Mayhem at Karachi

It seems that certain forces are adamant at plunging Karachi completing into anarchy. At an average nearly 15 people are being killed on daily basis over the last three months. Among the killed are political activist and members of religious parties but the largest number pertain to Shia and Sunni sects. Instead of rounding up the killers, those responsible out all the blame on ‘third hand’. Earlier the hype was created that Taliban were entering Karachi to get it free from the ‘hostage’ of MQM’. Till recently targeted killing was common but now funeral processions are also being attacked. Added to these are blockade of roads by the agitators, putting up public and private properties on fire. The most criminal is the silence of coalition partners and the propaganda that booty collectors have also entered Punjab.

There is growing consensus among the people belonging to different sects and political affiliations that ‘mercenaries’ have thronged Karachi with a clear mandate to plunge the city into complete anarchy. They know very well that Karachi is the lifeline of Pakistan and hub of industrial and commercial activities. Therefore, without cutting this lifeline the ultimate objective of fragmenting Pakistan can’t be achieved. It is on record that people belonging to all the cast and creed, political and religious sects are being killed, shops and commercial areas are closed and private and public and private properties are reduced to ash.

Ironically, the three coalition partners PPP, ANP and MQM are trying to buyout sympathies because their members are being assassinated but have been failing miserably in restoring peace despite being in power for years. This force the people to infer that some ‘supra power’ controls the tentacles and before it coalition partners are also helpless. There is also a growing realization that the mercenaries have also crept into law enforcing agencies. This impression develops because none of the perpetrators has been rounded up and given punishment. The most glaring examples are killing of Benazir Bhutto and her brother and famous political and religious leaders.

If one also adds to this burning of more than 300 workers of ill-fated garment factory, blasts at mosques and religious gathering and attack at Rangers Headquarters only one point is evident, the killers and perpetrators are far stronger than the law enforcing agencies. One of the conspiracy theories is that services of trained security personnel are being hired to create the mess. It is also feared that personnel of investing agencies are also being paid lavishly on not arresting the criminals, collect evidence against them and when they some of the criminals are presented before the courts; they are acquitted because of lack of sufficient evidence.

Some of the critics say that all and sundry know the gangs and their leaders involved in killing, blasting bombs and putting private and public properties at fire. The names and faces of booty collectors and their godfathers are known to all. However, the government puts the blame on ‘third hand’. It may be said that it is the only hand because all others have been cut or tied. Now people openly say that don’t look at the getup of people which is completely disguising, these are cold-blooded mercenaries and their sole objective is to destroy Pakistan. The perpetrators know very well that Karachi is the safest heaven because of concentration of linguistic and sectarian groups. They also say that the residents are being used as human shields.

Courtesy: The Financial Daily

Israel to Exploit Arab Iran Animosity

Fully cognizant of animosity between Arabs and Iran, Israel has openly expressed its desire to attack Iran and seeks their support. The convincing argument is that Iran is not only a threat for Israel but for the world in general and Arabs in particular. Israel has expressed its desire repeatedly to unilaterally attack Iranian nuclear installation but was fearful of Iranian retaliation supported by Muslim Ummah. After Arabs turned hostile against Syria, allegedly backed by Iran, Israel has gathered the courage to say that seems most insulting to the Muslims around the world.

Many non-Arab Muslim countries have been expressing serious concerns about the recent animosity of Arabs towards Iran. They say after Islamic revolution they had gone completely hostile towards Iran. Experts are of the opinion that Monarchies of the Arabian Peninsula, which have historically remained subservient to external powers, are raising voice against Iran on their behest. Ironically, West has used Arab and Kurd divide and Shia Sunni split in Iraq to justify its occupation and intend to use the same card in Iran.

