Time to remember Patton

(The News Tuesday, September 22, 2015 :: Shahzad Chaudhry):

The writer is a retired air-vice marshal, former ambassador and a security and political analyst.
War is not meant to be you dying for your country it is by making the other bastard die for
his. So said George S Patton, the audacious US general who led his forces at breakneck speed
and entered Germany in that final blow to the Third Reich. He was a fiery character with a
language that is unrepeatable in decent company. He was never popular with his peers, nor
with his officers, but his men loved him. Patton and his men gave the Allies their victory.
As Pakistan reels from another Fazlullah carnage, a host of issues open up. What did we learn
from the APS attack? What did we do in the interregnum before the act was repeated to the
tee at Badaber? I know what had, and has, gotten hold of the military mind but this nation of
ours has only reinforced the deviance in dutiful compliance.
There arent any better sedatives than repeated sagas of valour, retold in popularised fables.
We spent our entire first week of September lauding what was immaterial, and in the past.
There was a time, when it almost became revolting to see faces being paraded from one
channel to the other, singing praises of what had been. And even there only telling half-truths.
Most of our stories of unparalleled courage are in defence. In offence we have either been
stemmed, or simply blundered. We exude offence as a trait but hardly think it to its fullest as
a system. So is our natural rhythm.
General Raheel Shareef did well to finally strike at the North Waziristan hub of the TTP, but
surely as he sees his bust being paraded on the election posters and in other adornments
along roads, there must have been a moment when he may have said to himself, What do
they intend to make of me?
Legacy is a kosher concern but only if you have it in your rear-view mirror; to have it upfront
can be a terrible distraction. And our history is full of courtiers who never missed an
opportunity to raise the king to the heavens in deceptive overstatements. Beware, general.
You still have a task at hand. You are esteemed by the people not for who you are, but for
what
you
are
doing.
You know what was, and thankfully still is, good about Operation Zarb-e-Azb? It is not that
the spate of terrorism is forever eliminated; or that an APS-like attack will not be repeated
again Badaber tells us that; it is that the space on many fronts that had been squeezed away
from this nation has begun to be recovered.
I talk of not the physical space alone, which is important in itself, but the notional space that
helps nations and states interact with others. There began an element of seriousness when
Pakistan was spoken of; the Indians got bothered with Pakistan not only doing things right
within, but without too as it moved to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Pakistan, having lost its relevance within the neighbourhood, had found eminence again. It
went about using the space fast, diplomatically. Space is like additional capacity that you can
use to your advantage. But we get carried away far too easily, swept by our own formulations
of victory and valour. That is when the breaking-the-back syndrome takes over.
War, as generals ought to know, is only a measure of relative gains. Relative gains with some
finesse can be converted to perceptions that become yet another trigger for another push;
and in this sinusoidal convulsion, along the timeline, objectives are reached. Operation Zarbe-Azb has given us relative gains which turned to perceptive gains that created the space for
politics and diplomacy to establish its foothold. There never is and there never will be the
felling of the last terrorist in this war. It will remain a war of perceptions suitably interposed

