Our Announcements

Not Found

Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.

Archive for category The Great Game

Karoline Leavitt Tells Traoré “Sit Down, Boy” — His Reply Leaves America Speechless

Karoline Leavitt Tells Traoré “Sit Down, Boy” — His Reply Leaves America Speechless

0:03 / 23:50

One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told: A Salute to Capt. Traoré, the finest humanity can produce. Listen and Weep

  • Ibrahim Traoré is a Burkinabé military officer and politician who has served as the interim President of Burkina Faso since 2022. Traoré took control of Burkina Faso in September 2022, ousting interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in a coup d’état. Wikipedia
  • Born: March 14, 1988 (age 37 years), Bondokuy, Burkina Faso
  • Education: University of Ouagadougou
  • Nationality: Burkinabe
  • Office: President of the Transition of Burkina Faso

The flag of Burkina Faso is a horizontal bicolour of red and green, with a yellow five-pointed star in the centre. The red stripe is on top, and the green stripe is on the bottom. The flag was adopted on August 4, 1984. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

The flag of Burkina Faso is a horizontal bicolour of red and green, with a yellow five-pointed star in the centre. The red stripe is on top, and the green stripe is on the bottom. The flag was adopted on August 4, 1984. 

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked African country surrounded by Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana in the south, Cote d’Ivoire to the southwest, and Mali to the north.

Burkina is a rapidly growing country with an estimated 2024 population of 23,409,000. million, which makes Burkina that 62th most populous country in the world. The country has a surface area of 274,200 square kilometres. On August 4, 1984, the country changed its name from the Republic of Upper Volta. Burkina Faso’s people are known as Burkinabe.

Hunter-gatherers populated the area between 14,000 and 5,000 BC. Farming settlements appeared between 3600 and 2600 BC. Mossi kingdoms were present in the central part of the nation. In 1896, Burkina Faso became a French protectorate. After its independence in 1960, several governmental changes occurred until the country took its present semi-presidential republic form. Blaise Compaore is the current president.

Ouagadougou is the capital. The African Union, Community of Sahel-Saharan States, La Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference and Economic Community of West African States list Burkina Faso as a member.

History

Between 14,000 and 5000 BC, hunter-gatherers began populating the country’s northwest. Simon Nijjar discovered their tools in 1973. Farmer’s settlements began to appear between 3600 and 2600 BC. Evidence shows these were permanent settlements. Iron, ceramics, and stone were used beginning between 1500 and 1000 BC. Burial remains indicate spiritual practices began around this time as well.

The Dogon left relics in the north and northwest parts of the country. The Dogon left the area between the 15th and 16th centuries to settle in the Bandiagara cliffs. There are also remains of walls in Burkina Faso’s southwest, but their builders is unknown.

Mossi kingdoms existed in the central area. The most powerful of these was the Wagadogo and Yatenga. They likely emerged in the 16th century, but their origins are obscured and subject to legends.

Colonial Period and Independence

The English and French waged a major rivalry in the area through military and civilian expeditions. The French defeated the Mossi Ouagadougou kingdom and the area became a French colony in 1896. The western and eastern regions came under French control in 1897 after a standoff with the powerful ruler Samori Ture. Some small parts of the region were not under control, but by 1989 most of the modern day nation had been conquered.

On June 14, 1898, the English and French drew the borders between their colonies, ending the confrontations. The French continued wars of conquest against local areas and powers for an additional five years. As part of the reorganization of the French empire in 1904, the Volta basin territories merged with the Upper Senegal and Niger colony in French West Africa. The colony’s capital was in Bamako.

The territories draftees, known as the Senegal rifles, fought in World War I in Europe. The Volta-Bani War, an important armed opposition to the colonial government, took place from 1915 to 1916 in western Burkina Faso and eastern Mali. After suffering defeats, the French gathered its largest colonial expedition force and eventually defeated the movement. Around that time, Tuaregs and allied groups also rebelled in the Sahelian north.

On March 1, 1919, the French established French Upper Volta, partly due to fears of uprising, economic considerations, and to bolster its administration. The move separated the present Burkina Faso territory from Niger and Upper Senegal. Charles Alexis Edouard became the first governor of the newly formed colony called Haute Volta. Colonial revenue stagnated after a coercive cotton policy failed. On September 5, 1932, the colony was dismantled and split between French Sudan, Niger, and Cote d’Ivoire, which received the largest share.

After World War II, colonial agitation led this dismantling to be reversed. The colony was revived as part of the French Union on September 4, 1947 with its prior borders. It earned self-government and became the Republic of Volta on December 11, 1958. It also became a member of the Franco-African community at that time.

The French revised their territorial organization with the Basic Law’s passage on July 23, 1956. Other measures were passed in 1957 to give territories more self-government. After self-government in 1958, Upper Volta became its own republic in 1960 and was independent from France.

Upper Volta

On December 11, 1958, the Republic of the Upper Volta was established. The Volta River has three parts: the White Volta, the Black Volta, and the Red Volta. The national flag’s colours correspond to the Volta River’s parts.

It was part of the French Union and French Upper Volta before independence. Maurice Yameogo was the first president and leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union (UDV). The national assembly and president are to be elected every five years through universal suffrage according to the 1960 constitution. Yameogo banned all political parties but the UDV after coming to power. In 1966, after massed demonstrations and strikes, the military intervened.

Yameogo was deposed by the coup, which also suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. Lt. Col. Sangoule Lamizana became the head of the military officers governing the nation. On June 14, 1970, after four years of army rule, the country ratified a new constitution that set a four year transition back to civilian rule. Lamizana remained in power through the 1970s. Conflicts led to a new constitution in 1977. Lamizana was reelected in 1978.

The country’s trade unions were a problem for Lamizana’s government. On November 25, 1980, Lamizana was overthrown in a bloodless coup by Col. Saye Zerbo. Zerbo’s Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress became the governmental authority.

