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Operation
Rah-e-Rast
and Durand Line
Commander
(Retd) MUHAMMAD AZAM KHAN focuses on gains made by
the military operation against militants and calls
for permanent fencing of
the Durand Line.
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To say that under the present Chief
of Army Staff, General Kayani, Pakistan now has a
born again army, a made over institution with a strategic
reawakening, would not be an overstatement. The following
words of the Chairman U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Admiral Mullen, perhaps best certify why; ‘so
far he has done everything he told me he would do.
He said he would provide Frontier Corps with material
support and strong leaders. He did it. He said he
would send more Pakistani army troops to the northwest
border region. He sent nearly 2,000. He said he would
go after al-Qaeda and extremist groups in Bajaur and
the Swat valley. They have mounted several operations
in just the past few months. There is much more to
do, of course. But I also think it’s important
to look at what Kayani hasn’t done. For starters,
he hasn’t let the army meddle in politics. Kayani
helped foster a peaceful outcome to last year’s
constitutional crisis, but he did it in a way that
was totally in keeping with his military responsibilities.
He also hasn’t let tension over the involvement
of Pakistani based militants in Mumbai terrorist attacks
spin out of control’........more
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 Post
Operation Strategy
Brig (Retd) INAM UL HAQ caution that success of the
military operation
alone will not restore peace and go on to make some
practical suggestions.
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Once Military operations are well on their way to
success. Large parts of Swat Valley have been purged
of the militants and given the intensity and speed
of operations, it is hoped that the entire Valley
shall soon be brought under control. However, it should
be understood that the success of military operations
alone will not restore peace in the turbulent region
unless the Government takes immediate follow up actions
to establish its writ.........more
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The
Re-location of
US Marines in Japan:
Strategic Implications for Asia &
Beyond
Columnist TAUQEER
H. TAKI SIRGANA argues that the relocation of US
Marines in Japan will exacerbate tensions within the
region as the alliance
is a fundamentally flawed approach to security for
Japan.
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Abstract
On February 17, 2009, Japan’s Foreign Minister
Hirofumi Nakasone and US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton signed an accord on the planned relocation
of US Marines from Okinawa to Guam.1 Currently,
there are approximately eighteen thousand Marines
and under the already agreed Roadmap “United
States-Japan Roadmap for Realignment Implementation”
dated May 1, 2006 Tokyo and Washington agreed to
transfer about 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to
Guam by 2014.2 The two countries also agreed that
Japan would assume about 59% of the financial cost
of the relocation. The new accord reconfirmed the
willingness of the two countries to actually implement
the relocation as stipulated in the Roadmap. On
May 13, the Japanese Diet officially endorsed the
accord.3 Reasons ranging from domestic pressures
to strategic depth are behind this re-location,
which raise definite security challenges for the
rest of South East Asia particularly including North
Korea and China.........more
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Lingering Crises
of our Nation
Columnist
Dr QADAR BAKHSH BALOCH analyzes the problems being
faced
by Pakistan and recommends some remedies.
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Ever since its
creation, Pakistan has been in the midst of one crisis
after another. The sad and untimely demise of Quaid-e-Azam
left the nascent nation in doldrums. We kept groping
in the dark without a Constitution for nearly 9 years
and the one that we had was abrogated after 2 years
of its formation. Then came the dark era of military
bureaucracy which lasted for nearly 11 years followed
by another dictational regime that ended with the
tragic breakup of Pakistan. Democracy finally came
in 1971 but before it could make inroads, it was abruptly
ended in 1977. This brief period of democracy gave
us a consensus constitution famously known as the
1973 Constitution that created mass awareness and
political insight. It was during this period that
Pakistan embarked upon its acquisition of nuclear
technology but foreign powers did not view this progress
favourably and conspired to overturn the process of
democracy. The result was another military takeover
which endured till divine intervention in 1987. Democracy
got another chance but this too was crushed under
the boots by another spoiler in 1999 who ruled the
country with brute force for 9 long years, in the
process trampling the constitution and the judiciary.
