Black Contents of a White Memo

Image Courtesy www.boilingfrogspost.com

This is in response to the recent blog on The Express Tribune by the name of, Can the US Government kill American Citizens?

Although I agree with the author on the point that any person found guilty of treason should be punished, I would like to add a few points of my own, and clarify some confusion caused over the White memo.

A brief summary of the White memo is provided below:

1) The White memo lays down the legal justification for targeting persons through drones. US Citizens, who are al Qaeda operational leaders, members and sympathisers, are the intended targets.

2) USA assumes that al Qaeda is continually planning terrorist activities and thus US drones can strike al Qaeda suspects anywhere, any time. Even if the attack was never planned in actuality, nor had any threat appeared, but just on the off chance, US Administration can authorise a drone strike so that any ‘supposed’ threat might be neutralised.

3) If you can’t capture a “suspected” terrorist for questioning and interrogation because you “think” that, your troops might encounter mortal risk, then just carry out a drone strike and save the trouble of interrogation and tedious judicial process.

4) According to the memo, even if there is no evidence that the suspects are an imminent threat, but only believes and suspects that they “might” be an imminent threat, the USA has the authority to strike them whenever and wherever.

5) Without even confirmation from interrogation and just on the suspicion that the suspect has not renounced the terrorist activities, the USA can assassinate him.

6) USA assumes that killing of suspected al Qaeda members before they even become imminent threats is justified because the US Administration thinks so. So, please repose your faith in it and don’t question it.

7) The memo doesn’t define the word ‘imminent’. It doesn’t tell how imminent a threat has to be in order for a drone strike to be called. From the document, one gets an impression that if US officials think that such and such persons will come together to plan something sinister, they become qualified targets.

Dear readers, this is an extraordinary document, the implications of whose contents are horrific.

USA is fighting violence with more extreme violence. The issue is not about killing known terrorists who are US citizens. The issue is about killing “suspected terrorists” about whom the government will not share any information, nor the decisions will be available for judicial review, so that the government is not answerable to judiciary and cannot be held responsible even if the drone strike missed the intended target and killed innocent civilians.

There is a huge difference between killing a suspect and killing a known terrorist.

Yes, those US citizens who are promulgating extremism and threatening the US president must be brought to book, but killing and assassinating before the crime was even committed?

Before they are even brought under trial?

That is just plain barbaric and puts US administration at par with al Qaeda.

Through this memo, one gets the impression that the US government is advocating a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ policy and one has to ask, whom will it benefit?

image courtesy  blogdogcicle.blogspot.com

The first benefactor of this drone war would be al Qaeda itself. Remember, al Qaeda and its allies are fighting not just on the military front but on the ideological front as well. It is a hateful and detestable ideology that won’t be just eliminated by drone strikes but only gain followers due to unjustified American violence.

The second benefactor would be the neo-cons and defence contractors. The neo-cons, thanks to Obama, have just continued George W Bush’s policies without any hindrances and the appointment of Bush era CIA torturer John Brennan proves that.

The defence contractors would benefit because of increased orders for more drones and associated technologies, which would mean more cash rolling in.

Even if we assume that drone attacks have achieved intended military results (corroborated by the near wipe out of top al Qaeda cadre), then do they guarantee that the hateful ideology of al Qaeda would just disappear with it leaders?

Thanks to continuous military adventures and arrogant outreach efforts by USA, al Qaeda’s offshoots have spread far and wide, who act quite independent from the mother organisation and are even more eager to spread destruction.

If the American drone policy remains the same as evident from the White memo, then the issue of Islamic radicalism might never be resolved.

Frankly, I found the White memo as repugnant as Mein Kampf.

Read more by Jamaluddin here or follow him on Twitter @einsjam

Slave Mindedness of our Pakistani Twitteratti ( Through Pictures)

US President Obama won the elections, which was of no surprise to anyone, although what surprised every body was  how closely the election was fought eventually, and it must be acknowledged that for all the fiascoes that Romney and the Tea Party created over the years and during the campaign trail, they still gave Obama, a run for his money.

