Only an all-out offensive can make Taliban sue for peace
Every choice has consequences, ranging from fulfillment of our aspirations to devastation of our dreams. The whirlwind of death and destruction we are reaping seems to be the direct result of our choosing to sleep with rather than confronting the evil enemy within.
I have previously expressed my recurring trepidation about the looming possibility of our nation going down in history as a unique one that surrendered without a fight, without defending itself.
What will it take us to fight? The killing of 10 generals instead of three and murder of 100,000 citizens instead of half that? What is our red line or do we have a red line that the Taliban/Jihadis cannot cross? Or would our red line keep on shifting, like the shifting of the goalpost?
As things now stand, our words to fight and overcome terrorism have lost any credibility not only with the Taliban/Jihadists but with the world at large.
Whenever we talk of punishing and annihilating the Taliban, they take it as an empty threat –with ample justification. They know that the Pakistani government officials, army generals, politicians and other decision-makers have for a decade or so issuing hollow threats to tackle and finish off the ‘terrorists’ with no serious, corroborative action.
Our response to bloody onslaughts by the Taliban has been laced with just innocuous words, and jejune verbosity, lacking in deeds and action. Our reaction to Taliban atrocities is devoid of even the rudimentary courage to name and identify this enemy by name, lest we incur its wrath.
After each horrendous massacre of our people by this enemy our leaders, both civilian and military, ‘strongly condemn’ not the Taliban but the terror attacks and vow to eliminate not the enemy in flesh and blood but abstract ‘terrorism’ or ‘extremism’.
The Taliban know full well that any start of a serious offensive by our army and the nation would take us at least a few months or so and would give them enough time to prepare, disperse and take counter measures that may blunt our offensive. The time delay will telegraph our intentions and the coming attack, thus robbing us of the element of surprise, the key ingredient in any war offensive.
In the face of more brazen attacks on our country post APC, like the killing of a serving major general and suicide bombing in Peshawar murdering about a hundred of our minority citizens it is clear that an all-out war with the goal of achieving total victory against this enemy is our only option. If so, it’s time to get battle ready. The will to win must be preceded by a will to prepare for the war that lies ahead.
But before our army and nation launches an actual war offensive, both of them have to mobilize and make necessary preparations, which is no easy task. War preparations they say is half the battle. They convey in unmistakable terms a nation’s intent and resolve to fight and defend their country.
So the apt question: what exactly this preparation for war would entail? It’s no denying that it will be a comprehensive endeavour, involving all segments of our society, given the unpleasant fact that the Taliban/Jihadists not only fighting in the difficult, mountainous with many deep ravines, front in our North West but the enemy has treacherously opened a huge second front right in the heartland of our villages and cities.
Military readiness, strategy and planning for this final offensive, which would really be a battle for Pakistan’s very survival , must be based on the ultimate goal of decimating the enemy and accomplishing the mission of total victory, no quarters given, no mercy shown.
The military’s strategy must be spearheaded by our offensive capability to attack, attack and attack. Our defensive strategy adopted until now has proved to be an utter failure. With 50,000 killed in countless terror attacks, economy devastated, state almost decapitated, etc. The name of the game in this war must be to impose constant, cumulative and simultaneous pressure on the Taliban.
As far as readiness in the first front is concerned, the army will have to mobilize its troops and weapons in overwhelming numbers in the difficult hilly terrain lacking infrastructure for easy access. Close coordination with Afghan and NATO forces would be essential in order to prevent the escape of Taliban terrorists into that country.
In the second front, compromising of the country’s mainland, battle readiness would be a complex affair as the enemy has successfully embedded itself into the sinews of our civil society. It has established a veritable network of spies, agents, cohorts, armed supporters and other enablers in the heartland.
The complete cooperation, coordination, alertness, preparedness of the police, and all law enforcing agencies and civilians with the army leading the fight to destroy the enemy and its cohorts would be required.
In the event it finally comes down to war, the army while launching a full scale offensive in the tribal front should simultaneously strike at the hideouts and support centres of the Taliban/Jihadists located in the second war front all across the Pakistan mainland.
Whatever the underlying reasons, America’s war or paranoid and convoluted international conspiracy theories or delusions, the fact remains that the whole nation has been petrified and paralyzed by fear and power of the enemy. We capped our defeatism by the verbal surrender of APC’s resolution – begging the enemy for talks.
All this capitulation is not lost on the cunning Taliban. Would anyone in the Taliban’s shoes not laugh and scoff at our nation of wimps and cowards?
Its only our readiness for war, to be capable of instantly dropping bombs and hurling rockets and bullets at the enemy would now enable us to “negotiate from a position of strength”, that cliché that our opinion makers have discovered of late.
