tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28690974563647868572012-02-16T04:12:23.081-08:00Life is a gift. Dont pollute it with bad things.Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.comBlogger14391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-86853578205264991612011-01-31T06:53:00.000-08:002011-01-31T06:56:58.566-08:00By Karen DeYoung<br />Washington Post Staff Writer <br />Monday, January 31, 2011; 12:49 AM <br /><br />Pakistan's nuclear arsenal now totals more than 100 deployed weapons, a doubling of its stockpile over the past several years in one of the world's most unstable regions, according to estimates by nongovernment analysts. <br /><br />The Pakistanis have significantly accelerated productionof uranium and plutonium for bombs and developed new weapons to deliver them. After years of approximate weapons parity, experts said, Pakistan has now edged ahead of India, its nuclear-armed rival. <br /><br />An escalation of the arms race in South Asia poses a dilemmafor the Obama administration, which has worked to improve its economic, political and defense ties with India while seeking to deepen its relationship with Pakistan as a crucial component of its Afghanistan war strategy. <br /><br />In politically fragile Pakistan, the administration is caught between fears of proliferation or possible terrorist attempts to seize nuclear materials and Pakistani suspicions that the United States aims to control or limit its weapons program and favors India. <br /><br />Those suspicions were on public display last week at the opening session of U.N. disarmament talks in Geneva, where Pakistani Ambassador Zamir Akram accused the United States and other major powers of "double standards and discrimination" for pushing a global treaty banning all future production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. <br /><br />Adoption of what is known as the "fissile materials cutoff treaty," a key element of President Obama's worldwide nonproliferation agenda, requires international consensus. Pakistan has long been the lone holdout. <br /><br />While Pakistan has produced more nuclear-armed weapons, India is believed to have larger existing stockpiles of such fissile material for future weapons. That long-term Indian advantage, Pakistan has charged, was further enhanced by a 2008 U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement. The administration has deflected Pakistan's demands for a similar deal. <br /><br />Brig. Gen. Nazir Butt, defense attache at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, said the number of Pakistan's weapons and the status of its production facilities were confidential. <br /><br />"Pakistan lives in a tough neighborhood and will never be oblivious to its security needs," Butt said. "As a nuclear power, we are very confident of our deterrent capabilities." <br /><br />But the administration's determination to bring the fissile materials ban to completion this year may compel it to confront more directly the issue of proliferation in South Asia. As U.S. arms negotiator Rose Gottemoeller told Bloomberg News at the U.N. conference Thursday: "Patience is running out." <br /><br />Other nuclear powers have their own interests in the region. China, which sees India as a major regional competitor, has major investments in Pakistan and a commitment to supply it with at least two nuclear-energy reactors. <br /><br />Russia has increased its cooperation with India and told Pakistan last week that it was "disturbed" about its arms buildup. <br /><br /><br />"It's a risky path, particularly for a government under pressure," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, fresh from a visit to Islamabad, said in remarks at the Nixon Center on Thursday. <br /><br />Wary of upsetting Pakistan's always-fragile political balance, the White House rarely mentions the country's arsenal in public except to voice confidence in its strong internal safeguards, with warheads kept separate from delivery vehicles. But the level of U.S. concern was reflected during last month's White House war review, when Pakistan's nuclear security was set as one of two long-term strategy objectives there, along with the defeat of al-Qaeda, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. <br /><br />A publicly released summary of the classified review document made no reference to the nuclear issue, and the White House deflected questions on grounds that it was an intelligence matter. This week, a spokesman said the administration would not respond to inquiries about the size of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. <br /><br />National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor referred to Obama's assurance at last spring's Nuclear Security Summit that he felt "confident about Pakistan's security around its nuclear weapons program." Vietor noted that Obama has encouraged "all nations" to support negotiations on the fissile cutoff treaty. <br /><br />"The administration is always trying to keep people from talking about this knowledgeably," said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security and a leading analyst on the world's nuclear forces. "They're always trying to downplay" the numbers and insisting that "it's smaller than you think." <br /><br />"It's hard to say how much the U.S. knows," said Hans M. Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists and author of the annual global nuclear weapons inventory published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. "Probably a fair amount. But it's a mixed bag - Pakistan is an ally, and they can't undercut it with a statement of concern in public." <br /><br />Beyond intelligence on the ground, U.S. officials assess Pakistan's nuclear weapons program with the same tools used by the outside experts - satellite photos of nuclear-related installations, estimates of fissile-material production and weapons development, and publicly available statements and facts. <br /><br />Four years ago, the Pakistani arsenal was estimated at 30 to 60 weapons. <br /><br />"They have been expanding pretty rapidly," Albright said. Based on recently accelerated production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, "they could have more than doubled in that period," with current estimates of up to 110 weapons. <br /><br />Kristensen said it was "not unreasonable" to say that Pakistan has now produced at least 100 weapons. Shaun Gregory, director of the Pakistan Security Research Unit at Britain's University of Bradford, put the number at between 100 and 110. <br /><br />Some Pakistani officials have intimated they have even more. But just as the United States has a vested interest in publicly playing down the total, Pakistan sees advantage in "playing up the number of weapons they've got," Gregory said. "They're at a disadvantage with India with conventional forces," in terms of both weaponry and personnel. <br /><br />Only three nuclear countries - Pakistan, India and Israel - have never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India is estimated to have 60 to 100 weapons; numbers are even less precise for Israel's undeclared program, estimated at up to 200. North Korea, which has conducted nuclear tests and is believed to have produced enough fissile material for at least a half-dozen bombs, withdrew from the treaty in 2003.