Dear members
This email ive written to Cyril Almeida, a Dawn Staffer on his article today in Dawn with the title "OUR TERMS, OUr VICTORY?"
As I have no internet access, I used my cellphone to write the email because of which i could not really elaborate on few things. Please refer to the article and comment here regarding the article or my email. Here goes:

Dear Cyril,
First of all I dont think you should be writing any analysis on the current relations of Pak-US as your knowledge is as comprehensive as that of any common citizen out there. Your article today was a complete waste of space in todays Dawn. It lacked depth. It had no analysis. How can you even analyse anything when your aloof of what actually goes inside an Army chain of command. You are merely churning out your own speculations which is based entirely on what the media is speculating and you know how credible that is, leave alone biased.

The Salala attacks were entirely deliberate. There is no action carried out from an armed force without proper planning and consent of the highest command, in this case Chief of Nato Martin Demsey hence his indifferent rebuttal that ' there is absolutely nothing to apologise about '. How could you overlook the most basic thing? Your article was best suited to be on a personal blog space of a person rather than a leading English daily.
FYI, the army has repeatedly asserted that the region they have been attacked in is militant free but you thought that an unknown Journal based abroad was more credible than the army on ground in that region.
I think you have completely failed to appreciate the gravity of the situation Pakistan is currently battling. Please write on things you have command on rather basing analysis on media speculations.

God bless.

IT’S all happening so fast that analysis seems like a pretty futile pursuit just now. There you are, all smug about your handy analysis and juicy sound bites,
trotting them out to clamorous demand and wham! Mid-sentence something
else happens and you have to tear up the sheet and start all over again. So forget the analysis, mostly anyway, and behold some of the contradictions. A week ago, as the memogate controversy raged, it looked like the Americans
may be up to their tricks again. As curiouser and curiouser comments about
The Memo were made, for a while it seemed that anyone in Pakistan could
pick up a phone and get a senior American official to comment. But nary a word of solace for the unfortunate Haqqani, who was being
frogmarched to his resignation, or for the beleaguered civilians. It looked like
the Americans were sick of the bumbling civilians who couldn’t deliver jack. Working to an American electoral stopwatch and a deadline in Afghanistan,
maybe the Americans had made their peace with the fact that there’s only one
sheriff in Pakistan and he ain’t sitting in the presidency. It was a delicious conspiracy and it helped that only weak dissenting voices
were heard. Those who were suggesting that maybe it was just a case of the
Americans not picking sides, as opposed to running with the boys, didn’t
sound very convincing. After all, you can understand Mullen’s first statement
on The Memo maybe, but the second? It’s like the Americans had suddenly
forgotten the words ‘No comment’. So yes, it looked like the Americans had come around to the reality of Pakistan
and the need to engineer a face-saving exit from Afghanistan. Then Mohmand
happens. The Americans and Isaf refuse to blink, refuse to apologise and pretty much
suggest that it’s self-righteous of Pakistan to get so worked up over the death
of its soldiers when Americans and others routinely die in Afghanistan at the
hands of militants
presumably backed or tolerated by Pakistan. So much for the auguries of the US and the army here inching towards a
hardnosed deal. The public is up in arms, the Americans are being chucked out
of Shamsi again, and this time we really mean it, and even reasonable folks are
calling for
thumbing the superpower in the eye for expectorating in our direction. Oh yes, it’s all doom and gloom again. The glimmer of hope in memogate has
been forgotten; it’s back to daggers and knives. So much for analysis. Elsewhere, though, people are trying to piece together at least the background
to the Mohmand killings. No surprises for guessing who the other player in the game is, though you
may not hear too much about them from the talking heads and pontificators
here: the Taliban. This from the Long War Journal, which tracks militancy in Afghanistan and
Pakistan and can hardly be described as
sympathetic to Pakistan: “The Salala security posts are located in the Taliban-
controlled Baizai area of Mohmand, a well-known hotbed of militant activity
that has significantly impacted security on both sides of the border.” Both sides of the border, that’s the key phrase. The phrase features again in the LWJ’s analysis: “Taliban incursions on both
sides of the border have successfully exploited a tense border situation to the
breaking point.” While officials here are muttering darkly about a ‘deliberate’ attack by the US,
few seem to want to talk about what’s actually been going on along the
stretch of border in the Dir-Bajaur-Mohmand-Kunar-Nuristan triangle in recent
months. Maybe the Americans did want to smack Pakistan around and that’s what
happened in Mohmand last Saturday. But is it possible that Taliban activity in
the area, which for months has rattled both American and Pakistani forces, on
that night
triggered a reaction from the US side that in the fog of war in a very tense
area went disastrously wrong, hitting the Pakistani posts instead of the Taliban? Here’s more from the LWJ, zooming in on stuff that’s been covered by the
Pakistani media before but which has been forgotten over the last week in a
bout of collective, and convenient, amnesia: “Since March, numerous Taliban swarm attacks have ravaged Pakistani
outposts in the region, prompting violent reactions from Pakistani forces who
frequently shell suspected militant positions located in eastern Afghanistan’s
Kunar and Nuristan
provinces…. Baizai is a known transit point and safe haven for Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) commanders Maulvi Faqir Mohammad and Mullah Fazlullah.” Of course, had the Americans wanted they could have been profuse in their
apologies and helped mollify a raging Pakistan. But it now seems that while
the Americans are tiring of Pakistani games they are still struggling to reconcile
themselves with what
the army here believes is the inevitable: that a deal on Afghanistan will have to
be cut with Pakistan ultimately. Our terms, our victory, or else we’ll take the whole neighbourhood down
with us. The bet here is that with Osama out of the picture and a domestic US
political clock ticking, the Americans will ultimately reconcile themselves to our
army’s
perspective on Afghanistan. It’s been that way for a while now. Given the uncertainty of purpose on the
American side and the certainty of purpose on the Pakistani side, it has
seemed likely for a while that the army-led security establishment will get its
way in Afghanistan.But an
equally likely corollary: ‘victory’ will come at a great cost to us, three, five,
seven years down the road. We may get rid of the Americans, but once they’re gone we’ll still have to deal with the Taliban scampering across the
border and seeking to kill and
destroy in Pakistan. Defeat wrapped up as victory? Never mind. Once we’ve bent the Americans to
our will, we’ll be too busy gloating to figure out
what’s coming our way next.