That being said our liberal journos were ecstatic at Obama's win, something which is also not surprising with the US government's active interest in managing perceptions. When Obama won the election today our liberal journos and media personalities exploded with joy as if Obama was being elected as the President of Pakistan and not of USA. I will say no more here but present to you screen shots that I took of twitter regrading those people's tweets and leave you to be the judge.

The darling of our fashion industry seems jubilant at Obama's victory? Is he your president Ms. Aaminah?

Dear Asma Shirazi,  how can you maintain your impartiality when you are so over awed by Americans

Aliya Salahuddin, haven't seen her much on TV for a long time, well we now know she spends her time crying for Obama, could  that time been spent crying  for Pakistan, we all would have been happy.

Yes, Mr. Salman, may the junoon of droning the bejesus out of Pakistani always be with Mr. Obama.

Ah, thegenius Ms. Mehreen Malik, writes brilliant Op-Eds on The News but seems she is beholden to Democrats, somebody please check whether she is Pakistani or American.

What is this champion of human rights is doing in Pakistan and is beyond me, apparently drones and constant attacks by Obama and Co. do not constitute human rights violations.

Yes Ms. Tarar, we know you are extremely happy, couldn have cheered and show interest our own elections too.

What to expect from Mr. Solangi who runs Radio Pakistan, even our radio waves are being controlled by yanks now.

Yes, Ms. Nuzhat, a ladoo every time a drone blows up a civilian house in Miraanshah. 

Now you have seen. Now you decide. The power to decide is yours. Avail it.

US Led Drone Warfare in Pakistan. Strikes or Struck Out

The usage of drone technology by USA inside Pakistan is a hotly debated topic. Supporters of drone attacks cite the death of many Alqaeda and Taliban leaders and the reduction of terrorist attacks inside the Pakistani homeland as an example of the effectiveness of drone strikes. Detractors argue that the collateral damage is far too high for the drone strikes to be permissible and point to the moral dilemma that drone warfare faces.

Nobody denies that religious extremism and fundamentalism is an evil personified by the Taliban and the Alqaeda. Nobody argues that action should not be taken against the militants that are hell bent on the destruction of the fabric of society. Since September 2001, the fight against extremism has been raging on. Although there is no argument that many key terrorists have been killed but we also have to acknowledge that religious extremism has sharply increased rather than decline, which calls into question the USA led war on terror, which ( thanks to USA) has become our war too.

If this war has become ours. If TTP has become our enemy then, do we have to fight this war on the directives and with the assistance of USA, whose own withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan is a case study in strategic failure!

Surely, the enemy we are fighting is not a traditional enemy our operations against them might have reduced their military threat but they have not reduced their zeal to perpetuate terror. How drone strikes counter that shortcoming is anybody’s guess. But look at the bigger picture, there is a collateral damage in the drone strikes involved. That collateral then becomes fodder for the extremists who exploit the havoc wreaked by the drone attacks on civilians to recruit and BRAIN WASH more members and slowly this whole situation degenerates into a vicious circle whose only victim is the innocent civilian who’s killed regardless of a Hellfire Missile or a high velocity shrapnel emanating from the exploding jacket of a suicide bomber. Surely, if the solution to terrorism was a military one then the 11-year long war on terror might have made our world better today.

The drone attacks are one such mistake in a long line of mistakes that have been made when countering the disease of terrorism. To the satisfaction of its supporters, drone attacks produce quick results. Unfortunately, the short-term nature of the attacks is often confused with the rapid availability of results. Hence, important questions regarding the legality and future usage of drone technology has been consigned to the dustbin.  We should have the right to ask our governments that if drones are used a la’ American style, then what sort of precedent does it set up for the future of international military offensives. If USA can, with ease, violate the sovereignty of any country then, can other countries do the same? Can Iran target alleged Jundullah camps in Pakistan or MKO camps inside Iraq? Can India strike Hafiz Saeed in his home by using drones on the oft-used premise that the use of force is in self-defense or an imminent threat.

 Drones cause the local population to live in fear, the psychological toll of the constant fear of drones, the suddenness of a strike, the unseen attacker, may be more damaging to the psyche of the civilians than the battle hardened Taliban.  The argument that drone attacks reduce extremism are baseless because their proponents are sadly confused on the phraseology. Reductions in terrorist attacks do not constitute a reduction in an extremist mindset.