<br /><br />Those figures make Pakistan the world's fifth-largest nuclear power, ahead of "legal" powers France and Britain. The vast bulk of nuclear stockpiles are held by the United States and Russia, followed by China. <br /><br />While Pakistan has no declared nuclear doctrine, it sees its arsenal as a deterrent to an attack by the Indian forces that are heavily deployed near its border. India has vowed no first use of nuclear weapons, but it depends on its second-strike capability to deter the Pakistanis. <br /><br />The United States imposed nuclear-related sanctions on Pakistan and India after both countries conducted weapons tests in 1998, but lifted them shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. With U.S. guidance and a $100 million assistance program, Pakistan moved to increase international confidence by overhauling its command and control structures. <br /><br />Revelations in 2004 about an illegal international nuclear procurement network run by Pakistani nuclear official Abdul Qadeer Khan, which supplied nuclear materials to Libya, Iran and North Korea, led to further steps to improve security. <br /><br />The 2008 agreement that permits India to purchase nuclear fuel for civilian purposes was a spur to Pakistani weapons production, experts said. Pakistan maintains that the treaty allows India to divert more of its own resources for military use. <br /><br />As Pakistan sees India becoming a great power, "nuclear weapons become a very attractive psychological equalizer," said George Perkovich, vice president for studies and a nonproliferation specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. <br /><br />The 1998 test date is a quasi-holiday in Pakistan, and the test site was once declared a national monument, part of the nuclear chest-thumping that, along with political instability, makes U.S. officials as nervous as the actual number of weapons. <br /><br />In December 2008, Peter Lavoie, the U.S. national intelligence officer for South Asia, told NATO officials that "despite pending economic catastrophe, Pakistan is producing nuclear weapons at a faster rate than any other country in the world," according to a classified State Department cable released late last year by the Internet site WikiLeaks. <br /><br />Publication of the document so angered Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, that he told journalists there that the Pakistani people believe that the "real aim of U.S. [war] strategy is to denuclearize Pakistan," according to local media reports. <br /><br />In 2009, Congress passed a $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan with the stipulation that the administration provide regular assessments of whether any of the money "directly or indirectly aided the expansion of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program." <br /><br />While continuing to produce weapons-grade uranium at two sites, Pakistan has sharply increased its production of plutonium, allowing it to make lighter warheads for more mobile delivery systems. Its newest missile, the Shaheen II, has a range of 1,500 miles and is about to go into operational deployment, Kristensen said. Pakistan also has developed nuclear-capable land- and air-launched cruise missiles.<br /><br />(Courtesy The Washington Post)<br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013004136.html?hpid=topnews<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8685357820526499161?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-91783093470656586242011-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:002011-01-31T06:48:48.220-08:00ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least five people were killed and more than a dozen injured on Monday by a pair of bombs in northwestern Pakistan that targeted security forces, officials said. <br /><br />The first attack took place Monday morning near Peshawar, the capital of the restive northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces are battling the Taliban insurgency. Rasheed Khan, a deputy superintendent of the Peshawar police, was killed when a suicide bomber attacked a police vehicle in the Bahadar Kalay neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. <br /><br />His driver, a security guard and a pedestrian also were killed in the explosion that wounded 10 others, police said. <br /><br />Hours after the first attack, a homemade bomb targeted a police vehicle in another suburb of Peshawar. One police official was killed and three others were wounded, authorities said. <br /><br />There was no immediate claim of responsibility in the attacks. Investigators suspect the involvement of Taliban insurgents. <br /><br />Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the violence . In a statement released by his office, Mr. Gilani said police officers were sacrificing their lives to protect the public and reiterated his government’s commitment to fight terrorism. <br /><br />About 15 pounds of explosives were used in the first attack, Shafqat Malik, an official with the bomb disposal squad in Peshawar, said in a telephone interview. “It was a targeted attack, very well planned,” he said. “The explosive used was of very high quality. Pellets were also used in the making of the suicide jacket to cause maximum impact.” <br /><br />The suicide bomber was described as a teenager whose severed head was recovered from the site of the attack. <br /><br />Mr. Khan, the targeted police officer, was involved in several investigations and operations against the Taliban insurgents, officials said. <br /><br />(Courtesy: New York Times)<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/world/asia/01pakistan.html?hp<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-9178309347065658624?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-68451332609962717362010-01-28T11:23:00.000-08:002010-01-28T11:23:32.303-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8485861.stm">BBC News - Afghanistan: Security transition &#39;by end of 2010&#39;</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6845133260996271736?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-6708395503755152542010-01-28T00:31:00.000-08:002010-01-28T00:31:23.656-08:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/world/asia/28tribe.html?hp">Afghan Tribe Vows to Fight Taliban in Return for U.S. Aid - 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Blames Taliban for Afghan Toll - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7484908365467662702?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-71746577725889973312010-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:002010-01-11T10:15:28.200-08:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_poll">Poll: 7 in 10 Afghans support US forces - Yahoo! News</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7174657772588997331?