Vol. 72/No. 44      November 10, 2008

Days later the U.S. commandos landed inside Syria October 26, killing at least eight people. Abu Ghadiya, a leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, was among those killed in the raid in a Syrian village about five miles from the Iraq border, according to U.S. officials. Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Muallem condemned the attack as an act of “criminal and terrorist aggression.”

The seven-month old Pakistani government is a U.S. ally, as was the military dictatorship of President Pervez Musharraf before it. Islamabad has stepped up its own war against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in the country, with two major offensive operations in the Swat and Bajur tribal regions.

An October 22 resolution by Pakstan’s parliament resolved to combat “terrorism, including the spread of sectarian hatred and violence.” The document was drafted by representatives of Pakistan’s 16 main parties, including the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Assembly of Islamic Clergy). It makes no specific mention of the Taliban or al-Qaeda.

The resolution places a priority on “dialogue” with “all those elements willing to abide by the Constitution of Pakistan,” reflecting the desire of many Pakistani politicians to negotiate peace with the Taliban—something Washington has opposed.

At the same time, Gen. David Petraeus, incoming commander of the U.S. Central Command, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have both backed talks between the Afghan government and some elements of the Taliban that are willing to negotiate on terms acceptable to Kabul and Washington.

The Pakistani parliament’s resolution states that the “nation stands united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland,” a clear allusion to the unilateral strikes by U.S. forces in Pakistan in the regions bordering Afghanistan.

The target of Washington’s October 23 missile attack was a madrassa (Islamic school) run by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a Taliban commander, according to the U.S. military. Haqqani was an officer in the U.S.-backed mujahideen forces fighting troops of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, and allied himself with the Taliban led by Mullah Mohammad Omar as it rose to power. This is the second U.S. strike aimed at Haqqani in six weeks.

Five days later, U.S. missiles killed about 20 in the South Waziristan region, in an area under control of Tehrik-e-Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Washington has carried out 25 attacks on Pakistani soil this year as of October 26, compared to 10 total attacks in 2006-07.

The U.S. military has stepped up these attacks since the end of August. September was the highest month so far with nine attacks, including one involving ground troops. The October 26 strike makes seven so far in October.

Pakistani military officials say they have killed 1,000 Islamist fighters in the Bajur region. Civilian deaths have mounted in the wake of the offensive. As a result, Pakistan faces a serious refugee crisis; more than 200,000 people have fled the Bajur, Mohmand, Swat, and Waziristan regions in the last two months. Many displaced residents are homeless and without basic necessities or education for children.

“We have no shelter, no jobs, and no food. I am worried about our survival in this situation,” Mastan Kahn from Bajur told Pakistan’s Daily Jang. Bozore Khan, a 13-year-old boy from Swat, said, “After migrating to Rawalpindi, the only thing I do is to beg in the streets. I cannot see my parents suffer from hunger.”

At the same time, toilers throughout Pakistan are faced with the consequences of a major economic crisis. Power shortages throughout the country have sparked demonstrations in several cities and water shortages were reported in part of Islamabad.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell praised the offensive in Swat and Bajur in an October 22 news briefing. Islamabad’s military operations, he said, are “stepped up not just in terms of tempo, but in terms of effectiveness. As a result, we have seen some improvement in the flow of foreign fighters across the border into Afghanistan.”

The Pakistani government has enlisted tribal militias in the border regions to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in seven districts. According to Pakistani Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, Islamabad has recruited some 10,000 people. The Pakistani military gives the militia artillery and helicopter backup, but doesn’t supply weapons, ammunition, or food, limiting their effectiveness, according to Pakistani generals quoted in the New York Times.

The Taliban have targeted pro-government tribal leaders, killing as many as 500 in the last four years. Taliban forces killed 10 and took more than 60 people hostage October 26 in the Matta region of Pakistan’s Swat District, where an anti-Taliban militia has been formed, according to Pakistan’s Daily Times. Some 20 Taliban were killed in the clash.  
 
 
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