Hence, the question that must be asked is not Can Drones Reduce Terrorism. Rather Can Drones Reduce Terrorist Ideology? An ideology is not some bunker or hideout that could be destroyed by a Hell Fire Missile from the sky. Sadly, the proponents of North Waziristan Operation and drone attacks are similar in mindset to the Taliban who also claim that violence is the only solution. Hence, in my book both are the same. If drone strikes or military operations had been successful, then Malala would not have been attacked in the first place.

The fact that religion inspired terrorism is still alive in Pakistan is a testament to the joint failure of our military and political establishment to come up with a well-defined counter terrorism policy, the nation should be taken into confidence concerning that policy. If Pakistan were given the charge of drone strikes then the situation might have been different. Operations against TTP would have been more successful if it was followed up by commercial development but the rampant corruption, worsening economic situation and trampling of law is a major obstacle in the elimination of terrorism from Pakistan. In that case, drones can be effective against Taliban if they were part of the strategy, not the strategy.

Call for National Psychotherapy

Somewhere in the White House, US President Barack Hussein Obama was sitting with his generals and advisers in a live video conference with leaders of Israel and India. Obama is concerned that his plan to destroy Muslims is not going well and his allies haven’t been of much help.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his gentle and low voice squeaks in the screen, ‘Mr. Obama why do you look so worried?’

Obama who’s head is buried in his hands looks up at the screen and says, ‘Nothing Manu  bro, recently there haven’t been much attacks against Muslims, I think we are losing our steam’.

‘ No, we are not’ Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu in his strong Philadelphian accent chips in, ‘ we are trying to buy some major TV channels in Muslim countries so that we can indoctrinate their populations with our Zionist ideology’.

Obama looks up at Netanyahu and asks him, ‘how much money would I have to keep giving you to buy Muslim media and business assets? In case you haven’t realized, there’s a recession going on in here and my voters are keeping an eye on this one’ He said, anxiety apparent in his eyes.

‘As long as the media remains in our grip everything would be fine’ said Netanyahu.

‘ Don’t worry Sir Obama Sir, we have recruited Veena Malik and she would definitely do her best to defame Pakistani Military and ISI because if we destroy ISI and Pak Army, we can easily take over the Muslim world and my generals can finally enjoy a Jack Daniels at the Lahore Gymkhana’, chirped Manmohan Singh.

‘What if they treat her like Shakeel Afridi’ , Obama asked Manmohan.

‘ Oh  no no sir this is not possible sir, as you see we have quite a lot of liberal politicians and media anchors in our employ and they are doing their best to provide a cover for Veena” said Manmohan, self satisfaction evident in his voice.

‘ Hey OB’ Netanyahu said, ‘ I see that you are still looking worried , thinking that the  damage in the  Muslim world is not enough eh?’ asked the Israeli  PM. ‘ I have a plan’ he said dropping his voice conspiratorially low.

‘What ?’ said Obama now in a hushed voice and leaning towards the screen.

‘ Why don’t we publish another set of cartoons of the Muslim Prophet, that will enrage them for sure like it did last time’, said Netanyahu.

‘ I have got a better idea this time’ , said Obama, now smiling.’ Why don’t we make a  film this time, and then spread it all over, that will enrage the Muslims, and then they would peacefully protest, but we will insert our agents who will incite the peaceful Muslims to violence and we can all cheer as their shops and buildings and hospitals are burnt and razed to the ground’.

‘Hallelujah’ cried the Israeli and Indian Prime minister in unison.

Dear Readers, this conversation did not take place, so says logic common sense and media reports. However, it’s frightening to see how much of this fictional story can actually be viewed as truth by many Pakistanis. This is what we as a nation have become.

Targeting of everything American was the order of the day on Yaum-e- Ishq-e- Rasool . Yes, by the grace of Almighty, we burnt many infidel restaurants but in doing so, we also destroyed the lively hoods of many of our fellow citizens. My friend told me of a protestor who was beating a burning empty police car? I wondered why beat a burning police car, which has no infidel occupants? Children reveled in the carnage that ensued on the streets of Lahore Karachi Peshawar and Islamabad.  Adults looted medicine shops and burnt trucks and buses.

