The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

Hits the Right Spot

While this book and its writer may seem at sometimes have its indigenous Punjabi arrogance of achievement, he is very cogent in his analysis of the situation of Pakistan, of how they cowtail to Washington's interests, and how Washington's actions has often been detrimental in the region. It was especially detrimental after it gave the green light for Zia ul-Haq to take power from Bhutto who he unceremoniously hung. His thesis that the most dangerous threat to Pakistan is its uneding battles in the buearacry that killed both Bhuttos, many others, and Zia, ironically is not the Taliban, but themselves. He seems to think that China is a good counterweight to the US, as many left-wing Pakistanis fell, but they often look past China's record toward their fellow Muslims of the Uighurs.

AN ENLIGHTENING WORK

Drawn to it by a casual curiosity I read the introduction in a store and bought it on the strength of that. If all books about countries we know little about were written like this, we might become more knowledgeable and not accept what our politicians say at face value. This is an enthralling account of the decay of a state
which began long years before 9/11 brought the country to the public eye. Ali spares nobody. The founder of the country, Jinnah, attempted to rent his house to the US embassy. His successors pleaded to become part of Washington's regional networks. We obliged and helped its elite to wreck the country. Corrupt politicians jostle with power-hungry generals in this nuclear state. Ali's sympathies are with the ordinary people who are the ones who have suffered the most. The Jihadi extremists are a big problem in parts of the country, but democratisation and modernisation (health, education, decent lodgings)are the way to neutralise their threat rather than violence. There is a gripping chapter on Afghanistan which should be required reading in the State Department and the White Hose. The 'good' war has gone terribly bad and this book explains why. Its not a message that we like to hear, but its necessary if we are every to get out of South Asia.

A book written by a Pakistani propagandist

"Remember Loi Sam, Bajaur Province. For never can we forget, nor can we ever forgive. The criminals must, and will, be punished." Iron Pashtun Mujahideen Warlord - G. Hekmatyar (Hafid'Allah), December 2008

Readers - the Pakistani pinnochio's are here!

Duel - basis is nonsense. The real duel is between the Taliban/Al Qaida against the US/Pakistan/NATO/ISAF. Because the Taliban/Al Qaida are successfully fighting on all fronts, this is why a new "duel" has been invented by the Pakistanis, as witnessed by this poor book. The duel about the Pakistan and US is complete nonsense. For how can the US give 10bn aid to Pakistan? The US are not stupid.

And why has the US furnished Pakistan with 10bn dollars worth of military aid? To invade, bomb and massacre the indigenous Pashtun in FATA, that is why! Ever since 2001, a key goal of the Pakistani regime in Punjab/Sindh/Kashmir has been to make the de facto Durand line border (the artificial border between FATA, Balochistan, which was originally drawn up in 1893, and which are historically lands that belong to Pashtun and Afghanistan) concrete and "internationally binding".


Ever since 1947, when the Pakistanis procurred the NWFP and Balochistan through criminals means, the Durand line has been a bone of contention between Afghanistan - to whom FATA, NWFP and Balochistan historically belong - and the new artificial, illigitimate state of Pakistan, which was only created and born in 1947.

To make the Durand line concrete as well as to crush and flush out the remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaida, the invading Pakistan Army/ISI/SSG with the full connivance of the US decided to mount a massive War and mount a military squeeze (the Pakistani Army drive from the Punjab towards to the border with Afghanistan, whilst simultanously the US drive from Afghanistan towards the border with Pakistan. Planned rendevouz the Durand line and huge celebrations, pity it did not work out that way is'nt it?) to win the War.

From late 2001 to September 2006, the criminal Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG invaders fought an all out War against the Taliban and Al Qaida in FATA to defeat them and to dissolve FATA and make the NWFP part of Pakistan forever by making the Durand line final.

Despite taking well over 125,000 troops for this War, the First FATA War (2001-2006) ended in September 2006 with the comprehensive defeat and humiliation of the Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG at the hands of the Taliban Pashtun Mujahideen in FATA when the Waziristan accords were signed (these accords were then broken root and branch by the invading Pakistani Army who soon after started the Second FATA War which is still ongoing). With massive advantages at its disposal in 2001: such as 125,000 troops, complete air power, use of the billion of dollars of US weaponry at its disposal (that is where the billions of dollars are being used), use of chemical weapons in 2005 in FATA and trying to exterminate as many indigenous Pashtun as possible, the Pakistani Army was still, AlHamdulillah, smashed by the Taliban Pashtun Mujahideen. The invading Pakistan Army failed comprehensively. Because the likes of Mr Ali cannot explain this they simply think of lies and excuses to cover for their failure!

|The second part will arrive later...

A wonderful Book for ALL Pakistanis and US Policy Makers to reflect upon.