It may seem ironical but it’s very much possible that our very readiness to launch an all-out offensive against the Taliban enemy may actually help the peace process and prevent the war.
With our weapons fully loaded, charged and ready to fire and deliver at the push of a button, with our soldiers poised to pierce the enemy’s heart, the enemy would know without any doubt that this time round we mean business, that this time we have the ability and the will to crush it. And if it still foolishly chooses to ignore our resolve and determination thus displayed, it would do so at its own peril.
Every rational human being abhors violence and bloodshed and human suffering and pain – the currency of war. But there comes a time in a nation’s life that conflict becomes a necessity; if for nothing else then for survival’s sake survive and for avoidance of greater violence and bloodshed and a bigger catastrophe. The peace we keep clamouring for cannot be the peace of a graveyard, the peace of the living dead!
We earnestly hope that such a scenario doesn’t come to pass, beset and burdened as we are with crushing problems. But if it does, then we must be ready and able to heap destruction on this enemy. If it doesn’t, if the war doesn’t materializes as wisdom miraculously dawns on the primordial Taliban, and we are able to achieve our national objectives without fighting, then so much the better.
All our preparedness and mobilization will be a much needed boost for the morale and future of our country. It will not go in vain. The world will see that we are a nation with some spine, dignity and self-respect – ready to sacrifice and die for our values and ideals.
Whether we fight or we don’t, we should strive for and settle for nothing less than complete triumph over the Taliban. Either way, for once in six decades we should expect and be able to smell the sweet fragrance of victory.
The writer is a US-based attorney, author and independent analyst.
Very true Sir!
"Every choice has consequences, ranging from fulfillment of our aspirations to devastation of our dreams. The whirlwind of death and destruction we are reaping seems to be the direct result of our choosing to sleep with rather than confronting the evil enemy within." :
We the whole nation is paying for our bad, weak choices,by loosing thousands of lives of our people and country destroyed indeed. How tragic and stupid. Very well said sir…Where is our brave army to defend us and fight.
Completely agree with Mr Kamal. The most fearless, sensible and exiting article I have read recently.Yes if Pakistan has to survive they must get ready for the final offensive, the armed forces and also the people. It is the only hope. Ready to attack and eliminate our enemy. Too much blood of our people has been spilled by the Talibans enemy. Thanks
Was very depressed and sad at night, could not sleep, so many people being murdered and wounded by these bloody Talibans and Jihadis. This wonderful article was inspiring and gave me some hope for our nation.We have no choice except to fight and prepare, yes.
Kamal and every one of you "pro war" people what have you achieved so far fighting this American war. Kamal since you are American citizen now can you tell me why your new country pulling out its troops from Afghanistan without eliminating talibans and why they are talking to them and allowed them to open political offices in arab countries.
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I am American …
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Afghanistan is not Americans' problem (should not be Pakistanis' problem either) …
Afghanistan is Afghans' problem …
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They have to make it with some support from outside — but the ultimate struggle should be theirs' and theirs' only …
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@Nadeem.. Its people like you cowards and terrorist supporters who are destroying our country. Pro Taliban fanatics are enemies of Islam and Muslims. Do you think killing and murdering innocent Muslim men, women and children is Islamic? How many Muslims and other people have you murdered so far. Shame on you and the Talibans and Jihadii cowards and murderers. The only choice as the author rightly says is to prepare to attack these bullies, who use little children as suicide bombers and fighters. Great article .
"Every choice has consequences,…." beautifully said by the writer, I will remember this all my life.People are paying in blood and wealth for their own and their leaders very bad and cowardly choices.. Now our only choice is to defend and launch a full offensive against these evil monsters, otherwise no hope for the country and
Rightly said, excellent , unique.writing piece. We should give tTailbans and Jihadists a choice. Either they surrender and give up their guns and explosive or fight or face our full might.
Inspiring,classic, fearless and super article. However our leaders are weak, spineless and selfish, so not much there.
"The will to win must be preceded by a will to prepare for the war that lies ahead ."
Greatly and correctly stated by Kamal Saheb. Army and the people should first prepare to attack full scale. Preparation is most important. Thanks for writing
The very simple answer to Mr Nadeem's rather less than intelligent question is that the Americans are talking to the Taliban because (a) the Taliban are not operating in New York and Washington and LA but 10,000 miles away. I would like to see which US administration would be talking to the Taliban if they were doing in America what they are doing in Pakistan; (b) all that the Americans are concerned with is to have a deal that will allow them to exit from Afghanistan with some political credibility. They will go back 10,000 miles away in a years' time. Where do 190 million Pakistanis intend to go? And finally (c) the reason why military action has not achieved the desired results is that no all out action has actually taken place for fear of the noise to be created by Taliban apologists. But even the partial action that has taken place has achieved results as in Swat, South Waziristan, Bajaur, etc.
