Archive for the ‘Terrorism’ Category
Pakistan and Counter-Terrorism: Inability or Unwillingness?
Pakistan’s recent military offensive against the Taliban has earned the country some 
international support for its counter-terrorism efforts. There is hope that the democratic government will be willing and committed to fighting terrorism. However the events of the past week have raised a disturbing concern in my mind. Pakistan has, beyond doubt begun combating terrorist elements operating on its soil; but at the same time Pakistan’s counter-terrorism strategy is selective and self-serving. In a matter of few days the Government of Pakistan has re-arrested Sufi Muhammad and released Hafiz Saeed. To me this is not a simple case of supporting terrorism against India but has deeper implications. It’s about Pakistan’s reluctance and not inability to combat terrorism. The Sufi-Saeed case points to three trends in Pakistan’s ‘counter-terrorism efforts’: no person-specific operations, inconsequential arrests on mild charges and treating terrorism as legal problem. Click to continue…
Pakistan - The Matryoshka Doll of Terrorism
Matryoshka Doll commonly referred to as Russian nested doll is a set of dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. Matryoshka is derived from the Latin root ‘mater’ meaning mother. As a breeding ground for terrorists and exhibiting different forms of terrorism, Pakistan can undoubtedly be likened to a matryoshka doll of terrorism.
Mumbai Attacks and Resilience of India’s Democracy
The 11/26 terror strikes in Mumbai, India is a reminder of the vulnerability of ’soft targets’ across the globe. 170 people, including 30 foreign nationals, lost their lives in the incident. The terror attacks had raised several questions on the efficiency of the country’s intelligence apparatus and political structure to prevent and manage such brutal attacks on the population. The country is seething with public anger with the political establishment. In the midst of this hysteria and fears of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, a positive development can be discerned. The democratic process, in principle and practice, has withstood the critical test of unforeseen and aggressive exigencies. It is inspiring and interesting to analyse the performance of democracy in India during this critical crisis. Click to continue…
Pakistan’s Anti-terrorism Resolution - Law or Hype?
The terrorist attacks on India’s financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008 raised concerns over Pakistan’s commitment and ability to fight terrorism. India has launched a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan by claiming to provide credible evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks. The international community while emphasizing on the utility of handling the on-going crisis through diplomatic avenues maintains that Pakistan needs to act pro-actively in ensuring that terrorists do not receive official support or safe haven in its territory. Demands and suggestions relating to Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy have multiplied manifold following the Mumbai attacks. However there is little realization that the Mumbai attacks occurred only a month after Pakistan had reviewed its National Security Strategy and the Parliament had passed a 14-point Anti-Terrorism Resolution on October 22, 2008. The Resolution had sought to exemplify Zardari Government’s stand on counter-terrorism, in principle and policy. In the wake of the mounting pressures on Pakistan to crack down on terrorists it is important to ascertain the extent to which the Resolution has, or is capable of, altering Pakistan strategy to deal with terrorism. Click to continue…