Analysis of Suicide Attacks

Suicide Bombing

World has seen unprecedented violence and destruction due to different reasons. World Wars fought in the earlier half of the 20th century are clear evidence of the fact that human lives were lost in millions. At the end of WWII, the western powers decided to form an organization called as The United Nations to settle disputes peacefully and not to interfere in the affairs of sovereign states. It was decided that Europe will not be the theatre of war in the future. This gave a platform to the subject people of the western imperialist powers like France and Great Britain to strive for their independence and most of them succeeded in achieving it. It resulted in changing boundaries of different states resulting in injustice for some people like in the case of Palestine. This injustice due to several reasons resulted in discontent for people and they could not get their rights recognized by big states. A type of neo-imperialism continued by US and Soviet Union fighting proxy wars and manipulating smaller states. The discontented people resorted to different means to achieve their objectives primarily violence and terror.

-What is a Suicide Attack?

It is a type of an attack in which and attacker kills several people by blowing himself or herself up mostly in a public place in order to cause maximum damage. A normal practice seen in different parts of the world these days is that the attacker wears a belt with explosive material under his clothes. On reaching the target place, he blows himself up and in the process killing other people as well.

-Origins

The origin of these attacks can be traced back as far as possible in history as they existed in one or other form. A clear evidence of this in recent times is Kamikaze Attack of Japanese pilots on US Forces in Pearl Harbour. This was again tried by members of LTTE in Sri Lanka against the Sri Lankan forces and other cities under central control. Palestinians also used it against stronger Israeli forces in order to cause havoc which they could not cause by fighting due to stronger army of Israel and foreign support. Suicide attack has been a pervasive phenomena in Pakistan after US invasion of Afghanistan. They started against the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan as Taliban could not match the military strength of the invading forces. It spilled into Pakistan due to Taliban's anger over Pakistan's support of US War on Terror. It continues to destroy different places from Masjids to Shopping Arcades. It has caused huge damages in terms of human losses as well as damage to public and private property.

-Causes

Before we debate the damage it has caused to the socio-economic fabric of the country under attack, it is pertinent that we discuss the causes of suicide attacks. What reason can be so motivational that it makes a person ready to kill himself for that cause. Since Pakistan is the country which has suffered from more suicide attacks than any other country (i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan), I will discuss it keeping in view Pakistan. These reasons are true for the most extant for other countries as well. After studying such attacks in different parts of the world, the underlying causes that we discover are as follows.

1. Social Injustice

It might sound like an irrelevant cause for a man to kill himself but if you live in one of the most backward places of a Third World country, it becomes relevant. After studying the profiles of people who volunteer for suicide attacks, it becomes evident that they come from one of the most neglected area of the country. In Pakistan, FATA(Federally Administered Tribal Areas) are one of the most neglected areas of the country. They were managed by a Political Agent during British times according to draconian Frontier Crimes Regulations or FCR. The practice continues to this day as the state fails to integrate this part of the country with the rest. This makes it a safe haven for terrorists as Washington continually stresses but the problem lies on the part of US and Pakistan policies. US cannot be blamed for neglect since they used these people during Afghan Jihad against Soviet Russia by inciting religious sentiments but Pakistan definitely deserves to be blamed for this. These people are deprived of all the facilities of life and are allocated a small quota in jobs. Literacy rates around here are abysmally low especially in women. Tribal system continues to this day and these people can hardly distinguish between them and their brethren on the other side of the borders. The reason we are discussing this is that almost all the suicide attackers used to this day comes from different parts of FATA or other Tribal areas. These are people who have had little education due to state neglect and could not distinguish between right and wrong.

2. Religious Fanaticism

British officers who served in the tribal areas observed that Pathan tribes are eternally at war among themselves. What unites them is their devotion to their religion Islam and they can be made to do anything by inciting this sentiment. This was seen in these people's resistance to Soviet invasion in 1980s when US and Pakistan Army used it to make these people fight as a strong militia. How these sentiments are incited is a question that can easily be answered by studying some of the tapes released by these terrorist organization highlighting their training techniques. They have benefited from Aristotle's concept of Tabula Rasa (blank slate) since they pick young men in their early teens as it very easy to prepare them to die for a holy cause. They play different songs urging them to fight for their lost land and push invaders out. They are told they will go straight to heaven and this is the easiest deal they have got from God.

