02-20-2017, 11:21 PM
*** 21-Feb-17 World View -- Pakistan artillery pounds terrorist 'safe havens' in Afghanistan
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Pakistan blames Afghanistan after a week of multiple terror attacks
****
![[Image: g170220b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170220b.jpg)
People and trucks wait for the Pak-Afghan border to be reopened, as Pakistan's army moves heavy artillery to the border
The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan had been falling in 2015
and 2016, compared to previous years, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
had promised that the year 2017 would be a further improvement.
That's why a new surge in terror attacks in Pakistan has shocked the
nation and is a personal embarrassment to Sharif.
Six terror attacks occurred in the space of four days:
There were other terrorist attacks earlier in the year, including a
bomb in a vegetable market in Pakistan's tribal region on January 21,
kill 25 civilians and injuring 87 more.
In 2014, Pakistan's military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb,
which attacked Taliban militants hiding in the tribal region
(FATA) between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani government
officials have credited Zarb-e-Azb as the reason why terror
attacks in Pakistan fell in 2015 and 2016.
On February 13 of this year, the day of the terror attack in Lahore,
Pakistan's UN ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the UN Security Council:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"This comprehensive approach [Operation Zarb-e-Azb]
> has succeeded in expelling terrorist organizations from our
> territory and greatly constrained their ability to carry out
> lethal attacks, as evident from the dramatic decline in the number
> of such attacks, despite the cowardly attack in
> Lahore."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
There's a certain irony to this claim: As the number of terror attacks
in Pakistan declined in 2015, the number in Afghanistan increased.
The two figures may well be linked, because Operation Zarb-e-Azb
caused thousands of Pakistani Taliban militants hiding out in the FATA
to flee across the border into Afghanistan, where they could have
linked up with the Afghan Taliban.
The rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2015 had special
geopolitical significance, because the resurgent Taliban forced
President Barack Obama to reverse his promise to withdraw all American
troops from Afghanistan. BBC and South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP - India) and Al-Jazeera
Related Articles
****
**** Pakistan army pounds militant hideouts in Afghanistan
****
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are rising sharply
as Pakistan is essentially blaming Afghanistan for the recent
surge in terror attacks. Pakistan's army is taking these steps
following Thursday's terror attack on the Sufi shrine in Sehwan:
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry in Kabul summoned Pakistan's ambassador
to protest the border shelling.
Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, said on Monday
that the army was fighting the "common enemy" of terrorism in Pakistan
and Afghanistan, and he called "for more effective border coordination
and cooperation" to prevent cross-border movement of terrorists.
Last week, Pakistan handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76
fugitive militants hiding in Afghanistan, and demanded that
immediate action be taken against them.
On Monday, Afghanistan handed over to Pakistan a list of 32 training
centers and 85 militant leaders involved in terrorist attacks in
Afghanistan, and demanded that immediate action be taken against them.
There have been similar lists in the past, and little or no action has
been taken on either side. Whether this time will be different
remains to be seen.
Dawn (Pakistan) and
Pak Observer and Tolo News (Afghanistan) and VOA
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lahore, Quetta,
Peshawar, Sehwan, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Maleeha Lodhi,
Pakistan Taliban, Afghan Taliban, Qamar Javed Bajwa
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Pakistan blames Afghanistan after a week of multiple terror attacks
- Pakistan army pounds militant hideouts in Afghanistan
****
**** Pakistan blames Afghanistan after a week of multiple terror attacks
****
People and trucks wait for the Pak-Afghan border to be reopened, as Pakistan's army moves heavy artillery to the border
The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan had been falling in 2015
and 2016, compared to previous years, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
had promised that the year 2017 would be a further improvement.
That's why a new surge in terror attacks in Pakistan has shocked the
nation and is a personal embarrassment to Sharif.
Six terror attacks occurred in the space of four days:
- Lahore: 13 killed, Feb 13: Suicide attacker targets police at
rally. Claim: Taliban-linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
- Quetta: 2 killed, Feb 14: Police killed trying to defuse bomb.
Claim: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Alami faction
- Peshawar: 1 killed, Feb 15: Suicide bomber targets government
employees. Claim: Pakistani Taliban Tehreek e-Taliban
- Mohmand: 5 killed,, Feb 15: Suicide bombers target government
office. Claim: Taliban-linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
- Sehwan: 88 killed, Feb 16: Suicide bomber targets Sufi shrine.
