[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Resurgent Taliban

[Email subscription to blog articles]

Posted by Mary Madigan:
Resurgent Taliban
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1187191797.shtml


   Why are the Taliban 'resurgent' lately? Here are few reasons:

   Via the [1]India Times:

     "While Musharraf admitted the Taliban were being sheltered in the
     lawless frontier border regions, the declassified US documents
     released on Tuesday clearly illustrate that the Taliban was
     directly funded, armed and advised by Islamabad itself," the
     National Security Archives said in a statement.

     The government documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information
     Act, also detailed US concerns about Pakistani troops training and
     fighting alongside the Taliban inside Afghanistan.

     "The records released today represent the most complete and
     comprehensive collection of declassified documentation to date on
     Pakistan's aid programmes to the Taliban, illustrating Islamabad's
     firm commitment to a Taliban victory in Afghanistan,"

   In their effort to subjugate minority groups, Pakistan is still
   supporting the Taliban.

   And, (apparently) [2]we're ok with that...

     Pakistan is escalating its war against the people of Baluchistan.
     In recent years, thousands have been jailed, tortured or killed.
     Military operations have included the use of chemical weapons.
     Nearly 100,000 Baluch people have been made refugees in their own
     land. Pakistan ignores their plight; refusing to allow the UN and
     international aid agencies to assist these displaced persons.

     Simultaneously, the Islamabad imperialists are stripping
     Baluchistan of its vast natural resources of gas, oil, coal, copper
     and gold, which include an estimated 19 trillion cubic feet of
     natural gas reserves and six trillion barrels of oil reserves
     on-shore and off-shore.

     Despite this fabulous wealth, the people of Baluchistan live in
     abject poverty. Much of the population is malnourished and
     illiterate, living in squalid housing with no electricity or clean
     drinking water.

     To subjugate and pacify Baluchistan, Islamabad is working on a
     sinister plan to colonise the region with ethnic Punjabis (the
     largest and dominant ethnic group in Pakistan). The aim is to make
     the Baluch people a minority in their own homeland, as happened to
     the Native Americans in the US and the Aboriginals in Australia.
     This has already been achieved in major cities like Quetta, where
     colonist settlers, mostly Punjabis, now predominate...

     ....The Westâs attitude towards Baluchistanâs quest for the
     resumption of its brief 1947-48 sovereignty has been less than
     honourable. Because Britain and the United States want Pakistan as
     an ally in the so-called âwar on terror,â they have armed Pakistan
     and acquiesced with its suppression of the Baluch.

     This is short-sighted political manoeuvring. Pakistanâs war against
     Baluchistan is strengthening the position of the Taliban, who have
     exploited the unstable, strife-ridden situation to establish bases
     and influence in the region. From these bases, the Taliban
     terrorise the more liberal and secular Baluch people and seek to
     enforce the Talibanisation of Baluchistan. The Pakistani government
     tolerates the Taliban, on the grounds that its presence acts as a
     second force to crush the Baluch people and weaken their struggle
     for independence.

     The Taliban bases in Baluchistan are also hide-outs from which they
     mount military operations to overthrow the imperfect but
     democratically elected government of Afghanistan. This campaign to
     usurp power in Kabul and reimpose a fundamentalist regime seems to
     be taking place with the tacit collusion of key figures in the
     Pakistani government, military and intelligence services. The
     Pakistanis are talking no serious action to stop the Taliban using
     Baluchistan as a base for its war against Afghan democracy and
     human rights.

   From this report, it's not clear what kind of 'struggle for
   independence' is going on here. The violent, talibanesque
   'separatists' in the south of Thailand claim that they behead
   Buddhists and burn down girl's schools as part of their 'struggle for
   independence'.

   We're [3]currently supporting the violent, talibanesque Chechen
   'struggle for independence'.

   Given the current misuse of the phrase, I'm wary of supporting any
   'struggle for independence', including the struggle in Baluchistan,
   until I learn more about it, but in any case, the fact remains -
   Pakistan is still supporting the Taliban. What are we going to do
   about that?

   Probably what we've done in the past...

References

   1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/The_United_States/Pakistan_funded_and_armed_Taliban_US_document/articleshow/2282594.cms
   2. http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2007/08/14/pakistan_tries_to_crush_the_people_of_baluchistan.php
   3. http://www.peaceinthecaucasus.org/