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-75829491653850790022010-01-10T11:42:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:42:02.832-08:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803555.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">Al-Qaeda has a new strategy. Obama needs one, too. - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7582949165385079002?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-34768759795533571612009-11-26T11:39:00.000-08:002009-11-26T11:39:51.147-08:00<a href="http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14984901&amp;source=hptextfeature">Pakistan&#39;s crises: Front line against the Taliban | The Economist</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3476875979553357161?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-85630610878938993752009-11-18T23:56:00.000-08:002009-11-18T23:56:03.555-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8367621.stm">BBC News : Pakistan drone raid &#39;kills three&#39;</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8563061087893899375?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-45643608751989555642009-11-18T23:55:00.000-08:002009-11-18T23:55:03.818-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8367630.stm">BBC News : Peshawar court blast kills many</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-4564360875198955564?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-77832576754564766652009-11-18T23:54:00.000-08:002009-11-18T23:54:05.313-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8367293.stm">BBC News : Karzai sworn in as Afghan leader</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7783257675456476665?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-52186601292521861402009-11-18T09:29:00.000-08:002009-11-18T09:29:21.841-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8365990.stm">BBC News : Obama &#39;close&#39; to Afghan decision</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5218660129252186140?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-14595481426374498572009-11-16T12:30:00.000-08:002009-11-16T12:30:14.131-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8361721.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Four dead in Peshawar explosion</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1459548142637449857?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-8949517316763574882009-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:002009-11-13T00:25:56.444-08:00<a href="http://pakistandesk.com/?p=1573">Pakistan Desk | Why Pakistan will never defeat the Taliban</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-894951731676357488?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-7421656294160335992009-11-12T22:59:00.000-08:002009-11-12T22:59:34.494-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8358109.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Blast hits Peshawar security HQ</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-742165629416033599?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-53166715447360307952009-11-08T07:52:00.000-08:002009-11-08T07:52:26.251-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8348796.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan&#39;s Taliban dilemma</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5316671544736030795?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-46811952946714214352009-11-05T11:03:00.000-08:002009-11-05T11:03:45.969-08:00<a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KK06Df01.html">Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-4681195294671421435?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-29171067707320776192009-11-05T03:33:00.000-08:002009-11-05T03:33:28.742-08:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091105/wl_asia_afp/pakistanunrestnorthwesteducation">Militants blow up Pakistan girls school: officials - Yahoo! News</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2917106770732077619?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-68347692327928070122009-11-02T04:31:00.000-08:002009-11-02T04:31:51.433-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8337832.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Karzai declared elected president</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6834769232792807012?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-68306181281732065162009-11-02T01:12:00.000-08:002009-11-02T01:12:15.213-08:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8337211.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly blast hits Pakistan city</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6830618128173206516?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-80970399795504399792009-10-28T05:07:00.000-07:002009-10-28T05:07:35.560-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8329244.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Car bomb kills scores in Peshawar</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8097039979550439979?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-89431634996560041502009-10-27T02:49:00.000-07:002009-10-27T02:49:20.060-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/15/opinion/the-yearnings-of-the-pashtuns.html">The Yearnings of the Pashtuns - The New York Times</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8943163499656004150?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-15723546417233914522009-10-27T02:31:00.000-07:002009-10-27T02:31:32.426-07:00<a href="http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/pakistans-british-drawn-borders/?ref=asia">Pakistan’s British-Drawn Borders - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1572354641723391452?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-82883382408468996382009-10-25T09:19:00.000-07:002009-10-25T09:19:11.222-07:00<a href="http://pakobserver.net/200910/25/news/topstories04.asp">Top Stories | Pakistan Observer Newspaper online edition</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8288338240846899638?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-24442851860507623512009-10-24T00:21:00.000-07:002009-10-24T00:21:17.193-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/world/europe/24nato.html?_r=1&amp;hp">NATO Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2444285186050762351?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-35610810639707600592009-10-24T00:02:00.000-07:002009-10-24T00:02:26.249-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8322912.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Aid agency seeks Pakistan access</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3561081063970760059?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-23956875457839864322009-10-23T07:08:00.000-07:002009-10-23T07:08:15.723-07:00<a href="http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=89789">Kamra suicide blast: death toll rises to 8</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2395687545783986432?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-49344578045373872972009-10-23T01:25:00.000-07:002009-10-23T01:25:29.467-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8317482.stm">BBC NEWS | Americas | War training on a California beach</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-4934457804537387297?