Many in Muslim Ummah believe that post Islamic revolution Iran has become a target of West only because it refuses to succumb to their pressure. As regards its nuclear program there is growing consensus among the Muslims that so far West has failed in presenting any credible evidence that Iran is building atom bomb. While Iran has rejected these apprehensions the West is as adamant as it was about Iraq for building weapons of mass destruction. West was wrong at that time and it is creating hype once again against Iran to install a puppet government there.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to convince Arab states that an Israeli military strike on Iran would benefit them, removing a potential threat and easing tensions across the Middle East. Earlier he had made a number of veiled threats to attack Iran’s nuclear program and appealed to the United States and the United Nations to set a limit for Tehran on its nuclear program.  The United States and other Western countries have rejected Netanyahu’s demand to set a limit for Iran and have urged him to refrain from military action to give diplomacy and sanctions chance to work.

Netanyahu, in an interview published in a French magazine has gone to the extent of saying that such a strike would not worsen regional tensions, as many critics have warned. “Five minutes after, contrary to what the skeptics say, I think a feeling of relief would spread across the region,” he said. The most notable is his statement “Iran is not popular in the Arab world, far from it, and some governments in the region, as well as their citizens, have understood that a nuclear armed Iran would be dangerous for them, not just for Israel.”

Israel, believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear power, believes Tehran intends to build atomic weapons and has consistently urged the West to increase up sanctions. Iran says it is enriching uranium for peaceful energy purposes only. Netanyahu, who is running for re-election in January at the head of the right-wing Likud party, told the United Nations last month that a strike could wait until spring or summer when he said Tehran might be on the brink of building an atomic bomb.

Courtesy: The Financial Daily

Rising Militancy in South Asia and MENA

Probing a little deeper suggests that the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa are rich in agriculture, minerals and the oldest route for on-land as well as sea trade. That was the prime reason these areas were occupies as colonies. 

The strategy of occupiers was ‘divide and rule’ and the occupation was driven by underlined objectives of crusades, attempting at getting control on trade, particularly maritime trade. 

The living examples are construction of Suez and Panama Canals, occupation of areas on the coastal lines and fueling of conflicts on the basis of religions and sects.

The old and most deadly are the encounters between the followers of three religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims. Often Jews and Christians joined hands against Muslims because of Quaran, which declared the previous Holy Books null and void, as these had been tempered very badly. This divide continues till today and the most contentious issue remains occupation of Jerusalem by Israel. The city has the highest spiritual attachments for Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Most of the present day sovereign states located on the coastal line have remained subservient to super powers. With the discovery of oil and gas in the region the first effort was to get control on production and transportation of crude oil and then on its refining facilities. Though, Saudi Arabia is often said to be the largest producer of oil, its production and logistics are virtually controlled by the aliens. Oil facilities of Iraq and other countries have also been virtually taken over by the United States under the disguise of NATO forces. Efforts have been going on to get control over Iranian oil but the country has survived under the worst sanctions for nearly thirty two years.

Getting control over movement of ships in the Indian Ocean are also centuries old. In modern days it is evident that pirates are fully funded and supported by the contenders aiming at controlling movement of ships, especially carrying crude oil. Historically, the joint navy of some European countries has been overseeing the movement of ships but lately United States controls the strings. The other contenders are China and India, which are very active evident from construction of Gwadar port in Pakistan by China and Chabahar port in Iran by India. Construction of both the ports is aimed at developing the shortest and most cost efficient route to Central Asian countries, which are also rich in oil and gas.

Sabotaging Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) and promoting Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) is also the brainchild of diabolic thinking of the United States. One of the prime concerns of India was safety of pipeline passing through Balochistan but it has hardly expressed its apprehension about Afghanistan, under constant state of war since USSR attack, for almost four decades. Some experts say that the uprising in Balochistan is funded by the external forces, which want to get control over the area.

Tough, the West has been behind rising militancy in the region; it is becoming growingly evident that the militants get funds, arsenal and training from those who wish to intensify the conflict to achieve their ulterior motives. Some cynics go to the extent of saying that if Taliban was the brainchild of CIA, many such factions are operatives under different names in almost all the Muslim countries. They also say that CIA often uses these mercenaries to achieve its own objectives.

