Madrassah school curriculum reform needs review to be revived
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/...-tatters-qs-03
Take a minute to read the entire DAWN article.
As is all to often found in many Pakistani media stories, this one has built in contraditions.
One the one hand "the madrassah curicculum reform" program, funded in the background by the US through the Pak government is or has failed.
On the other hand due to current success fighting the Taliban the same school program has had modest success, but may be gaining wider acceptance by the poor and moderate madrassah miiddle class students.
The one subject I am concerned about deals with computer science. As an acquired skill it cuts both ways, against the Taliban/AQ but also useful for and to the terrorists and al Qaida who still recruit from these madrassahs.
Allegations the Taliban are returning to areas just cleared
The below partial quote is from today's date, July 18 GLOBAL HUJRA ONLINE. Understand these statements are unconfirmed and could be sheer Taliban propaganda. Spreading false tales is common even in peacetime among Pakhtuns.
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6466
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/sh...6712#post76712
Quote:
Saturday, July 18, 2009
FC officials deny report
(FC -= FRONTIER CORP, Pakistan Army)
By Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: Taliban militants resurfaced in parts of the Buner district during the last several days, carrying out armed patrol on roads besides establishing a checkpoint in Pacha Killay, locals told The News on Friday.
The reports about the reappearance of the militants emanated from the district at a time when the people, displaced by the Taliban arrival and the subsequent military operation, are returning to their homes.
“My brother had gone back to his home after the start of the IDPs’ return, but the situation there was still precarious and the Taliban were active, which forced him to leave Buner again,” a resident of a village near Pir Baba said, requesting anonymity.
Locals said the militants had infested numerous parts of the Buner district. “The Taliban arrived in great numbers to Kalpani, which is a densely populated area, and Chagharzai. They terrified the people when they brazenly carried out armed patrol on a four-kilometre strip on the Kalpani-Chagharzai Road a couple of days back,” another resident of Buner, who also requested not to be identified, said.
He contended that during the operation, the Taliban militants had suffered meagre casualties and their numerical strength remained intact. The displaced people coming back, he apprehended, would not be safe there and they could migrate again. “They are moving back to the district, because they could not pass time in camps. They just want to be at their homes in this scorching heat and unfavourable conditions,” he argued.
The locals from Pacha Killay said the militants had established a checkpoint at a stream between Pacha Killay and Balo Khan a few days back, where they checked the people to single out government officials or their opponents.
Opinions and facts not otherwise being mentioned publicly
With what I knew myself to be absurdly premature return of Displaced Persons we should have known this was a likely event.
The good news is I hear from individuals that IDP returnees are small in numbers. The masses of IDPs are not being encouraged officially to return for several more months, despite games the Taliban and al Qaida are now playing through the local media and world press.
Too many Pak and world media fools undermine our allies the Pak military and thus our total war efforts with their yellow journalist sensationalism to "create" radical news headlines.
WW II news media censorship would help Pakistan and NATO, too, on both sides of the Durand Line.
Unique event, Paks becoming refugees in Afghanistan
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/sh...7544#post77544
Pakistanis of several tribes, particulary the Bangash tribe, now in fighing zones of N. Waziristan have fled for safety into Afghanitan. Please read posting #4 from 8/2/09 Global Hujra Online to see for yourselves.
Pak Taliban Leader Batulla Massud KIA
Reports are circulating as of Aug. 6 that Pakistan's chief Taliban Leader, Baitullah Mehsud, in Waziristan, was killed in a missile strike of about two days ago; (added to illustrate) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...d-is-dead.html
Separeately on Aug. 6 the elders of the Massud tribe visited the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and met with the Deputy Speaker of the lower house and with some Pakistani national senators...one senator from Waziristan accompanied the visiting Massud tribe elders.
Amazingly, the Massud tribe is seeking a truce and cessation of attacks on them by the Pakistani military; this is the sort of clap trap "on again off again" attempts which only allows the Taliban to regroup and rearm.
I posted on SWJ yesterday, Aug. 5 an article supporting the fact that other Massud tribe folks have fled into Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan, and three options for discussion of what these Massud folks could actually be up to. (Added original link: http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/sh...7544#post77544)
Am wondering if others are unable or unwilling due to current events to discuss these current events topics?
New york times confirms mehsud's death
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Friday, August 7, 2009 -- 7:20 AM ET
-----
Taliban Leader in Pakistan Is Dead, His Aides Say
Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of Pakistan's fearsome Taliban
militia, was killed Wednesday in a C.I.A. missile strike, two
Taliban fighters said on Friday, adding that a meeting was
taking place to determine who among his top deputies would
replace him.
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na
Understand ex-Pak tank officer is politically a leftist as author of 2nd article here
I hope these GLOBAL HUJRA articles on the Khyberwatch inks help explain some of what is happening in Pakistan. I have included the biography of the leftist author of second article as it gives his background.
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7415
http://www.chowk.com/writers/2100
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7417
He's not dead, this a Western ploy
So say militants in the FATA, according to the BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8191105.stm
So we await a tape recording arriving and being broadcast. By denying his death the Pakistan Taliban have set themselves a dilemma; a reminder how communications now have impacted.
davidbfpo
What is the relative effect?
Quote:
Query two: As you are chopping away at the top of the pyramid with no measureable affect on performance of the organization; what affect are your actions having on the motivation of the organization and its populace base of support to continue the fight??? The real question isn't if he is dead or not; the real question is what is the relative effect of conducting such operations in the first place.
From a faraway armchair and mindful that less deaths are preferable, primarily because of the local Pashtun culture i.e. revenge and status, my answers are and not in priority:
1) As a symbol and dangerous leader his removal is justified. Primarily with it's local effect and on Pakistan. Symbolism aside little effect to the USA etc (IMHO the White House spokesman should have stayed silent).
2) Yes, new leadership will appear and have to adapt further their lifestyle.
3) From my knowledge of Kashmiri-Pakistanis here they prefer to stand on the sidelines and await a sign who is stronger. That is where the impact could / should be on the flow of support, recruitment and legitimacy.
4) The action extends the window of opportunity for Pakistan to act in the FATA; in some ways following the Imperial strategy - harsh punishment.
davidbfpo