3. Illiteracy

This is an extension of the first point as these people have continuously been neglected in every sector. It is true that education enlightens the mind and soul. These people lack in this area as government has paid little attention in this sector. While our defence budget has been on the increase, what suffered as a result has been the spending on education. This vacuum was filled by Madressahs (religious institutions) which stress on religious education only. Madressahs have been a key pillar of an Islamic society and its contributions have been remarkable. The negative side to this is that over the years, there has been a desegregation of secular and religious education. These Madressahs are run by Mullahs who are only learned in religous education. With the emergence of different sects, different conflicting schools of thought have emerged. There are some who have declared suicide bombings legitimate in Islam while others who happen to be a much bigger number have unequivocally denounced it. So, what is needed is that the world makes sure that these fragile parts of the world become literate according to UN's Millennium Development Goals. There is need for one agreed upon syllabus for people from Himalayas to Gwadar in Pakistan.

There are many other reasons but some of the main ones are those discussed below. Nationalism can be a strong force as seen in case of Kamikaze pilots and Pakistani soldiers' suicide attacks in wars against India.

How to stop suicide attacks?

This is a million dollar question that today's well equipped Armed Forces fail to answer. Can we stop it by constructing high walls or bullet proof vehicles? We might be able to reduce damage but when a person is ready to kill himself, you cannot predict or stop him from causing some damage. So, like any other problem, the remedy lies in solution to the reasons that has caused it. Temporary solutions are not durable as they can go on for decades. They do not need a big force to strike against US in Iraq or Afghanistan because a few hundred suicide bombers can cause much havoc. But the occupation forces cannot continue with their occupation for years for providing 'security' when the people do not want them. Eventually they will be at loss due to war fatigue and questions would be raised about it home. A long essay could be written on ways to stop them by different means but a simple answer to this complicated question is addressing the root causes of this problem.

US Imperialism in the garb of ‘Freedom of the World’

United States was formed on the principle of liberty and self-determination of the fate of the people of the American continent. American Revolution is considered to be an epic struggle for the rights of man. It was a struggle of the people of thirteen colonies against a world power i.e. the British Empire to free itself from the clutches of subjugation. The Revolution not only freed the people but also bonded them into a stronger bond of a united nation. The gifted leadership and its commitment to their founding principles made America a country which challenged the might of the world powers of the time in due course of time.

The first President of the United States, George Washington led America on a path that was free from any alignments. He gave the concept of neutrality in England’s war with France. Thomas Jefferson also advocated limited role for United States in world affairs. This policy was in consonance with the needs of the people as they needed to develop a strong and united nation. The continuous westward movement and the issue of slavery kept Americans busy at home. Even though they fought a war with England in 1812 but they refrained from any expansionism or exploration on other continents. This policy was given a more tangible shape when President Monroe presented his famous Monroe Doctrine in 1823 in his address to the Congress. Monroe Doctrine aimed at keeping European nations out of the affairs of the American continent in return for America’s avoidance of indulgence in European affairs. This did not restrain several American Presidents from interfering in the affairs of Latin American countries on different counts.

South’s greed for land in order to give strength to their advocacy for slavery in new states plunged America into a war with Mexico which later on led to annexation of Texas in 1840s. The Civil War fought between the North and South finally settled the question of slavery and United States was on the path for glory.

After the end of Civil War, production and growth rates were unprecedented and immigration also increased. Increased growth rates were evident from the fact that America surpassed all nations in production of different crops and its industrial output also multiplied. This called for new markets for American products as it was ready to supply its surplus to other countries. The reasons presented for the Spanish-American War in 1898 might have been different but this can be considered the start of American imperialism.US got Philippines and their presence there was applauded in the start but later on as a burden.

In the start of the 20^th century, President Roosevelt presented his Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. It asked the Latin American countries to keep their finances in order so that Europeans can be kept at bay failing which US considered it as its right to intervene. US used it to intervene in different countries at different times. The rest of the time in the first half of the 20^th century, US were occupied with world wars.

After the end of the WWII, US entered into an ideological struggle with the Soviet Union called as the Cold War. This was the time when both countries fought proxy wars in different regions. This called for US political control of third world countries. US entered into alliances with different countries by offering aid or any other help to third world countries and stop the spread of communism. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

The emergence of the United States as the sole power did not augur well for the rest of the countries especially the poorer parts of the world. A uni-polar world allowed US to maintain hundreds of bases to this day in different parts of the world. This was a form of neo-imperialism where the host countries like Saudi Arabia and Japan resented the presence of US forces on their soil. In Saudi Arabia, a bomb attack on the US forces in the city of Al-Khobar clearly demonstrated the resentment of the Saudi public to the continued presence of US armed forces. In Japan, charges of sexual harassment have been brought against US military men. This purpose of this continued US presence in different regions of the world is claimed to make the world secure and for the freedom of the people. The realist school of political thought preached by Hans Morgenthau disagrees with the incorporation of any ethical principles in political decision making.