 Courtesy The Financial Daily

Fragmenting Muslim Ummah

Soon after the departure of Holy Prophet, cracks started developing among Muslim Ummah and now the position is that it is divided into dozens of sects, the most prominent being Sunni and Shia.

They are divided on the basis of geographical location and languages they speak. However, they could be split into two distinct groups, one that is subservient to the sole surviving super power and the other that is often termed anti United States.

The situation has prevailed because the countries that are rich don’t wish to offend the mighty and those who have nothing are depended on the US for food, aid, loans and even arms to continue to fight among them. While there have been violent anti US demonstration in many countries lately, many Muslim countries are not raising the voice else the masters are offended.

Organization like OIC, believed to be the voice of Muslim Ummah are proving ‘spineless’. Muslim countries buying goods, including arsenal from the United States are not willing to boycott products made in anti Muslim countries. They will not die if the US goods are not consumed.

The most regrettable has been the role of oil rich countries. They may be earning billions of dollars from export oil at fabulous price but most of these are spent on buying arms from the United States. Major buyers of arms are Saudi Arabia and UAE, which face the least threat of attack from any country.

Arabs are fully supporting the United Sates in crushing Iran. They had supported and financed Iraq in waging 10-years war on Iran. They are assuring the world if oil export from Iran is stopped, the world will not face any shortage of oil. 

Chris Stevens a diplomat or spy

Killing of Christopher Stevens, US Ambassador in Libya and his portrayal as friend of ‘freedom’ fighters raises a question, was he a diplomat or an ace CIA operator? In the recent past many countries have been alleging that spies have become an integral part of the US diplomatic core.

His death has been termed the first death of a US ambassador in the line of duty since 1979. Stevens, 52 and single, served as a special envoy to the Libyan Transitional National Council last year from March to November. During his 21 years in the Foreign Service he also served in Jerusalem, Damascus, Cairo and Saudi Arabia.

President Barack Obama rushed 50 Marines to Libya to safeguard American personnel and critical facilities there, and ordered a worldwide review of security at diplomatic posts. The moves were made amid escalating worries that a deadly attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi stemmed from a carefully planned extremist plot, not a spontaneous riot.

Killing of Stevens can be termed a fall out of operating in the countries the United States wishes to keep its hold. Presence of CIA operators in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and even Iran has a history spread on decades. New found territories are those falling in ‘uprising in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

It has been reported in media, “Stevens, whose diplomatic foothold were a couple of battered tables, was on literally on the rebels' side while the revolution was at its most vulnerable and in danger of being crushed by troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “Stevens will be remembered as a hero by many nations. He risked his life to stop a tyrant then gave his life trying to help build a better Libya. The world needs more Chris Stevenses."

Hannah Draper, who is in the US on leave from the embassy said, “He loved Libya and Libyan people and died doing what he believed in." Draper said the ambassador was "legendary" in Libya because he stayed in the country through the revolution, "Liaising with the rebels and leading a skeleton crew of Americans on the ground to support humanitarian efforts and meeting up-and-coming political leaders."

US Proxy War in Syria

From the early days analysts have been saying that the United States is fighting a proxy war in Syria. It is not an attempt to dislodge Assad but to prove that the super power enjoys complete control in Middle East and North Africa (MENA). An article recently written by David Ignatius for The Washing Post gives more credence to this belief.

According to David the United States and its allies are moving in Syria toward a program of covert support for the rebels that look very much like what super power and its friends did in Afghanistan in the 1980s. In Syria, as in Afghanistan, CIA officers are operating at the borders, helping Sunni insurgents improve their command and control and engaging in other activities. Weapons are coming from third parties.

He even goes to the extent of saying that major financier for both insurgencies have been Saudi Arabia. In his view Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who as Saudi ambassador to Washington in the 1980s worked to finance and support the CIA in Afghanistan and who now, as chief of Saudi intelligence, is encouraging operations in Syria.

