Drone attacks have stoked
up the fire of hatred against the USA in Pakistan. The dead bodies of innocents exploded into minuscule pieces after the strikes add to the increasing resentment of Pakistanis towards the policies of the USA. Soon after the strike, a series of condemnations from politicians to civilians gets the projection of mainstream media and the fervour seems to fade away with time. But no one ventures out of the traditional rhetoric and dares to understand the other version of the story.
The American forces (mainly CIA) are launching these strikes in a bid to wipe out the local militants (Tehrik-e-Pakistan) and the Haqqani network, which are lending support to the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda. These local Taliban, in partnership with the Haqqani network, operate on the fringes of our territories and not only orchestrate bombings in our streets and mosques but also supply military hardware and workforce to the Afghan Taliban, who as a result, get stronger and provide more resistance to the NATO forces. Why will the USA carry out attacks into Pakistan that are not only tarnishing its image in Pakistan but also adding to its already surging military expenses? Scores of American soldiers who have come from across the Atlantic to serve in this tough terrain shed their blood for the removal of the Taliban. Their families are now living in the shadow of despair and emotional agony. The Afghan Taliban in collaboration with al Qaeda are mustering strength through the porous borders of Pakistan. The NATO and ISAf forces are determined to break the backbone of resistance but the support extended by the local Taliban and Haqqani network present mainly in North Waziristan breathes new life into them.
On the other hand, the Pakistan army has been pulling its strings to play down the issue. They are refusing to operate against the Haqqani network, which is the driving force behind the resistance of the Afghan Taliban. Intriguingly, it is said our army was covertly backing the blockade of NATO supplies into Afghanistan through staging the drama of the Difa-e-Pakistan. The religious parties in Pakistan have a massive following and their wings penetrate deep into every layer of society ranging from adolescents to the elderly people. These parties with their string support base launched a protest in the name of Difa-e-Pakistan in order to blockade the NATO supplies for good. It is now an open secret that they are propped up by the army of Pakistan to put up a pretext in front of the USA for the blockage of NATO supplies. Some analysts claim that the recent march of Imran Khan was also backed by the army in order to bring the issue of drone attacks into international limelight and to avert the North Waziristan operation. All these factors have contributed to the mistrust in the USA towards Pakistan. Therefore the administration of the USA is forced into increasing the number of drone attacks in the northwest of Pakistan.
The recent incident of Malala Yousafzai, who stood for the dissemination of education, and was shot cold-bloodedly in Swat, testifies to the heinous ambitions the Taliban have in this region. All their plans are designed in North Waziristan where they have kept the entire community hostage. North Waziristan is mostly controlled by the Haqqani network; it marches into Afghanistan to fight the NATO and ISAf forces and comes back at will to Pakistan. Why do we not remember our sovereignty when these militants violate it every day with impunity? Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is also present but in small pockets. They have a strong coordination with each other in terms of information sharing. Both are causing problems across the border to NATO and ISAF forces and to the state of Pakistan. North Waziristan is the epicentre of all the threats Pakistan and the forces across the border face.
Most of the drone attacks are aimed at militants in North Waziristan. These attacks have also been very effective in terms of rooting out some wanted leaders. Recently, a deputy leader of al Qaeda, Abu Yahya Al Alibi, was killed in an air strike, which is a major blow to the activities of al Qaeda. In June 2011, IIyas Kashmiri, the operational commander of Harkatul Jihad-al-Islami was targeted in a drone attack. Several other leaders have been killed in these drone strikes not only in Pakistan but also in Yemen and Somalia. We must realise the effectiveness of drones in hunting down the sanctuaries of the militant groups that constitute a serious threat to the entire world. However, Americans should make these strikes more accurate and precise in order to scale down the casualties of innocents who are killed in the process.
The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at [email protected]