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OUR military and intelligence agencies stand indicted for being complicit with terror groups and our best defence seems to be to plead incompetence.
Osama’s refuge in the shadows of the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul and his killing without the knowledge or permission of Pakistani authorities have not only raised piercing questions about the country’s willingness to function as a responsible state but also cast fundamental doubts on the ability of our national security apparatus to protect Pakistan against foreign intervention.
An ISPR release after Thursday’s corps commanders’ conference that broke the security establishment’s silence on the Osama operation is mostly gibberish.
While admitting “shortcomings in developing intelligence” on Osama’s presence in Pakistan, it goes on to blow the ISI’s trumpet for extraordinary achievement all around. The commanders feel betrayed by the CIA for not telling the ISI where Bin Laden was hiding.
The release doesn’t say why the military failed to detect foreign choppers and troops in our territory for an hour and 40 minutes. The air chief has now chimed in: the radars were working perfectly but enough of them are just not located on the western border. Did no one ever think we needed radar and air cover in the drone-infested part of Pakistan that has been an active war zone for a decade?
Can the-dog-ate-my-homework routine pacify a nation worried sick about having penetrable defences, no response readiness and being on the way to be branded a rogue? An inquiry into the facts of the Osama operation to determine the causes of the intelligence failure will not be sufficient.
We need to rationally approach the concept of sovereignty together with state responsibility to understand why the world views us suspiciously. We need a thorough re-examination of our existing national security doctrine to determine whether it is promoting or jeopardising our security. We need disclosure on the scope of our military relationship with the US and if the latter has been afforded air bases and the permission to house troops or intelligence operatives within Pakistan.
We need to root the power and authority of the ISI within statutory law, provide for internal checks and performance audit, and subject the agency to effective parliamentary scrutiny. And we need to do away with our policy of deliberate hypocrisy reflected in our refusal to clearly articulate our security and foreign policy goals, especially vis-à-vis the future of Afghanistan.
This is keeping the jihadi project alive, confusing and polarising the nation and drawing a wedge between Pakistan and the world. But this won’t happen unless the responsibility for failing to detect Osama’s presence in Pakistan as well as the US military operation is ascribed to those in charge of national security.
It is unlikely that Osama was being hosted by Pakistan as a matter of policy. Shielding Afghan Taliban leaders or India-focused militant leaders, however misconceived, is still understandable as part of a warped strategy to promote our defined strategic interests. Hosting Bin Laden or other Al Qaeda leaders isn’t.
Further, the assumption that our military and the ISI must have known of Osama’s presence in Abbottabad is the product of a narrative that projects our national security establishment as extremely capable, effective and omnipresent. This narrative has been conjured up by the national security establishment itself and mercilessly fed to the nation.
The masses buy into it for lack of an alternative narrative and a misplaced sense of nationalism. The political class and the media buy into it because they remain subjects of the ISI’s intrusive gaze, being followed, wiretapped, photographed, interrogated, cajoled and coerced. But hard facts do not back this narrative. Without distorting history can one honestly applaud our military high command’s performance in any war? Have our military and its intelligence network succeeded in confronting the security threat emanating from within?
If the ISI and the MI are epitomes of excellence, what accounts for their inability to prevent terrorists from blowing up themselves, our soldiers, policemen, intelligence outfits and innocent civilians across Pakistan at will? What can possibly explain the ease with which a handful of terrorists broke into the GHQ, killed senior military officers and held others hostage for hours? Pakistan has lost more civilians and soldiers to terror since 9/11 than all other countries of the world put together.
Does this sacrifice not highlight the failure of our national security strategy?
Some days ago, army chief Gen Kayani declared that national honour shall not be traded for prosperity. A week before that he had boasted that we had broken the backbone of the militants. Air chief Rao Qamar Suleman had declared that the air force is capable of shooting down US Predator aircraft if asked to. The US Navy Seals then carried out a complex military operation in the heart of Pakistan with choppers and boots on the ground and all, and the air force and army slept right through it?
In a functional democracy, these gentlemen would be sacked after such a debacle. Unfortunately, national security related decisions in Pakistan fall within the exclusive domain of the military, which jealously guards its turf. But responsibility must accompany such power. And the responsibility for erosion of our international credibility and increased threat to security personnel and citizens from terror networks nestled within Pakistan rests squarely on the military’s shoulder.
Be it a rise in suicide bombing and terror incidents within Pakistan, an increase in US drone strikes in our territory, the Mumbai attacks or the Osama operation, the threat to Pakistan’s interests for being perceived as a pad for terrorist activity and to its citizens as targets of terror has proliferated under Gen Kayani’s watch. Is it not time for Gen Kayani to call it quits and take along with him the DG ISI and the air chief? Shouldn’t these heads roll to account for failing to do their jobs?
With them in the driving seat it might neither be possible to hold a transparent inquiry into the security breaches that led to the Osama operation and its execution without Pakistan’s knowledge nor engage in a rethink of our perverse national security mindset. Can we shed some baggage and create room for untainted faces and ideas?
The concept of sovereignty assumes control over the territory a state claims. We cannot continue to shirk responsibility for the men, material and money transiting in and out of Pakistan and simultaneously wail at the disregard for our sovereignty. It is time to publicly articulate our legitimate security interests linked to the future of Afghanistan and develop a regional consensus around it, instead of vying for the whole hog.
It is time to completely liquidate the jihadi project and cleanse our state machinery of those who believe in its virtue. And it is time to shun the delusions of grandeur and conspiracy that prevent us from realising our potential as a responsible and industrious nation.