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-90906896780639522472009-10-23T01:22:00.000-07:002009-10-23T01:22:57.707-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8321707.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | US passes giant Pakistan aid bill</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-9090689678063952247?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-54939801245756987672009-10-23T01:18:00.000-07:002009-10-23T01:18:27.541-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8321803.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bomb blast rocks NW Pakistan city</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5493980124575698767?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-58872465741531197362009-10-22T02:44:00.000-07:002009-10-22T02:44:54.919-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/opinion/22boot.html?_r=1">Op-Ed Contributor - There’s No Substitute for Troops on the Ground - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5887246574153119736?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-75456083814228528102009-10-22T01:25:00.000-07:002009-10-22T01:25:48.051-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8319710.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan brigadier dies in attack</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7545608381422852810?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-81577534164489336302009-10-19T11:02:00.000-07:002009-10-19T11:02:13.281-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/world/asia/20afghan.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Fraud Pushes Karzai Below 50 Percent in Afghan Vote - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8157753416448933630?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-28059937570026783862009-10-18T12:37:00.000-07:002009-10-18T12:37:05.665-07:00<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1008/p08s04-wosc.html">Pakistan&#39;s Pashtuns, looking for statehood, may look to Taliban | csmonitor.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2805993757002678386?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-13224363549413098522009-10-17T04:52:00.000-07:002009-10-17T04:52:50.138-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8311549.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pashtun peace prophet goes global</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1322436354941309852?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-71754644686249428832009-10-17T01:19:00.000-07:002009-10-17T01:19:47.767-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8311927.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan forces move on Taliban</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7175464468624942883?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-85715733133124262212009-10-16T01:14:00.000-07:002009-10-16T01:14:28.598-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8310117.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly bomb shakes Pakistani city</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8571573313312426221?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-39580601745839434232009-10-15T02:51:00.000-07:002009-10-15T02:51:05.904-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8308166.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan shaken by fresh attacks</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3958060174583943423?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-11170764713203877822009-10-12T05:33:00.000-07:002009-10-12T05:33:47.235-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8302055.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan reels from fresh attack</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1117076471320387782?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-36062286667880195132009-10-12T05:30:00.000-07:002009-10-12T05:30:12.566-07:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091012/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan">Pakistan says 41 killed in market bombing - Yahoo! News</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3606228666788019513?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-19666817933584340762009-10-10T14:16:00.000-07:002009-10-10T14:16:49.051-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/world/asia/11mullah.html?_r=1&amp;hp">A Dogged Taliban Chief Rebounds, Vexing U.S. - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1966681793358434076?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-73249572024492056912009-10-10T13:12:00.000-07:002009-10-10T13:12:06.993-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8300745.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan militants take hostages</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7324957202449205691?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-2355547962786587402009-10-10T02:05:00.000-07:002009-10-10T02:05:33.433-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8298296.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly blast hits Pakistan city</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-235554796278658740?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-62044782662818685692009-10-10T02:04:00.000-07:002009-10-10T02:04:31.093-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8300371.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Deadly attack on Pakistan army HQ</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6204478266281868569?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-27117804818070700882009-10-05T11:55:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:55:55.894-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/world/asia/05afghan.html?_r=1&amp;hpw">Deadly Attack on Remote Posts Highlights Afghan Risks - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2711780481807070088?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-56294642788678919972009-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:48:48.540-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8291553.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | US &#39;needs time&#39; on Afghan troops</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5629464278867891997?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-55323456974978042652009-10-05T11:41:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:41:49.571-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8290059.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Suicide bomb hits UN in Pakistan</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5532345697497804265?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-5999392711901914672009-10-05T11:40:00.000-07:002009-10-05T11:40:23.321-07:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091005/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_afghanistan">White House: Leaving Afghanistan not an option - Yahoo! News</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-599939271190191467?