This is with reference to the attack by the militants on the Kamra Air Base. The air force did well to fight the militants and stop them from causing any major damage to the air base. The fact that the militants could not penetrate the defense and were defeated sends a good message to the planners of these attacks on our armed forces: the message is simple ‘we are prepared no matter when and with what force you come’.
Can we now as a nation decide who our real enemy is? Is it not time that we decided that this is our war and not a war thrust on us by the Americans? Unfortunately, the military strategy adopted by our armed forces has been too open ended. For the last ten years, the army has set no realistic goals and elaborate time limits for meeting the targets which could translate into comprehensive victory or defeat. In fact, the military led anti-terrorist campaign has only muddled through. All that the army can claim is that it has managed to ‘disrupt’ the Taliban which in military terms means degrading their capacity to launch organized attacks. Even this is not true, as the current attack on Kamra indicates: disrupting Taliban’s has only caused them to ‘scatter’. Now they have hideouts/ cells/networks all over the country and can plan and execute attacks at will.
If we have to succeed in the war against terror the army has to review its military strategy to fight against the Taliban. It must include in its mission statement the appropriate and correct effect that is: ‘dismantle and destroy the Taliban as a force”. The state and the government must also support and provide the political will and legitimacy to our armed forces to redirect its strategy to combat militancy being proliferated by Taliban’s. Pakistan army cannot afford to allow the war on terror to amble along aimlessly and without clear cut purpose because the militants will not stop targeting its interests and with every attack and even partial success fingers will be raised on its professional abilities and incompetence, this the army cannot afford.
Initiation of army operations in FATA (North Waziristan) may not guarantee victory in the war on terror(WOT) but the inability and unwillingness of the army to do this is surely a guarantee of failure. Destroying the safe heavens in FATA is central if the army is to make any headway in WOT. The Swat operation cost Pakistan army $2.5 billion. The Afghan war itself is costing US $50 billion an year. With all this money spent the results on ground are not as encouraging as the military planners of both US and Pakistan would like them to be.
Pakistan army needs to seriously plan a counter terrorism effort, for this the Americans need to support our army and ensure it is not under resourced as it goes ahead to implement the plan. Nothing will work out unless the border will not be controlled. For this US will have to come forward with an actionable plan on the Afghan side of the border that supports Pakistan army’s effort.
Pakistan’s army has spent years diagnosing the correct way of fighting this war. Its politicians have been confused and divided in their opinion in whether to even call this their own war or not. The attacks like the one on Karma are only a reminder to the armed forces, the public and their elected representatives that this war is very much our own and we will not win it unless we don’t fight it.
MUHAMMAD ALI EHSAN
Karachi
(II)
The terrorists attacked the PAF base Kamra on August 16 at 2 am and our so called defense analysts as early on 6 am started calling it a security lapse. The analysts must first understand the geography of the targeted place. GT Road runs along the length of Kamra PAF Base for a distance of about 5 km at a distance of not than 75 meters. The road to Attock city bisects the domestic area and the base. Villages on the western and south western side are located as close as 50 meters away. Therefore the perimeter security can not be placed ahead of these places. The perimeter comprises watch towers at a distance of 100 to 200 meters and is manned by a single sentry.
In this instance, only the other perimeter was breached and the second tier held the terrorists and thwarted their designs. The perimeter could only provide early warning and it did exactly that. The success of the measures taken is evident from the fact that within three hours the area was secured with minimum losses to men and material. I would request the so called defence analyst not to call every incident a security lapse from the very outset. They should at least be fair to the security personnel who lay down their lives defending precious assets of country.
MAJOR (R) ABID HUSSAIN MALIK
Rawalpindi
(III)
At least nine people have been killed in heavy clashes following the pre-dawn attack on Pakistan Air force base on Thursday by militants dressed in uniforms, armed with guns and rocket launchers.
The gallant personnel of Pakistan Air Force and fearless SSG Commandoes of Pak Army completed the operation against the militants at Kamra air base wiping out every possibility of the militant’s presence in the base.
Despite the fact that the attack on Kamra base is a matter of serious concern and indeed a severe security lapse, but still Federal Minister for Defence Syed Naveed Qamar rules out it being a security breach and failure of intelligence agencies and the security heads.
It is disturbing that the militants entered the base carrying heavy weapons including RPGs, rocket propelled-grenades and wearing suicide vests.
The point that amazes or shocks us is that still no resignation has been given after a severe security stumble which says a lot about our security heads. Recent years have seen many failures on the part of our intelligence apparatus but no head has resigned and owned up to the failure. Accountability of why this lapse occurred must be conducted and those whose incompetence led to this breach must be punished.
The possible North Waziristan Operation must also be put in consideration as the attack comes amid speculation that Pakistan could launch an operation against the Haqqani network over consistent demand and commands by Washington.
SYED HASSAM AHMED
Lahore
(IV)
It is heartening to see the PAF rising to the occasion in defeating the terrorist attack that sought to do extensive damage to the assets placed on this sprawling airbase which is well known for its association for producing JF-Thunder Aircraft with Chinese assistance. The attackers who sought to specifically damage the valuable surveillance aircraft were foiled through the alert and quick response by the defenders of the base who were well prepared to deal with this contingency. It is a measure of the professionalism of the personnel at the base that all attackers were killed before they could do major damage to any aircraft. The officers led from the front; the base commander who got injured during the terrorist assault received his injury while at ground zero while fighting off the desperate attackers who wanted to wreak extensive damage.
ZULQARNAIN HAIDER
Rawalpindi
(V)
The Kamra attack should be seen in the light of Gen Kayani’s speech delivered to cadets in PMA Kakul on 14th August where he used some harsh language against militants and attacked their faith and declared such people as terrorists. After attack on Mehran Base in May 2011 it was expected that security of military installations will be beefed up and made absolutely fool proof to thwart future attempts by terrorists. But the fact that terrorists struck again with precision leaves behind many questions. We must admit that we are still very vulnerable on the ground to acts of terrorism. Kamra lays exposed from all directions; small boundary walls with concertina wires pose very little threat to a determined enemy.
We become wiser after every such incident but fail to take adequate security measures. Inquiries held after each incident become meaningless when the areas are not properly secured. We have to change our strategy on security and take pains in ensuring that terrorists do not succeed in breaking security cordons anywhere in Pakistan.
LT COL ( R) MUKHTAR AHMED BUTT
Karachi