Operation Rah-e-Nijat (South Waziristan)

[fatman17]

Troops, backed by warplanes, advance from three directions

Battle for South Waziristan begins

* Curfew imposed in region, all link roads to and from Waziristan blocked
* Mobile, telecommunication systems jammed
* Taliban putting up stiff resistance
* Offensive may be completed within eight weeks
* 30 Taliban killed in airstrikes
* Four soldiers killed, 12 injured in clashes...

 

[fatman17]

EDITORIAL: Attacking South Waziristan

A gathering representing all the political parties in government and opposition has given Pakistan’s army chief General Ashfaq Kayani the formal go-ahead to attack terrorist bases in South Waziristan. The decision to attack was taken by the politicians after a briefing by General Kayani in which he explained that the terrorists attacking in various parts of the country were sourced in South Waziristan and that their desperation was clearly owed to their weakened position.

General Kayani was of the opinion that this was the right moment to strike in the stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but the army needed complete support from the civilian government and the opposition to give its soldiers the kind of moral backing they needed to operate in their own territory. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani presided over the meeting that gave the general the clearance to launch the attack.

This is strategically the right time to go into South Waziristan where the state has in the past tried to parley the local warlords into peace. It first talked to a Wazir leader called Nek Muhammad but the peace accord did not last long, and Nek Muhammad was killed in 2004; it then negotiated peace with Baitullah Mehsud in 2005 but once again the agreement broke down, and Baitullah Mehsud was killed in 2009. Wary of talking peace from a position of weakness, the state waited till its position was strengthened on the ground by Operation Rah-e-Rast in Malakand.

South Waziristan is supposed to be the toughest terrain on which to fight any enemy. Its area is the largest among the FATA agencies, but its population is barely half a million compared to Malakand where it is 3 million. The population of South Waziristan has either fled the area in anticipation of the attack – which they have repeatedly but silently recommended to the army – or are in the process of doing so by moving towards Dera Ismail Khan in the NWFP.

For once the army is not responding in a knee-jerk manner to desperate initiatives taken by the terrorists; it is deciding what it will do and where and the TTP will have to respond to the choices the army will make on the battlefield. Also, the Pakistan Army will not be facing the enemy from a position of weakness, including a total lack of experience in fighting an irregular war. It will act based on the insights gained from operations in Malakand and Bajaur and will not be stricken by doubts about where it stood vis-à-vis the people of Pakistan.

The politicians may be divided over other matters but are united over the need for a military operation against the terrorists. There was a time when the opposition in parliament was actually not convinced by a military briefing and still recommended “talking” to the Taliban instead of taking them on in Malakand. The Pakistan Army sees no disadvantage in international disapproval of what it does but rightly concerns itself about the consent of the people of Pakistan as represented in parliament. The consensus expressed on Friday therefore will be the most certain guarantee for an operation “with full national conviction”.

Across the border, in Afghanistan, the Unites States and its NATO allies are wondering if they should continue their war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. President Barack Obama is wavering over whether to send in ten to sixty thousand additional troops to Afghanistan or think of formulating a strategy of exit by 2011. The South Waziristan operation will help the US decide not to leave Pakistan in the lurch again. It is the operation in Malakand – and its remarkable success in a short time – that has encouraged the West to think that it is possible to defeat terrorism.

The Kerry-Lugar legislation has emanated from a feeling of confidence in the ability of Pakistan to defeat the terrorists – despite the ill-advised language it used in the “conditionalities” set down in it, which actually communicated a lack of it. The operation in South Waziristan will decide a lot of things on the other side of the Durand Line. The US and its allies will have to take a close look at the new situation arising from the operation, they will have to respond to the possible relocation of the “foreign” terrorists back into Afghanistan and address Pakistan’s concerns about its security.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[waraich66]

Didn't we try the 'political solution' already? We enforced Nizam-e-Adl in Swat, and the TTP-S refused to disarm, kept their militias, refused to allow their fighters be held accountable by the very 'Qazi courts' they themselves were 'demanding', and instead they expanded into Buner and Dir!

