I was under the impression that most Pakistanis considered Osama and company to be heroes. Would it be safe to say that those surrounding Zawahiri are reluctant about capturing/killing him? Any statistics on Pakistani support (military specifically) for Al Qaeda?
???
And where exactly did you get the impression that “most” of a nation’s population supports a terrorist organisation? Oh yeah, forgot, they’re all furriners. :rolleyes:
I can’t really see that there’s a factual answer here, other than to state that, as you know, the Pakistani army is heavily involved in the hunt for AQ leaders.
Informally, as an unscientific straw poll, I know four Pakistani nationals personally and none of them considers OBL to be a hero.
Pretty fricking nervy to start that “furinner” shit with me when the ivory tower dormitory at Euro-Global University that you live in with your 4 “Pakistani” friends clearly doesn’t get much news beyond Paris Match.
BTW, how is the BA in Pretension working out?
From the Miami Herald:
From BBC:
From ABC News:
Haven’t you just answered your own OP?
I’m sorry, but he just said what I was thinking. Next time, when you make a statement that might be taken the wrong way, provide the cites upfront. As for that Euro comment, that’s pretty uncalled for even if “he started it.” :rolleyes:
I was wondering more specifically about the military.
I’m not making a statement; I’m asking a question. I don’t have to provide cites to back up a question with which I begin “I was under the impression…” Am I supposed to provide cites so that ignorant people don’t make jackasses of themselves? And what could be taken “the wrong way” if it’s true? GQ is where we ask and answer questions politely and not make accusations about the worldliness of the person asking the fricking question. It’s one thing to be wrong, but it’s a whole other thing to be wrong AND offensive in GQ. He got what he deserved.
Caveat: I am not sure what the rank and file Pakistani Private in 2004 might feel.
However, Pakistani’s Senior Staff Officer’s are now, and always have been, by and large been “seen” by America as secularists and as a bulwark against an Islamic takeover of the country. Pakistan regularly sent students to the Air Force Academy, the Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College – throughout the 1990’s, and this was even in the face of sanctions for Nukes and overthrowing a democratic government. (2nd Link)
Pakistan’s core officers received alot of U.S. training and equipment from the U.S. in the 1980’s as well … Given that there have been 2-3 AlQueda attempts on Musaraff and given that +30 Pakistani Military comrades in arms have been killed by Al Queda in the past two days – my hypothesis, based on the sketchy evidence available, is that the Army is less sympathetic to the terrorists than the general population.
http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/training/fpo_sasia_all.html
The Army is one thing. I would hazard a guess, based on general military tradition, that the professional soldiers are mostly loyal to their commander in chief.
But the ISI is another matter altogether. The ISI is the nefarious outfit that set up the Taliban, that manipulates fundamentalist mujahidin to destabilize its neighbors, that has infiltrated the Pakistani government for its own purposes and destabilized their own country. The ISI has for years been deeply intertwined with the most violent religious extremists. Not that I suspect the ISI spooks of being paragons of religious piety; I think they see religion as the easiest way to manipulate power for their own ends. Their purpose in sending the Taliban to take over Afghanistan was to have a cooperative neighbor on their border instead of a geopolitical rival. The historical background of Pakistan-Afghan relations goes back to the 1950s when Afghanistan’s government agitated for separatism of the Pashtun areas of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province. That was the basis for Afghanistan’s historical closeness to both the Soviet Union and India, making Pakistan feel surrounded by hostile neighbors on both sides. The ISI used the Taliban to neutralize that old issue and settle some old grudges. Islamic government was just a pretext. The main use of the Taliban was to manipulate foreign relations to Pakistan’s advantage.
Any undermining of the campaign against al-Qa‘idah in Pakistan is going to be coordinated by ISI spooks, who have no loyalty to any administration, but feel they are answerable to no one.
KidCharlemagne, it is very difficult to answer your question factually.
Under normal circumstances I would have moved this to GD, but seeing that you cannot conduct yourself in GQ, I shall close this instead.
Do not repeat this behaviour in GQ, or you will be banned. You have been warned.
-xash
General Questions Moderator