Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain said on Saturday that criminal elements not Jihadis were fighting against security forces in South Waziristan Agency.
| "It's just that they're Arab criminal elements, and Uzbek criminal elements. And, of course, our own home-grown criminal elements..." |
Corps Commander Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain and General Officer Commanding Maj-Gen Niaz Khattak, along with a selected group of journalists, visited areas recently occupied by the troops in the wake of operations launched against foreign terrorists in Spinkai Raghzai and Karvan Manzaa areas of Mahsud tribe. After purging the Wazir tribe areas of insurgents, the security forces have entered into decisive battle against foreign terrorists in Mahsud areas of South Waziristan Agency.
 | I thought they were criminal elements. Make up your mind. |
Addressing troops at hill tops at Spinkai Raghzai and Karvan Manzaa, the corps commander praised the high morale of the Jawans and said they were fighting against elements who had fled their native countries and taken refuge here for carrying out subversive activities using the name of Jihad for their ulterior motives. "They are not Jihadis, they are simply criminals and have no concern with religion Islam," he added.
| Ahah. So that's it. It all depends on what the definition of "jihadi" is... |
The corps commander said things recovered from the hide-outs of the terrorists, like flags of al-Qaeda, literature in foreign language, audiotapes with Arabic marking, typical Uzbek dresses, propaganda material, huge cache of arms and ammunition, after the operations clearly manifest that they were foreigners as the local tribals did not use such equipment. More interestingly, he told the troops that security forces seized fresh cooked rice at 12 noon from a bunker. "Had they been Muslim or Jihadis, they would have been fasting by that time," he added.
| No Ramadan for the tough guys, eh? |
He said: "Neither we would allow anybody to use our soil for carrying out subversive activities nor we needed permission or certificate from any one for entering these areas. It is our country and we are custodians of the country's borders. It is part of our duty to counter internal threats as well." Safdar declared that fighting against terrorists would continue till their complete elimination from the area. "We are searching different areas in the agency to flush them out." He said local tribesmen were fully cooperating with the security forces but due to fear, they hesitated in apprehending the aliens. The corps commander said political process was also under way and would soon bring about positive results. He said he had made best efforts to convince warlord Abdullah Mahsud to mend his ways and pave the way for speedy development of the backward tribal areas.
| If you give him a shot to the head, that'll mend his ways. |
However, he paid no heed to our contentions and was adamant on polluting the peaceful atmosphere.
| "Well... Relatively peaceful, anyway." |
He said the kidnapping of the Chinese engineers was a sorrowful act, adding China is a time tested friend of Pakistan and is extending a helping hand in the construction of dams and road infrastructure in the country in general and the NWFP in particular.
| "And they have a very large army. Really large." |
Later, the journalists were also shown the arms and ammunition confiscated by the security forces during last two days from the hide-outs of terrorists which included HMG, rocket launchers, rockets, hand grenades, mortar shells, IEDs, foreign literature, dresses, etc. |