On that day, our nation showed symptoms of psychosis.

Psychosis is an aberration in mental health. The sufferer loses contact with reality. Delusions are a symptom of a psychosis. Delusion is an erroneous belief that does not have any  rational or logical foundation. One of the types of delusions characterized by psychologists is the delusion of persecution in which the person wrongly and irrationally believes that people are conspiring against him and desire nothing but to hurt him.  It is an observation of mine that a vast majority of Pakistanis have slipped into the Delusion of Persecution.  On  a simple matter of peacefully registering a protest, we took to the streets and after all was done we had the gumption to say that the movie and the ensuing violence was an American Zionist conspiracy because Muslims always conduct peaceful protests and that those Zionists and Yanks really want to destroy us.

After all this happening, can we still remain in denial and reject calls for a National Psychotherapy?

Nusrat Bhai's Problem with PTI

Nusrat Javed is a competent journalist; let’s give him that at least. He deserves it. On occasion, he might blunder and bluster just like somebody’s extremely old grandpa on family occasions, but still, his journalistic experience demands respect.

Nusrat’s saab’s  contention with PTI youth, or ‘trolls’ as he and other respectable liberals (present  almost exclusively on Twitter) , prefer to call them , is well known, well observed and has been the subject matter of much casual chit chats, face to face verbal jousting and war of comments on social networks. As a part of the generation that is gradually disappearing, his discomfiture with the social network active youth is understandable. He is slow to catch up on the trend, but social media is now gradually playing an important role in Pakistani politics with its ability to bring on the table, youth (though mostly from urban areas) and their newfound love for political activism. And with youth, well, you get occasional hot heads, cyber bullies, overzealous preachers and passionate expounders of conspiracy theories. It is a whole new world for the people of old electronic and print media and a one to which they now have to get used to. But one has to understand the undercurrents of the rising tide of participation by Pakistani youth in politics.

Youth have played a significant part in world politics. Throughout history, their participation is synonymous with dramatic changes or to be more fair, the various revolutionary leaders throughout history have utilized the services of young people to change the course of history. It has been seen that youth can get exploited and manipulated for both good and nefarious purposes. Muhammad Ali Jinnah used the Muslim youth of the sub continent to good success for the Pakistan Movement, but there have been instances where youth were used for more sinister purposes like the Nazification of Germany or the Cultural Revolution in China and yes it is shameful that the Taliban have proven more successful in attracting young people than our mainstream national parties, and that is the reality. But as you might observe these days, the reserves of undecided and politically inactive youth are being tapped by political parties throughout the world.  With the voluntary and involuntary inclusion of youth in political and social discussions, the rules of discussion and debate are changing and which many politicians and journalists -including Nusrat Javed- are finding hard to come to terms with.

In comparison to other parties, PTI seems to have had a reasonable success with youth and parallels with Obama’s 2008-election strategy can be justifiably drawn. Their crafty exploitation of the Messiah Syndrome in the masses and the use of youth in spreading their message are two similarities that glaringly stand out.

But aside from all this, both the Democrats in USA and PTI in Pakistan have realized the importance of youth in politics. It was the youth that toppled the Shah’s regime in Iran and the despotic governments of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. The power of youth thus cannot be under estimated.

But what happens in most cases is that the young people who have been in the fore forefront of movements and election campaigns get disillusioned by the policies of their leaders, like this year, Obama faces an uphill battle against the rising number of youth non-participants in elections, the same youth that so fervently voted for him the 2008 elections are now are little unsure about him. This is a case study from heaven for PTI and it should learn something from this.

But we must ask that what leads these ‘trolls’ to ridicule and viciously attack their opponents online, isn’t that a trait that is found in the Taliban?  I.e. you disagree with us we attack you. In my opinion it is the constant betrayal and continuous exploitation by politicians that drives these young people to brutally attack differing opinions because they seem to have pinned hopes to a cause or a personality in which they have fervently come to believe. Every religious, secular and violent movement in the past has been led by these same young zealots who blindly follow their leader and more often than not these are the same people who are the most disenchanted at the end of each revolution, because no revolution in this world has seen a happy ending for the youth and Nusrat saab as an avid reader of history might know this.

