From: “Jamal” <caps123@khi.paknet.com.pk>
To: “Defence Journal” <defjrnl@pathfinder9.com>
Subject: Letters to the Editor
Date: Monday, January 27, 2003 3:08 PM

Pakistan’s Military Contribution in 1973 Arab-Israeli War

Dear Editor,
Reference Mr. Hamid Hussain’s letter in your January issue on the above subject.
Mr. Hussain’s observations about the role of Pakistani pilots during the ’73 Arab-Israeli War is absolutely correct. As a result of the engagement, Flt Lt. Sattar Alvi and his leader Sqn Ldr Arif Manzoor were bestowed the highest Syrian bravery award. While Pakistani law permits our armed forces personnel to accept the medal and ribbon portion of a foreign award, they are not permitted to accept the monetary/material benefits that are invariably associated with such gallantry awards. Furthermore, these awards are considered lower in order of precedence to any national awards/medals. The Pakistani contingent in Syria was operating in an electronic jamming environment where the adversaries were holding all the technical advantage. They were also pitted against one of the most professional and experienced combat pilots in the world. Against such heavy odds, achieving one aerial kill without any loss was no small achievement. To recognise the bravery of its pilots, the Government of Pakistan awarded Sitara-e-Jurat to both the officers. I hope this explanation will clarify that contrary to the view held by the author, PAF had not over reacted.
The details of the aerial engagement are available at the website pafcombat.com (Great Air Battles of the PAF) under the heading Shahbaz over Golan. Our readers may also find Sword for Hussain (part 1 and part 11) very interesting as it describes the exploits of another of our PAF hero during the ’67 Arab/Israeli War. I may add here that the final figures in all the three articles have been verified and corroborated by independent sources, some from Israel. In this respect, the book Israel’s best defence by Colonel Eliezer Cohen (page 235) concerning the 67 episodes refers. There may be a variation in the narrative of events but there is no disagreement in the final tally.
Regards

Jamal Hussain

Dear Sir,
The January 2003 issue of the DJ was the 25th copy — eagerly awaited every month and much enjoyed reading material. I found in DJ an excellent military journal worth reading, which is not afraid to present views not exactly in the general line of the Pakistani reader (which includes my Letters to the Editor).
Nevertheless, I was surprised reading Engr. Aamir A. Salaria’s letter, who while living in the USA nevertheless criticizes the “Iron man Commando General” who was convinced in a “Short Midnight Telephone Call” (his words again) to take a one hundred and eighty degrees turn. It seems to me that Engr. Salaria in contrary to “Iron man Commando General” does not understand Americans as Gen. Musharraf does.
Closing my (this time) short letter with kudos to DJ. Keep-up with the good work and I am sure that the Pakistani reader and others as well will only benefit from the Journal in the years to come.
Sincere regards
David L. Yarkony
An avid reader
January 31, 2003

Mr. Ikram ul-Majeed Sehgal,
The Managing Editor,
“ Defence Journal”
Karachi.

Sir,
Through your prestigious and widely circulated magazine the learned readers come in contact with even those whose predecessors had been serving with the units now part of the Pakistan Army. For the information of Major MIKE LEARMONTH, his letter published in the January 2003 issue, his late grandfather Major Gen ICA LAUDER DSO OBE was my brigade commander (89 Brigade- 7 Division from
25 July 45 to 6 April 46) when my unit 7/2 Punjab was in PEGU (BURMA) and THAILAND.
I also read the letter of PAUL PETTIGREW son of Col HRC PETTIGREW of 2/14 Punjab, now 6 Punjab and known as the Quaid’s Guard. On 21 April 48 the battalion was given the unique honour of providing Guard of Honour to Quaid-e-Azam on his visit to Peshawar. The battalion has the singular honour of claiming the first Hilal-e-Jurat awarded to Capt ZAFAR IQBAL during 1948 Kashmir War. The battalion was raised as 8th Punjab Infantry on 1st August 1857 by Lieut C.H. BROWNLOW (Later Field Marshal) at Nowshera. From 1857 to 1947 there had been 19 British officers who commanded the battalion but I could not find the name of Col PETTIGREW. Perhaps he commanded some other battalion.
I hope Mr PAUL PETTIGREW will forgive me if I add a few lines about the tragic episode of 5th Light Infantry. Some details are mentioned on pages 426 and 427 in the book “A Matter of Honour” of PHILIP MASON. During the 1st Great War 5th LI was in Singapore providing guard for the German PoW Camp. During 1996 Sub MOHAMMAD YASIN (Ranghar) had contacted me to find out some historical details about the tragic event of 5th LI because he thought I as a student of history would do the needful. He wrote that when the mutiny took place some of his close relatives were serving with the unit in Singapore. The Khateeb of the unit was a dedicated religious scholar and respected by the troops. As Muslims the troops had profound sympathy with the Turks against whom the Allied forces were fighting.
During one Juma congregation a British officer entered the mosque with his boots on and passed derogatory remarks which infuriated most of the troops present. The British officer was killed during scuffle and troops refused to obey orders. According to Sub YASIN, Hav ABDUL RAZAQ, SULEMAN IMTIAZ, QASIM, NK MUSA KHAN, RUSOOLO, ZAFAR ALI, Jemadar CHISTI KHAN CHUHAN, Jemadar TAJ KHAN QAIM KHANI and many others were tried and hanged. A few were shot dead by a firing squad. A Muslim trader QASIM ISMAIL of Singapore was also tried and hanged. Many were awarded rigorous imprisonment for life, out of whom some died in the prison. Sub YASIN’S close relative by the names of IMAM ALI, FATEH MOHAMMAD RAGO and MOHAMMAD TARIAN had returned to their village in Tehsil HANSI after the completion of imprisonment. Obviously they had narrated their version.
The graves of those who had died in Singapore are not traceable. The great grandchildren, of those who were implicated and awarded rigorous and capital punishments, strongly believe that their forefathers were also freedom fighters like those who had participated in the War of Independence 1857 (it is no more called the Great Mutiny), because they had refused to fight against the Turks.