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-16041546765815316912009-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:002009-10-04T09:50:14.945-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/world/asia/04afghan.html?hpw">Afghan Says U.N. Inquiry on Election Was Flawed - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1604154676581531691?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-1831983335468872322009-10-04T09:48:00.000-07:002009-10-04T09:48:04.592-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/weekinreview/04traub.html?hp">The Distance Between ‘We Must’ and ‘We Can’ - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-183198333546887232?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-16527370414523186992009-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:002009-10-04T09:43:56.465-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/world/asia/05afghan.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Eight U.S. Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1652737041452318699?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-60294971475742432282009-10-03T00:50:00.000-07:002009-10-03T00:50:16.743-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8287264.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan in video beating probe</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6029497147574243228?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-15850101364244862402009-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:002009-10-02T14:40:04.611-07:00<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/5140603/Pakistan-the-epicentre-of-Islamist-terror.html#">Pakistan: the epicentre of Islamist terror - Telegraph</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1585010136424486240?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-8423552817819152282009-09-30T07:01:00.000-07:002009-09-30T07:01:40.128-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/world/asia/30mumbai.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Officials Fear New Mumbai-Style Attack by Group - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-842355281781915228?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-18050856332974402812009-09-27T10:50:00.000-07:002009-09-27T10:50:31.525-07:00<a href="http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=200309">The Taliban and Salarzais</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1805085633297440281?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-22052218713223459142009-09-27T01:26:00.000-07:002009-09-27T01:26:31.761-07:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/26/AR2009092602685.html?hpid=topnews">No Deadline Set for Decision on Troops - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2205221871322345914?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-54195736488732849312009-09-27T01:24:00.000-07:002009-09-27T01:24:37.037-07:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/26/AR2009092602707.html?hpid=topnews&amp;sid=ST2009092602905">Afghan Insurgents&#39; Diverse Funding Sources Pose Challenges - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5419573648873284931?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-8479066312602397192009-09-26T04:35:00.000-07:002009-09-26T04:35:55.168-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8276072.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Blasts rock north-west Pakistan</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-847906631260239719?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-77333392302680244522009-09-24T09:09:00.000-07:002009-09-24T09:09:50.469-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/world/asia/25pstan.html?hpw">Taliban Ambush in Pakistan Kills 8 Militiamen - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7733339230268024452?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-8351938744898182752009-09-24T09:06:00.000-07:002009-09-24T09:06:57.885-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/world/asia/24military.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-835193874489818275?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-86008048430722588362009-09-22T04:42:00.000-07:002009-09-22T04:42:34.099-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/world/asia/22strategy.html?_r=1&amp;hpw">News Analysis - In McChrystal’s Grim Assessment of Afghanistan, a Catalyst for Obama - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8600804843072258836?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-5184828149854920902009-09-22T04:31:00.000-07:002009-09-22T04:31:14.630-07:00<a href="http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/fending-off-failure-in-afghanistan/?hp">Fending Off Failure in Afghanistan - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-518482814985492090?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-64871122809224532122009-09-20T23:22:00.000-07:002009-09-20T23:22:32.947-07:00<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/6211699/Pakistan-offensive-against-Taliban-failing-to-target-most-dangerous-insurgents.html">Pakistan offensive against Taliban 'failing to target' most dangerous insurgents - Telegraph</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6487112280922453212?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-56259412430415577052009-09-18T04:21:00.000-07:002009-09-18T04:21:07.832-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8262199.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Carnage in Pakistan market attack</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5625941243041557705?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-76742936264998071072009-09-11T06:10:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:10:00.794-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/opinion/11krakauer.html?_r=1">Op-Ed Contributors - To Save Afghanistan, Look to Its Past - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7674293626499807107?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-52499567449921220852009-09-11T06:02:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:02:28.446-07:00<a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1921758,00.html?xid=rss-fullnation-yahoo">Eight Years After 9/11: Why Osama bin Laden is a Failure - TIME</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5249956744992122085?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-49886731409222937042009-09-11T03:12:00.000-07:002009-09-11T03:12:08.299-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8248101.stm">BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Afghanistan&#39;s &#39;weekend jihadis&#39;</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-4988673140922293704?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-53157566040280001612009-09-09T08:08:00.000-07:002009-09-09T08:08:56.572-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/world/asia/09policy.html?hp">Marred Afghan Vote Leaves U.S. in a Delicate Spot - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5315756604028000161?