with political eminence that should further the good space, and squeeze the bad away from
the terrorists.
As soon as the tables turned for us, we flipped. Getting the first meeting going in Murree was
when bugles were sounded far too early. The celebrations began, we touched our zenith and
lost our focus. It took a minor spokesman at the NDS in Kabul to burst our tenuous balloon.
Lavishing praise is a tricky business. Contriving fables is even more dangerous, while pursuing
legacies can instil unnecessary caution. The period from now till November, 2016 is the
trickiest when all these emotions will be in play. Already the debate has begun dangerously
at that, and without regard to the enormity of another lurking APS or Badaber on whether
the chief will get an extension? This can damage Operation Zarb-e-Azb perennially.
To help there is this most damaging debate that has begun in the media of a civil-military
imbalance and why and how to counter General Raheels growing popularity. We are known
masters at raising people to the heavens and then quietly slipping the ladder away from under
them. Playing games with people in such trying circumstances as those we face us is always
at the cost of playing with the nation. Maybe we should first help this nation win the war
against terror.
Plenty went wrong at Badaber. We should have the courage to admit it. Losing people is a
loss; losing extraordinary people is an irrecoverable loss. We cant cover that up with devising
eulogies. Why and how did the terrorists make to the Camps Guard Room? I will not take
issue with the defence tactics employed at Badaber since the attack was pre-informed in vivid
detail, yet there is so much that needs to be internally debated on the detail of defending
vulnerable points. My point of concern has always been the larger conception of it.
APS and Badaber, and countless more in and around Peshawar, were attacks on Peshawar,
which is both an area as well as a point and thus must include, in defence, all attributes of
an area and point defence. I dont see that in place. Instead vulnerable places within
Peshawar are treated typically as separate points without a larger strategic defence
framework for the city. If one exists, it isnt functioning.
On a larger scale, the war is now spread to four tiers. The first perimeter lies in Fata and the
other border regions with Afghanistan where the Pakistani military is fighting the insurgency;
the intermediate tier is based on intelligence-based operations conducted with reasonable
success through the length and breadth of the country. The wars third tier is the defensive
battle we are forced to fight every now and then as in Badaber. This is where a serious rehash
is needed to make it foolproof. Till every such attempt is beaten back, then only the futility of
it will begin to seep into its perpetrators. This is also where Patton must be invoked and
eulogies replaced with sound tactics and unmatched firepower.
The final tier lies in Afghanistan, a country that has practically spun out of control, again.
Pakistans renegades sit there and plan such operations. This has to be stopped. The deal
involves taking the issue to the Afghan government and in the absence of any cooperation,
on account of either lack of capacity or unwillingness, taking them out through a limited
operation. How such an operation is enacted is a matter of detail but political space for it
needs to be created in earnest.
The two states have a rough road ahead in their relationship; that much is clear. Dealing with
it sanely will remain a priority. But a firmer hand at the wheel is who will deliver.
Email: shhzdchdhry@yahoo.com
Martyrdom and command
(The
News::
Monday,
September
28,
2015
:
Talat
Hussain)
The writer is former executive editor of The News and a senior journalist with Geo TV.

Facebook posts often make for ordinary reading, but this one is a gem vivid, immediate and
straight as a barrel. It deals with two subjects martyrdom and command that have rarely
been raised for rational understanding. They are either considered restricted or are assumed
as closed for debate.
And not to miss another significant point, the post has come from someone who knows
whatever there is to know about leading men, and designing plans that potentially involved
deployment of resources and mustering institutional prowess at a mass scale. These are not
the musings of an idle mind. These are observations born of experience, expertise, and,
whats more, a passion for excellence.
First, the text: . Or suppose I had been hit by that mortar that burst with an awful shriek
so near to me, and turned into a Catherine wheel of body-parts and (even worse) bodyingredients? Once again, I was moved above all not by the thought that my death would
count, but that it would not count in the least. Unknown
I have seen the wanton destruction strewn all about us, have been witness to the flowing
blood of our brave sons, have been there, done that and for too long, not to say what I must.
It appears to me that we have begun to glorify Shahadat far more as a protective manoeuvre
for the living rather than as recognition of our martyrs; and in our eagerness have now
presented our young men a narrative, that Shahadat must be pursued at all costs. This will
cause unnecessary deaths as our youngsters set out to die rather live for their beliefs.
My salutation to the brave mothers and the strong fathers who survive the Shahadat of their
sons and daughters and I am sure that this nation will not let this sacrifice go in vein, but I also
condole with you for your loss; for a loss it is no matter what one may say. My greatest respect
and admiration to our Shaheeds, their valour and their courage as they walked into the valley
of death, but I would rather have them here by my side today where they are immensely
missed, as we stumble down the path of conflict, confusion, and chaos.
But it is only fair that I say, I have also seen this sanctimonious dramatising of matters before
as I am seeing them today. In order to show that things went as planned, that there was no
omission and that the overall concept has proven successful, we tend to trip over one another
congratulating each other and patting backs, as if we had intended for our young to die.
This is not correct; the many who sacrificed their lives have done so for a great cause and
the effect will be felt all over, but was it also because of incompetence and indifference; could
we have done it in a better way, securing our objectives as well as the lives of our young?
After all, in my mind, a military success is related to co-relation of losses and the damage done
to the enemy, not the damage done to oneself.
So I would like to urgently beseech everyone, to get a hold of themselves, not let emotions
runaway with reality, lest our courageous young men are sacrificed at the altar of those
fanciful commanders whose enthusiasm exceeds their stupidity and who are willing to shed
blood even to the last drop of their very own on account of their lack of capacity. They will
never be open to any criticism, as if criticising them would somehow take something away
from our Shaheeds. Believe me I have seen this type and its the most dangerous kind of all
who must be put to pasture.
Forgive me if I have trespassed or hurt any feelings but lets learn to call a spade a spade if
we want to win this thing. But for those who are listening and can hear me, in the name of all
that is honest and honourable, in our love for our Shaheeds and their glory, I beg with the
utmost sincerity in my heart, please hold some investigation and establish where we went
wrong or could have done better. Accountability saves lives. I myself have always said that
there should be no enquiry in the field and what happens is an outcome of a judgment call