What more could Pakistan have offered these barbarians and murderers?

Have some shame sir, and do not regurgitate failed solutions time and again.

US was not fighting is swat , our nation was behind our army , so they defeated militants.

Dont mix waziristan with swat , their is no issue of writ of Pakistan in waziristan , local population is against US due to drone attacks .

All muslim ummah is today shame full because of war in muslim country.US is successfull in their plan .

Allah may save us from plan of our enemies ameen

 

[fatman17]

The tribal belt: a terrorist bastion rich in history

ISLAMABAD: Security forces backed by warplanes have launched a major operation against terrorists in South Waziristan.

The seven tribal districts – known as agencies – lie outside direct government control. Thousands of extremists have exploited the lack of control and weakened state security forces to carve out sanctuaries.

Here are facts about the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) consists of seven districts (agencies): Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North

Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan

Most of the four million residents are Pashtuns, the ethnic group that dominates southern and eastern Afghanistan. Many refuse to recognise the British-drawn Durand Line, which divides the two nations and splits families.

FATA has representatives in parliament and is under executive authority of the president, but legislation does not apply unless expressly ordered by the president.

FATA is governed through the Frontier Crimes Regulation, set up in 1901 by colonial rulers from British India, keen to curry favour with fierce Pashtun fighters who resisted any attempt at colonisation.

Each agency has a state-appointed administrator known as a political agent. Justice, law enforcement and local government are dispensed by locally-appointed tribal leaders and councils of elders, known as jirgas.

The president appoints a governor for NWFP, who also oversees FATA and is answerable only to the head of state.

US President Barack Obama has branded the mountains, ravines and caves in the border region the most dangerous place in the world for Americans.

US officials say Al Qaeda fled into FATA after US-led operations toppled the terrorists in Afghanistan in 2001 and are now using the area as a base for plotting attacks on the West and the region.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) movement headed by Hakimullah Mehsud is based mostly in South Waziristan, although there is strong terrorist influence in all seven agencies.

The TTP is believed to have 20,000 to 25,000 fighters across the tribal belt, and 10,000 to 12,000 in South Waziristan.

South Waziristan has a population of about 600,000 people, but officials say 90,000 civilians have fled, fearing military operations.

The Mehsuds are the biggest tribe in South Waziristan. The Wazirs are the second largest, live on the Afghan border and are allied to the government. A small faction of Mehsuds has also signed a peace deal with the government.

US missile attacks in the FATA have killed nearly 600 people, including significant Al Qaeda leaders and former TTP warlord Baitullah Mehsud.

afp

 

[fatman17]

MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
Date Posted: 16-Oct-2009

Jane's Defence Weekly

Pakistan attacks Taliban strongholds in Waziristan

Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent - Islamabad

Pakistan Army artillery units on 16 October bombed positions held by the Taliban in two locations in southern Waziristan near the Afghan border, prompting further speculation that a military push in the region is imminent.

A senior government official in the capital Islamabad speaking to Jane's on condition of anonymity said that the Taliban positions in Ladha and Makeen - their two main strongholds in south Waziristan - were attacked by Pakistani artillery, while US-supplied F-16 fighters from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) also attacked Taliban positions.

On 5 October the official confirmed to Jane's that the PAF had "carried out aerial attacks for the past few weeks", but declined to give details on when the aerial campaign began.

Pakistani and Western defence officials say that curbing the Taliban presence from their strongholds in Waziristan is critical to the success of US President Barack Obama's initiative to stabilise Afghanistan. According to US officials, Taliban militants and their sympathisers have for years routinely attacked US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, crossing over to Pakistan to recuperate. Waziristan has become the main safe haven for these fighters, allowing them to continue with their terrorist campaign, they say.

The army's offensive in Waziristan follows a chain of deadly attacks carried out either by the Taliban or their sympathisers, targeting locations including those run by the military. On 10 and 11 October, up to 10 Taliban militants and their supporters raided the army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi - a city just outside Islamabad.