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-41040905883064810882009-09-09T07:52:00.000-07:002009-09-09T07:52:30.578-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/opinion/09wed1.html?_r=1">Editorial - ‘Convincing Evidence of Fraud’ - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-4104090588306481088?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-38057689261122456662009-09-08T03:00:00.000-07:002009-09-08T03:00:11.276-07:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090908/wl_nm/us_pakistan_violence">Taliban attack schoolboys in Pakistan, 4 killed - Yahoo! News</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3805768926112245666?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-9038217792796423522009-09-08T00:52:00.000-07:002009-09-08T00:52:47.978-07:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/07/AR2009090700560.html?hpid=sec-world">3 Convicted in Britain of Plot to Use Liquid Bombs on Airliners - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-903821779279642352?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-10942803546672342862009-09-08T00:50:00.000-07:002009-09-08T00:50:42.790-07:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/07/AR2009090702071.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">Anne Applebaum - Campaigning for Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1094280354667234286?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-56418710203160254842009-09-08T00:35:00.000-07:002009-09-08T00:35:11.721-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/europe/08afghan.html?hp">Germany Defends Decision on Afghan Airstrike - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5641871020316025484?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-85220163018531248602009-09-08T00:30:00.000-07:002009-09-08T00:30:55.774-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/asia/08terror.html?_r=1&amp;hp">News Analysis - Can Buildup in Afghanistan Prevent Terror Attacks? - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8522016301853124860?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-53259467713853282722009-09-06T06:21:00.000-07:002009-09-06T06:21:30.067-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8240534.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Karzai extends Afghan poll lead</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5325946771385328272?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-16087337841207207162009-09-04T08:45:00.000-07:002009-09-04T08:45:52.639-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8237287.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Many die in Afghan tanker blasts</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1608733784120720716?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-62935067684992230122009-09-03T23:52:00.000-07:002009-09-03T23:52:20.352-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/us/politics/04military.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Advisers to Obama Divided on Size of Afghan Force - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6293506768499223012?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-87258744747902295492009-09-03T23:38:00.000-07:002009-09-03T23:38:09.059-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8233341.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Executions continue bloodshed in Swat</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-8725874474790229549?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-21342015761460547912009-09-03T23:32:00.000-07:002009-09-03T23:32:12.792-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8237238.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan war &#39;is not slipping away&#39;</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2134201576146054791?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-17575288690789125882009-09-03T01:43:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:43:40.021-07:00<a href="http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/31/keeping_up_with_the_indians">Keeping up with the Indians | The AfPak Channel</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1757528869078912588?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-70478942376993241982009-09-03T01:40:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:40:12.590-07:00<a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1919327,00.html">Pakistan: No Military Campaign Against the Taliban - TIME</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7047894237699324198?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-77498810795192608432009-09-03T01:34:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:34:02.084-07:00<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/03/jihadistan">Jihadistan | Foreign Policy</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7749881079519260843?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-28705616493502836682009-09-03T01:20:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:20:33.038-07:00<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/02/AR2009090203083.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">Setback in Afghanistan: The Right Response Is Not a Retreat. - washingtonpost.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-2870561649350283668?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-33008359598592214982009-09-03T01:12:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:12:46.797-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8233010.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | &#39;Sharp drop&#39; in Afghan opium crop</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3300835959859221498?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-61657255776285335512009-09-03T01:09:00.000-07:002009-09-03T01:09:50.292-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8233465.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghanistan: Back from the brink?</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-6165725577628533551?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-14802654726122491092009-09-02T05:33:00.000-07:002009-09-02T05:33:35.985-07:00<a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/06/17/the_other_islamist_threat_in_pakistan/">The other Islamist threat in Pakistan - The Boston Globe</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1480265472612249109?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-72136579487139635912009-09-02T04:39:00.000-07:002009-09-02T04:44:21.807-07:00<strong>Shahid Ilyas Khan</strong><br /><br />As if the Al-Qaeda and Wahabi fundamentalism were not enough as gifts from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Saudi’s formal control over Pakistani affairs is strengthening by the day. Whenever there is a crisis in Pakistan, the Pakistani rulers shamelessly request the Saudi regime to help them put their house in order.<br /> <br />Pakistan never got genuine leaders. That is why it has survived under one or the other external patrons. These have included, at different times, China, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. Unfortunately, this patron-client relationship has always been activated for wrong reasons. The end losers are always the poor masses of Pakistan.