but when I said that it was to protect action borne of initiative not inaction borne of
indifference.
This has come from Lieutenant-General (r) Tariq Khan, former inspector general of the
Frontier Corps, KP and former corps commander Mangla. An officer of high calibre, trenchant
wit and supreme decisiveness who turned the FC around from a morbid, runaway force to a
supreme fighting machine and cleansed large swaths of Fata lost to terrorists. During my
reporting assignments in the area, I met him several times. We didnt always agree. Crucial
issues like the chase for Fazlullah of Swat fame or the end-plan for Faqir Muhammad of
Bajaur or on the nature and direction of national politics and the ways to fix the country and
many others showed us on opposite ends of the spectrum.
But even when he would propound ideas that sounded out-of-the-box to civilian sensibilities,
his understanding of the subjects in review was deeply impressive. He always seemed to know
what he was saying. Most important, he could walk the talk in the battlefield.
Now, the context.
The immediate context of Gen Tariqs plea is the Badaber attack and the media frenzy spurred
by fuzzy official accounts of what transpired in those fateful hours when terror struck and the
battle began. Because the rush to praise is so great and the intent to probe so weak,
circumstances surrounding the event and the encounter remain totally confusing. This is sad
and saddening. It is frustrating for those who know better.
The bravery of the martyrs deserves clarity. Their ultimate heroics demand that their actions
be described within the framework of how command was flowing at that time and who was
leading the charge.
The unit that mowed down the attackers without suffering injuries needs to be properly
honoured for their bravery. The presence of Captain Asfandyar Bokhari, that luminous
youthful face of this soils best, at the scene of the event has to be explained. We need
assessments of how our weapons fared when terror was unleashed and the situation of our
other Shaheeds, (Shan Ali, Saqib Javaid, Tariq Abbass) acknowledgement of whose sacrifice,
unfortunately, remains only in passing. This will only happen when part of the narrative moves
from the emotive side of the event towards the factual side of the operation.
But this will not happen. Over the years the cost of terror be that our law-enforcement
agencies or the people seems to have become an automatic justification for not debating
as to whether this cost could have been reduced if we had more dispassionately analysed our
own actions in the previous instances. This was done in the Army Public School massacre. The
same happened in Parade Lane, Mehran Base, the GHQ attack and a range of other high hits
that terrorists were able to make causing preventable casualties, shahadats included.
The fear that by asking questions and probing the actions of those in whose custody and
command rests precious lives of brave, fearless men, has given birth to the quick-fire bravado
brigade whose task is claim total laurels and produce tales of unparalleled success in all
circumstances. Inevitably, the names of the martyrs or the scale of the tragedy is used as
armour to protect loopholes that allowed the event to take place in the first place.
Martyrdom and Command responsibilities are two totally different things. Lives laid in the
service of the country are too precious to be pressed into service every time lacklustre careers
of favourites are threatened or need polishing. Martyrs are the chosen ones. They have paid
their dues. They have indebted us forever. Let them rest in peace. Keep them out of the
campaigns of self-promotion and egregious pomposity. Let the living account for their deeds
on the merit of their performance.
Email: syedtalathussain@gmail.com Twitter: @TalatHussain12