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PlainSpeak
Baluchistan: The United States Silence
On Pakistan Army's Genocidal Operations – 2
by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Ironically, Pakistan Army’s genocidal military operations in Baluchistan
are taking place in the month of December which should hold special
significant lessons for Pakistan as follows:
- Pakistan’s founder Mohd Ali Jinnah was born on December 25. He would
be turning in his grave at the thought that in his dreamland, Pakistani
citizens were being subjected to napalm bombing by their own armed
forces.
- East Pakistanis broke away from Pakistan in December 1971 after a
similar genocide by the Pakistan Army to form the independent state of
Bangladesh.
- As a result of the above the Pakistan Army had to suffer its biggest
defeat when more than 93,000 of its troops surrendered to the Indian
Army on December 16, 1971.
Ironically, and more tragic is the deafening silence of the United
States and particularly the United States Congress on the genocidal
military operations of the Pakistan Army in Baluchistan for the
following reasons:
- USA is once again exhibiting selective double standards in condemning
genocides. It was swift in not only condemning but also in its military
intervention in the Former Yugoslavia when the same was alleged there.
Here in Baluchistan even Pakistani citizens are protesting that the Pak
Army suspend its military operations and drawing attention to the lesson
pointed above.
- USA has been swift in condemning Human Rights violations in Iraq, Iran
and elsewhere. Why is it silent on Baluchistan?
- In Baluchistan, US supplied gunship helicopters and other US military
equipment are being extensively used by the Pak Army on its citizens.
Were these supplied by USA to deal with Al Qaeda or to be used against
Pakistani citizens.
- Would USA prefer to repeat history of 1971 and be mum on what may
portend another civil war and breakup in Pakistan?
The United States is committed presently in bringing about democracy in
Iraq, so why is it not so committed in Pakistan? The United States even
before Gulf War II was active in supporting the Kurds in Iraq and
drawing No Fly Zones in Kurdistan to prevent Saddam using air power
against the Kurds. The Baluchis too deserve the same protection against
the Pakistan Army, if not for any other reasons than that they too are
of Kurdish origin and similarly inhabit a geo-strategic area.
The silence of the United States and the United States Congress can be
attributed to the commitments by General Musharraf and the Pakistan Army
to permit the United States to use Baluchistan territory as a
springboard for launching any future military intervention against Iran
and presently for operations by Iranian dissident para-military
organizations.
The United States future strategic requirements would be better served
by American facilitation of the emergence of an INDEPENDENT BALUCHISTAN
as a strategic wedge between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It would
also lead to future obviation of Pakistani blackmail of using its
proximity to The Gulf and Hormuz Strait as a bargaining chip against the
United States, since this arises from Baluchistan being in Pakistani
possession.
January 1, 2006
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PlainSpeak
The Week of January 1, 2006
BJP Cannot Become National Alternative by Rajinder Puri
Baluchistan: The United States
Silence
On Pakistan
Army's Genocidal Operations by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Act Without Forethought, Brag
Imprudently and Repent Forever by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
To Believe or Not to Believe
by Arya Bhushan
The Stages In-and-Outs of Life
by Michael Levy
Peacefully Violent by J.
Ajithkumar
Greene Junction by Rajgopal
Nidamboor
Why Consistency is Important
but Parents Feel Bad by Michael Grose
The Hindu View on Cosmogony by
Dr. R.K. Lahiri
Home is Where the Heart is by
Neha Girotra
The Art of Eating by Vikram
Karve
Ananda Sankaram by NS Murty
Winter in Berlin -
A Photo Essay by Jayati Gupta
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