Here's something I wanted to ask (addressed mostly to our members from ME, but not only): how this disarming (or lasting truce) can be achieved? I have seen some opinions expressed by pakistanis in the wake of this attack, including by someone whose family lost a member in it, and the basic idea was that "We cannot negotiate. It's been tried and its failed multiple times. Negotiating is tantamount to accepting their sovereignty over the tribal areas". With all due respect to Umar, isn't the bolded part a bit naive? I don't know about the "disappearances", since I have never heard about them, but the drone strikes in Pakistan started as a less bloody (at least in comparison with a full scale military operation) attempt to curb the already-existing militancy, by destroying its leadership. So, arguing for the need to "stop supporting drone strikes", isn't that mistaking the cause for the effect? On what basis could anyone think that stopping drone strikes would really lead to a lasting truce with the militants, especially since the Pakistani government hasn't even officially acknowledged such support? As for "start using force against militants in those areas only where it doesn't kill civilians", there is only one thing to say: it takes two to tango. That simply does not depend on the Pakistani army. It the militants don't play ball (and they won't), that is basically tantamount to yielding the populated areas to them. So, unless the Pakistani government is willing to cease all operations against the militants, release all the prisoners and recognize their sovereignty over the tribal areas, how are they going to have a truce with those militants? The Pakistani authorities (and society) had been (at least prior to attack) as lenient/sympathetic as one could be regarding the militants and their cause, yet it achieved nothing. So, what is to be done? IMO, a settlement with the militants can't be achieved at this point and the only feasible solutions (if the Pakistani authorities have the courage and the patience do it) is to initiate a long-term campaign to mitigate/discredit the Taliban's archaic ideology: like curbing the pro-taliban propaganda of certain imams (there was one who said the school attack was "understable" and I heard he might have been arrested; that's a good start), stop trying to cuddle the talibans like some Pakistani politicians did out of populism, cease supporting the "good talibans", etc.
Perhaps not the wisest move, but payment on the note is due: http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/30/pakistan-saudi-arabia-yemen-idINKBN0MQ1GB20150330 "Saudi Arabia lent $1.5 billion to Pakistan last year to help Islamabad shore up foreign exchange reserves. Pakistani officials initially refused to divulge the source of the loan."
Eventually, we'll see who spends more time in prison, them or Skakil Afridi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakil_Afridi
Or the CIA station chief... http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...on-chief-pakistan-murder-charges-drone-strike
We know the answer to that already. But, thanks for playing. "With no chance of either of the two Americans travelling to Pakistan to face their day in court, the case is unlikely to go anywhere."
Another case to open for the Pakistani police. Karachi is the one Pakistani city that I would love to visit, very crazy for what I have been told. Obituary: Sabeen Mahmud Karachi’s wild child Sabeen Mahmud, entrepreneur, campaigner and all-round agitator, was killed on April 24th, aged 40 May 2nd 201 http://www.economist.com/news/obitu...all-round-agitator-was-killed-april-24th-aged
Having been there I can testify that the bold is a true and factual statement. Not as bad as Manchester but still...
If your area of operation was the North Arabian Sea it wasn't uncommon to hit it. Granted liberty call was out of the question so was leaving the pier let alone the ship our unit was attached to. One of the smelliest places I've been.
I mean as a tourist, relating to ceezmad's comment. I mean sure I suppose it would be up on the top list of adventure destinations along with Mogadishu, Raqqa, Falluja, Khandahar and Aden.
Another atrocity. Groups scramble to claim responsibility: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32717321
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/05/world/asia/malala-attackers-eight-sentences-overturned/index.html Disgraceful.
Odd: "This suggests the eight convictions and sentences were not overturned but, instead, never happened in the first place." Also:
Odd: "This suggests the eight convictions and sentences were not overturned but, instead, never happened in the first place." Also: "just because eight of those accused in Yousafzai's shooting were acquitted does not mean they've walked free. They're still being held by Pakistani authorities for other alleged crimes". Who knows what's going on, over there?
Much like bin Laden, it looks like Mullah Omar spent his final years in Pakistan: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/07/29/taliban-leader-mullah-omar/30819359/ and died in Karachi: http://www.dawn.com/news/1197114 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/...-leader-mullah-omar-dead-150729092917870.html