United States has also faced strong criticism for its invasion of Iraq to free the Iraqi people from the cruelty of Saddam Hussein. This freedom came at a huge price which the Iraqi people continue to pay in the form of about half a million lives. Why are so many people getting killed years after the death of Saddam Hussein if the purpose of the US invasion was to free Iraqi people and the only threat to their freedom was Saddam Hussein. Saddam was ruthless and exterminated his opponents but he did not kill even fraction of that many men in his perennial rule as many US killed in a short period of time.

The emergence of China and Russia and the forming of Shanghai Corporation Organization clearly shows that US poses a threat to the security of the East. China has clearly said that ‘concrete models of political institutions should not be exported’ in response to US efforts of imposing democracy on people living in different demographics. This is a form of imperialism to facilitate US hold on world affairs and enlarge their strategic net. US reputation and as a result of the financial crisis its power has suffered a huge blow. It continues to be the world power but now others are catching up too while US power is on the decline due to its over involvement in world affairs.

CSS Preparation Tips

It's an interesting question, rather a series of questions. Many newcomers inquire about time-space framework during their preparation phase. The answers to these most commonly asked quereies are, as far as I believe, as follows:

1-It's is very much possible that you pass rather excel in CSS and any other field in your first try if you have following ingredients which are considered as prerequisites:

*--- A clear aim in mind what are you going to do and how can it be achieved.

*--- A love, dedication, and craziness for your cause and goal post, i.e. css in this case.

*--- A firm and full-time commitment to css and denial of all other pleasures during the time period when you get into the preparation phase.

*--- A masterplan of exams preparation based on clear, sincere and correct guideline. It means finer details and all nuts and bolts.

*--- A workaholic spirit. A thirst, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

*--- A cooperative family and circle of friends.

*--- Avoidance of all discouragers, rumour-mongers, and jealous-of-bureaucracy type folks.

*--- Prayers of all your well-wishers, especially yours own and of your parents.

*--- As much extensive reading as one can do.

*--- A smart plan of the exam-preparation. Including at least three revisions.

*--- A thorough and deep understanding of all your subjects.

*--- Excellent communication skills, public relationing, a confident and humble personality and no arrogance at all.

*----Knowledge of all technologies (I mean tricks) of attempting written papers. It is extremely important besides full preparation of subjects and excellent grasp of your subjects.
Remember, the transfering of knowledge on the paper is an art and you must master it as well for a successful going.

*--- A firm grip on English languge as it is the key to success if you want to excel it.If you have a beauty of expression, a diligent insight into the subject matter and know the intricacies of communicating your knowledge to others , you can control and command the brain of the examiner.

*---Please stay away from those who discourage and those who may be appropriately termed as envious of css and rabble-rousers.

*--- Keep yourself upto date in all matters relating CSS. Don't be discouraged at any stage.

*---- As far as timings, it varies and depends on your abilities and preparation level. As a rule of thumb,it fluctuates between 8-15 hours a day.
There are times when you are fully energetic and put a lot of time into this business and sometimes you are exhaust and don't spend much time. But the golden rule is that do as much as you can absorb and reproduce well and beautifully. Don't do donkey work just to keep yourself satisfied that you are doing a great job.

*--- Just one month before the exams you need to through all your energy into the engine and give a nitro-boost. For this you must save your energy and the graph of daily time spent on studies should take-off slowly. If you spend a major chunk of your fuel in the previous month, you will be exhaust and soon feel feeble near the exams. But if you are taking off slowly near the exams just two months befor their starting, you will feel rejuvenated just before the exams.

*---- You must need not be voracious for as many books and bundle of notes. Just get some good material and try to have a full command.

Courtesy: ARGUS, www.cssforum.com.pk

Eight Years Later: US in Afghanistan

Eight Years Later

The United States in Afghanistan

By GABRIEL KOLKO

The United States scarcely knew what a complex disaster it was confronting when it went to war in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. It will eventually - perhaps years from now - suffer the same fate as Alexander the Great, the British, and the now-defunct Soviet Union: defeat.

