A
school building remains in Wana after the Army operation
Failed
Wana Operation Kicks Off Intense Debate Within Pakistan Army
By
Syed Saleem Shahzad
KARACHI:
As the Pakistan military establishment's pro-United States policies
continue to receive harsh criticism domestically, Washington is
now pressuring Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf to
undertake yet another operation against foreign militants and
their proteges in Pakistan's tribal regions of South and North
Waziristan near the Afghanistan border.
The
most recent operation in South Waziristan kicked off two weeks
ago and failed miserably, with the official figure listing about
50 of the Pakistan Army's officers and soldiers killed and no
"prize targets" captured. Asia Times Online sources
maintain the casualty figure is actually much higher. Now, Musharraf
has been pushed back under the microscope.
Through
many reshuffles in the Pakistan Army, Musharraf has managed to
maintain his writ as Chief of Army Staff, while holding onto his
position as President of Pakistan - however this issue is reemerging
as a source of contention in Pakistan.
There
is also intense debate in the armed forces hierarchy following
the failed operation in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan
agency, that the two offices should be separated to keep the army
out of politics.
Such
calls for the division of military and state come in the wake
of several "high value target" myths established over
the duration of the operation. At the start of the fighting, it
was implied that al-Qaeda number two, Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, was
hiding out in the region, an allegation later dismissed by the
army.
More recently, it was suggested that two high-level al-Qaeda members,
Tahir Yuldashev and "Abdullah", were seriously wounded
and killed - in that order. Yuldevish is the leading commander
of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, meanwhile Abdullah's story
would have ridiculed the army had the world known his background,
given that Pakistan's Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) department
initially branded him to be a key al-Qaeda member.
Yuldashev and "Abdullah"
are two of the most famous characters among the Pakistani jihadis
- each featured in movies that are in circulation all over the
country. Yuldashev can be seen addressing the Islamic cause in
which he justifies their fight against the US by providing various
glimpses of brutalities in Israel and in Chechnya. "Abdullah"
is a Chechan guerilla who is known among the jihadis for his classic
guerilla fights. He is shown in the movies killing Russian soldiers.
US
bombings in Afghanistan forced Yuldevish to leave northern Afghanistan
some time ago, his whereabouts are currently unknown, however,
he was last believed to have been hiding out in Khost. Pakistani
authorities took the lead from there and established their own
guess that Yuldevish was hiding out in the Shawal mountains -
a no-man's land on the Pakistan-Afghan border - and even claimed
that he was wounded.
Given
the popularity of Abdullah in Pakistan, it was presumed that he
should also be in Afghanistan, and his status was elevated by
the ISPR to that of chief spy master of al-Qaeda. Soon after,
however, it was recognized that there was no evidence of his presence
in Afghanistan. He was eventually presumed dead, but it was later
stated by the ISPR that he is not the chief spy master, but rather
an ordinary spy: "an Egyptian" whose body had not yet
been recovered.
These
attempts to "glorify" the Wana operation were unable
to cover up its failure and repercussions. The Pakistan Army is
split on an ethnic basis. Before the operation started in South
Waziristan, Musharraf prematurely retired Corps Commander Peshawar
Ali Jan Orakzai, a Pashtun, and installed Lieutenant-General Safdar
Hussain - a Punjabi.
The development was seen as anti-Pashtun among the Pashtun officers
who are the second largest majority after Punjabi officers. These
feelings of tension were clearly reflected during the operation,
from both sides. Several soldiers and a few officers of Pashtun
origin refused to participate in actions taken against the Pashtun
tribals.
The way in which Pashtun tribals
dealt with hostages is also a reflection of this split. The tribals
that held Pashtun paramilitary force members hostage are said
to have treated them with respect, later releasing them after
a deal with Pakistani authorities. However, the soldiers that
were of Punjab descent were killed and their bodies mutilated.
High-level
sources tell Asia Times Online that in the face of these
failures, Musharraf now faces two immediate challenges.
Firstly, the US military high command
has been regularly been visiting Pakistan and is stressing the
need for a complete crackdown on foreign fighters along the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border area, starting from Khyber Agency to South Waziristan.
They emphasized that the mission can only be successful if both
US and Pakistani forces conduct joint operations in the area.
The aim of this operation is once again to destroy the base of
jihadi fighters believed to be in the Shawal mountains. Thus another
operation in South and North Waziristan is inevitable, despite
the public outcry sure to ensue.
The second challenge Musharraf is
up against comes from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
IAEA inspectors are now in Iran and aim to come Pakistan to verify
the Iranian centrifuge facility with Pakistan - which means they
will be paying a visit to Pakistan's nuclear installations, another
issue sensitive to the Pakistani public.
Non-compliance
with these two challenges is difficult for Pakistan, as the country
is under heavy US pressure. But, on the other hand, compliance
means giving Islamic radicals the chance to wreak further havoc.
They
are already seeking out this opportunity - under broader designs
chalked out by the International Islamic Front - in which the
success of the Afghan resistance can only be ensured once it takes
control of Pakistan's backyard. This is only possible if the country
falls into the hands of Islamic radicals or deep into anarchy
and chaos. - Asia Times Online