Trade unions again resisted and Zerbo was overthrown after two years by Maj. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo on November 7, 1982. His Council of Popular Salvation (CSP) promised transition to civilian rule but banned political organizations. CSP infighting led to Capt. Thomas Sankara being appointed prime minister in January, 1983. Sankara’s leftist positions and internal conflict led to his arrest and, later, efforts by Capt. Blaise Compaore to release him. Another coup occurred on August 4, 1983.

After this coup, Sankara established the National Council for the Revolution (CNR) again with himself as the president. He also formed Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR) to organise the people and implement revolutionary programs. Two small Marxist-Leninist groups were part of the CNR’s secret membership. As a result of Sankara’s efforts, the country’s name was finally changed to Burkina Faso on August 4, 1984.

An armed gang killed Sankara in 1987. His former partner and the country’s current president, Blasé Compaore, organized this coup.

On June 2, 1991, a new constitution established a semi-presidential system with a parliament. The President of the Republic has the power to dissolve the parliament. The president is elected every seven years, but this was later amended to every five years. A legal ruling allowed Compaore, the current president to run again in 2005. Divided political opposition resulted in his 2005 victory.

The National Assembly is the single chamber of parliament. It has 111 seats with five year terms for its members. A constitutional chamber also exists which has ten members. An economic and social council is purely advisory.
Burkina Faso: Administrative Division

Burkina Faso has 13 regions, 45 provinces, and 301 departments. The regions are Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, and Sud-Ouest.
Burkina Faso: Military and Security

France served as the model for the security and police forces. France supports and trains Burkina Faso’s police. Police services are delivered at the brigade level by the Gendarmerie Nationale. The Minister of Defense has authority over the Gendarmerie, whose members are deployed along the border and in rural areas.

Identity checks are common for travellers, and all foreigners are required to carry identification.

The army has 6,000 volunteers. The People’s Militia supports the army and is composed of civilians between 25 and 35 years old. Burkina Faso’s army has some armoured vehicles but is considered poorly equipped.

By African standards, the army is well funded but generally undermanned. The elite Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) is better funded and equipped. There is no navy but an air force has 19 operational aircraft. Military expenses are 1.2 percent of the country’s GDP.

Climate and Geography

Southwestern Burkina Faso has a sandstone massif with a highest peak of 749 meters. Sheer cliffs up to 150 meters high border this area. The country is mostly covered by a peneplain with few isolated hills. Burkina Faso’s average altitude is 400 meters, making it a relatively flat country.

The Black, White, and Red Volta Rivers cross the country. The Black Volta flows year-round. The Niger River basin drains 27 percent of the country’s area.

The Beli, Gorouol, Goudebo and Dargol, Niger tributaries, are only seasonal streams. They can cause flooding. Numerous lakes do exist, including the Tingrela, Bam, and Dem. Water shortages, particularly in the north, are a problem.

The country’s climate is primarily tropical with two seasons, the rainy and dry. The rainy season, lasting four months, brings 600 to 900 millimeters of rainfall. There are three climatic zones, the Sudan-Guinea, Sudan-Sahel, and Sahel.

The Sahel is a dry tropical savannah. It extends from the Horn of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean and borders the Sudan to the south and the Sahara to the north. The Sudan-Sahel is a transitional zone. The southern Sudan-Guinea zone has cooler temperatures and receives 900 millimetres of rain.

Burkina Faso has limestone, marble, manganese, pumice, phosphates, salt and small gold deposits as resources. Two national parks exist.

Economy

With one of the world’s lowest per capita GDP figures of $1,200, Burkina Faso is a very poor country. Agriculture is 32 percent of GDP and 80 percent of the population works in that sector. Livestock is mostly produced but sorghum, pearl millet, corn, peanuts, rice and cotton are grown.

Emigration results from high unemployment. 3,000,000 citizens live in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire. The migrants send money back to the country each year, provoking regional tensions.

International aid funds a large portion of the economic activity.

The CFA Franc is the currency.

Copper, manganese, iron, and gold are mined, providing employment, aid, and even hospitals.

One of Africa’s most important handicraft fairs, Le Salon International de I’Artisanat de Ouagadougou, is hosted in Burkina Faso.

Demographics

Most of the country’s population belong to the Voltaic and Mande groups. The Voltaic Mossi members are one half the population. The Mogho Naba lead the Mossi kingdom from their court in Ouagadougou. They believe they descend from warriors who migrated to the area from Ghana.

Ethnically integrated and secular, most of the country’s people are concentrated in the country’s center and south. Migrants travel to neighbouring countries for seasonal agricultural work. Political events in these countries, such as the 2002 coup attempt in Côte d’Ivoire, led to migrants returning.

Religion

Burkina Faso’s government states that 61 percent of the population practices Islam, most of which are in the Sunni branch. 19 percent are Roman Catholic and 4 percent Protestant, 15 percent follow some form of traditional indigenous beliefs. Atheism is not shown to exist.

Many in the country practice multiple religions. Even among Muslims and Christians, ancient traditions are observed.

Health

The median age is 16.7 with a growth rate of 3.109 percent. The government spent 3 percent on healthcare as of 2001. A doctor shortage exists as there are 6 physicians per 100,000 citizens. Similarly, there are only 13 midwives and 41 nurses per 100,000. Estimates have shown 72.5 percent of the country’s girls have suffered female genital mutilation.

Culture

Burkina Faso’s oral traditions remain important. Dim-Dolobsom Ouedraogo published his Maximes in 1934 during French occupation which recorded the Mossi people’s oral history. Writers such as Nazi Boni and Roger Nikiema were influenced by the oral history. The number of playwrights grew in the 1960s. Literature developed in the 1970s.

Traditional ethnic ceremonies involve dancing with masks. During colonial times, western theatre became popular. After independence, a new theatre style emerged involving a forum theatre designed to educate the rural population.

Cuisine

As is typical in western Africa, the cuisine is based on sorghum, rice, millet, peanuts, beans, yams, and okra. Protein most often comes from chicken, eggs, and fresh water fish. Fermented palm sap, or Palm Wine, is a typical beverage. The town of Banfora is known for its Palm Wine.