The militants took up 42 hostages including civil and military personnel working at one of the GHQ offices. On 11 October Pakistan's army commandos stormed the GHQ office building and rescued 39 hostages. In total, nine militants and 14 army officers and soldiers were killed.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on 15 October that the attacks indicated that the militants were becoming increasingly desperate as the Pakistan military prepared to attack Taliban locations. "All that is happening now does not indicate the strength of these people. On the contrary, they are becoming weaker," he told reporters on a day when three police officers were attacked by pro-Taliban militants in the central Pakistani city of Lahore, while two attacks including a suicide bomb and a car bomb targeted locations in the troubled North West Frontier Province where Waziristan is located.

Western defence officials in Islamabad warned that the attacks seemed to be a typical response from guerrilla-type militants fighting a regular army and police force. "This pattern which is now emerging in Pakistan was to be expected. You hit these militants and they will retaliate with the methods they know best," one Western defence official told Jane's on condition of anonymity. "You can expect more such attacks in the coming days."

 

[extinct]

Well, the Israeli Defence Air Force is considered the most battle-hardened Air Force in the world, which makes it one of the most sought after for international military exercises (I'm not making this up, it's right out of the mouth of a Canadian Forces officer). But, when you think about it, all they have done since the last Arab-Israeli War is drop precision munition on targets, without facing any resistance at all. Even during the Arab-Israeli war, the Arabic aerial efforts were pathetic. So what makes them so special? There must be something they are gaining from their campaigns which the world values, right? And the answer: operational preparedness, battle testing and verification of tactics.

There is a great deal, in a very conventional sense, that the PAF and PA will be gaining from these operations, from target designation to precision bombing to battle planning to close air support to area clearing to area holding to inter-service coordination and so on. In unconventional warfare, well, we were always in a different league entirely, so it's not surprising that we're the ones rewriting the Asymmetric Warfare doctrine.

What you have said is pure gold and perhaps the only silver-lining of this entire campaign for the forces... This is the "excercise" which even the israelis or the indians never conducted... the task is mamoth, kill the bad guys and do so without overwhelming use of force thus avoiding collateral damage but still the ferocity/resistance of the enemy is making it a true battle and not just cordon-search-apprehend "policing" operation (read indians in Kashmir) or 60Kft precision munition drop w/ least collateral worry (read isrealis in Gaza/West bank). It would make the officers "battle-savvy" and veteran tactitions... those who can fight and survive such an enemy will remember this in a conventional war as well just in case he feels a wall behind his back...

 

[Javed3]

The so-called Internal Security operations are a sure way to destroy the professionalism and morale of the forces.

Waziristan is Pakistani territory; and the bad guys are mostly Pakistani citizens. Lets see what was once the reaction of Israeli Air Force pilots on such operations on an area inhibited by the “enemy”:

27 Israeli Reserve Pilots Say They Refuse to Bomb Civilians - The New York Times


27 Israeli Reserve Pilots Say They Refuse to Bomb Civilians
By GREG MYRE
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2003

Twenty-seven reserve pilots in the Israeli Air Force presented a signed petition tonight saying that they would not take part in ''illegal and immoral'' strikes in Palestinian areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The airstrikes, aimed at Hamas militants, sometimes kill Palestinian civilians.

''We refuse to participate in air force attacks on civilian populations,'' said the letter, which was sent to the head of the air force, Maj. Gen. Dan Halutz. ''We refuse to continue harming innocent civilians.''

The petition is similar to a letter signed by hundreds of reserve soldiers who have pledged not to serve in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. Most of the pilots who signed the petition have not been on active duty in recent years, the air force said. It was not clear whether any had been involved in the strikes.

Israel calls the strikes ''targeted killings.'' They have broad support among Israelis, with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government saying they are the most effective way to attack terrorists who hide among civilians.

The Israeli news media said one of the petition's signers was Yiftach Spector, a brigadier general in the reserves, who took part in the bombing of the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981.

