI aren’t actively pushing for an immediate Taliban takeover of Pakistan (including the Punjab), then why are they pushing – promoting it for Afghanistan?
T Ruth,
I view Pakistan as a country with multiple goals that often exclude each other and many from Pakistan are overlooking those concerns.
1. For the rest of the world to consider Pakistan Equal to India despite the huge differences in population.
2. Threaten India over Kashmir and use proxies like LeT to attack India.
3. Expect the International business community to be interested in development and funding projects in Pakistan even though basics such as safety and a steady supply of electricity are huge concerns for potential business ventures.
4. Expect continued funding from the U.S. and other countries, yet be able to continue working against those very same countries by supporting the Taliban.
5. Expect their educational system to be respected around the world, yet not allocating the resources
and oversight to make it actually happen.
Bard (to Ahmad tariq):
Thank you for your response, but I think you missed the point that I was aiming for.
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Oh no Sir, i can bet you he didn’t miss the point.
He just didn’t respond to it (!) because it is awfully inconvenient!! (as one had predicted. And frankly they are predictable to the point of being oh so boring.)
bard207,
Apologies for not able to reply and focus on the point you were focusing on.
This is true that Pakistan Army & ISI are not interested in spreading the same Taliban governance & culture in Pakistan. The reasons purely lie in the foreign policy structure of Pakistan. Entirely, the foreign policy for Pakistan’s immediate neighbors is framed by the ISI, without any doubt. The Pakistan Army & ISI, used and are probably still using the Taliban as a proxy to at least secure the western border it has. The reason being is the history of Afghan government who have been India-friendly (which sounds preposterous a reason to be the only reason to raise a proxy force) and to have taken anti-Pakistan views, specially concerning the Durand Line that was drawn between Afghanistan and Pakistan during British times, which later after Pakistan’s independence was turning out to be a threatening of its sovereignty when the Afghan government at that time demanded the Pashtun lands of Pakistan to be merged with Afghanistan as they claimed it was their land which belonged to them.
In order to counter those forces and to prevent spillover effects (and bring stability in Kabul) of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, Pakistan decided to prop up a regime of the Taliban with the help of Saudi Arabia and UAE (which were by the way the only other two countries to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 1996).
Bard, thanks very well ennumerated and good articulation of their ‘battles’.
As far as i can see, they are losing on all those fronts, with the exception of item 4 where they have been successful in extracting a good bit of money out of the intnl community, lead by the Americans. But this is a bottomless pit, especially with the massive corruption which makes Afghanistan look quite decent (putting aside the opium trade which has unique characteristics).
To see what a bunch of losers they are, all one has to do is to look around for ex-pak presidents and prime ministers and follow their paths in exiting their office. It takes you to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, London, assasinations, helo’s falling out of the sky, and even an execution chamber. Its a good slice of the state of their law, disorder, dysfunction and violence.
With all these desperate internal conflicts, one wonders why they need rack their brains for conspiracy theories.
The answer of course is simple–they love to blame the situations, rather than look inwards and confront their monsters.
The Pakistan Army & ISI, used and are probably still using the Taliban as a proxy to at least secure the western border it has.
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You’re kidding right? You must be the only person to believe that the western border is “secure”
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“This is true that Pakistan Army & ISI are not interested in spreading the same Taliban governance & culture in Pakistan.”
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Well this is the thing about culture–it tends to spread and if the propogator thinks that he can sequester himself, then he is being too clever by half. And that movie inevitably ends with self-destruction.
so watch what goes on in your laboratory.
Ahmad Tariq,
Thank you for your response.
From what I have read on:
1. Pakistani media web sites
2. Comments from Pakistanis on web sites across the Internet
3. BBS sites with a majority of members from Pakistan.
much – most of the blame for Taliban problems in Pakistan is assigned to the U.S. having military forces in that part of the world.
There are some notable exceptions such as Nadeem Paracha and his recent post A nation of sleepwalkers.
When those in Pakistan continue to differentiate between Good (active in Afghanistan) Taliban and Bad (active in Pakistan) Taliban and blame a Foreign Hand (CIA and/or RAW and/or Mossad) for the Bad Taliban, that is puzzling to many outside Pakistan.
Since that differentiation is allowed to stand and few in the Pakistani media are arguing against it, then it carries an implicit backing by the Paksitani media and perhaps the Pakistani public for what the ISI is doing in Afghanistan by backing the Taliban for Strategic Depth
If the Pakistani media & public were actively vocal against the Taliban being in Afghanistan, then I would understand revulsion – resistance by those in the Punjab to possibly being under Taliban like governance & culture. Since there is little disapproval by the Pakistani media and public of the Afghanistani Taliban, then I can only take it as approval and ponder why they aren’t wanting Taliban like governance & culture for themselves.
If there is sentiment that Kashmir should be ceded to Pakistan because some Pakistanis think that Muslims are being treated poorly, then there should be strong anti Afghanistan Taliban sentiment because the Taliban are known to treat people poorly. Sadly, I don’t see enough anti Afghanistan Taliban sentiment from those in Pakistan.
In regards to a Foreign Hand being able to conduct subversive activities in Pakistan, I will read a thread on a Pakistani centric BBS discussing the U.S. pulling back from areas such as Nuristan and not being able to secure the border areas.
Then there will be another discussion about the Foreign Hand being active across the border disrupting life in Pakistan perhaps 100 – 150 km from Nuristan.
Those who promote the Foreign Hand theory never close the Logic Gap to explain how the U.S. forces face tremendous resistance on the Afghanistani side of the border, yet forces of the Foreign Handare able to roam freely on the Pakistani side of the border.
The logic gaps and inconsistent rationalizations by some in Pakistan leave me puzzled.
This is a lively and cordial discussion and exchange. Informative. Am I really on the internet??? This is just another way the LWJ is THE go-to spot for intelligent “interweb” Af-Pak and GWOT news and debate.