The worst flood in the country’s history occurred on August 30, 2009. It left 8 people dead and over 150,000 homeless. Burkina Faso requested international aid and Japan, France, Ivory Coast, and the European Union responded.

Cinema

Burkina Faso’s contribution to African film began with the FESPACO film festival in 1969. Many filmmakers are internationally known and have received awards. The Federation of Panafrican Filmmakers had a headquarters in the country for many years. The most well-known directors are Gaston Kabore, Idrissa Ouédraogo, and Dani Kouyate. Bobodijiouf is a popular television series.

Sports

Sports participation includes football, basketball, cycling, Rugby union, handball, tennis, boxing, and martial arts. Played formally and informally, football is very popular. Nicknamed “Les Etalons” in reference to Princess Yennenga’s legendary horse, Burkina Faso’s national team is ranked 48 in FIFA World Rankings.

Education

The system is comprised of primary, secondary, and higher education. Attending schools costs about $97 USD per year, outside the reach of most families. Girls have far lower literacy rates than boys. The government has made school cheaper for girls and granted them more scholarships, leading to an increase in their schooling. National exams must be passed to move between levels. The University of Ouagadougou, the Polytechnic University in Bobo-Dioulasso, and the University of Koudougou are higher education institutes. Private colleges exist, but only a small percentage can afford them.

The International School of Ouagadougou is an American-based private school in Ouagadougou.

Media

The state-sponsored television and radio service, Radiodissusion-Television Burkina (RTB) is the main outlet. It broadcasts on several FM and two AM frequencies. There are also several privately owned stations. RTB also produces a short wave new broadcast in French.

Attempts to bring independent press and media have been inconsistent. In 1998, journalist Norbert Zongo, his brother Ernest, his driver, and another man were assassinated. An independent commission of inquiry determined they were killed for political reasons because of Zongo’s investigative work.

Since Zongo’s death, protests during the investigations have been dispersed by police. International organisations have written to the government requesting investigations into death threats to journalists and radio commentators.

, , ,

No Comments

A Crusade against Iran and the Complicity of Western Decadent Civilizations

Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

Western Political Morality Lost its Values

Leaders who are universally hated and feared are actively engaged in an unwarranted war against humanity as if it were the new normal. Netanyahu’s obsession with Iran being a few weeks away for having a nuclear bomb is nothing but a suspicious and vengeful act of aggression intrinsically supported by a false narrative of self-defence. The same rhetoric is echoed by President Trump as if both are on the same page of ignorance and arrogance. Ironically, seeing violations of international law and peaceful resolution of disputes, global leaders turned a deaf ear to the moral, intellectual and political imperatives of the systems of governance. Israel, violating all the civilised norms of international systems, attacked Iran pretending to be in “self-defence”, while Iran was engaged in dialogue with the US to resolve the issue of nuclear enrichment. We are witnessing a new world of perpetuated ignorance, dishonesty and warmongering to preserve the aggressive expansionist aims of Israel after 20 months of war against the innocent people of Gaza. Egoistic leaders appear powerless to use tyranny as a means to ambitious conquests. How do you define, condemn or cure the pernicious consequences of unilateral actions of transgression? Are there any role models of moral and responsible leadership in the contemporary world? President Trump demands “unconditional surrender” from Iran, although America is not a declared party to the current war. PM Netanyahu claims, ‘Israel has full control over the Iranian airspace.’ The emerging conflict has caused catastrophic casualties both in Iran and Israel. Where do you draw the line between insanity and humanity? Are we living in an era of false truth, feigned piety and alternate transient facts of human affairs?

Stephen M. Walt,  professor of international relations at Harvard University, claims that “Israel Can’t Be a The Israeli government is making a bid for regional dominance that’s unlikely to succeed.”  https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/16/israel-iran-war-middle-east-hegemon/?  Emboldened by the US chaotic leadership, Israel’s long-awaited wish comes to reality, and Iran’s nuclear sites and public are attacked under a false pretext of “preemptive strike” in self-defence. Over three decades, PM Netanyahu campaigned alleging Iran of making nuclear bombs in days and weeks. Rafel Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, clarified (Al-Jazeera interview: 6/19/25),  “There is no evidence that Iran has an active plan to make nuclear weapons.” Israel spared no time to target the public sectors in Iran, the national TV station, oil refineries, hospitals and assassinated its top military leaders and nuclear scientists. This war unfolds multiple aims beyond the nuclear capability, a regime change and destruction of Iran as a people and an ancient civilisation. While the US and European leaders, the so-called gatekeepers of law, order and peace, contrary to the facts of the case, aligned with Israel’s irresistible necessity of fallacy and ignored the principles of international law and the truth of Iran’s uranium enrichment program for peaceful purposes. The facts speak loud and clear: Iran is a signatory to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), Israel is not; Iran has not developed any nuclear arsenal, Israel possesses approximately 50 -90 nuclear bombs. A rational person could only assess performance when it is performed, not otherwise. Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, a Professor of international law and history at the Geneva School of Diplomacy(“Israel Is Out of Control. “A Terrorist Government that Endangers International Peace” Global Research: 6/18/25) spells out the facts: https://www.globalresearch.ca/israel-out-control-alfred-de-zayas/5891459

Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran raises fundamental issues about the authority and credibility of the United Nations and, more generally, about the continued validity of international law and an international order based on the prohibition of the threat and the use of force…….He further noted that: Once again, Israel, the United States and their supporters are flouting international law and participating in a conflict that could lead to nuclear disaster…On 17 June 2025, the Geneva International Peace Research Institute issued this call to the United Nations and to all men and women of goodwill. “By bombing Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu has violated Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and Article 5 of the Rome Statute. This act of unprovoked aggression cannot be excused by reference to a non-existent doctrine of ‘pre-emptive attack’, which George W. Bush had invoked to attack Iraq, and does not fall within the meaning of Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows for self-defence.

