Editorial: American Troops, Drones For Quetta »

It was bracing at least for the naysayers in Balochistan to hear simultaneous statements from the U.S. embassy in Islamabad and the military’s public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (I.S.P.R) that Washington was not deploying any troops in Quetta. Reports about the deployment of ground forces in Quetta, which Washington believes is being used as a launching pad for Taliban operations, coincide with another warning about the expansion of C.I.A’s drone strikes in the province.

After a hue and cry in the national media and by the government, both the decisions have been temporarily halted. The Foreign Office spokesman said Islamabad would resist any plans to carry out drone strikes on Quetta as, he contended, such previous attacks in the tribal areas had proved counterproductive.

These reports once again bill alarm rings for the government and the people in Balochistan. Any rebuttals and temporary suspension of a decision does not necessarily end the existential threat. These developments provide food for thought that Quetta is no longer beyond the radar of the international forces engaged in the war against terrorism. It is not the first time that the U.S government had publicly stated that it intended to carry out drone strikes to dismantle the Quetta Shura which is presumably hiding in Balochistan.

There is a need to handle the whole situation prudently. There is no doubt that Quetta has always been a safe haven for all Afghan leaders when they were in the opposition. For example, when Kabul was under the Taliban rule, the incumbent President Hamid Karzai took refuge in Quetta. He returned to his country only when circumstances favored him. Therefore, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand why Taliban leaders have taken shelter in Balochistan. They know that their own country is no longer safe for them while Quetta is too populated to be easily bombed by the Americans. Bombing a crowded city like Quetta may lead to some kind of angry reactions if collateral damage becomes catastrophic.

In the backdrop of this catch-22 situation, there are different stakeholders —Taliban, Pakistan, Baloch majority and Pashtun minority— who will have to take onus of various responsibilities.

Firstly, the U.S government must provide diplomacy a chance rather than opting for drone strikes on Quetta. Islamabad should be pressurized to give up its support to Taliban and handover all key Taliban leaders hiding in Balochistan. The Frontier Corps (FC), which comprises of 95% Pashtuns, has never seriously battled Taliban seeking refuge in Balochistan. Because the FC personnel share the same language and culture with Taliban. They would view them as ‘our fellow custodians of Islam” while term America as “infidel invaders’ who want to destroy Islam by ‘occupying’ Pakistan after doing so in Afghanistan. More importantly, the FC, which is responsible for guarding the border with Afghanistan, is totally engaged in fighting the secular and democratic Balochs. FC has indeed killed more Baloch political workers than Taliban leaders.

Secondly, Islamabad should now start learning lessons from its past blunders rather than devising survival strategies. There is no future of this country by supporting militant Islam. Issues of lawlessness will be surmounted only if groups fighting on the name of religion are completely disbanded. U.S forces should be provided space in Quetta to carry out joint anti-Taliban operations. If there are no Taliban leaders, they will surely return without accusing us of harboring the Taliban leadership. Otherwise, if joint operations are not conducted, US government will unfortunately bomb Quetta which will kill innocent civilians. We do not have ample options. Either get rid of Taliban by conducting joint operations or prepare for drone strikes. If one is to trust the Foreign Office spokesman (concerning civilian casualities in drone strikes) then more innocent civilians will get killed.

As far as democratic Baloch and Pashtun stakeholders are concerned, they need to fight jointly the scourge of religious terrorism. They have to mobilize public support for a democratic and peaceful society. They must act before it is too late. If the political parties do not clearly articulate the pros and cons of the war against terror they will equally be responsible for the destruction caused to Quetta in case the provincial capital is bombarded.

Lastly, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Raisani should stop accepting dictations from pro-Taliban leaders in his cabinet who are influencing him. He should know the issue is not about being anti or pro-drone. It is a matter of giving the Taliban a free hand to unnecessarily converting Quetta into a dangerous place to live in.

http://www.thebalochhal.com/2010/12/editorial-american-troops-drones-for-quetta/