Terrorism or Insurgency?

Pakistan is literally on fire and we, Pakistanis, have neither the appropriate fire-fighting equipment nor trained fire-fighters. We must ask the world to come help us put the flame out or the flame shall burn us all to ashes. The issue is no longer about our sovereignty. The issue is now about our very existence as a nation-state. Our decision makers -- both military and civilian -- somehow remain submerged into all kinds of conspiracy theories involving India, the US and Israel -- and that the whole world is out to destabilise Pakistan. The simple fact is that Pakistan is up against a potent jihadist insurgency, and we would have to take care of this insurgency before it takes care of Pakistan.

On average, terrorist violence is killing 10 Pakistanis a day, every single day. Imagine; 11,129 innocent Pakistanis have already lost their lives. Over the past 9 months, 4,141 innocent Pakistanis have been killed. Last year, Maulana Fazlullah of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) actually seized 59 villages in Swat and established a parallel government. On Dec 14, 2007, a "shura of 40 senior Taliban leaders established the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) as an umbrella organisation" and appointed Baitullah Mehsud as its Emir. Imagine; an area covering some 11,000 square kilometres between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south has been lost to the de-facto "Islamic Emirate of Waziristan."

In NWFP, at least 20 of the 24 districts have strong militant presence. Parts of Tank, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Shangla and Tank are under militant control. In South Waziristan, Pak Army is fighting TTP and elements of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In Darra Adam Khel, Pak Army is fighting TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. In Swat, Pak Army is battling Fazlullah and his zealots who are part of TTP but in effect represent Al Qaeda. Over the past few months, militants have actually managed to isolate and capture defended government posts (the Sararogha Fort, for instance).

Is this terrorism or is it an insurgency? The distinction is crucial because the state of Pakistan would have to devise its counter-strategy. Should it be counter- terrorism or counter-insurgency?

The dictionary definition of terrorism is the "unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organised group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons (The American Heritage Dictionary)." Terrorists generally do not challenge government forces directly and terror groups do not require sympathy or active support of a large portion of the population. As a matter of record, rarely will terrorists attempt to actually control physical terrain.

An insurgency--as oppose to terrorism--is an "armed revolt aimed at overthrowing or subverting the government regime in power." Yes, insurgents use terror as a weapon. Yes, insurgents do believe in "killing one and frightening a thousand." Yes, "terrorism is not always linked with insurgency but insurgency cannot exist without terror." Yes, the "ultimate goal of an insurgency is to challenge the existing government for control of all or a portion of its territory." And, insurgencies "require the active or tacit support of some portion of the population involved." According to counter-insurgency experts, "external support, recognition or approval from other countries or political entities can be useful to insurgents, but is not required."

Clearly, putting the two--terrorism and insurgency--into two distinct caskets is no easy undertaking. Terror, fear, horror and intimidation are common characteristics to both terrorism and insurgency. At the risk of simplifying two rather complex phenomena, the distinguishing characteristic seems to be an insurgency's attempt to actually hold and control physical terrain.

Is Pakistan up against an insurgency or is it terrorism? Answer: It's a little of both. In South and North Waziristan, it is more of an insurgency than terrorism (insurgent elements in Kurram, Orakzai, Kyber, Mohamand and Bajaur are stronger than ever). In Pakistan that lies east of Indus River, it is mostly terrorism.

To be certain, our counter-insurgency as well as our counter-terrorism capabilities are both next to nothing. We have already spent a colossal $1.43 billion for 18 new F-16C/D combat aircraft, $667 million for AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, $298 million for 100 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and $891 million for 60 mid-life update kits for F-16A/B combat aircraft. We have already spent $4.55 billion on killing machines that may never be used. Isn't it time to concentrate on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism? Our very existence as a nation-state depends on it.

Postscript: The government pays Rs300,000 to who dies in a suicide attack while death-worshippers among us pay Rs1,500,000 to whoever is wiling to wear a suicide jacket. Guess who has more recruits?


The writer (Dr Farrukh Saleem) is an Islamabad-based freelance columnist.

What a country !!!!!

Pakistan has one of the largest cabinets in the world as the country owns 62 cabinet members.
Including 41 federal ministers, 18 state ministers and 3 advisers to prime minister with the status of ministers.
Federal ministers cost Rs600 billion per year more than the entire government of Pakistan earns every year.
On the other hand according to a UNDP report, 65.5 per cent population of Pakistan earns less than two dollars per day.
According to the recent report of Asian Development Bank (ADB), 57 million people in Pakistan are living below the poverty line.

Ahh!!! What a country........

Praise Song for the Day

The following is a transcript of the inaugural poem, “Praise Song for the Day,” written and recited by Elizabeth Alexander on the inaugural ceremony of President Obama.....


Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other’s
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.