__________________
My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous [The Poets-26 Verse 83]

And what proof do you have that this incident was deliberate? Why would they want to attack, if this attack is not in the interest of US. US is packing up in Afghanistan and before leaving it will settle matters with Afghanistan as well as Pakistan. And with this new incident, US now has to settle a deal with our upset army. Our army will get its way i.e. It is going to ask for aid!

Pakistan is acting like a baby! NATO is going to do an impartial investigation in this matter. Our media and politicians are throwing this issue around as if it were 100 % certain that it was an intentional attack. Attack on a sovereign state, attack on democracy etc. It could just have been an incident. Can't we wait for the investigation to come with answers.

NOW they are shutting down Shamsi airbase, as if 9620 civilians who died in drone attacks were worthless compared to the 24 army men who could just have died in an accident.

Read this : http://tribune.com.pk/story/301117/r...ttack-says-us/

I don't want to disrespect the 24 Shuhda, I just want to question the dubious manner in which our country is handling this issue.

Some fait accompli are hereby mentioned for u:

1- the area attacked has been free of militants and both armed forces were aware of it.

2- the helicopters traveled more than 2kms inside Pak territory to attack the check post

3- the attack lasted around 2hours during which the helicopters disengaged from firing and later came back again to fire.

4- basic rules and functioning of armed forces of any type of any country, do not fly solo missions on their own. This is not Hollywood and Rambo. Complete info and briefing is given to soldiers aviation or air force even in the shortest time duration beforeee an attack is launched. Time and duration of attack is planned as well.

U ask my sources? Other than basic knowledge i live in a family with people in army and isi. So trust me my info is better than that of a local or international newspaper.

Now few questions for u to ponder on, based on those facts above:

1- take an example, 2 indian helicopters around rahim yar khan or sialkot or lahore, travel inside pak territory, fires at a established check post which has no less than 40 soldiers, keeps firing for 2hours and then goes back into its territory and says..umm...'' sorry bout that dude.wasnt intentional :/"
Hello seriously ? Does that even make sense to u?

2- when ur attacking something, army has the exact co-ordinates of the place so that the attack is quick and precise. If u use jets, like in this case nato did, u use jammers so that, hey, u dont alert a whole army that there is a jet flying and attacking a place in ur territory. hence 'the communications broke down'.

2- use ur head on this one..they say they thought it was taliban.do u really think, that taliban a guerilla force, would be sitting at the top of a mountain, have an established check post with 40 taliban insurgents? Dont u think thats worse than suicide esp when u know 3 armies are hunting u? Ir that was the case either army would have taken the taliban check post out without suffering any casualties on their own

3- u think the sole super power of the world will bow down its head and say that it was deliberate but we are sorry? No they will either blame u or say it was an accident
Bcause admitting it was deliberate that would mean almost war

4- u actually believe the propagandist and biased western esp american media?

5- nato will hold an impartial inquiry? That made me laugh sadly. The answer to that is in the point above.

6- the height of naivety is that u think and believe that america came to afghanistan, fought insurgents and after facing defeat, it will leave. Ha ha ha. Seriously? U really think thats why they were here? and so called withdrawal of forces is not complete, they are going to keep a heavy military presence in afghanistan for so called peace keeping and training.

My friend u seriously need to look at things beyond what the media tells you.

And yes, our brave soldiers at the check post had weapons to deal with taliban and insurgents, they didnt have weapons to deal with the most advanced and sophisticate helis and jets of a super power.

I had to reply through my cell, i hope these few facts and basic knowledge got through to u.

God bless

__________________
My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous [The Poets-26 Verse 83]

The example of Pakistani Media/Politics/Army is something like this:



Pakistan is like Ahmadinejad in this cartoon - Claiming it to be deliberate without proof, and calling EVERY news in contradiction a lie/propaganda. Pakistan has ZERO proof of this being intentional.