Should Leaders be Mindful of their Wrong Thinking and Wrong Actions?

Most Western leaders lack moral characteristics of responsibility, and their civilisations are in sharp self-contradiction. If President Trump follows the George W. Bush lead of a false genocidal act against Iraq in 2023 for the WMD and repeats the killing of three million Iraqis for his experiment without any accountability, where would the global community go to find safety and protection from terror and tyranny? The masses in the Arabian Peninsula are already victims of the pains, horrors and devastation of the Israeli war on Palestine. If there is no global vigilance and mechanism for accountability, Netanyahu and Trump could destroy humanity with a “mother bomb” on Iran. The Chris Hedges Report (“War Deja Vu” : 06/19/25), tells more: The lies told to ignite the war with Iraq have been resurrected to ignite a war with Iran. The assessments of intelligence agencies and international bodies are dismissed, replaced by hallucinations…Forget the intelligence community’s Annual Threat Assessment that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khomeini has not authorised the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003,” something reiterated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi this week. Please see more: “How the United States and Britain Lost the Bogus Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?” https://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-united-states-and-britain-lost-the-bogus-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan/21556

Watching dreadful apparatus of fire and brimstone, We, the People, are horrified by the threat of aggressive war by a few warlords. Both leaders lack the moral, intellectual and legal capacity to understand the consequences of their wrong thinking and unjust war against Iran.  Leadership is an art, and it could be improved and changed for the good of humanity. Do intelligent leaders listen to voices of reason and make a navigational change when facts of life warrant an urgent change in attitudes, policies and behaviour? The Divine Revelations (the Quran: 40: 21) offer a stern warning to conscientious leaders and nations:

“Do they not journey across the earth and behold its wonders?

What was the end of those before them? They were even superior to them in strength and in the traces they left on the earth. But God called them to account for their sins, and none had they to defend them against God.

And in the traces they have left on the earth. But God did call them to account for their sins

Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution and has spent several academic years across the Russian-Ukrainian and Central Asian regions knowing the people, diverse cultures of thinking and political governance and a keen interest in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: Global Humanity and Remaking of Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution for the 21st Century and Beyond, Barnes and Noble Press, USA, 2025 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/global-humanity-and-remaking-of-peace-security-and-conflict-resolution-for-the-21st-century-and-beyond-mahboob-a-khawaja/1147150197 and We, The People in Search of Global Peace, Security and Conflict  Resolution. KDP-Amazon.com, 05/2025 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6V6CH5W

No Comments

Nonsense Of Some Fake Baloch Account And Some of Your interesting Comments and Their Answers by Markhor Analysis.

Fake Social Media Accounts Linked to Balochistan Disinformation | Adnan Saleem Baloch Exclusive

Balochistan, Pakistan, is known for its diverse and stunning natural beauty, ranging from rugged mountains and expansive deserts to a unique coastal line. It boasts a variety of landscapes, including mountains like Chiltan and Takatu, and the vast plains stretching across the province. The province also features a stunning coastline with clear blue waters and sandy dunes. 

beautiful Balochistan
Balochistan -The First State to Join Pakistan in 1947.

No Comments

America, NATO and Russia: Why War and Not Peace? by Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

America, NATO and Russia:  Why War and Not Peace?

 

Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher wrote in Critique of Practical Reason, imperative of a moral human conduct requires to “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means”.

 

Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

 

The on-going war syndrome between America, NATO and Russia typifies what can go wrong when human thinking evolution is restricted to imaginary temptations and compulsions of animosities. Often myth of war is manifested in self-interest and its evolution becomes unquestionable on the rational screen of reason and moral values. We see immature leadership surrounding conditions of egoism and primacy of will to clarify the reality of warfare. As of this moment, there is no emerging war on the ground,  alleged “aggression” or dynamic syntax of compelling move to unleash war either by Russia against Ukraine or Russia vs. America and NATO. Rationally speaking, the myth of contemporary ground warfare is incomprehensible to an outsider. The mass media propaganda appears to set the psychological conditions of “Russian war” and “aggressions” without realizing its real-world affects, it spreads frightening waves of fear and hatred across the globe.

Is the media propaganda a weapon of conquest of human minds, soul and future-making? The imaginary foresight of any futuristic war captions the secret of unknown and unthinkable. All wars have consequences. The global humanity is not over with the aftermath of even the 2nd WW as books, live stories and movies are constantly haunting the human intellect – what were the motives of the 2nd WW and why did Europeans killed each other in millions and destroyed the human habitats. Those who had planned and carried out the war atrocities have long disappeared to be held accountable for their crimes against humanity.

Scott Ritter (is a former Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union implementing arms control treaties, in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, and in Iraq overseeing the disarmament of WMD): “What War with Russia Look Like”                        (Global Research: 01/11/2022): explains the irony of current affairs:

If the U.S. tries to build up NATO forces on Russia’s western frontiers in the aftermath of any Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia will then present Europe with a fait accompli in the form of what would now be known as the “Ukrainian model.” In short, Russia will guarantee that the Ukrainian treatment will be applied to the Baltics, Poland, and even Finland, should it be foolish enough to pursue NATO membership.

Is there an Irony of Political Wickedness and Paradox of Egoism?

 

If you know the nature of warmongering, you will certainly know yourself from the annals of formative history. Are we, the People of the 21st century knowledge-based age detached from the Nature of Things – who we are and where we are?. How would one rationalize the role and actions of NATO in a global theater of strategic interests? The history of NATO and its plans and ideological motives are equally distorted and disfigured on the global screen of reason, honesty and accountability. NATO lost its importance by siding with the US for its invasion and participation of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. The current tensions draw divergent and conflicting perceptions and order of wisdom to analyze its short and long terms impacts.