As the proxy war in Syria is gaining momentum it is necessary to understand similarities/dissimilarities between Afghanistan and Syria. Afghan mujahedeen won their war and eventually ousted the Russian-backed government. CIA-backed victory opened the way for decades of chaos and jihadist extremism that are still menacing Afghanistan and its neighbors, especially Pakistan and Iran.

Therefore, before entering into any adventurism it is necessary to ask a question, will the intervention yield any result in case of Syria? The reply is evident if one keeps in mind the strategy of the covert war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Saudis understandably would prefer that Sunnis who oppose autocratic rule should wage their fight far from the kingdom; Damascus is a far safer venue than Riyadh.

But there are hazards of fueling Sunni-Shiite dynamic in Syria, though rage against Shiites and their Iranian patrons has been a useful prop for the United States and Israel in mobilizing Sunni opposition against Assad, who as an Alawite is seen as part of the Shiite crescent.

But this is the most lethal and potentially ruinous sectarian battle, the kind that nearly destroyed Iraq and Lebanon and is now plunging Syria into the inferno. The Saudis want to fight Shiites but away from their Kingdom.

United States is also using the tribal card, which may be as crucial in Syria as it was in Iraq. The leaders of many Syrian tribes have been supported to wage war against Assad. It may be said that the engine of this insurgency in Syria is rural, conservative and Sunni.

David’s conclusion is thought provoking. He cautions the rebels fighting Assad deserve limited US support, just as the anti-Soviet mujahedeen did. The intervention will cause chaos and extremism that can take a generation to undo if the United States and its allies aren’t prudent.

United States biggest arms seller

Over the years it is being said that the United Sates creates most of the conflicts around the world but very few people are able to understand the underlying motive. It is the lust to keep its arsenal factories running at highest capacity utilization.

My second blog posted on 26th June highlighted this aspect. One of the latest reports by Reuters provides the latest numbers, though these pertain to 2011 and a lot has changed lately.

The report says that during 2011 the US arms sales touched record level US$66.3 billion, mainly because of $33.4 billion sales to Saudi Arabia alone. Other key buyers included United Arab Emirates and India.

The US sales were nearly 78 per cent of the global arms sales, which rose to $85.3 billion during 2011. The previous US record sales of $38.2 billion were achieved during 2008.

While Washington remained the world’s leading arms seller, nearly all other major suppliers, except France, recorded decline in sales during 2011. France signed arms sales valued at $4.4 billion in 2011, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier.

Russia, the world’s number two arms dealer, saw its sales nearly halved to $4.8 billion in 2011. The four major European suppliers — France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy — saw their collective market share drop to 7.2 per cent in 2011 from 12.2 per cent a year earlier.

Saudi Arabia emerged the biggest arms buyer among developing countries, concluding $33.7 billion weapons deals in 2011, followed by India with purchases of $6.9 billion and the United Arab Emirates with $4.5 billion. A point worth laughing is ‘Iran is fueling arms sales especially to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’.

The three major beneficiaries of the arms sales were Boeing, United Technologies and Lockheed Martin. The sale of $33.4 billion to Saudi Arabia comprised of 84 Boeing F-15 fighters, dozens of helicopters built by Boeing and Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

The sale of $3.49 billion to the United Arab Emirates comprised of Lockheed Martin Corp’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced missile shield and $940 million for 16 Chinook helicopters built by Boeing.

The United States seems to be following a unique strategy whereby extreme volatile situation in created in the Middle East and imposition of economic sanctions on Iran. This helps in keeping crude oil price high. However, all these petrodollars are bagged by selling arms to oil rich countries.

The only point of concern is that the arms sales are on the rise due to growing animosity among the Muslim countries, especially Arabs vs. Iran. In the past Iraq assaulted Iran and the war continued for a decade.

During this war Saudi Arabia and Kuwait gave billions of dollars to Iraq to wipeout Iran from the global map. The stage is being prepared once again for a better coordinated assault on Iran but all remain shy of the nuclear capabilities of Iran. Though, Israel keeps on talking about attacking Iran, threat of nuclear war makes all jittery.