Claim: Taliban-linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, ISIS
- Awaran: 3 killed, Feb 16: Soldiers killed as IED hits military
convoy. Claim: Baloch Liberation Front
There were other terrorist attacks earlier in the year, including a
bomb in a vegetable market in Pakistan's tribal region on January 21,
kill 25 civilians and injuring 87 more.
In 2014, Pakistan's military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb,
which attacked Taliban militants hiding in the tribal region
(FATA) between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani government
officials have credited Zarb-e-Azb as the reason why terror
attacks in Pakistan fell in 2015 and 2016.
On February 13 of this year, the day of the terror attack in Lahore,
Pakistan's UN ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the UN Security Council:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"This comprehensive approach [Operation Zarb-e-Azb]
> has succeeded in expelling terrorist organizations from our
> territory and greatly constrained their ability to carry out
> lethal attacks, as evident from the dramatic decline in the number
> of such attacks, despite the cowardly attack in
> Lahore."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
There's a certain irony to this claim: As the number of terror attacks
in Pakistan declined in 2015, the number in Afghanistan increased.
The two figures may well be linked, because Operation Zarb-e-Azb
caused thousands of Pakistani Taliban militants hiding out in the FATA
to flee across the border into Afghanistan, where they could have
linked up with the Afghan Taliban.
The rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2015 had special
geopolitical significance, because the resurgent Taliban forced
President Barack Obama to reverse his promise to withdraw all American
troops from Afghanistan. BBC and South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP - India) and Al-Jazeera
Related Articles
- Pakistan promises to avenge 'each drop of blood' after multiple terror attacks (17-Feb-2017)
- Troubles mount for Afghanistan government as US withdrawal looms (12-Apr-2016)
- President Obama reverses himself on Afghanistan troop withdrawal (16-Oct-2015)
****
**** Pakistan army pounds militant hideouts in Afghanistan
****
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are rising sharply
as Pakistan is essentially blaming Afghanistan for the recent
surge in terror attacks. Pakistan's army is taking these steps
following Thursday's terror attack on the Sufi shrine in Sehwan:
- Pakistan has closed the border with Afghanistan, blocking all
traffic. Tens of thousands of civilians use the crossings every day
to get to jobs on the other side of the border. Hundreds of trucks
cross the border every day, many carrying fruit and other perishable
products. The border has now been close for five days, creating a
chaotic situation, with hundreds of businesses forced to close.
- Pakistani authorities issued shoot-on-sight orders for anyone
attempting to cross illegally from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
- Hundreds of Afghan citizens in Pakistan have been arrested.
- Pakistan's army lobbied hundreds of missiles into Afghanistan,
targeting suspected Taliban camps and hideouts on the other side of
the border in Afghanistan. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing
civilians.
- On Monday, Pakistan began moving heavy artillery and other
military equipment up to the Afghan border, in preparation for further
unspecified military operations targeting militants hiding out in
Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry in Kabul summoned Pakistan's ambassador
to protest the border shelling.
Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, said on Monday
that the army was fighting the "common enemy" of terrorism in Pakistan
and Afghanistan, and he called "for more effective border coordination
and cooperation" to prevent cross-border movement of terrorists.
Last week, Pakistan handed over to Afghanistan a list of 76
fugitive militants hiding in Afghanistan, and demanded that
immediate action be taken against them.
On Monday, Afghanistan handed over to Pakistan a list of 32 training
centers and 85 militant leaders involved in terrorist attacks in
Afghanistan, and demanded that immediate action be taken against them.
There have been similar lists in the past, and little or no action has
been taken on either side. Whether this time will be different
remains to be seen.
Dawn (Pakistan) and
Pak Observer and Tolo News (Afghanistan) and VOA
Related Articles
- Pak-Afghan border crisis revives controversy over 120 year old Durand Line (19-Jun-2016)
- Taliban reject Pakistan pressure on Afghanistan peace process (17-Mar-2016)
- Admiral Mullen accuses Pakistan of terrorism in Afghanistan (23-Sep-2011)
- Islamist Uzbeks lead terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan (02-Nov-2009)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lahore, Quetta,
Peshawar, Sehwan, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Maleeha Lodhi,
Pakistan Taliban, Afghan Taliban, Qamar Javed Bajwa
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
