WHEN US STATE ACTIONS SPILL THE BLOOD OF PAKHTUNS AND INNOCENT PEOPLE

The 42-million Pakhtuns on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border are facing the idiomatic situation of "between the devil and the deep blue sea". On the one hand they are the direct targets of religious militants, suicide bombers, and Al-Qaida agents while on the other hand the U.S. war machinery and its drones are killing innocent people in far flung areas such as Damadola a name which I am hearing for the first time. The latest attack in which 12 people were killed at the spot, and many more were critically injured comes under the backdrop when nationalist Pakhtun leaders are talking to the so called Talibans about peace. Given the chance to talk and negotiate there is a real possibility that terrorism will subside in Pakistan. But identical attacks by US and NATO forces are only fuelling hatred and may prove to become a cause célèbre for many to avenge US actions. Immediately after the attack Faqir Mohammed a senior cleric visibly angry and upset said "This is jihad for us, and we fully know the price we have to pay for fighting aggressors," "America martyred our people, and the blood of our brothers will not go to waste," he further added "God willing, we will avenge it by targeting America." According to Associated Press later on Thursday, several thousand protesters attended rallies in Damadola and Khar, Bajur´s main town, called by Islamist political parties. Demonstrators chanted "Death to America" and slogans against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Hardly couple of days have passed that thirteen people, including five soldiers, were killed and 23 others injured in a suicide attack at the Punjab Regiment Centre market in the Cantonment area on Sunday night by the so called Taliban. This was revenge by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the killings of the people in Damadola.

"Is Pakistan an ally of USA or a client state allowing the killing of its own people in exchange for green backs?" Why the US which is championing human rights everywhere in the world killing innocent people? Why the US is behaving like Alqaeda blowing innocent people into pieces? Why a sovereign state is being attacked? Is it a war on terror or a war on Islam and Pakhtuns? These are some of the questions everyone especially Pakhtuns are asking. This is happening right in the midst of a dialogue between Pakhtun nationalist and secular parties and the extremist elements. People have lost faith in the Mullahs and according to Shaheen Buneri a Pakhtun writer a new pakhtun middle class is emerging in Pakistan who believes in education, development, and above all moderation. Last year I visited my village Bedara Swat a place which has seen its part of violence everyone I talk to whether they were professors, intellectuals or ordinary farmers, they put the blame for terrorism on the USA, Pakistani Intelligence agencies, and the misguided policies of the Musharaf government. I visited places like Khyber Pass, Swat, and Peshawar and everyone I talked to showed immense hatred against the Americans. "The US is occupying Afghanistan and Pakistan and it is the duty of every Muslim especially Pakhtuns to clean the Muslims lands from them" said Nasim Lala a poor secular Pakhtun farmer in Peshawar. " Americans must be fought and chased out of our lands. We must fight them with guns, axes, sticks, stones and even our shoes" He further added. The US attacks on the Pakhtun soil is stoking immense hatred and the feelings of helplessness among all Pakhtuns the majority of them being secular and nationalists who have got nothing to do with terrorism. The US instead of using the same bullying tactics which have miserably failed elsewhere must come up with innovative solutions to the terrorism problem. The US homeland security is guaranteed provided they also guarantee the security of other people specially who have got nothing to do with terrorism. There is a general consensus among the majority of the people of the world that the following steps will result in lasting peace not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but it will else end terrorism and anti Americanism among the citizens of global communities:

END OCCUPATIONS:

Imagine Alqaeda taking over the control of a small town in the USA. Imagine again that they start house to house search, beat and insult people and put innocent people into jail and inflict inhuman treatment such as American did to Iraqis and other Muslims in Gitmo or Abu Ghraib. Will the American people be happy? Would they tolerate their occupation? Would they not scream and not get rid of those occupiers? Ask any American and the answer to all these question will be a resounding Yes. Then if what is good for USA why is it not good for others? Talk to any person on the street of Kabul and Baghdad or even Peshawar and they will tell you how much they hate Americans and their manipulative and occupying policies. Every freedom loving people want freedom, the same freedom which the US constitution provides its citizens. In particular death is better for a Pakhtun than an occupation especially by the US. The US has no need, no role, and no right to occupy others land and if it wants its own security it must secure others from its own occupation. "Yankees go home" is a very famous slogan which has been repeatedly shouted by millions and millions people of the world in various parts of the world, but deaf years in Washington refuse to hear it.

INITIATE AND ALLOW DIALOGUE:

A number of peace initiatives are taking place by the nationalist parties to reach an amicable solution to the conflicts and terrorism. Ultimately one has to talk to one´s enemies, but the US is always talking the language of force, bullets, and destruction. This is seen as arrogance by others and the use and threat of force have achieved nothing for the USA. In fact the use of force has miserably failed in Afghanistan where the same super power has not achieved any of its strategic goals and objectives. Instead of pressurizing Pakistan to kill its own people the US must rather encourage and participate in a dialogue with people who want peace in the region and the world at large. Dialogue and negotiation alone will isolate the extremists and solve the problems of terrorism. Force is not the solution and the US has miserably failed to achieve any thing with force. It has even failed to capture his Enemy Number One Ossama Bin Ladin despite billions of dollars spent on this war.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand line needs economic development, educational programs, better health and decent livelihood for themselves. Jeffrey D. Sachs an expert on poverty eradication states that "since Sept 11, 2001, the United States has launched a war on terrorism; however it has neglected the deeper causes of global instability. The nearly $500 billion that the US will spend this year on the military will never buy lasting peace, if the US continues to spend only one-thirtieth of that, around $16 billion, to address the plight of the poorest of the poor, whose societies are destabilised by extreme poverty and thereby become heavens of unrest, violence, and even global terrorism. The $16 billion represents 0.15 of US income, just 15c on every $100 of national income but it will save the US as well as the world from the scourge of poverty and its resultant symptom terrorism". The US instead of launching attacks on innocent people and fuelling hatred against itself must launch development projects and it will see how it helps in solving the problems of others as well as its own. Pakhtuns are grateful people and those who help them earn their gratitude for ever. The US must make use of this approach rather bombs and missiles attacks.

The US war on terror is becoming a state terrorism where the blood of innocent people is spilled, arrogant persons thinking it will get it servitude of a proud people of Pakhtuns. History has proved that the Pakhtuns in their folklore, poetry, and culture at large value freedom more than their lives. Missile attacks, bombings and the use of force are doomed to fail and can not fight terrorism. Instead it is feared that the continuation of these tactics will stoke more hatred towards Americans by the Pakhtuns. If the US want long term peace in the world it must change its failed strategies and opt for better solutions to the problem of terrorism some of which are listed herein.

Dr Adalat Khan is an international columnist who is based in Malaysia and can be reached at dradalat@gmail.com