NATO and Russia: towards a new Cold War. – The Mackenzie Institute

All political configurations carry much evil and much good in any rational optimistic outlook. Russia embarked on massive military buildup on the Ukrainian border to endanger its security. Its impact is alarming to most NATO allies assuming an imminent attack on Ukraine. Not so, deny most Russian officials, it is an exercise on Russian territory. America –led NATO believes it as a challenge to its vulnerability and strategic presence in the region. How to analyze the intentions in a knowledge-based strategic foresight? True knowledge is always benevolent not concealing or retaliating. America and NATO reacting to a tense situation requiring logical clarification of hidden intentions. If time and history are a reference point, those obsessed with invincible armies cannot solve the emerging political crises.

Is Russia exercising its own right to hold usual military drills? There is no alleged “aggression” or any hostile acts performed so far against the Ukraine sovereignty.  America and West Europeans are keen to strike a balancing act by stationing their troops to the adjacent East European countries to remind the Russian of any consequences if they strike at Ukraine. If we are open to adaptability and an enlightened fortitude and respect for state’s sovereignty, could Russia be helping Ukraine to strengthen its strategic capacity and telling the US-led NATO to be aware that Russia has strong defensive capacity in all emerging unusual situations.  Russia, NATO and America cannot possibly be participants to a self-destructive formula. Rationality finds it hard what Russian can or will gain if Ukraine is attacked. Is it a puzzle game launched by the policy makers on both sides of the iron curtain?

Often crises have multiple spillover agendas. President Putin and President Zellensky of Ukraine could be meeting at Beijing Winter Olympic this week. Both know well their future survival lives in peace and harmony, not in conflict-making or conflict-keeping. German Chancellor and French President Macron are active to bring the both sides to some diplomatic resolution. President Endogen (Turkey) has offered Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks in Ankara. Could America-NATO be surprised if Putin and Zellensky come to a meeting of mind and sign a diplomatic peace agreement?  Both nations share an enriched geography and history together. Could we witness the coming of a new age of relationship between Russia, Ukraine and America-led NATO when even most exemplary political vigilance could be liable to unusual surprises?

 

Leader of Reason to Think before They Act

The voices of reason are loud and clear as global humanity cannot suffer the penalties of tyranny and war-mongering.  It is wasting our time and consuming our precious thoughts and energies for man-made insidious cruelty. We, the People live in a splendid Universe in which planet Earth floats ordained by the commands of God. We are moral beings unlike animals that possess the eyes, ear and other senses but cannot draw logical conclusion from their senses. We, the People draw rational results what we see and what we hear, therefore, we are different, and we cannot act or live animals. There is a moral sense of spirituality and humanity to co-exist in harmony with the rest of all creations on this Earth. Modern wars represent sadistic and cruel minds to undermine human rights, dignity and life. They destroy all that is built over the ages that we call human civilizations. All of the Abrahamic Faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) reveal the truth of “Trust” – human beings took to be responsible and be at peace with the Nature of Things.  Any favorite perversion would contradict this Trust and embark on killing and destruction of human habitats as history has witnessed during the Two WW, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and ongoing in Yemen. This TRUST and its reminder are explicitly mentioned in (The Qur’an, Chapter 33: 72):

 

 “We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth; And the mountains but they refused; To undertake it, being afraid thereof: But man undertook it; He was indeed unjust and foolish.”   

 

The Earth is a living entity and is meant for us – the human beings. We, the People wonder who else except God created life, the Earth and the living Universe floating in space well balanced and functional since time immemorial. Who else other than God determined the Earth spinning of 1670 km per hour? Who else than God ordained it to orbit the sun at 107,000 km per hour?  And who else than God made it to spin at 28,437 km per hour at the equator? (https://www.newscientist.com/question/fastearthspin/#ixzz7C8p37S9X).    Be aware that earth average distance to the Sun is about 93 million miles (105 million km); the distance of Moon from Earth is currently 384,821 km equivalent to 0.002572 Astronomical Units and if the distance between the Earth-Sun or the Earth-moon were ever to change, there will be no sign of life or habitats left on Earth.

We, the People, wish to rejoice truth, not evil. We, the people of the world enjoin focused minds and imagination to articulate a new world of One Humanity, brotherhood and peaceful co-existence amongst all, free of hatred, fear, wars, encroachment and animosity. We, the people of the globe possess understanding – how to change the egoistic and embittered insanity of the few hate-mongers and warlords into equilibrium of balanced relationship between Man, Life and God- given living Universe in which we reside all.

Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Lambert Academic Publications, Germany, 12/2019.

, , , ,

No Comments

Pakistan’s subservience to lukewarm defiance   Brig Gen (Retd) Asif Haroon Raja

Pakistan’s subservience to lukewarm defiance

 

Asif Haroon Raja

9/11 changed the global dynamics

On the morning of 9/11/2001, unknown hijackers flying two passenger planes struck the twin towers in New York with short intervals, the third plane headed for Washington and struck part of Pentagon building and the 4th plane on its way to Pennsylvania was shot down. The flummoxed US security watched the gory drama for hours helplessly.

The US media blared earth shaking news and cried hoarse over the air terrorism which took the lives of little over 2700 Americans. The world was shocked and the world leaders shed tears of anguish and sympathy over the great tragedy, while the Zionists drew satisfaction that they were successful in hoodwinking the world. 9/11 changed the global dynamics and from that time onwards the world moved differently.

All the three successive regimes of the USA led by George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump played into the hands of the Zionists, American Jewish lobby and Israel, and used excessive military force to destroy the targeted Muslims countries, and to kill, maim and displace the Muslims ruthlessly under a pre-planned agenda.

Each year, wreaths were laid on the graves of the innocent Americans who died in New York, but no tear was shed for the millions of Muslims who were killed by the revengeful Americans for no fault of theirs.

Al-Qaeda blamed without evidence

Since Osama bin Laden (OBL) hailed from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and most of the 19 hijackers were from KSA, it was assumed that OBL based in Afghanistan and heading Al-Qaeda had master-minded the attacks. Al-Qaeda was squarely blamed on the basis of assumptions that it had been involved in attacks against American targets since 1997 and had carried out attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1999.

