Lashes to lashes, dust to dust

"and right now, unless the fauj is planning a major strike against the taliban, paksitan is getting ready to open the gates to the barbarians."
Tahmed,
I don't agree with this. Allowing army to operate in the settled areas of NWFP would amount to calling the army back to rule the country. Which is a worst nightmare than the few stupid misguided zealot with a few guns operating in a small part of the country. The politicians should handle this. Provide more guns to the FC, police and other lawenforcement. Arrange for tight security of the areas and support the locals that are fighting the militants.

You allow army to enter the scene through the back door and you end up another eight years of military rule.

The simple reason the Taliban are allowed to roam in the settled areas is to create an opportunity for the army to take over in the name of law and order.
It will take a little longer with the politicians but they are the ones to handle this not the army.

HP: only pakistanis can save pakistan. and only pakistanis can destroy pakistan.

and right now, unless the fauj is planning a major strike against the taliban, paksitan is getting ready to open the gates to the barbarians.

#274 that is fair enough.

"(outcome perfectly acceptable to me"

And who t f are you? Are you the world? There are handful of countries in the world that are bothered by what is going on in Pakistan. You can count them on fingers. One is India, US and a few countries under the US influence in western Europe. Who else is giving it a fk?

Self destruct or not that is the way Pakistanis deal with the issues what is your problem. Worry abt Bhokay nangay 700 million Indians. Idiot!

Re: # 273 Tahmed

It is simple:

Either (A) Pakistan reforms and emerges as a mature country (outcome perfectly acceptable to me = problems solved for the rest of the world), OR

(B) Pakistan proceeds on its current self-destructive path and implodes thereby no longer being a threat to anyone else (outcome perfectly acceptable to me = most, but not all, problems solved for the world)

While (A) is preferable to (B), both are acceptable if push comes to shove.

BTW, your earlier knee-jerk reaction reveals how even though after spending years on Chowk and 15,000+ posts later, you have failed to absorb some of the crucial subtleties.

So, now - are you going to write to your Congressman? I hope so.

Cheers

#272 I am all for putting an end to the taliban menace. And I all for this bill, along with the proposed additional conditions (i.e. access to the man who enriched himself by selling Pakistan's nuclear secrets, and elimination of all jehadi organizations).

I didnt read your post, and assumed that (in keeping with your past posts on chowk) you would be opposing the bill.

You Indians need to make up your minds - either you support a democratic Pakistan (rather than one ruled by some form of military-mullah autocracy), or you oppose it (and would rather see it destroyed by painting it as a terrorist state). Anyone reading chowk posts from Indians can see what you would like to see. So, why this change when it comes to writing letters to congressmen?

Re: # 271 Tahmed

Do you know who Howard Berman is (the author of the Bill)? Do you know that a similar version is under consideration in the Senate?

Do you disagree with the intention, 'it focuses on funding the core issues relating to genuinely helping Pakistan get out of the hole in which it finds itself – a jihadi onslaught, economic collapse and a broken education system'?

#270 and the US congress will ignore what makes sense for the US and the world and start the spites of a what a bunch of monkeys from India!! ha! ha!

As you know, Congressman Howard Berman (D-California), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has moved a bill named Pakistan Enduring Assistance Cooperation Enhancement (PEACE) act of 2009 - H.R. 1886.

It focuses on funding the core issues relating to genuinely helping Pakistan get out of the hole in which it finds itself – a jihadi onslaught, economic collapse and a broken education system – while holding strict accountability and monitoring requirements to ensure that the funds are used for their stated purposes.

So, this is your chance, as an American, to make your voice heard and make an impact in Washington on an issue that is close to our hearts. Please consider doing all, or at least some, of the following:

**relay this email out to all your friends, specially those who have been politically active over the past few election cycles, and therefore are in a position to influence their respective Congresspersons .

**take the time to write a letter to your Congressperson. Please scroll down for a sample letter.

THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 50 CONGRESSPERSONS FROM ACROSS THE NATION TO PUT THEIR NAMES AS CO-SPONSORS OF THE BERMAN BILL.

Only if your Congressperson were to get enough letters from his/her constituents impressing upon him/her why this bill is a good one and needs his/her support, do we have a chance of reaching the goal.

Please do not discard this e-mail. A little effort on your part can make all the difference between us seeing this bill pass in its current form, or having it amended and altered into a toothless document.

Cheers.


Write your Congressional Representative

To co-sponsor "Pakistan Enduring Assistance Cooperation Enhancement Act" (PEACE) -- H. R. 1886 introduced by Congressman Howard Berman

To identify and contact your Representative, please click: https://writerep.house.gov:443/writerep/welcome.shtml

Dear Representative .......