In a sharp response to the pilots' letter, General Halutz said members of the military should not take political positions. ''We do not choose our wars or missions,'' he said on Israeli television.

''We will continue to hunt terrorists,'' he said, adding, ''We have no intention of harming civilians.''

One recent Israeli target, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, emerged today for the first time since he was lightly wounded on Sept. 6 in the bombing of a Gaza City apartment where he was meeting with Hamas members.

In a news conference at a Gaza City mosque, the defiant sheik said Hamas was not prepared to call off its bombing campaign, and he accused President Bush of declaring war on Islam.

''Resistance and holy war are the only choices for victory,'' he said. ''We promised God and we promised the people that we won't surrender and we won't raise white flags.

''Bush today is declaring war on Islam. He has to understand that those who have faith are not afraid of threats, and that Islam is stronger than Bush.''

The direct criticism of Mr. Bush was somewhat unusual; Hamas usually focuses on the conflict with Israel and avoids otherwise irritating the United States.

The remarks came a day after President Bush, speaking at the opening of the the United Nations General Assembly, defended American military action that toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

''He is going to lose in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine,'' Sheik Yassin said.

Until recently the top Hamas leaders appeared frequently in public, speaking at large rallies and granting frequent interviews.

But since Israeli forces began striking at the group's senior leaders, they have gone into hiding. Israel has struck at four of the top figures since June, killing one and wounding three.

Sheik Yassin said today that Hamas would keep attacking Israel and would not allow itself to be disarmed by the Palestinian government or anyone else. He said his movement would not take part in the new Palestinian government being formed by Ahmed Qurei.

After high school, most Israeli men perform three years of military service, while women serve for two years. After that, the men are liable for annual reserve duty of up to a month. Some of the soldiers who have refused duty have been jailed for the amount of time they were supposed to serve. The military says the number refusing to serve remains quite small in a country where service is so widespread.

The region has been relatively quiet for two weeks, but daily violence persists.

Israeli troops searching houses in Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, uncovered explosives in two homes and clashed with Palestinian gunmen before dawn today, the military said.

An 18-year-old Palestinian man was killed and at least 10 Palestinians were wounded, according to witnesses and doctors at the Rafah hospital. The Israelis demolished the two homes with explosives.

Photo: Sheik Ahmed Yassin of Hamas denounced President Bush. (Photo by Reuters)

 

[Patriot]

US was not fighting is swat , our nation was behind our army , so they defeated militants.

Dont mix waziristan with swat , their is no issue of writ of Pakistan in waziristan , local population is against US due to drone attacks .

All muslim ummah is today shame full because of war in muslim country.US is successfull in their plan .

Allah may save us from plan of our enemies ameen

Oh hello when these people are bombing pakistanis in cities and bombing NWFP regularly then why Ummah is silent?The ummah only exists in your mind.The drone attacks will stop when Pakistan has full government writ Waziristan.

 

[Javed3]

Counter insurgency “asymmetric” anti-terror operations destroy the conventional capabilities and initiative of the forces. Here are some excerpts of what happened in Dacca in December 1971:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/nic/karan-gen-jacob.htm

In CNBC’s ‘India Tonight’ programme broadcast on April 30, Karan Thapar presented an interview with Lieutenant-General J.F.R. Jacob, who was Chief of Staff of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command during the Bangladesh campaign of 1971, and who was after his retirement Governor of Goa and Governor of Punjab, in the context of the Government’s decision to give Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshaw back pay for the period since his retirement from service over 36 years ago. There is a particular focus here on his role, as well as General Jacob’s role, in the Bangladesh campaign. This is an edited but substantially intact version of the transcript provided by CNBC:

Karan: So had General Manekshaw’s signal of December 13 been accepted, that could have endangered India’s great victory?

Gen. Jacob: Well, I put it differently that it would have delayed the proceedings.

