Ground Report

 “In time of war the loudest patriots are the greatest profiteers.” (AUGUST BEBEL)

The Pakistan Army concluded its Operation Rah e Rast against Tehrik e Taliban Swat in earlier June this year and destroyed the TTP’s infrastructure and Command and Control system in Swat, Shangla, Dir and Malakand. During the operation, the army captured or killed the majority of TTP Swat Main leadership which including Shah Doran, Commander Qassab and Muslim Khan. Unfortunately Amir TTP Swat was able to slip away to Afghanistan.

Yesterday Abdul Hai Kakar of BBC broke the story that he was contacted by Molvi Fazalullah, Amir of TTP Swat from Afghan Number. According to Abdul Hai Kakar he clearly recognized Fazalullah’s Voice

"I have reached Afghanistan safely," Maulana Fazlullah told BBC Urdu.

"We are soon going to launch full-fledged punitive raids against the army in Swat."

The voice was recognizably Maulana Fazalullah’s – he has a very distinct way of pronouncing words.

I have spoken to him on several occasions and met him twice.

Maulana Fazalullah was calling from an Afghan number and sounded in good spirits when he called on Monday.

 According to Abdul Hai Kakar, Fazalullah told him that he was in mountains and that was the reason for bad signals. Hai said in Express News’s program Centre stage with Fahd Hussain” that he tried many time to re contact him on the number but due to bad signals he failed. He also said that he had met Fazalullah many times and he is 100 % sure that the man was Fazalullah and the number on CLI was that of an Afghan cellular company.

 On 31st October I wrote in my essay War on Terror, What’s going on?   I wrote about reports coming from Nuristan Province of Afghanistan, where Afghan Taliban Commander Zai ur Rehman is in full control after the withdrawal of American forces. Zia ur Rehman is also inviting Taliban from Mohmand, Bajor and Swat to take refuge in his area.

According to Asia times correspondent Syed Saleem Shahzad

In a telephone conversation on Wednesday, a militant linked to Rehman said that now that they had control of Nuristan, the militants are "marching towards Mohmand and Bajor to help their fellow Taliban fighting against Pakistani troops", referring to two tribal agencies across the border. 

According to report filed by BBC Urdu’s Abdul Hai Kakar it is now being confirmed that if at all report is true then Fazalullah is in Nuristan which has mountainous terrain. The same province where US troops left in such Hurry that

A US-based website, the Long War Journal, has documented in detail [1] that the Taliban are openly and unchallenged governing the province. The report cited al-Jazeera footage that showed the Taliban had also appointed a governor, Dost Muhammad. According to the footage, the Taliban had US arms, which they had seized from abandoned American bases. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization confirmed that the arms showed in the footage belonged to US forces.

Coming back to Nuristan where TTP Militants are regrouping and finding sanctuary with Afghan Taliban, first we have to find out what kind of Taliban dwell in Nuristan and Northern Part of NWFP province of Pakistan.

Nuristan has always been Strong hold of Salfi militants. During Afghan Soviets war. Majority of Arabs were based in this area. Zai ur Rehman himself according to Asia Times correspondent Syed Saleem Shahzad.

Zia ur, in his early thirties, was raised in the camps of Arab militants, who instilled in him the passion to fight against the Americans – not only in Afghanistan, but across the globe.

 Mixture of Salfism and Deobandism gave rise to PUNJPIRI Ideology. Panjpiri Taliban is a cult of Taliban. Most Taliban from Bajor and Swat belong to this school of thought. This school of Thought originated from Nuristan Province of Afghanistan. A Cleric from Afghanistan brought this ideology to Panjpir Swabi. Panjpiries, although call themselves Deo-bandi Sunnies but in practice are more strict then Salfies. Most Taliban who came back to Pakistan from Afghanistan after US invasion belonged to this school of thought. Molvi Faqir Muhammad renamed his area as Panjpir to show his respect to the madrassa and school. Faqir Muhammad and Fazalullah and their men in Swat and Bajor are all Punjpiries. 

US withdrawal and current emerging situation raises many serious questions about the American game in the region. US withdrew from Nuristan— it is understandable due to their less number—but they left their arms and ammo behind!  It’s some thing un-digestible.  US army is one brave professional army. There are two possible scenarios which can answer why they left their weapons behind.

·        They were desperate to leave their bases and were afraid of Taliban

·        They intentionally left their weapons to be used by Taliban, who they knew are ideologically closer to TTP Swat, Bajor and Mohmand. Hence allowing Pakistani Taliban to re group and train their new cadre  and also  creating pressure on Pakistan and  creating excuse to pressurize and Black mail Pakistan to gain American strategic interests. Which are de nucleaize Pakistan and make it US dependent?

