Twenty myths about the Pakistani Taliban by Raza Rumi.
Myth 1: "Operation has continued for 10 yrs with no result" - Wrong: ops limited/localised. FATA 4 agencies & Swat cleared by Pak Army
Myth 2: " Terrorism is due to US invasion of Afghanistan" - WRONG. Pakistan was suffering from terrorism well before 9/11. In 1980s and 90s.
Myth 3: "Taliban avenge drone strikes - terrorism a reaction" WRONG. How are Pak civilians, women, kids resp for drones? Dumb. #Pakistan
Myth 4: "Taliban are foreign funded- CIA/RAW use them" - why do you want to talk to them in that case. Politicians call them 'our own people'
Myth 5: "Taliban will break and many will get busy in Afghanistan after 2014 drawdown" - NO,they want to set up a Caliphate in Pakistan areas
Myth 6: "Thru talks we will find out what Taliban want" - We already know what they want: dissolution of Pak state/Constitution & a Caliphate
Myth 7: "Taliban are a Pashtun phenomena -reacting against Afghanistan" What about the Punjabis fighting, TTP non-Pashtun leaders? Foreigners?
Myth 8: "Army went to FATA under Musharraf & radicalised population" - Disingenuous: Al Qaeda & Afghan Taliban made bases there & recruited..
Myth 9: "Afghan and Pakistan Taliban are totally distinct" Half-truths again: Pak Taliban share the ideology & treat Al Qaeda as umbrella
Myth 10: "Drone strikes kill civilians and anger local population" Surveys show divided results..10 times more civilians killed by Taliban
Myth 11: "US is carrying out drone strikes unilaterally": Wrong. Gen Musharraf admitted his consent; a military commander praised them. #Pak
Myth 12: "TTP are Pashtun groups angry with Pakistan state/USA" - Half truth: Militant/sectarian organisations from Punjab supply soldiers..
Myth 13: "TTP exists as Afghan intelligence supports&gives bases to it" - Half true: Gulf states finance some grps,Afghan Taliban support it
Myth 14: "If we give Sharia courts in FATA, militancy will end" -We did that thru Nizam-e-Adal-Malakand in 2009/10 but did not end militancy
Myth 15:" US talks to Taliban, so should we" False:US state does not risk weakening by talking,it is exiting Afghanistan.We have to survive.
Myth 16: "Liberals want war in Pakistan" NO, Liberals & sane voices want Pak state to be strengthened and end its outsourcing of its monopoly!
Myth 17: "Liberals in the world want peace, Pak liberals want war" Nonsense. When nation state under threat you fight to save it not surrender
Myth 18: "Musharraf's decision to join war on terror led to radicalisation"-Half-truth, sources there since long. Double game made it worse.
Myth 19: "This is not our war" Misleading, dangerous. Pakistani state-GHQ, ISI, Police, Naval base, Civilians attacked. We are in War conditions.
Myth 20: "Ext enemies want to destroy us" Wrong. No country wants a nuclear state to meltdown. Pakistan hostage to failed security doctrines.
Myth 1: "Operation has continued for 10 yrs with no result" - Wrong: ops limited/localised. FATA 4 agencies & Swat cleared by Pak Army
Myth 2: " Terrorism is due to US invasion of Afghanistan" - WRONG. Pakistan was suffering from terrorism well before 9/11. In 1980s and 90s.
Myth 3: "Taliban avenge drone strikes - terrorism a reaction" WRONG. How are Pak civilians, women, kids resp for drones? Dumb. #Pakistan
Myth 4: "Taliban are foreign funded- CIA/RAW use them" - why do you want to talk to them in that case. Politicians call them 'our own people'
Myth 5: "Taliban will break and many will get busy in Afghanistan after 2014 drawdown" - NO,they want to set up a Caliphate in Pakistan areas
Myth 6: "Thru talks we will find out what Taliban want" - We already know what they want: dissolution of Pak state/Constitution & a Caliphate
Myth 7: "Taliban are a Pashtun phenomena -reacting against Afghanistan" What about the Punjabis fighting, TTP non-Pashtun leaders? Foreigners?
Myth 8: "Army went to FATA under Musharraf & radicalised population" - Disingenuous: Al Qaeda & Afghan Taliban made bases there & recruited..
Myth 9: "Afghan and Pakistan Taliban are totally distinct" Half-truths again: Pak Taliban share the ideology & treat Al Qaeda as umbrella
Myth 10: "Drone strikes kill civilians and anger local population" Surveys show divided results..10 times more civilians killed by Taliban
Myth 11: "US is carrying out drone strikes unilaterally": Wrong. Gen Musharraf admitted his consent; a military commander praised them. #Pak
Myth 12: "TTP are Pashtun groups angry with Pakistan state/USA" - Half truth: Militant/sectarian organisations from Punjab supply soldiers..
Myth 13: "TTP exists as Afghan intelligence supports&gives bases to it" - Half true: Gulf states finance some grps,Afghan Taliban support it
Myth 14: "If we give Sharia courts in FATA, militancy will end" -We did that thru Nizam-e-Adal-Malakand in 2009/10 but did not end militancy
Myth 15:" US talks to Taliban, so should we" False:US state does not risk weakening by talking,it is exiting Afghanistan.We have to survive.
Myth 16: "Liberals want war in Pakistan" NO, Liberals & sane voices want Pak state to be strengthened and end its outsourcing of its monopoly!
Myth 17: "Liberals in the world want peace, Pak liberals want war" Nonsense. When nation state under threat you fight to save it not surrender
Myth 18: "Musharraf's decision to join war on terror led to radicalisation"-Half-truth, sources there since long. Double game made it worse.
Myth 19: "This is not our war" Misleading, dangerous. Pakistani state-GHQ, ISI, Police, Naval base, Civilians attacked. We are in War conditions.
Myth 20: "Ext enemies want to destroy us" Wrong. No country wants a nuclear state to meltdown. Pakistan hostage to failed security doctrines.