A ‘57–state solution’
Thursday, 14 May, 2009
IN what has been one of the strongest statements by an Arab head of state in years, King Abdullah of Jordan has said a war can break out in the Middle East in 12 to 18 months if peace negotiations are delayed. In an interview with a British newspaper, the king rejected the two-state solution and, instead, spoke of a “57-state solution”. By this he meant that an Israeli pullout and a final peace agreement would lead to the recognition of the Israeli state by all Arab and Muslim states. The Jordanian monarch’s frustration with the moribund peace process is understandable. The greatest tragedy for peace was the sabotage of the Declaration of Principles signed in Washington, with US and Russia as co-sponsors, in September 1993 by Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. Hailed as the “peace of the brave” by President Bill Clinton, the accord was wrecked by subsequent Israeli prime ministers — Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon.
The Republican administration (2000-08) turned the word ‘peace’ into a joke and set new records of kowtowing to Israel. The April 2003 roadmap unveiled by George Bush was torpedoed by himself when he said a Palestinian state by 2005 was an unrealistic date. Then in November 2007, Bush organised a conference at Annapolis, where a declaration signed by him, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert visualised the emergence of a Palestinian state by the end of 2008. Bush kept quiet when on his return home Mr Olmert said he was not bound by the Annapolis declaration. Now the world’s eyes are focused on America’s new president. Islamic countries will especially wonder whether Barack Obama will stand up to the strong Israel lobby in America and fulfil the promise he made in his inaugural address to reach out to the Muslim world. The king is himself reported to have prepared the plan which Mr Obama is to announce in his June 4 address to the Muslim world from Cairo. It remains to be seen whether the US president will be able to achieve a breakthrough and ensure an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.
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Police under fire
Thursday, 14 May, 2009
IT is hardly surprising that of the 532 complaints received by the Sindh Chief Minister’s Public Complaint Cell in five weeks (March to April 2009), 291 were against the police. The trust deficit between the guardians of the law and the public is quite well-known. The statistics confirm in quantitative terms how bad the situation is. The idea of having a complaint cell is a good one, since the gap between the public and its elected representatives is now so wide that extraordinary measures have to be devised to allow people an opportunity to air their grievances and get them across to a minister at the other end, who can give them a patient hearing. It is, however, equally important for this exercise to result in the creation of a fruitful mechanism to address the complaints in a satisfactory manner. Otherwise there will be more frustration.
If the police are the cause of so much public discontent it is time to focus on police reforms and analyse the factors that have led to their failure. The main complaint that has come up repeatedly is the failure of the force to register the FIR which is essential to getting the investigation and court proceedings started. There are two reasons for this flaw. The first is a dearth of men — and women — in the force for the task at hand. The fact is that given the current security concerns in the province, a sizable chunk of the police force has to be deployed to provide protection to ministers and their families, high-ups in the government and other public figures threatened by criminal elements. As a result the police force available for duties such as manning the thanas and responding to cries of help from the site of crime is not enough. Hence the delay in registering FIRs.
But that is not the only problem. The police are also not as efficient and committed to their duty as they should be because there is too much political interference in their working. This destroys whatever professionalism there is in the force or that the police are required to display. Sometimes FIRs are not registered because some political bigwig or his minion is being affected by it and does his best to prevent a case from being lodged. Add to this the element of corruption — why should one expect a lowly paid constable not to accept a bribe when corruption has infiltrated all levels of society? Only far-reaching reforms can rectify these problems.
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As the battle heats up
Thursday, 14 May, 2009
THE battle for the Taliban heartland in Swat moved up a gear on Tuesday as crack commando units were airlifted to mountains ringing Peochar, the district headquarters of militant chief Fazlullah and his band of fighters. It is much too early to predict the outcome but the result will have a huge bearing on the wider fight against militancy. A rout here of the Taliban — and, ideally, the capture or surrender of Fazlullah — may demoralise the militants who still control Mingora, Swat’s largest city, and lead to desertions in other areas as well. If the military is to be believed, this is already happening in Malakand Division as a whole, where new recruits and ‘criminal elements’ who had sided with the Taliban are said to have lost their appetite for battle. The military also maintains that nearly 750 militants have been killed so far in the ongoing operation. Unfortunately, there is no way of independently verifying these claims or, in some cases, distinguishing between dead fighters and civilians caught in the crossfire.
That said, it is clear that significant advances have been made in recent days and the Taliban are now on the defensive. Given the appeasement policies of successive governments, perhaps they never expected so ferocious a response. A rout of the Fazlullah-led Taliban may also destabilise their counterparts in the tribal belt, which must become the focus of counter-insurgency efforts once peace is achieved in Swat. A Taliban setback in Swat could, however, also produce the reverse effect in the tribal areas. It may serve as a catalyst for binding together the loose confederation of militants operating there and ultimately produce a more united fighting force. Needless to say, a Taliban victory in Swat — or even a stalemate — will be an unmitigated disaster. It will further embolden an already audacious enemy and spell ruin for the country.
The current crackdown has naturally gone down well with the US which had long been pushing, to put it mildly, for decisive action against the Taliban. Washington’s routine public criticism of Islamabad’s capitulation as well as aspersions cast on Pakistan’s security apparatus served no constructive purpose whatsoever. Any such complaints ought to have been discussed solely on a government-to-government level but were instead broadcast through the media as well. Now that a military operation is in full swing, US criticism has tapered off for the time being. If we are in this together for the long haul, Washington would do well to show patience and hold its verbal fire.
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OTHER VOICES - Middle east Press Interfaith dialogue
Thursday, 14 May, 2009
IN a changing and volatile world, any talk of interfaith dialogue becomes an important exercise. This is being said given that many groups are resorting to extremism and using violence as their only means of communication…. The pope has called for an end to tensions between Muslims and Christians, warning that religion should not be used for a political end….
There is no doubt that building bridges between two of the most important faiths is important. As a matter of fact, in recent times some activists from both sides have adopted a proactive role with regard to the issue of interfaith dialogue. Perhaps one of the first steps that the pope could adopt is to push for a revival of the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
The pope has stated that although he does not represent a political institution, there could be a contribution to be made towards the progress of the process…. —(May 10)
A missed opportunity
ONE word unsaid can sometimes be more damaging than thousands of words uttered. This is what happened two days ago during Pope Benedict XVI’s speech at Yad Vashem. The thorough preparations for his visit to Israel, the complex traffic and security arrangements, and the millions of shekels that were earmarked for his hospitality evaporated as if they did not exist, thanks to a speech that was missing one word — “sorry”.
From the church’s standpoint, the pilgrimage to the Holy Land could have buttressed the Vatican’s position in the diplomatic process while minimising the damage caused by some of the pope’s decisions…. The pope’s visit shows that there is no real dialogue between Israel and the Vatican…. It is clear that logistical preparations for such a visit are not sufficient, and that it is vital to conduct diplomatic dialogue over the content of the public aspects of the visit, so as to prevent mishaps. — (May 13)