Crusade against the Muslims

Fuming George W. Bush declared that the US was at war and pledged to avenge. He avowed the Global War on Terror (GWoT) as a ‘crusade’ against the perpetrators without collecting a shred of evidence. The Americans sitting in the hall stood up from their seats and cheered him thunderously, while the world leaders extended their support to bludgeon the ones who had dared to attack the mighty sole super. Not a single country spoke in support of the Taliban regime which had no role to play in the attacks. Their only fault was that they had refused to hand over OBL without providing them proof of his involvement.        

The overall agenda was to demean Islam, which after the demise of communism in Russia was viewed as a major threat to the capitalism, the arms, drugs and pharmaceutical barons and the unjust global international order run by the sole super power.

Israel and India, the two strategic partners of the US, didn’t take part in the GWoT initiated by the US in Oct 2001, but drew maximum benefits from the war.

The UN-recognized freedom movements of the Palestinians and the Kashmiris to free their lands from illegal occupation of Israel and India were categorized as terrorism, thereby giving a free hand to the two fascist and racist countries, Israel and India, to brutalize the Palestinians and the Kashmiris unpityingly.

Denuclearization of Pakistan

In order to disable the nuclear program of Pakistan covertly, Pakistan was deceitfully made an ally and Pakistan readily fell into the honeycombed trap.

India was assigned the responsibility to plan and execute the biggest covert war against Pakistan from Afghan soil, and make it politically unstable, economically and militarily weak and socially divided; subsequently, launch a limited war under Cold Start Doctrine and the nuclear overhang to destroy Pak armed forces. 

RAW along with 14 intelligence units, seven Pakistan specific Indian Consulates and Indian Embassy in Kabul set up a huge terror infrastructure in Afghanistan with 70 training camps and centres in 2002 and were given full support by the CIA, Mossad, MI-6, BND and NDS.

Proxy war against Pakistan

 

 

 

Initial objectives of destabilization were FATA in the northwest and Baluchistan in the southwest of Pakistan. This was done through proxies hired from Pakistan. In FATA, Pakistani Taliban were used as mercenaries. In Baluchistan, the Balochi tribes of Bugtis, Marris and Mengals were brought in line and proxies like BLA, BRA and BLF were created.

The proxies were funded, trained and equipped to carry out acts of sabotage and subversion in the two combat zones. The flames of terrorism were to be subsequently spread to all parts of Pakistan. The MQM was also roped in to destabilize Karachi, the hub of Pakistan’s economy.

 

Pakistan coerced to join Global War Against Terrorism (GWoT)

Pakistan under Gen Musharraf who had been bullied to ditch the ruling Taliban regime of Mullah Omar and to extend full support to the US to capture Afghanistan was later on coerced to send regular troops into South Waziristan (SW) in 2003 to flush out the Al-Qaeda and the ones harboring them. This was in violation of the agreement signed in 1948 by Quaid-e-Azam and the elders of FATA to keep the tribal belt outside the ambit of Pakistan’s penal laws and parliamentary system and to let them be governed by the British enacted Political Agent system and the Frontier Constabulary Rules. The Frontier Corps could only operate in FATA.  

Intrusion of regular troops into SW fueled Talibanization and by Dec 2006, with the active support of the CIA and FBI, Tehreek-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) was born. Well over 600 pro-Pakistan Maliks, elders and religious leaders were killed to create space for the TTP under Baitullah Mehsud. After the death of Akbar Bugti in a mountain cave in 2006 because of a mysterious blast at a time when the Army’s delegation approached him to sign a peace agreement, the insurgency in Baluchistan morphed into a separatist movement and several Baloch Sardars fled abroad who are being patronized by their western hosts and India. Insurgencies in the two regions were well-synchronized by the master planners.   

Pakistan’s hands tied

When armed insurgency suddenly erupted in Indian Occupied Kashmir in Oct 1989 and gave a chance to Pakistan to even up the score of 1971 with India, the US threatened Pakistan to stay out of it or else it will be declared a terrorist state. Pakistan under Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif (NS) complied meekly and quietly watched the massacre and torture of Kashmiris by the occupying 700, 000 Indian forces.

Pakistan once again became powerless to initiate a proxy war to counter the RAW-NDS covert war after 9/11 that had become an existential threat to its security by 2009, because its hands were tied by the new laws on terrorism framed by the US. Those abetting terrorists were to be held equally responsible for terrorism. India and Kabul regime were given a free hand and have still not been held accountable since the framers of anti-terrorism laws are themselves involved in this game.   

Pakistan’s fault lines attacked

The band of conspirators in Kabul hatched a series of conspiracies and kept funding and arming the paid proxies to bleed the Pak security forces and to create instability and insecurity in the country. To boost the covert war, the propaganda war was upgraded to hybrid war and the moles of foreign agencies deployed in Pakistan aided by purchased Pakistani media started accentuating ethnic, sectarian, religious and political fault lines of Pakistan in order to foment intolerance, extremism and hatred among various sects and political parties.

Keeping the model of East Pakistan where the Bengalis were successfully brainwashed, the minds of the people of smaller provinces were poisoned to fill their hearts with hatred against the ruling government, Punjab and Pak Army/intelligence agencies. Focus has mainly been on weakening the trunk of the army and the ISI which have blunted all the conspiracies and dangerous plans of the adversaries.

Pakistan’s subservience

 

Pakistan’s successive regimes have pursued a policy of appeasement due to which its adversaries have been taking full advantage. Subservience to the US dictates touched new heights during the tenure of Gen Musharraf. Each and every demand of Washington was obsequiously obeyed and no eyebrow was raised on the never ending mantra of ‘Do More’ or the insults and accusations hurled by the US leaders. It was incomprehensible for every Pakistani as to what compelled nuclear Pakistan to mollify the two US installed Kabul regimes which took dictations from the US and India. Hamid Karzai and the unity regime of Ashraf Ghani (AG)-Dr. Abdullah never spared any opportunity to bad mouth Pakistan. Till as late as 2017, Pakistan kept appeasing India as well. Pakistan’s 80,000 human and 150 billion dollars financial losses were the doings of RAW and NDS.