Agrre…lets prepare, what are afraid of, these bullies
Agree completely…lets atleast fully prepare to eliminate these bullies…what are we afriad of..
Gnrl kayani has opted fr a last chance to peace.
If it fails, he has asked for political unity over un evitable full scale operation…
Exactly same thing happened before.
First rah e rast, then rah e nijat..
Reason behind this strategy is not to let any one, against, open its mouth when operation is going…
Now again when army has opponents to operations on higher number they are with same strategy.
This is the best solution to present situation.
Secondly the thing that matters is not the number of followers but the ideology that they follow. In our situation firstly it is imposible to completly eliminate followers,even if it occurs to some extent ideology would find new and never ending followers. So government’s instace to eliminate terrorism and extremism is very accurate rather eliminating number of people.
If we succeed in achieving peace with loss lesser than war we have opportunity to direct this flow at our will, as in past, to kasmir,for freedom of kashmir, and it will be long lasting peace in the region afterwards.
In other option that is no peace chance just war would make it proxy war for india as well america to engage its enemy and have safe exit. And that would never be long lasting never less destructfull than spliting of pakistan.
@Zulfiqay, you have good points. But please read this great article closely, the learned writer is saying not to start war immediately, but first let us all be ready for it, war only AFTER peace efforts fails. What else we can do then? If this terrorism by Taliban continue for many many more years, Pakistan will be completely finished, do you agree. I will save this writing for my children…
@Mithidada. You are correct.If Talibans, Jihadis were in America and started murdering people, they will be butchered and wiped out before they couild kill more than a few, all of them would have been lynched believe me for generations to come…we must be weakest people on earth, 50,000 of our people murdered and bombed by these barbarians, and country is doing nothing, the army is watching idly by, with 700,00 soldiers and latest weapons and 200 atom bombs..agree with the best author, prepare, give ultimatum to then to surrender and attack and kill everyone of them and their supporters if they don't….thats the only solution..
@Kamal Sir, awesome, awesome article, no doubt about it, read it again and again…..Legally, morally and politically Pakistan has the right to take action this enemy within and destroy them…We should get ready…ok, peace talks first, but nothing will happen in these talks…
It is do or die, two choices only for people to free from this scourge of Talibans…mart kya na karta! loved this opinion…
"Every choice has consequences…" zabardast Kamal Saheb..bilkul saheeh hai..Pakistan people and leaders have made very bad and terrible choices, that is why the terrible consequences, make a brave choice to be saved
An excellent article to open mind and heart of a nation who has been forced to go into sleep-mode by the so-called PTI (the ultimateand guarantor of Talibans) – we just fail to understand what has he appened to IK ? – Is he a Spokesperson of Taliban or does he represent them in the Assemblies – Why IK is not speaking on behalf of tho people who have voted his party? – He is acting like a COWARD CAPTAAN. o- Shame on you IK and PTI Supporters.
We are a nation of Shaheeds and not a bunch of Cowards. – We are ready to fight till the end. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.
TALIBAN MURDABAD.
This top article is our 'dil kee baat' really. "Every choice has consequence…" for instance is a terrific statement.The present scenario is Pakistan is this.Some people are deathly afraid of Talibans, I don't know, we have such a huge army with nuclea rbombs, Talibans are cowariouds, use young brainwashed boys as suicide bombers and hide explosive bombs to kill civilians. Some people are supporters of Talibans and want to be ruled and live in a religious controlled, fasicst society, and they use lies like 'Americas War' and " No Muslim can do thjis' etc, etc.arguments to support their terrorism. And some are brave enough and patriotic enough to attack and kill these fanatics and murderer no matter what..
Who is supporting Taliban's operations?
Talibans are nothing but Ignorant fools controlled by the middle east.
we need to 'CONDUMN the SOURCES' that are controlling them,
STOP the SOURCES that are FUNDING THEM.
A superb article
l by Mr. Tauseef Kamal Not only that it is written in beautiful and forceful language but also it is logical and convincing Peace talks with Taliban can be held only after they surrender. or annihilated The purpose of peace talks would be to make them peace loving loyal Pakistanis.and not to beg them for peace
Qazi ikhalid.
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As last weeks cowardly attack by Taliban has proven the above learned opinion by the author to be absolutely correct. The civilian govt and the people must make the choice for the army to launch a final offensive to defeat these barbarians who wants to destroy our Pakistan. Simple as that…If not now then when? Might be too late then Sir. They must should , will be defeated completely so that our country and people can live in peace and progress. Delaying the job is not good and useful. Doing nothing and wait for the mercy of the enemy is not good or constructive. Right sir.
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