It can be said without doubt that while General Zia
ul Haq sowed the seeds of Tablinisation, General Pervez
Musharaf wilfully allowed it to flourish leaving the
nation at the mercy of highly intolerant vultures
who adopted cold and brutal tactics.........more
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The
Covenant, Chosen
Race & Promised Land
Columnist
Brig (Retd) AFTAB AHMAD KHAN reviews, in light of
the Qur'an,
Bible and history, a complex geopolitical and religious
issue that is an impending flashpoint of clash of
civilizations.
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Introduction
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Covenant is an agreement
or treaty among peoples or nations, but most
memorably the promises that God extended to
humankind (e.g., the promise to Noah never again
to destroy the earth by flood or the promise
to Abraham that his descendants would multiply
and inherit the land). God’s revelation
of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai created a
pact between God and Israel known as the Sinai
Covenant. According to Christian traditions
Jesus Christ established a new covenant with
God. Islam holds that the Last & Final Covenant
was between God and Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) for all the humanity till eternity.
Hence for proper understanding of this doctrine
of ‘Covenant’, it should be studied
in the light of Bible, Qur’an and the
history. Without going in to the historic details
of the issue, well known to the readers, here
the scriptural aspects are being covered. There
is general agreement that Prophet and Patriarch
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus
and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) believed
and worshiped same God. In Arabic this supreme
God is called Allah, while Hebrews have been
calling Him; El ‘Elyon, Yahweh (Jehovah),
elohiym,(el-o-heem) or Adonai. God is the supreme
creator and Sustainer of all the worlds. He
is the God of all the creatures and people,
He is not the God of any one group only, though
He loves and prefers those who obey Him and
dislike those who are disobedient, transgressors,
and disbelievers. He is Kind and Merciful to
those who repent and perform deeds pleasing
to Him. He is not unjust; God established His
Covenant with the humanity, individually as
well as collectively through prophets. ......more
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Coverage
of War on Gaza in Pakistani Leading Newspapers:
Exploring
News Framing
Researchers
Dr Syed Abdul Siraj, Dr Seemi Naghmana and Dr Saqib
Riaz present a Study on coverage of the Dec 2008 Israeli
attack on Gaza by the Pakistani media.
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Abstract
This study looks at the coverage of Israeli attack
on Hamas in Gaza in leading Pakistani newspapers.
Within the context of the sore relationship between
Israel and the Muslim countries, this study is particularly
interested in the frames used to describe Israel hegemonic
design and its approval by the Western world, particularly,
USA.
The study studies how the Pakistani media, subject
to the various influences that result in journalists
assigning meaning and significance to people and events
(Shoemaker and Reese, 1996), framed the Israeli attack
on Gaza. The literature on content theory suggests
that ideological factors influence news coverage,
particularly in the form of frames. Frames are encoded
in specific phrases journalists use, and once they
are widely accepted, they result in social impact
(Entman 1993; Kerr 2002)......more
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“The
Battle of Administrative Box-Arakan-February 1944”
Columnist
M A GILLANI presents the second part of the Battle
of
Administrative Box.
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Enemy
Counter Offensive
Based on detailed recce of the terrain, location
of the various units of 7th DIV and 5th DIV, existing
gaps between the brigades, units and exposed flanks,
the various fighting groups of the SUKURAI force
commenced the counter offensive on the night of
3rd/4th February 1944. A major part of the SUKURAI
force had passed through a gap of 2 to 3 miles between
114 Bde and the river VALAPANZIN via KYAUKYIT and
PYMISHA KALA, and the gap between the left flank
of 114 Bde and 81 West African DIV. The British
battalion (Summerset Light Infantry – SLI)
of 114 Bde was responsible for keeping effective
vigilance on the gap between the 7th DIV and 81
West African DIV.........more
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