Pakistan’s successive regimes from the time of Gen Musharraf to Zardari and Nawaz Sharif ignored the hard fact that RAW and NDS couldn’t have carried out massive covert and propaganda wars from Afghan soil without full support of the CIA and approval of the US. The trio as well as Israel and the West are on one page. The Quad apart from achieving their global ambitions, they are continuing to demean Islam as a policy.

So what could be the compulsion of Pakistani leadership was a million dollar question asked? The only obligation is that our leaders are too infatuated with the USA and cannot get out of its magic spell irrespective of whatever cost the nation has to pay.

The devastating impact of this one-sided appeasement was that Pakistan lost its nuclear deterrence, its honor and dignity, and anyone could insult or slap Pakistan and get away with it. Pakistan was blamed for all the sins of Indo-US-Afghanistan nexus and was declared ‘nursery of terrorism’, ‘most dangerous country’ and a ‘failing state’. Pakistan took the barbs without a whimper and kept promising to do more to please the double-dealing USA, which never wanted Pakistan to become a self-reliant country. 

 

Pak-China Equation and CPEC

 

Apart from Pakistan’s nuclear program, other eyesores that were unacceptable to the Indo-US-Israel nexus were Pak-China closeness and the CPEC. Terrorism was stepped up by RAW-NDS to scuttle CPEC. Pakistan was lured by KSA and UAE by granting heavy loans and promising establishment of oil refinery at Gwadar, and the US promising activation of ROZs in former FATA and an economic zone at Karachi as an alternative to the CPEC.

A sustained media warfare was launched against China. Major themes played up were: CPEC passes through disputed territory of Gilgit Baltistan; China is a replica of East India Company; Pak-China trade is heavily tilted towards the latter; 90% of the benefits of CPEC are taken by China; China is buying properties in Pakistan at a vast scale and weighing down Pakistan under its loans; Chinese are luring Pakistani girls to marry them, and after taking them to China are being tortured and sexually exploited; Chinese are inhumanly torturing the Muslim Uighurs in Xingjian province.

While Pakistan military made no compromise on the nuclear program, cracks appeared in Pak-China friendship in 2018/19 over CPEC due to irresponsible statements made by Razaq Dawood and some other PTI ministers saying that all the CPEC agreements will be revised. Resultantly CPEC which had galloped fast in the first phase came to a halt for almost a year.

    

Pakistan’s defiance

The first brick of defiance was laid by PM Liaqat Ali Khan by refusing the USA to convince/pressurize Iran not to nationalize its oil. The second brick was laid by the PM ZA Bhutto when he refused Henry Kissinger to close Pakistan’s nuclear program. Both had to pay a big price; Liaqat was murdered and Bhutto was hanged. Nawaz Sharif in May 1998 rejected pressures from Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, turned down the inducement of $ 5 billion and went ahead in carrying out six nuclear tests in response to five conducted by India. In 1999, he was unseated. Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani as army chief lost his cool after the NATO’s Apache gunship helicopters attacked Pakistan army posts in Salala (Mehmand Agency) on Nov 26, 2011 killing several officers and men. This offensive act was a follow up of incidents of Raymond Davis in January 2011 followed by stealth helicopters attack in Abbottabad to get OBL on May 2, and the Memogate scandal in Oct. In reaction, Pakistan Army discontinued military cooperation, intelligence sharing and training of Frontier Corps by the US trainers, and cancelled all visits and courses. The two supply routes used by the NATO containers were blocked and the Shamsi airbase in use by the CIA since 2003 was closed. Situation was normalized in July 2012 after Washington tendered an apology with an assurance that such an act will not be repeated.  

In 2017, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa took a bold stand by stating that ‘We will not do more’, and ‘it is time for others to do more’. The next was his perseverance to erect a fence along the border with Afghanistan and Iran. Both the Kabul regime and the US exerted extensive pressure to stop the erection of a fence along the western border. 92% fencing of western border and 47% of southwestern border has been completed and both will be completed by Aug 2021 and end of this year respectively. Radical improvement of border management was another feat that has been accomplished. Next will be the fake national identity cards issued by NADRA in millions to foreigners, mostly the Afghans including the one held by AG.    

PM Imran Khan (IK) showed mirror to the arrogant West for the first time in his maiden address to the UN in 2019 reminding them that no money laundering was possible from the third world without the tax havens in the European capitals. He also exposed the ugly face of India comparing RSS with Nazis and Modi with Hitler and this has been his consistent theme. Standing up to India’s belligerence in February 2019 and giving a befitting response goes to his credit.

Extreme American pressure on Pakistan by the US to detach itself from the CPEC was resisted. Thankfully, dormant CPEC has been fully reactivated and now the lost time is being recouped with full vigor.

Pak-China friendship has blossomed into a strategic partnership, which is analogous to the US-Israel and the US-India partnership. 

The biggest jolt given to the US by Pakistan was IK’s refusal to meet the CIA Director and Foreign Secretary and then refused to give it a military base for so-called counter-terrorism operations against the Al-Qaeda, Daesh and Taliban. IK’s ‘Absolutely Not’ became a buzzword in Pakistan. Such acts of defiance from the compliant state were stupefying for the totalitarian USA.    

Drop scene for the USA and India

The arrogance and prestige of the USA boasting to be the mightiest and invincible military power has been rolled in the dust by the rag tag, ill-equipped, ill-dressed and ill-fed Taliban after they forced the US-NATO forces to exit from Afghanistan. The Taliban outwitted the occupation forces and the collaborating forces, and the way they overpowered the country was a textbook example of military brilliance. They also displayed diplomatic finesse by engaging with all the neighbors to set aside their fears. Politically they played their cards shrewdly by keeping their Doha political office active, treated the surrendering troops and the people of the captured cities with compassion, and won the confidence of all segments of the society.   