Theme of the book is as to how AMERICA is in a constant DUEL with the People of Pakistan since birth in contrast to basic moral values by sp its corrupt polititians and rash military elite. Work of Taria Ali is impressive with regards to explainig the historical dilemma of Pakistani rulers "working on others behalf to safe guard own personal interest" that has gripped Pakistan since independence. The book gives a wonderful Pakistani perspective (which to me is quite rational)of the short comings of its mostly self servient polititians, narrow minded and rigid generals and ever burdened / muted public. It is especially recommended for the younger generation of pakistan to know the poor evolution of their country in the hands of its previous rulers with contnuous lingering lagacy. The book can also serve the US policy makers to reflect upon and acknowledge that their pursuit of own interest in contrast to commonly preached pricipal of democracy an liberty has neither sereved them nor the people of pakistan. US must stop manipulating Pakistan politics and let People of Pakistan thrash their unimpresive rulers in the course of history. Furthermore, People of NWFP and Tribal areas presently resisiting Pakistani Army are not doing because they consider them occupation forces but because they are fighting on behalf of foriegn forces in Afghanistan to safegd them against security threat. People of Afghanistan also do not consider NATO and US forces as their liberators but foriegn occupatin forces who camen to fight Al Qeda but having failed have turned to fight against general public. rest currently there is not a single political voice for independence of NWFP and FATA in Pakistan. Thanks to the presence of NATO and US, even if some one would have considered it earlier will never do so again.

Very poor book missing vital facts

An unfortunate book that lacks facts. Mr Ali is apt at not stating or giving facts. Examples of this includes facts such as the the Frontier Province being annexed by us - as in British - in 1893 through the Durand line. Before 1893 and Mortimer Durands annexation of Afghanistan, both the NWFP and Balochistan were part of Afghanistan. He also misses the important fact that FATA was created during the 1920's when we British could not handle the "unruly" Pashtun Tribes on the border with Afghanistan. We thus gave them independence. And perhaps more crucially, the fact that Pakistan - which was then both West and East Pakistan - was created only in 1947.

The fact that Pakistan was created AFTER the creation of the NWFP and FATA seems to drift Mr Ali by, one wonders why?

Arriving to today and the current conflict Mr Ali has peculiar amnesic qualities. Examples include him suggesting that "coalition" forces indiscrimanantly bomb Pashtun villages and kill civilians may be correct.
But what Mr Ali deliberatly negates are incidents such as the deliberate Pakistani F-16 JDAM bombing of a Bazaar in Epi in Waziristan in early October 2007. These acts of bombing Pashtun civilians in FATA seem to be forgotten by Mr Ali, I wonder why?

When our forces are brought to book over atrocities in Afghanistan, why are the Pakistani Army not? Why the double standards? One admits that civilians are hit, but nothing on the scale that the Pakistani forces commit in FATA. When 40-60 are killed by us, this is deemed big news, yet when over 250 civilians are killed by a Pakistani Air Force bombing, nothing is made of this.

Let us take a more recent example. The Pakistani forces, who are regarded by the Pastun populace in FATA as invaders, have mounted an aggressive operation in Bajur in the past few months. This operation alone has more killings and displacements of indigenous Pashtun people than the whole of the British campaign in Helmand. Yet this gets no mention. Why?

Unlike Mr Ali, I personally have blood relatives in Southern Afghanistan. I was always against the War in Afghanistan, but today it seems ever more pointless. I personally think that the reasons behind our staying in Helmand is purely to stop the score settling between the Pashtun and the "Pakistani" Army/state that will invariably take place when we leave. The bottom line is I firmly believe that we are shedding blood not for British security but for the security of "Pakistan" - something that I believe that Mr Ali - known in many circles as Trevor Lenin Amitkrishnan - knows very well.

It is the crucial ommisions and discrepancies that plague Mr Ali's work and make this is a very poor book indeed.

A typical diatribe from a defeated Red

Unfortunately the Punjabi Mr Tariq Ali does not seem to give facts and just regurgerates the nonsense spewed by both the Pakistani mass media and its masters - the Americans. Time for a reality check. Lets take one exampe of where the Red Ali goes wrong. What this shows is the sheer hatred of the Punjabis who cannot fathom how the Taliban are defeating their forces - the Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG fall into this. Moreover how is that the US is regarded as 'foreign', yet the Punjabi/Sindhi Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG is not???? How is that the Americans can invade FATA, yet when the Pakistanis do this and murder and displace hundreds of thousands then the same Pashtun think that this is OK? Another example is why does Tariq Ali keep on propagating the lie that the Pakistanis aided the Taliban? They never did. The basis of the outrageous lie that the Taliban Pashtun Mujahideen were 'created' by the Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG is therefore debunked by the defeat of the Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG led by the Taliban Mujahideen in 2006. For how can you give 'military training' and then cannot reverse this to secure victory? The Pakistani case that Ali propogates is a pathological and proven lie. Of course now there has been another invasion of the Pakistani Army/ISI into FATA and it is meeting with the same result. The Pakistanis and the Americans are one and the same. They are inextricably linked. The real fear for most Pakistanis is that the Taliban will not only defeat the Pakistani Army/ISI/SSG but then destroy the artificial, illegitimate state of Pakistan and claim back the Pashtun provinces of the NWFP and Balochistan.

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