The writer is a lawyer.
babar.sattar@ajuris.com.pk
In all the analysis i see this article asking for the leadership to resign. Nobody has yet talked about our policy towards our western borders. And how this policy is informed to the people of pakistan and build consensus for it. We have allies to our west and there was never any aerial threat from our allies. This was and has been the official stand of our country for the past 40 years. Granted this is a significant event and hopefully a one off event. We need to calm down and push our leadership to generate consensus amongst the people about our policy. If they are our allies we need to gain their confidence for joint operations. And tell the people of pakistan about our joint effort. If we are taking a tough mans stance then we need to be wise. Neither our economy nor the global economy would want any form of confrontation between any two nations at these times. A consensus and national debate needs to be held to regain the trust of pakistanis and the Americans. And our leadership both civillian and military can do that.
The prime minister should have fired the army and air chiefs and the head of the top spy agency before resigning himself.
Power without responsibility is dangerous and responsibility without power is toothless.This is the equation between the military and the civilian government in Pakistan.
Great artcile. The image of Pakistan is not looking too good right now, guys. Most here suspect that the government is corrupt and the people should revolt for change.
Mr. Aftab has asked a legitimate question, I quote " — can the U.S. pull this sort of a false flag stunt on Iran? —" I would like Mr. Babur to express his opinion.
By far the best piece of advice to Pakistan. I have been reading Pak newspapers for a long tme, but have never seen someone speak Truth so clearly, coupled with good English. In line with the spirit of the article, I actually never thought that Pakistanis think more than Jihad, Islamism and destruction. Good to know that people like you exist in your country so full of every breed excepting yours. Be Safe.
Mr Sattar is a lawyer, He should stick to the same. He has little or no knowledge of strategic events and that is painfully obvious in the article.
When is the next military coup coming? I think the civilian government has positioned itself perfectly for the military to take over the country again.
Excellent analysis on the situation. its abt time that justice be served. you forgot to mention abt the 71 war and the role of military on Bhutto's judicial murder.
Great article.
Totally agreed with Babar, civil-military leadership must resign.
Excellent article. Bravo Sattar Shab! Some heads should most certainly roll.
It makes sense that the lessons be learnt so that the future is better. The lessons of not repeating the mistakes. The best thing for the people of Pakistan is to move on leaving behind this bitter episode and invest in better education and better leaving standards in stead of in defense in any form. To spend more in defense requires justification of "existence" of the enemy ant that itself is a bad beginning.
No one in Pakistan will take responsibility or will resign because there is no leader. All the people are just actors and only read their scripts.
Bravo Babar Sattar! But aren't we expecting too much from our leadership? In the country next door if there is a train accident the Railway Minister in variably resigns. Have you heard anything like this here, ever? Why should it be it different this time?
The Chief of Army Staff Mr.Kayani should have resigned..
Excellent article! But you mentioned, "The commanders feel betrayed by the CIA for not telling the ISI where Bin Laden was hiding."
Oh wow! So the much vaunted Pakistani ISI and MI need America's CIA for giving them information on terrorists hiding in their own country? Just like asking your neighbour to find the cookies in your own kitchen!! Lol! Are the Pakistani security establishment and intel agencies that incompetent?
Mike, they're supposed to be collaborating. Information went from the Pakistanis to the US to build up the picture, but nothing came back from the US, who used the info to act unilaterally to get the brownie points. It's quite simple, really.
Is it really simple? The USA says they have provided direct and plain evidence in the past on the whereabouts in Pakistan of Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, only to be told that it was false. Perhaps behind the scenes, the information was used to warn the actors in question who then slipped away. Given the importance of Bin Laden, it is no wonder the USA didn't share the information.
A brave stand to take. Hope Sattarsahb wont come to harm. The only snag is the current civilian leadership is totally unfit to lead a new security dispensation, should it occur. And it is possible that you may change the bottle but not the wine.
Change come to people who are alive and kicking, not those who are dead at heart. Have election today and you know the outcome, so come on be quiet. Ssshhh Be quiet, Nation is sleeping.
Enough,enough,enough. People of Pakistan let your voices be heard. Let your voices bring in change. Take to the streets to show parliment that you mean business. If the Shah can be removed, if Mubarrak can be removed, how hard is it to remove Zardari, Kayani, Pasha, Sulaiman???
Unfortunately in Pakistan Truth has a variety of meanings – remember fake WikiLeaks.Sorting fact from conspiracies is difficult when the hidden hand of government is behind every action.
Excellent piece written with honesty. It is truly time that these so called leaders in Pakistan look at themselves in the mirror and see their own hypocrisy. Who are they trying to fool? The whole world has seen their incompetence.
The time to pass the buck is over, heads must absolutely roll and if the government or the military had any shame they would resign but Pakistanis are not so fortunate so they should all be held accountable. If this doesn't happen Pakistan will never be able to recover and regain its place in the world. It is a matter of great shame and a moment of reckoning!
Very well said.The civilian set up is inept and a bunch of rent seekers,and armed forces scare them away.
Good realism in this article.
However there is no one to bell the cat !!
Well said. I would add the names of the President and the PM in the clean sweep. The sovereignty was sold when we our national budgets started depending on dole-outs. The nation must be built from bottom-up and top-down, with each one of us giving our 110%; nation above self.
It is our national disgrace to have slept right through this whole Osama episode? I don't think so, this was stage managed by design.
To admit this in public Pakistan is not allowed to do……just like no one is allowed to question 9-11 events either.
This is also how it's dished out to nations who are not sovereign!
P.S. A question to Mr Babur should be, can the U.S. pull this sort of a false flag stunt on Iran? The answer is a resounding NO!
Most objective analysis of the situation which shows a way out as well.
Most object analysis of the situation which shows a way out as well.