<br /><br />Ziaul Haq took full advantage of Saudi and American support to his retrogressive dictatorship. The victims of his dictatorship were the people of Pakistan. As a result, anti-Americanism reached to its peak by the time the Zia era ended.<br /><br />ZA Bhutto, a civilian in name but behaving like a dictator, was helped by China in his nuclear ambitions. The result of that is that today Pakistan sits on a stockpile of nuclear bombs that are said to be at risk of felling into the hands of Saudi-backed Wahabi extremists (Today’s extremists were helped organize with the support of Saudi money during the so called Jehad in Afghanistan) . In this also, the poor masses of Pakistan are paying heavy costs.<br /><br />Presently, the former dictator, Musharraf, is hosted in Saudi Arabia as a royal guest. He faces very serious legal cases in Pakistan. The constitution provides for him, death sentence, or life imprisonment under article 6. The rule of law requires that he faces courts in Pakistan. But the Saudi royal family is reported to having offered him asylum in its kingdom . In this case also, the people of Pakistan are the losers. They are losers because they are denied an opportunity of seeing a dictator face the rule of law, that would have strengthened institutions in Pakistan.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7213657948713963591?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-14955084687857702502009-09-01T10:55:00.000-07:002009-09-01T10:55:31.626-07:00<a href="http://afghanprofile.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=155&amp;Itemid=27">Afghan Profile - Pakistan&#39;s Pashtun &#39;problem&#39;</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1495508468785770250?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-7857677965255195612009-09-01T00:34:00.000-07:002009-09-01T00:34:37.835-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/world/asia/01military.html?_r=1&amp;hp">Groundwork Is Laid for New Troops in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-785767796525519561?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-39449696491413887532009-08-31T05:58:00.000-07:002009-09-09T09:16:27.593-07:00<strong>Talebanization and Pashtun Nationalism</strong> <br /><br /><br />In the backdrop of the Taleban resurgence in Afghanistan towards the<br />end of 2005 which has claimed more than 4000 lives so far and<br />threatens to challenge the whole NATO/US mission in that country with<br />obvious consequences for the world peace and security; there has been<br />a renewed interest in the Taleban phenomena and the role of Pakistan<br />therein. The popular myth now a day being promoted by a number of<br />players in the Pakistan-Afghanistan blame game is that the Taleban<br />are in fact a manifestation of the ethnic and nationalist feelings<br />and political aspirations of the Pashtun nation at large. This is<br />substantiated by a number of assertions by the Pakistani leadership<br />in the recent past and media commentary. For example, while<br />addressing the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament<br />in Brussels in September this year, President Musharraf of Pakistan<br />said that "the real danger...lies in the emergence and further<br />strengthening of the Taliban, because they have the seeds of<br />converting and drawing the population to them and converting this<br />into a national war by the Pashtuns against maybe all foreign<br />forces." This shift in characterisation of the Taleban movement from<br />a religious force to one representing the Pashtun nation may be taken<br />as an attempt to give an entirely different outlook to the current<br />insurgency in Afghanistan as well as the tribal areas of Pakistan.<br />A peek at the events in the not so distant past tell us that<br />Pakistan, with the connivance of the CIA, preferred to use 'religion'<br />and the `Doctrine of Jihad' and not 'Afghan or Pashtun Nationalism'<br />to fight and perpetuate the long drawn war against the `foreign<br />forces' of Soviet Union and the later civil war. The question that<br />arises is; what has changed in the equation now which induces us to<br />term the current insurgency as a `national struggle of the Pashtuns'<br />against foreign forces. The answer is simple: while internationally a<br />lot has changed since 9/11, in Pakistan domestically nothing has<br />changed.<br />While the Afghan side spearheaded by President Karzai, himself a<br />Pashtun, blame the upsurge in Taleban activities on continuous<br />support by the Pakistani establishment and its intelligence agencies,<br />the Pakistani side point to a number of issues inside Afghanistan<br />which fuels the insurgency and sustain it. Chief among these, they<br />argue is the inability of Karzai government to establish its writ<br />beyond Kabul. Some amongst the intelligentsia here have even termed<br />President Karzai as the `Mayor of Kabul' to scorn his lack of control<br />over most of Afghanistan. The failure of the Karzai government and<br />the international community in sustaining the reconstruction process<br />of the country, particularly in the Pashtun majority areas of the<br />South and south eastern Afghanistan is also quoted as the cause for<br />the alienation of the local population and their increasing support<br />for the Taleban. There are also muted pointers to the lack of<br />proportionate representation of Pashtuns, who make up the majority<br />ethnic group in Afghanistan, in the government institutions, decision<br />making bodies and particularly the security forces. Together all<br />these factors seem to contribute to the `myth' that Taleban's<br />struggle against the foreign forces is actually fuelled by Pashtun<br />nationalism. Seen in conjunction with the current emphasis of the<br />Pakistani side to include the Taleban in the political process in<br />Afghanistan on the lines of the `peace deals' signed by the Pakistani<br />Military with the militants in its own troubled tribal areas of<br />Waziristan (FATA), this could mean a deliberate effort by Pakistan to<br />empower the Taleban on both side of the Durand Line. Simply put, this<br />strategy aims to drive home the point that the Taleban are not an<br />aberration in the Afghan calculus but represent the political<br />aspirations of the majority Pashtun ethnic group and have thus to be<br />accommodated in any political dispensation in Afghanistan.<br />During the Afghan War, for the USA and the west, the objective was<br />simple: defeat of communism; however for Pakistan the question was<br />much more fundamental and related to its own domestic problems.<br />Beside the defeat of Communism, there were three main objectives of<br />the Afghan war strategy.<br /><br />• Counterbalance the majority traditionally liberal and secular<br />minded Pashtun nationalists with in Pakistan demanding greater share<br />and political rights in the Punjabi dominated country in the backdrop<br />of the 1971 debacle leading to the creation of Bangladesh and the<br />bloody insurgency in Balochistan.