Imran Khan and Messiah Politics

It’s a tradition of humanity and not of just individual cultures, that people are always expecting a messiah to come and solve all their problems. When evil has spread everywhere and vice is holding sway, people think that the time is ripe for a messiah to come and solve all their problems.

The messiah factor has come into play repeatedly throughout various millennia. From early age, we are exposed to that messiah culture. Remember Lion King? Simba is shown to be Messianic, as he and only he is entitled to rule and bring prosperity to Pride Rock. Remember Spider Man and Super Man? When the town police just take a doughnut break and let our super-heroes save the day (so much for teaching professionalism to the kids).

In that regards let us discuss Messiah Politics. A politics in which a leader is expected to come to power and solve all the country’s problems and to rid it of all evils and rule justly and wisely. In reality, there never was and there never might be a real political messiah. Politics and Messiah-ship are just two opposite words with different meanings. And yet Political Messiahs have been expected in every country to deliver them from corruption and other evils.

Scenes that the world witnessed when Obama campaigned for the throne of Whitehouse were one of ecstasy and high hopes for a bright future. American society which, in the words of Max Blumenthal is‘permeated by apocalyptic beliefs and the yearning for messianic deliverance’, Obama’s marketing campaign was nothing short than announcing the second coming of Jesus himself. Indeed, he was called “The One” and the “Only Hope” who would bring a massive “Change” in the American society. Indeed the public was awestruck by his rallies and the scenes shown on the television, of people cheering madly and looking upon Obama with utmost reverence were astounding. The word spread out. Obama after sometime was not just seen as the messiah for USA but a Messiah for the whole world. Indeed, it was startling to me that how easily American hegemony was accepted. Where Chachu Bush had failed Obama, even before coming to power had achieved. People from all over the world asked him to solve their countries problems, in other words begging for American Intervention!! At that time in 2008, it was totally acceptable to expect Obama to come to power and begin solving world problems. And, when he ascended the throne of Washington, the scenes of jubilation and joy “around the world” were the ones to remember. Even Alqaeda and the Axis of Evil seemed to think that change was coming and talked about giving him a chance. Such was the enormity of his aura. But then 4 years, thousands of civilian deaths, massive economic earthquakes and foreign policy disasters later, this “Messiah” is fighting for his Presidency and discontent is rampant with protests against Wall Street greed and failed policies are spread across 40 different cities. As one blogger put it, messiah Politics is generally short-lived.

Now come to our very own Messiah. Kaptaan Imran Khan. Indeed the words I have mentioned above, like “ The Only Hope” , “The One” that were used in Obama’s campaign, are now resonating in Kaptaan’s campaign as well. At the time when railways and PIA are practically defunct, poverty, corruption and crimes are at an all time high, it is natural for Pakistani people to seek messianic deliverance. And deliverance they are getting in the shape of Imran Khan. As you see people from all the strata of society gather in millions to listen to Imran’s speeches, you know that change is indeed coming to Pakistan. People are really expecting that Imran Khan alone will solve all the problem good days indeed are just around the corner. Given the Kaptaan’s track record, it might be reasonable enough to expect that, but in reality, chances of massive reforms seem slim. How Imran Khan tackles reforms in education and finance when every single layer of these important institutions of the country is crippled by corruption that has spread to the roots. Until and unless the Kaptaan comes up with a detailed road map of the reforms to be introduced, he will remain just like any other failed messiah, hyped up, disappointing and finally scorned. They say that Mussolini was also seen as the Messiah of Italy’s politics endorsed by Pope Pius himself, but look what happened in the end. Defeated, tortured, shot and his corpse strung upside down in a street of Milan.

Instead of looking for the Messiah, we should find the Messiah in ourselves. Anticipate, change but let’s not leave it to certain people to bring about it. True Revolutions are brought by masses not just leaders.