Pakistan's army wages "secret war" against Baluchistan
Pakistan's security forces have been waging a "secret war" in the Baluchistan region since the death of tribal leader Mir Balaach Marri in combat last month. Peter Tatchell writes in The Guardian, Dec. 21: "The often indiscriminate attacks on civilian settlements are taking place mostly in the Kahan and Dera Bugti regions, and involve the deployment of heavy artillery, fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships. Pakistan's attacks have reportedly, so far, resulted in deaths of at least 100 men, women and children. More than 200 houses and other buildings, including schools and clinics, have been bombed and burned to the ground. Many farm animals were also killed in the attacks, depriving already poor people of their livelihood."
Mir Balaach Marri, purported head of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), was killed on Afghanistan's territory Pakistani intelligence sources told the BBC. The second son of one of Balochistan's premier tribal chiefs, Sardar Khair Bux Marri, Mir Balach Marri resigned from the provincial parliament in 2003, demanding greater autonomy for Baluchistan. (BBC, Nov. 21)
On the Iranian side of the border, four militants are reported dead in a clash between security forces and the Jundallah Brigades in Sistan-Baluchistan province. In February, Iran hanged a member of the Jundallah Brigades, convicted of a bombing that same month that killed 11 members of the Revolutionary Guards in Zahedan, the provincial capital. Twelve people were reported killed in a shootout between militants and security forces earlier this month in Sistan-Baluchistan. (AP, Dec. 20)
See our last posts on Pakistan, Iran and Baluchistan.
Get Real
Peter Thatchell is a moron. His hyperbole begins where real world ends. He claims there is more oil in Baluchistan than Saudi Arabia. He claims Pakistani underground Nuke testing has poisoned the flora and fauna overland more than Chernobyl. So those who quote him should expect to be lampooned as well- er Bill?
Moreover significantly....Afghanistan is now home to Pakistani terrorists....Shoe is on the other foot Mr Karzai?
War in Baluchistan is not "real"?
Thatchell makes no such claims about Baluchistan being the next Saudi Arabia in this piece, although there certainly is a lot of natural gas there. Should The Guardian be "lampooned"? Do you have reason to suspect that there is no counterinsurgency war in Baluchistan? Forgive me for erring on the side of airing atrocity reports rather than hushing them up. Perhaps you will consider International Crisis Group a more credible source. Note that this report is from Oct. 22—before Thatchell claims the violence was escalated with the slaying of Mir Balaach Marri.
War in Balochistan is indeed real
Today Pakistan and Iran are breeding grounds for fundamentalism. They are a menace of Militarization (only to suppress and terrorize the weak nations). Against these antagonism and contradictions there is a Baloch liberalism and heterogeneity, which had always been in the history a symbol of peace and adjustment, would never be adjustable to Pakistani arrangements. Moreover, as seen by Paul Kennedy and Dr. Briezinski, the world of 21st century requires implementation of U.N. decisions.
Do we believe that Pakistani State is in a position to implement U.N. decisions? Both the experts believed that in 21st century only national states would be able to implement UN decisions. Baloch nation hood and heterogeneity are beyond any doubt. Peace and prosperity in the region lies in determining Baloch identity and aspirations.
Terrorism
This debate that people are holding about pakistan will not be needed as the pakistani people have voted in the central democratic forces and b ooting out Busharraf and and his mullah cronies.