The pugnaciousness of six-times bigger India and constant machinations of five intelligence agencies in collusion with RAW to break Pakistan into four parts spread over 16 years have been foiled by Pakistan armed forces and the ISI, which is a big achievement and an embarrassment for India.

Having spread its tentacles in all the departments of Afghanistan and spent $ 3.5 billion in various projects including a dam in Herat, India is today in a fix. After the hurricane-like advance of the Taliban capturing one city after another, India winded up all its Consulates and RAW operatives have fled away. They have destroyed or shifted all the incriminating documents showing their dirty works against Pakistan.            

Ramifications for the USA

The ignominious departure of the occupying forces and ending of the 20-year war in Afghanistan will have grave ramifications for the USA, as was the case with the former USSR in 1989. It had taken only two years for the USSR to fragment and be reduced to the Russian Federation in 1991. The US not only lost the war in Afghanistan, but it is also withdrawing its troops from Iraq by the end of this year as demanded by the Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Khademi. It has withdrawn its support to the Saudi coalition against Yemen, and is likely to exit from Syria where Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected. China is on the rise and Russia under Putin is resurging. Joe Biden is facing criticism on account of the hasty exit of the US troops from Afghanistan, which in view of the critics emboldened the Taliban to race to Kabul. He and his predecessors are likely to face the music of the Americans as to why they fought the longest war, what objectives they achieved and at what cost and why they consistently lied to them.

The spoilers still in action

The spoilers of peace with India in the lead wanted to keep Afghanistan unstable. While the Taliban kept gaining ground, RAW and NDS continued with their proxy war in Pakistan, demeaned the Taliban and resorted to disinformation campaigns.

Lahore blast, followed by spate of terrorist attacks in Waziristan and Baluchistan, the Dassu attack in which 9 Chinese and 3 locals lost their lives, and the engineered drama of abduction of daughter of ambassador of Afghanistan in Islamabad were masterminded by RAW-NDS. There are indications that the CIA was also involved in the Dassu incident.  

In July, India’s transport planes flew over Iran’s airspace four times to deliver 80 tons of war munitions to Kandahar military base and the same quantity to Kabul for the ANA. The US jets flew from the UAE airbase over Tajikistan’s airspace to attack the Taliban in Kandahar. Indian pilots flew gunship helicopters in support of the besieged ANA troops.

The eight warlords were asked by the Kabul regime to reactivate their militias and to confront the Taliban but the prominent warlords fled abroad and Ismail Khan in Herat is in the custody of the Taliban.

Current situation in Afghanistan

All the efforts of the spoilers misfired and the Taliban have taken full control over the whole of the country without much fighting. Their 6000 prisoners locked up in provincial capitals and Bagram air base which the Kabul regime were not releasing were freed by the Taliban themselves.

After moving closer to Kabul and tightening the noose around it, their fighters entered Kabul on August 15, forcing AG to flee to Tajikistan with his whole team on the afternoon of 15 August without tendering resignation. The same evening the Taliban fighters captured the presidential palace, but the Taliban leadership announced general amnesty to all and announced that Kabul will not be captured forcibly.

The Taliban leadership rejected the proposal of an interim setup for which Dr. Abdullah, Hamid Karzai and Gulbadin Hikmatyar as members of Afghan Rabita Council are working, and want power to be directly handed over to them. The Taliban are in a commanding position to arrive at a political settlement of their choice, but they are likely to share power with others as well.  

In case AG doesn’t tender his resignation in the next 1-2 days, he may possibly establish a government in exile on the advice of his patrons. The Northern Alliance might be once again activated duly patronized by the West and India to brew instability in Afghanistan.

Russia and China are likely to provide full support to the Taliban.

Pakistan is in two minds, whether to go along with the international community influenced by the USA, or to support the Taliban.  

UK’s PM Boris Johnson who had termed the Doha Agreement as ‘a rotten deal’, and had also declared Biden’s decision to pullout ‘a big mistake’, has called for an emergency meeting of the UNSC to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. He has advised all not to recognize the Taliban regime if they take over power by force.    

   

Lessons for Pakistan

Learning lessons from the repeated betrayal and double game of the US, unrelenting hostility of the US installed regime in Kabul, and not so trustworthy relations with Iran which is still aligned with India, Pakistan’s leadership seem to have started differentiating between friend and foe. Most problems have occurred from Pakistan’s enchantment of the USA due to which it had to appease India and Afghanistan.  

The first bold action taken by Pakistan was to give a clear message that the days of fighting someone else’s war and provision of bases are over and Pakistan would only extend cooperation for peace and not for war and conflict.  

China is the only neighbor which has never let down Pakistan and has gone out of the way to help Pakistan during its testing times. Strong bondage between the two iron brothers would help in keeping the enemies at bay.

Pakistan’s growth of understanding with China, Russia as well as with Central Asian Republics are a good omen. If Afghanistan under the Taliban and Iran join this grouping, it can keep the spoilers of peace checkmated, but Iran has its own ambitions.  

The Taliban couldn’t have achieved successes with such a lightning speed without the support of the people. Irrespective of the outsiders advocating a broad based and inclusive government in Kabul, the Taliban’s return to power and re-establishment of an Islamic Emirate is irreversible.    

Future government in Kabul with the Taliban in the driving seat will be in the interest of Pakistan since it would radically diminish India’s perverse influence in Afghanistan, and Pakistan will get rid of the RAW-NDS cross border terrorism. However, in case the insensitive and biased international community dominated by the US decides to ostracize the would-be Taliban regime, Pakistan in its bid to remain in good books of the US, might mellow-down its defiance and refuse to recognize the Taliban regime, thereby once again putting the country in jeopardy.

It must not be forgotten that while Pakistan is good at losing friends, India is good at befriending its enemy’s friends. Twice betrayed by Pakistan, the Taliban could be swayed by India.

The writer is retired Brig Gen, war veteran, defence & security analyst, international columnist, author of five books, Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Director Measac Research Centre, Member CWC PESS & Think Tank. asifharoonraja@gmail.com    

,

No Comments