Yours sincerely,
(Mukhtar Ahmad Gilani)

From: “A. H AMIN” <pavocavalry@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 12:07 PM
Sent: Letter

Dear Paul Pettigrew
This is with reference to your letter published in Defence Journal of Jan 2003.
1.Point Number One:— Entire Indian Army was a volunteer army, however, since Britain was a colonial master Indians had all the right to rebel. “Mutiny” is a subjective word. Full marks to Sher Ali Pathan, the Pathan convict at Andaman who stabbed the British Viceroy Lord Mayo to death at Andaman or to Mir Mast the indomitable Afridi from Tirah who went over to the German lines in France with 14 other Afridis.These men were of a far greater stature than many Muslims who accepted knighthood at the height of non-cooperation movement in 1921-22 !
2.Point Number Two:— My second humble submission sir regarding your remark that the 5th Light Infantry was a bad regiment, is to draw your attention to the beautiful saying of an old British officer goes, to “There are no bad regiments ...only bad officers”. The regiment was led by bad officers.
3.Point Number Three:— Regarding your assertion that the unit had Pathans, Punjabis, Hindustanis. I am afraid that this assertion is factually incorrect. As per orders of 1892-93, 5th Light Infantry was wholly composed of Hindustani Muslims and Ranghars, no Punjabis or Pathans. The unit had two wings (four companies each) one Ranghar from Ranghars from our old district Rohtak and village Chak No `130-LGB (Nao Rohtak) District Lyallpur (Refers — Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army till 1895 — Lieut F.G Cardew-Calcutta-1908)
4.Point Number Four:— The assertion that Mir Mast was awarded an Iron Cross was based on accounts of Philip Mason — Matter of Honour and C.C Trench — The Kings Army and its enemies.
5.Point Number Five:— Your statement that Pathans were liable to desert is a bit sweeping. The British Indian Army had two types of Pathans, the Trans Frontier i.e Tribal Area Pathans and the Trans and Cis Indus i.e those from Mardan, Kohat, Peshawar, D.I Khan etc. The Trans and Cis Indus remained loyal. 90 % who deserted were Trans Frontier i.e Afridi and Mahsuds.
In any case thanks for reading my article since in Pakistan magazines are best sold in graveyards since people read books only on sex or religion.

Yours sincerely
A.H Amin

11 Cavalry, 29 Cavalry, 15 SP, 58 Cavalry, 15 lancers,
5 Independent Armoured Squadron

pavocavalry@hotmail.com
A.H AMIN

From: “Edward Luttwak” <eluttwak@hoymail.com>
To: “SMS” <sms@pathfinder9.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 1:44 AM
Attach: ATT01224.html
Subject: From Luttwak

Dear Sir: Re. Syed Imran Shah “Counter-Air Operations”

Your very competent columnist suggested fighter-to-fighter refuelling, in order to carry more bombs to target. Such “buddy refuelling” is not unknown but rarely used, because operationally it is almost always better to send two fighters with reduced bomb-loads than one with a very heavy load. That increases vulnerability and reduces total accuracy ( target acquisition x weapon delivery). Two well-placed bombs are worth any amount of scattered ordnance—and the F-16 can carry six 500lb bombs, as he points out, even if two underwing pylons are used for 370-gallon tanks. The other six bombs left behind are rarely a real loss—in fact even the six bombs uploaded may be too many. These days, with guided weapons, the normal load is just two, even with a/c that could load six or eight. The real constraint is not range/payload, but pilot stress in delivering the attack with maximum total accuracy. That is the only true payoff, not how much is transported from A to B.

Edward N Luttwak
4510 Drummond Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815<> USA
T: 301 656 1972<>F: 301 907 8164
eluttwak@hotmail.com