I like the way you went through this issue logically, but if US is right about Pakistan giving green light, this would mean that Nato forces gave coordinates to Pakistan to know whether that location was occupied by its army, and Pakistan gave the green light.

Army claims 80 per cent of Mohmand cleared | Pakistan | DAWN.COM
Schools reopen in Mohmand area after three years | Pakistan | DAWN.COM
Militants attack tribal leader’s residence in Mohmand | Pakistan | DAWN.COM
Four killed in attack on homes of anti-Taliban elders in Mohmand | Pakistan | DAWN.COM

Stop living under the lie that all western media does is propagate lies.

2) Traveled 2 km inside Pak territory TO ATTACK CHECK POST?
ZERO PROOF!
3) Yes, but nobody knows why they did this. And after the first bout of attack Pakistani Army didn't inform Nato? Huh? I thought jammers were in planes/helicopters so if they went away the 'communication' wouldn't be down? Actually the communication was NOT down because of jammers, it was down because of some problem in our own communication system
4) Yes, but not if someone is firing at you. Which is what happened according to US.

This is what happened according to Nato: Pakistani army fired at Nato helicopters, Nato asked Pakistan whether it had army check posts at those coordinates, Pakistan replied NO. If there was no Army, it can only be Taliban, so they fired back.

You know what none of us can prove our stance. We might as well end this discussion. The only point I was trying to make was that not all Western news against our country is propaganda.

First thing first. It took me a while to convince myself that i should bother replying to this. Ur views seem to be helplessly aligned towards believing that everything churned by the west is true. Secondly, mind u, ur views are pretty anti army or even anti pakistan.
Bout the cartoon, it was nothing more than a cartoon and i will say to that extent it is funny. Is it based on reality? No.

This so called unbiased western media devoid of any israeli or us government influence, is the same media who convinced THE WHOLE WORLD INCLUDING ITS OWN ARMY that the reason they are going to war in Afghanistan and Iraq is because of terrorists(who wernt iraqi or afghani nationals), and for Weapons of Mass Destruction WMD's and for ridding these countries against tyrranic rulers.
Same western media? All of it? Forgods sake they even had us convinced. So tell me chemguy, where are the conveniently forgotten WMD's??? Local americans are complete noobs and believe anything their government or media tells them.
Im sure you also believe that the real power running America and the economy of the whole world are the jews or Zionists. Im sure u also fail to acknowledge a jewish and indian lobby in all parts of their government and senate.
So yes the western media is true. Pakistan is a whining baby. Its army is a liar etc

Moving onto the jammers. Jammers are used to hamper communications yes, but mainly they jam ur radars. Almost making ur airforce Blind.

Does it make sense to u that our army gave a green light to get our own soldiers killed? I told u before and telling u again, co ordinates of these check posts were known to nato and us as a precautionary excercise between countries. Helicopters gunships fired, and for that u need 'visuals' of the target. So if u have visuals u know exactly who the heck ur shooting at. In this case uniformed soldiers with weapon installations.
If USa can fly drones from a room, even they have visuals of the targets and mostly know who they are attacking. Get it?

Nw telme why would professional soldiers of our army attack nato first when they dont have the frikkin weapons to deal with them and know in retaliation they will be killed.

Obviously if the checkpost is in pak territory obviouslyyyyyyy helis will go inside the territory to literlly destroy the check post. Or u belived helis can fire blindly beyond mountains inside afghanistan.

Seriously wake up dude. no offence

God bless

__________________
My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous [The Poets-26 Verse 83]

In 1948 during Israel’s independence speech – David Ben Gurion said: “The world Zionist movement should not be neglectful of the dangers of
Pakistan to it. And Pakistan now should be its first target, for this ideological
State is a threat to our existence. And Pakistan, the whole of it, hates the
Jews and loves the Arabs. “This lover of the Arabs is more dangerous to us
than the Arabs themselves. For that matter, it is most essential for the world
Zionism that it should now take immediate steps against Pakistan. “Whereas the inhabitants of the Indian peninsula are Hindus whose hearts have been
full of hatred towards Muslims, therefore, India is the most important base for
us to work there from against Pakistan. “It is essential that we exploit this
base and strike and crush Pakistanis, enemies of Jews and Zionism, by all
disguised and secret plans.” David Ben Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister, as printed in the Jewish
Chronicle, 9 August 1967 edition.


INdependence speech of a founder of a country setting forth the ideology of israel and its future course of action.

Do you know what Pakistan was in 1948?

I will leave you to ponder on the implications of such things. On ofcourse u can search this as well

__________________
My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous [The Poets-26 Verse 83]

is ur silence showing that you agree finally with my views?
If yes i would really like to know. If not, still do mention it

__________________
My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom and unite me to the righteous [The Poets-26 Verse 83]

where was our 'bold' and 'brave' airforce? were the falcons soundly sleeping again? about God damn time they got their act together.

totally agree with chemguy, what about the 9000+ civilians who died? dont they matter?
and how come they arent ever called 'shaheed' rather 'mar gaye'?

even in this situation wont the end result just be the govt and army bargaining for $$$ and weapons in exchange for 'controlling the angry people' after this event? isnt that where we'd be heading?