The battle against Abdul’s Army

By Saad Hafiz

His nom de guerre is Abdul, a member of the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Abdul is the resident ideologue of the TTP, his message resonates with the cannon fodder of the movement, the young recruits being trained as suicide bombers to bring murder and mayhem to Pakistani streets and neighborhoods.

The TTP’s anti-nationalist pro-Khilafat (global Islam) message is simple and appealing because it is about fighting injustice. The oppressors are the mercenaries of the Na-Pak (unclean) Pakistan Army and their sympathizers who are working in the interest of Zionists, Crusaders and Infidels. This crusade between truth and falsehood sells to the dispossessed masses.

Recruitment to the TTP ranks is easy; to be poor in Pakistan is a life sentence without hope facing income inequality, poverty and malnutrition. And all of that is contrast with the lavish lifestyles of the venal elite. Hate comes cheap when you are impoverished which makes radical Islam an attractive alternative.

Abdul’s job is to hone this hatred mixing in the fiery ingredients of sectarianism, anti-Islamism and the “Great Satan” the US. This deadly cocktail of hate, intolerance and superstition has inspired TTP’s teenage warriors to kill and maim but also frightened Pakistani society into silence.

Pakistan has suffered over 35,000 civilian and military casualties since the 9/11 attacks. The economic cost of terrorism is estimated to be a staggering $30 billion.

The nation’s security establishment focused on the strategic threat from India is hell bent on siphoning US aid to acquire shiny new tanks, F-16 jets, state of the art frigates and sharpening a nuclear delivery capability to destroy South Asia many times over. To aspiring Pakistani Rommels and Guderians weaned on Liddell Hart and Clausewitz, the ragtag “warriors” of the TTP are a great nuisance. In well appointed but officially “dry” officer’s messes, senior officers curse the Wajabofus of the deep state for their past nurturing and protection of these freedom fighters turned terrorists.

Political leaders of all stripes blow hot and cold on terrorism depending on the audience as not telling the whole truth about the seriousness of the terrorist threat comes naturally to most politicians. Instead of providing leadership they spout inanities like terrorism is un-Islamic; it’s the Americans, Israelis and Indians folks who are abetting terrorism as they are after our nuclear weapons; these misguided followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) will become peaceful and productive citizens of the State as soon as foreign troops leave Afghanistan. Then the politicians jump into their armored limos protected by heavily armed guards and go back to their primary occupation which is thieving of the exchequer and selling pipe dreams about nationhood, future progress and prosperity to a skeptical public.

The public used to the shenanigans of the security establishment and politicians is scared. They pretend to buy the steady diet of misinformation and obfuscation from their rulers because they have no choice. Bottom-line, there is great unease in the country as the people are not convinced the state can beat the threat posed by Abdul’s Army.

Recent battles against terrorism including the IRA and LTTE and the ongoing and inconclusive struggle against Al Qaeda suggests that TTP terrorism won’t be defeated any time soon.

A long-term anti-terrorism strategy has to be articulated and a will to fight the threat has to be evident, by the armed forces, the political class and the public. Nobody is suggesting that the solution is simple but one would expect that at least the various organs of the state — the political system, the bureaucratic setup, the security apparatus to be in sink.

The strategic counter message has to be delivered by the country’s leadership which is that the terrorists are not fighting injustice they are compounding injustice. The cost of fighting terrorism has sharply diminished the economic prospects of at least a generation of Pakistanis.

The medieval Islam parroted by the TTP has no place in the modern world. If Pakistan wants to be part of the modern world and not a pariah State, the Islam it represents has to be inclusive and visionary. The people need only to look to life in Taliban Afghanistan to find out what the TTP has in store for them and future generations.

It should also be reinforced that the young officers and men of the Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies who have lost their lives fighting terrorism are heroes of the nation and not mercenaries.

Off course it will take more than counter propaganda to restore the credibility of the establishment and to win the hearts and minds of the populace to fight terrorism. But recognizing a common threat could give an impetus to the counter terrorism strategy which it lacks at the moment. People have to be convinced that terrorism is a very serious threat and the militants are determined to overthrow the state.

It should be clear that defeating the messianic zeal of Abdul’s Army will require near super human effort. Let nobody be under any illusion that at stake is the future of Pakistan as an independent modern state.