What is called “Afghanistan” is really a collection of tribes and ethnic groups - Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and more - there are seven major ethnic groups, each with their own language. There are 30 minor languages. Pashtuns are 42 per cent of the population and the Taliban comes from them. Its borders are contested and highly porous, and al-Qaeda is most powerful in the Pashtun regions of northern Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. “The fate of Afghanistan and Pakistan are inextricably tied,” President George Bush declared in December 2007. This fact makes the war far more complicated, not the least because the enormous quantities of military aid sent to Pakistan are mostly wasted.

Worse yet, Pakistan possesses about 70 to 90 nuclear weapons and the U.S. fears some may fall into the hands of Islamic extremists. At least three-quarters of the supplies essential for America’s and its allies’ war effort flow through Pakistan, and they are often attacked. Moreover, a large and growing majority of the Pakistanis distrusts U.S. motives. The U.S.’s tilt to New Delhi after 2007, which greatly augmented Indian nuclear power, made Pakistan far more reluctant to do Washington’s bidding.

Afghanistan is a mess, complex beyond description, with mountainous terrain to match. Its principal problems are political, social, and cultural - in large part because Great Britain concocted it arbitrarily. There is no durable military solution to its many problems. As in Vietnam, the U.S. will win battles but it has no strategy for winning this war.

Above all, the regional geo-political context is decisive, involving, India-Pakistan relations - a factor that will prevail whatever the United States and its allies do. Pakistan’s most vital interest is seeing a friendly government rule Afghanistan - no matter who it is. They will not waver on this principle. The Pakistani military is adamant about making India its key focus, and while it is opposed to al Qaeda and the Arab membership, it maintains good relations with the anti-Karzai Taliban - with whom it worked when it fought the Soviets.

The power of Afghanistan’s nominal president, Hamid Karzai, barely extends beyond Kabul, and his inefficiency and corruption shock many U.S. leaders – though most of them, as in South Vietnam, are ultimately prepared to tolerate such failings. The Pakistanis regard Karzai as an Indian puppet, and however much many of its leaders dislike Pashtun separatism or the Taliban, they fear India far more. Their military is structured to fight India, not a counterinsurgency against the Taliban and its allies who operate within its borders.

Karzai, a Pashtun who nonetheless is far closer to Tajiks and Uzbeks, is indeed very cordial to India. Indian foreign aid to his government has amounted to over a billion dollars. His “re-election” earlier this month - at a time when he is increasingly unpopular - has been attacked as based on fraud. Former President Jimmy Carter declared “Hamid Karzai has stolen the election.”

This is only part of the context in which the U.S. has been mired for eight years, and Obama’s strategy of escalation will confront growing resistance both in Afghanistan and among the U.S. Congress and public. There are now over 100,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, mainly American, and more will not change the situation. Fifty-eight per cent of the American population was against the Afghan war in September this year, and in some NATO nations - particularly Germany, Great Britain, and Italy - opposition to the war is increasing. These countries will not send significantly more troops to fight there. Influential U.S. senators - who are still a small minority but an indication the war is becoming increasingly unpopular within the U.S. - are questioning Obama’s strategy.

Obama’s approach to winning the war is far too convoluted to succeed and it is dependent on factors over which he has scant control - not the least being the advice of one of his key advisers, Bruce Riedel, that “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the central all-consuming issue for al Quaida.“ This issue must finally be settled; the chances of that happening are close to non-existent. Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, has warned Obama on several occasions that ”we are running the risk of replicating … the fate of the Soviets.” As the author of Moscow’s ‘Afghan trap’, he should know.

Still, Obama is likely to escalate. Apart from the “credibility” of American power being involved, most key American officers think, to quote chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, that “the main effort in our strategic focus from a military perspective must now shift to Afghanistan.” A few officers, mostly lacking influence, believe it will lead to disaster, and the American military commander in Afghanistan has warned that unless there is a rapid escalation of troops within a year the war “will likely result in failure.”

Meanwhile, Obama thinks he will win the war by escalation - an illusion that also marked the futile war in Vietnam. He also believes he can “Afghanisize” the war - like Nixon thought he could “Vietnamize” that conflict - even though recruits for Karzai’s army have little motivation apart from collecting their salary, and are scarcely a match for the Taliban - a quite divided, complex organization which today dominates much of the country.

A growing majority of the Afghan population now oppose the U.S. effort because they have led to frightful civilian casualties without attaining decisive military successes. “The mission is on the verge of failing,” a writer in the U.S. Army’s quarterly, Parameters, concluded last spring.

That, indeed, may be an understatement.