We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what’s on the other side.

I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

HAJ Ritual over the years

HAJ in 1953 and HAJ in 2008

"YES WE CHANGE" Change in America........

Change in America........
Yesterday there is a big change happened in American history as Barrack Hussain Obama has taken his oath as 44th American President of the United States.
Does this change really occur???
It’s too early to answer this question......
Will the Jewish lobby give him free hand to change the America???
As we all know the policies of America is not made by a single person. There is a big force which makes the policies......
Has their policies accomplished in the Bush era????
The confidence bestowed by American people on Obama is breathtaking but the real issue is whether he is well enough to overcome the problems faced by the “land of opportunities”.
Most of the people think yes he is!!! But what about the people who are responsible for creating these problems. The people like bush, Cheney, rice, and many others…. Will they face any consequences? ??
There is again a big question mark….
May Barrack take steps which are good enough not only for American people but for rest of the world.

100 Windows XP RUN COMMANDS

Go to StartMenu > RUN > Type the command

Accessibility Controls = access.cpl
Add Hardware Wizard = hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs = appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools = control admintools
Automatic Updates = wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard = fsquirt
Calculator = calc
Certificate Manager = certmgr.msc
Character Map = charmap
Check Disk Utility = chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd
Command Prompt = cmd
Component Services = dcomcnfg
Computer Management = compmgmt.msc
Date and Time Properties = timedate.cpl
DDE Shares = ddeshare
Device Manager = devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (If Installed) = directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter = dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility = cleanmgr
Disk Defragment = dfrg.msc
Disk Management = diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager = diskpart
Display Properties = control desktop
Display Properties = desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected) = control color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility = drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility = verifier
Event Viewer = eventvwr.msc
File Signature Verification Tool = sigverif
Findfast = findfast.cpl
Folders Properties = control folders
Fonts = control fonts
Fonts Folder = fonts
Free Cell Game = freecell
Game Controllers = joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) = gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game = mshearts
Iexpress Wizard = iexpress
Indexing Service = ciadv.msc
Internet Properties = inetcpl.cpl
IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration) = ipconfig /all
IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents) = ipconfig /displaydns
IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents) = ipconfig /flushdns
IP Configuration (Release All Connections) = ipconfig /release
IP Configuration (Renew All Connections) = ipconfig /renew
IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS) = ipconfig /registerdns
IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID) = ipconfig /showclassid
IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID) = ipconfig /setclassid
ava Control Panel (If Installed) = jpicpl32.cpl
Java Control Panel (If Installed) = javaws
Keyboard Properties = control keyboard
Local Security Settings = secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups = lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows = logoff
Mcft Chat = winchat
Minesweeper Game = winmine
Mouse Properties = control mouse
Mouse Properties = main.cpl
Network Connections = control netconnections
Network Connections = ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard = netsetup.cpl
Notepad = notepad
Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) = nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager = packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard = osk
Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) = ac3filter.cpl
Password Properties = password.cpl
Performance Monitor = perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor = perfmon
Phone and Modem Options = telephon.cpl
Power Configuration = powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes = control printers
Printers Folder = printers
Private Character Editor = eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed) = QuickTime.cpl
Regional Settings = intl.cpl
Registry Editor = regedit
Registry Editor = regedit32
Remote Desktop = mstsc
Removable Storage = ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests = ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof) = rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras = sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks = control schedtasks
Security Center = wscui.cpl
Services = services.msc
Shared Folders = fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows = shutdown
Sounds and Audio = mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game = spider
SQL Client Configuration = cliconfg
System Configuration Editor = sysedit
System Configuration Utility = msconfig
System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately) = sfc /scannow
System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot) = sfc /scanonce
System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot) = sfc /scanboot
System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting) = sfc /revert
System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache) = sfc /purgecache
System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x) = sfc /cachesize=x
System Properties = sysdm.cpl
Task Manager = taskmgr
Telnet Client = telnet
User Account Management = nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager = utilman
Windows Firewall = firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier = magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure = wmimgmt.msc
Windows System Security Tool = syskey
Windows Update Launches = wupdmgr
Windows XP Tour Wizard = tourstart
Wordpad = write

Another photo session

another photo session ended with a resolution to do this, to do that, blah blah blah !!!!
these Arab leaders will not do any thing they just gather for another "party" and attended a photo session at the end....
why they do not cut off their diplomatic relations with Israel???????

Help Palestinian's.........

Hi to all please help Palestinian's by boycotting the above mentioned products.....
You can help poor Palestinian's against brutal Israelis in this way if you can't do any thing else.
Thanks in advance.

Happy New Year "2009"

"Happy New Year"
May this year bring peace and prosperity in the world...................