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War and peace, Pakistan army style
By Ayaz AmirONLY the Pakistan army could have created the Waziristan mess. No other force had the ability to put together the extraordinary combination of arrogance and lack of judgment which went into its making. Only the Pakistan army could have executed the extraordinary somersault which is the essence of the North Waziristan agreement: a virtual instrument of surrender effectively ceding Waziristan to the neo-Taliban. A civilian government would have had its ears cropped had it even suggested, far less attempted, anything of the kind. Call this the higher gymnastics: first starting a needless fire, then rushing in with the fire engines when the flames prove more destructive than anyone had thought. Fire-lighting and firefighting rolled into one, versatility of which any army would be proud. This agreement commits the army to a set of concrete measures: abandoning check-posts, releasing prisoners, returning seized weaponry and, something dear to the heart of every Pakhtoon, paying compensation. Posted by: john 2006-09-15 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=165968 |