My name is ....... and I am a resident of your congressional district. I am writing to you because there is a new bill that Congressman Howard Berman (D-California) has just introduced in the House and I would appreciate if you would co-sponsor this proposed legislation, for it has potentially far reaching geopolitical ramifications for the United States, Pakistan and our long term ability to win the campaign against terrorism.

The bill in question is the Pakistan Enduring Assistance Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009 [or, the PEACE Act of 2009] -- H. R. 1886.

Today, it is common knowledge that the epicenter of global terrorism is Pakistan, and more specifically, its Northern and Western territories that abut Afghanistan and Iran. Based on preliminary numbers, it is also a fact that Pakistan is soon going to become the second largest recipient of United States aid, after Israel. Hence, it is imperative that our funding is done carefully, managed to appropriate metrics, monitored meticulously and appropriate feedback loops created to ensure that aid is tied to Pakistan delivering on its commitment.

The PEACE bill of 2009 (H. R. 1886) does precisely all of this. Here are some of the highlights of the proposed legislation:

The bill clearly directs Pakistan, “not to provide any support, direction, guidance to or acquiescence in the activities of any person or group that engages in any degree in acts of violence or intimidation against civilians, civilian groups or government entities.�

The proposed bill asks the United States to redouble its efforts to work with the Government of Pakistan through all appropriate means in establishing counter insurgency and counter terrorism strategies to prevent any territory of Pakistan from being used as a base or conduit for terrorist attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan or elsewhere.

With reference to the involvement of the military and intelligence agency in supporting terrorist activities, the bill demands Pakistan cease support to extremists and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks against United States or Coalition forces in Afghanistan or against the territory of India or the people of India.

In a section entitled Sense of Congress, the bill states that the conditions in Pakistan will only be improved through regional coordination and cooperation, and long term security in Pakistan depends on strengthening regional relationships among India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

It recommends increasing oversight of educational curricula in schools, including Madrasas, and states that these religious schools not be used to incite terrorism. It further demands the closing of Madrasas found to have links to terrorists.

Congressman Berman’s Bill also deals with the sale of nuclear technology reportedly by Mr. A.Q. Khan of Pakistan. It states that Pakistan provide access to United States investigators to individuals suspected of engaging in worldwide proliferation of nuclear material. It asks Pakistan to restrict such individuals from travel or any other activity that could result in further proliferation. Pakistan has refused to investigate the activities of Khan and has recently released him from house arrest.

The proposal by Berman demands complete transparency and accountability of the aid given to Pakistan. It requires a report from the Comptroller General to Congressional Committees evaluating the effectiveness of security assistance provided to Pakistan and asks for a detailed description of the expenditures made by Pakistan.

This is the first time that the United States, which has given over $10 billion in aid to Pakistan, has attached conditions of accountability and transparency to future aid and has directed Pakistan to dismantle all terrorist training camps on its territory. With this bill, we finally have an opportunity to methodically work on reducing the risk of a future attack on American soil and American interests worldwide by working with the Pakistanis on dismantling the very nerve center of global jihadi terrorism.

Hence, as my representative, I would implore you to consider becoming a co-sponsor of this bill, which would go a long way in ensuring its passage through the House.

Respectfully,
your nane

nkg: wrong. all i see is indian chattering about pakistan below. i dont see any pakistanis chatering about india. no amount of bakwas from you can change that.

bjkumar: why dont you tell me why you disagree with my assessment of your stinking indian countrymen below, rather than putting up red flags? or is truth too hard to handle??

Re: # 266
beduin32...
nop...it is usual rotten camel sh**...

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Hasho: #262 I agree with you. The people of NWFP elected ANP, and it is this elected provincial government that is pressing the federal government to compromise with the taliban.

However, democracy does not stop here. It provides checks and balances against the "tyranny of the majority". The ANP government failed to protect the basic rights of the individual, and failed to take any action against the oppressors.

That individual may be that one poor girl whose brutalizing before a crowd of beghairats was witnessed by the video camera. Or it may be Adam Khan who choses not to condone the brutal actions of the Taliban, but is helpless - there being no Hyde Park in Peshawar. The federal government has a duty to step in.

So far, to his great credit, only the Chief Justice seems to understand this in Pakistan.

Re: # 241
bull...
when Richard Armitage threatened Mush, was there any option left for Pakistan?
US is permanent member of UNSC and nobody dares to take action against USA...now, US pampered Pakistan too much....If they had taken unilateral military action, US would have lost very little...but there would not have anything left called Pakistan....

There is a saying in Bengali...

Don't pamper a dog too much, such that it tries to sit on your head....

Re: # 210
dm...
yeh, valid point...but somehow, these 16 mahajanapadas survived for long time....During the the war of Kurukshetra, a lot of smaller kings from neighbouring regions partcipated in the greatwar (maharon)....At least the mighty Kauravas could have swallowed them, much before the Kurukshetra war....