<br /><br />• Simultaneously, neutralize the nationalist elements in Afghanistan<br />represented by the Soviet supported communist regime, which were<br />likely to gain strength and thus exert more pressure on Pakistan with<br />regard to the Pushtunistan issue if left untouched leading to trouble<br />in the Pashtun belt.<br /><br />• In the long term, use Islamic extremism to control the strings of<br />power in Afghanistan, which beside other benefits, will ensure that<br />her western borders will be well protected. This was deemed vital to<br />the survival and defence of Pakistan against the arch enemy India in<br />the backdrop of the 1971 War and explosion by India of its first<br />nuclear device in 1974. This notion was widely propagated and found<br />expression in terminologies like ensuring `strategic depth' and<br />having a `friendly political dispensation' in Afghanistan.<br /><br /><br />To pursue this strategy, Pakistan thus supported, funded and<br />empowered the fringe religious 'clergy' in the Pashtun areas within<br />Pakistan against the majority, largely secular nationalists, while<br />across the Durand Line in Afghanistan, it shaped the struggle against<br />the Soviet supported Afghan government as `Afghan Islamic Jihad'.<br />This strategy suited the government very well in that it ensured a<br />degree of local support to the Afghan Resistance by the politico-<br />religious groups like the JI `Jummat Islami'and JUI , `Jummat Ulema<br />Islam'on the one hand, while on the other it wrested the political<br />power away from the traditional secular and nationalist elements in<br />the Pashtun dominated areas and empowered the politico- religious<br />parties which have always been far more supportive of the<br />establishment.<br /><br />Much has changed in the world in the aftermath of 9/11, however,<br />unfortunately, little has altered in Pakistan's domestic situation<br />which would allow the Pakistani Government the space to bring a shift<br />in Pakistan's strategy. For Pakistan the use of religion to control<br />its domestic problems as well as retain/regain a degree of influence<br />in Afghanistan through the Taleban remains a compulsion and not a<br />matter of choice. In fact, by projecting the Taleban as representing<br />the political aspirations of the Pashtuns, while still retaining<br />their religious leanings, Pakistan wants to reassure the<br />international community of their legitimacy as a group having popular<br />support of the Pashtuns. At the same time it aims to dilute the<br />negative effects of the stigma of religious extremism and fanaticism<br />attached to Taleban in view of their links with AlQaeeda and the<br />brutalities they committed while they were in power in Kabul. And as<br />before, it wants simultaneously to strengthen the politico-religious<br />elements in the North West Frontier Province and FATA to neutralise<br />the nationalist elements which are again gaining popular support<br />being encouraged by the prospects of a politically stable and<br />economically vibrant Afghanistan. It was in this context that a grand<br />Pashtun Peace Jirga was held in Peshawar on 20 Nov this year,<br />organised by the nationalist parties and attended by a large majority<br />of the liberal/secular leadership of the Pashtun ethnic group. This<br />Jirga or `meeting of elders' unanimously demanded an end to the<br />bloodshed in the Pashtun lands on both sides of the Durand Line in<br />the name of religion and the war on terrorism.<br />This new characterisation of Talebanisation as pashtun nationalism<br />and terming the Taleban led insurgency as a demand for political<br />empowerment of the Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan must therefore<br />be viewed with a pinch of salt. It can at best be described as a<br />tactic to ensure a continuation of the same old strategy with a new<br />look. The Taleban was never a nationalist movement nor did they<br />enlist support from the Pakistani or Afghan Pashtuns in the name of<br />their ethnic identity. They were created by extending support to the<br />politico-religious right over the decades, indoctrinated, nourished<br />and aided according to a strategy. That strategy has been and still<br />remains the same - political manovouring by the powerful elite in<br />Pakistan to use religious extremism and indoctrination to divide the<br />Pashtuns, denying their political rights and at the same time to<br />regain and maintain some degree of influence in Afghanistan.<br />Obviously this can not be achieved by siding with and supporting the<br />largely liberal, secular and democratic minded majority of the<br />Pashtuns; for the fear that the elite will have to relinquish the<br />powers they hold over all ethnic minorities and give them their<br />political rights and control over their resources. The powers that be<br />would therefore continue drumming the spectre of Islamic extremism in<br />Pashtuns and frightening the world on the one hand and continue<br />supporting the fringe clergy on the other, to continue reaping the<br />benefits that such a strategy entails. The tragedy is that the<br />religious extremism symbolised by the Taleban has no roots in Pashtun<br />society or culture which may be culturally conservative but is<br />predominantly secular, liberal and based on certain traditions. The<br />ultimate losers in all this are the poor Pashtuns on both sides of<br />the Durand Line.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3944969649141388753?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-10821380174400410722009-08-24T23:51:00.000-07:002009-08-24T23:51:00.824-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8219223.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Profile: Zulfiqar Mehsud</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-1082138017440041072?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-37406804429410184452009-08-22T00:28:00.000-07:002009-08-22T00:28:24.142-07:00<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8215425.stm">BBC NEWS | South Asia | Obama praises Afghans for voting</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-3740680442941018445?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-76276500460709396242009-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:002009-08-18T11:20:21.620-07:00<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0818/p06s10-wosc.html">Afghans shrug off fresh Taliban attacks | csmonitor.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-7627650046070939624?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2869097456364786857.post-50876318129259602902009-08-18T10:47:00.000-07:002009-08-18T10:47:34.115-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/opinion/18Afghan-intro.html">Op-Ed Contributors - As Afghanistan Votes, Will the Taliban Win? - NYTimes.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2869097456364786857-5087631812925960290?l=waziristanwatch.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Shahid Ilyas Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16305891372942084338noreply@blogger.com0