There are couple of evidence and Published reports in foreign as well as Pakistani media which supports second hypothesis. I will only give three examples and will leave on readers to decide them selves’ what’s happening.

Pakistan Army Started operation Rah e Nijat against TTP Head Quarter South Waziristan Agency to eliminate—capture or kill TTP leadership and base. Around Two Division army started the operation Rah e Nijat Phase 2 on 17th Oct 2009 with support of Pakistan Air Force and Gunship helicopters. It was moral duty of US to seal Pakistan Afghan Border on the opposite side of NWA and SWA. After all Pakistan is ally of US in war against terror —- but what American and Nato did—- in words of  Qudssia Akhlaque

ISLAMABAD: The US-led Nato forces vacated more than half a dozen key security checkposts on the Afghan side of the Pak-Afghan border just ahead of the major Pakistan Army ground offensive (code named: Rahe Nijaat) against Taliban-led militants in the volatile tribal area of South Waziristan, it is learnt. 
It is feared that the American decision will facilitate Afghan Taliban in crossing over to Pakistan and support militants in striking back at the Pakistani security forces in the troubled tribal area.

Sources close to the NWFP government and military strategists involved in the planning of S Waziristan operation told The News over the weekend that the Americans vacated eight security checkposts on the Afghan side of the border just five days before the Army operation. Four of these close to South Waziristan including one each at Zambali and at Nurkha, and four in the north in the area of Nuristan where American forces recently came under violent attacks by the militants.

Latest reports indicate that the Americans have also removed some posts close to North Waziristan, which could encourage even more Afghan Taliban fighters to cross over to the Pakistan side. This has raised many eye brows in government and military circles with points being made about “conflicting interests” and dubious American designs.

Interestingly immediately after the start of Operation Rah e Nijat reports started coming that an identified Helicopters landed SWA before 17th Oct and heli lifted the militant leadership and took it to Afghanistan.

Islamabad: Mysterious airlifting of some Taliban elements from areas of Pakistan-Afghanistan border linking Waziristan have been reported by several sources and fears are growing that anti-Pakistan TTP terrorists are also being rescued by their “foreign allies” from across the border. 

The unexplained movements of “un-marked” helicopters and aircraft have been reported since last few days along Pak-Afghan border and one source claimed that they were being transported to the Eastern Afghanistan. 

Pakistan Army’s Ex Chief General Mirza Aslam Baig also claimed the same in programs in ARY and few other channels. Another reputed Daily also reported that

Some experts believe that secret allies of friendly-Talibans took the action in order to secure the militants from an assault in South Waziristan by Pakistani Armed Forces while others believe the secret evacuation was part of a larger deal between some Western States and “good Taliban.”

The airlifting and evacuation of TTP leaders from South Waziristan coincided with a report by foreign news media or a similar mysterious evacuation of “militants” from South Afghanistan to North Afghanistan. 

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and few other Important Afghan officials have accused that

President Karzai suggested the reports of helicopters delivering terrorists to north Afghanistan were true, saying, “We have received reliable reports from our intelligence service. We have received reliable reports from our people, and today I received a report that these efforts [to transfer Taliban fighters] are also being made mysteriously in the northwest. The issue of helicopters has also been proved. We do not make any more comments now and investigations are under way to see to whom and to which foreign country these helicopters belong” (Tolo TV, October 11). According to Karzai, the “unknown” helicopters had been taking Taliban fighters to Baghlan, Kunduz and Samangan provinces in northern Afghanistan. The president’s remarks were quickly followed by a call from the Lower House speaker, Muhammad Yunis Qanuni, for a government debate on the issue. “When the president of Afghanistan, as the first man of the country, is raising a fact and a problem, then it shows that the problem is important and serious.” According to Takhar MP Habiba Danesh, the helicopter airlifts were already underway before the elections (Tolo TV [Kabul], October 13; Ferghana.ru, October 12; Hasht-e Sobh [Kabul], October 13). (Terrorism Monitor Volume: 7 Issue: 33)

Now when Fazalullah has Him self contacted BBC from Afghanistan, and we know that Provinces of Nuristan and kunar are under occupation of Takfiri Panjpiri Taliban. We also know that US has Vacated its posts and although their was a very tight blockade around NWA and SWA but still Militants managed to escape.

We also Know Pakistan has sacrificed more then NATO Soldiers combined and that instead of talking Pakistan has given results, Majority of Pakistanies like me are asking questions who is sincere and who is just playing games.

I will finish this essay on this beautiful quote of GEORGE WASHINGTON

“I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward”.