Karan: It would have delayed the proceedings… those proceedings, as you told me a moment ago, would anyway [have been] delayed because he denied you access to the three brigades. This order from Manekshaw was a bad order.

Let’s jump to December 15. General Niazi, the Pakistani Commander, sent a signal offering a ceasefire. More importantly, he had 30,000 soldiers under his command in Dhaka.

Gen. Jacob: Yes, about 30,000.

Karan: Whilst you only had 3,000 outside the city. So you were out-manned 10 to one.

Gen. Jacob: Yes.

Karan: Then what happened?

Gen. Jacob: Then he kept [on talking] and then I said General, I cannot give you any better terms. I will give you 30 minutes. If you don’t comply I would have no option but to order resumption of hostilities.

Karan: During those 30 minutes were you panicking?

Gen. Jacob: I wasn’t panicking but I walked out and I said god, he has 30,000 troops we have 3,000... Suppose he says no, what do I do? And I had no answer.

 

[batmannow]

Counter insurgency “asymmetric” anti-terror operations destroy the conventional capabilities and initiative of the forces. Here are some excerpts of what happened in Dacca in December 1971:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/nic/karan-gen-jacob.htm

In CNBC’s ‘India Tonight’ programme broadcast on April 30, Karan Thapar presented an interview with Lieutenant-General J.F.R. Jacob, who was Chief of Staff of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command during the Bangladesh campaign of 1971, and who was after his retirement Governor of Goa and Governor of Punjab, in the context of the Government’s decision to give Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshaw back pay for the period since his retirement from service over 36 years ago. There is a particular focus here on his role, as well as General Jacob’s role, in the Bangladesh campaign. This is an edited but substantially intact version of the transcript provided by CNBC:

Karan: So had General Manekshaw’s signal of December 13 been accepted, that could have endangered India’s great victory?

Gen. Jacob: Well, I put it differently that it would have delayed the proceedings.

Karan: It would have delayed the proceedings… those proceedings, as you told me a moment ago, would anyway [have been] delayed because he denied you access to the three brigades. This order from Manekshaw was a bad order.

Let’s jump to December 15. General Niazi, the Pakistani Commander, sent a signal offering a ceasefire. More importantly, he had 30,000 soldiers under his command in Dhaka.

Gen. Jacob: Yes, about 30,000.

Karan: Whilst you only had 3,000 outside the city. So you were out-manned 10 to one.

Gen. Jacob: Yes.

Karan: Then what happened?

Gen. Jacob: Then he kept [on talking] and then I said General, I cannot give you any better terms. I will give you 30 minutes. If you don’t comply I would have no option but to order resumption of hostilities.

Karan: During those 30 minutes were you panicking?

Gen. Jacob: I wasn’t panicking but I walked out and I said god, he has 30,000 troops we have 3,000... Suppose he says no, what do I do? And I had no answer.

Javed3, SIR!
its not a DAM "CNBC" program its an open war!
plz stay on with topic!
by these kind of hanky panky , out of topic stuff, will not lead you anywhere, if you dont like to see "TALIBAN TERRORISTS" dying with out "NAMAZ-E-JANAZA", plz go to them & ask them to surrender, if not, just stay away of , our "JAWAN's" shight.
its very simple now!
ARE YOU WITH US? OR AGAINST US?
the choice is yours.
thanks

 

[salman nedian]

I have doubts in my mind regarding this operation. First of all is this a correct approach to tell the militants 3 months before that we will conduct an operation against you? Secondly allowing the people to leave the area and there is a possibility that militants can also take the advantage and they may have moved to other areas?

Is operation the last option? If they are being trained and supported by foreign agencies than why can’t we use the religion factor to penetrate into them and get the results which we want to achieve?

It looks like an endless war and we have to think about ourselves. What if US leaves Afghanistan tomorrow and this time Taliban and Northern alliance both will be our enemy?

 

[Javed3]

Dear Batmannow:

You seem to be terribly impressed with George Bush, and have a great sense of humor too!. “”ARE YOU WITH US? OR AGAINST US?””

