Pakistani Opposition Politician Imran Khan on US Drone Attacks, the “Massive Human Catastrophe”...

[laststeamtrain]

Pakistani Opposition Politician Imran Khan on US Drone Attacks, the “Massive Human Catastrophe” in the Swat Valley and the Escalation of War in Afghanistan

At least sixty people have reportedly died in the South Waziristan region of western Pakistan after a US drone attack Tuesday. The attack came as the Pakistani army and air force expanded their military operations from Swat into South Waziristan. We speak with Pakistani opposition figure and cricketing legend Imran Khan, the leader of the political party known as the Movement for Justice. Khan has been an outspoken critic of both US drone attacks as well as the Pakistani military’s offensive against the Taliban.

<snip>

IMRAN KHAN: The worst aspect of the way Pakistan is conducting these military operations is that there is no road map. There is no idea what we will do eventually to win this war. What we are seeing is just one operation after another. And all that is helping is fan extremism in our country.

So what we are seeing is, in the last five years, when there were no militant Taliban in Pakistan five years back, today there are about thirty Taliban groups. The whole of the tribal area which is bordering Afghanistan has now—is Talibanized, whereas previously there was—we had the tribal structure there. So, that has been decimated. Every military operation has sprung up a new Taliban group. And these military operations which we are conducting right now, not only are they ineffective, but actually they’re having the opposite effect. They are radicalizing the society as a whole, especially the Pashtun who are affected by this. The Pashtun youth is being radicalized. And there is no end to it. This is the awful thing. We don’t know what’s going to happen to end this war.

AMY GOODMAN: You have said Pakistan is on a suicidal course. Explain.

IMRAN KHAN: Well, suicidal because we are heading towards anarchy, as opposed to Talibanization. You know, this term is being used, that Pakistan is going to be Talibanized. This is absolute nonsense, because this Taliban is not some ideology. This is a direct reaction to the US invasion of Afghanistan and the Pashtun nationalism kicking in. And on our side of the border, when the Pakistan army, under US pressure, went into the tribal areas, that’s when the Taliban—Pakistani Taliban emerged four-and-a-half years back. And so, with each operation, they have expanded.

<more>

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/24/pakistani_opposition_politician_imran_khan_on

[billyoc]

1. Email him a link to a DU puppy thread.

It works here. :shrug:

[laststeamtrain]

2. I'm going to keep posting stuff about the Ir-Af-Pak 'war' 'til the goddamn puppy dies.

Metaphorically speaking.