My post is very much relevant. Counter Insurgency Asymmetric warfare is just too damn easy …….. The Forces actually believe that they are fighting a REAL war ….. Whereas in reality they are trashing their professionalism. This is exactly what happened to PA from March 1971 – Dec 1971. They racked in victories fighting Mukti Bahini and liberated great swaths of territory. Once confronted with conventional forces and loss of Air Cover the battle was lost before it even began.

 

[salman nedian]

Frankly speaking I want results from this war which has been imposed on us. I want full control over Afghanistan after US’s withdrawal. For that we need a proper strategy which could be to encourage pro-Pakistan forces in Afghanistan to dismantle the terrorist outfits against Pakistan in Afghanistan.

I am again saying that we need to utilize religion factor to counter this problem; Use Fazlur Rehman and jamaat-e-Islami to communicate with Mullah Umar. What if He announces that we are not behind attacks in Pakistan?If we have proofs that our neighbors and Israelis are behind terrorist attacks than we must ensure to use good Taliban to counter them.

What disturbs me is a thought that after Swat its Waziristan next south Punjab than Quetta etc. will that be our victory that after 3-4 years we will be standing on destroyed buildings saying that we have won the war not against any conventional force but against TERRORISTS?

 

[batmannow]

Dear Batmannow:

You seem to be terribly impressed with George Bush, and have a great sense of humor too!. “”ARE YOU WITH US? OR AGAINST US?””

My post is very much relevant. Counter Insurgency Asymmetric warfare is just too damn easy …….. The Forces actually believe that they are fighting a REAL war ….. Whereas in reality they are trashing their professionalism. This is exactly what happened to PA from March 1971 – Dec 1971. They racked in victories fighting Mukti Bahini and liberated great swaths of territory. Once confronted with conventional forces and loss of Air Cover the battle was lost before it even began.

more thn 60 terrorsits killed till now, well i guss peoples like you, who are infact , hidden "TALIBAN SYMPATHIZERS" , are getting dejected with the "PAKARMY'S Counter Insurgency AWSOME ability".
plz dont mess things with the things , you may never no!
i am not impressed with any body, yes but i am impresd by this "very good" question "are you with us, or against us", sory to say its prety dam serious question, if you think its funny, thn i only can say, plz come to place called EARTH!

 

[TaimiKhan]

Frankly speaking I want results from this war which has been imposed on us. I want full control over Afghanistan after US’s withdrawal. For that we need a proper strategy which could be to encourage pro-Pakistan forces in Afghanistan to dismantle the terrorist outfits against Pakistan in Afghanistan.

I am again saying that we need to utilize religion factor to counter this problem; Use Fazlur Rehman and jamaat-e-Islami to communicate with Mullah Umar. What if He announces that we are not behind attacks in Pakistan?

Mullah Umar has already announced that he or his Afghan Taliban has nothing to do with Pakistan, directed the taliban in Pakistan to focus their energy in fighting in Afghanistan not PA. That was the reason that TTP was created to distinguish it from Afghan Taliban. The Wazir tribe who are not part of TTP, have taken the brunt of the drone strikes as they are more interested in fighting Americans & supporting Afghan Taliban. The TTP got a very small, negligible share of the drone strikes, which also started very recently due to the immense pressure from Pakistan.

If you see the map of the current operations area, its specifically targeted at the Mehsud tribe area, who make the base of TTP & have given refuge to the most brutal militants Chechen, Uzbek, Arabs etc who were evicted by the Wazir tribe from their area due to their disassociation with Afghan War, who terrified the locals & were involved in attacking PA rather then fighting the American Forces in Afghanistan.

This operation has nothing to do with the Afghan taliban or local people who support their brethren in Afghanistan. TTP does not support the Afghan War, they say they do but in reality they don't.

So this fight is with the people who are against Pakistan nor against those who are fighting the American occupational forces.


I don't understand why is it so hard for some of the guys on this forum to understand & differentiate between who our enemy is & who is not.