Three weeks to the day, I was walking out to get lunch, when I received a text message, “the Americans killed Osama, found in Abbotabad Pakistan”
Shock? Relief? Wasn’t he already dead? Didn’t he have liver or kidney problems? Does this mean that the drone attacks will now stop? What on earth was he doing in Abbotabad??… pause…think….re-read the text message again… hang on wait.. ….What the hell were the Americans doing in Pakistan ??
As the news unfolded, it transpired that the United States of America had invaded Pakistan, I use the word “invaded” purposefully, attacked an unarmed man, shot at him, his family, allegedly buried him at sea, left and then informed the Pakistani government of what had just transpired, all the while, senior officials in Washington along with Captain America himself, watched the matinee show on the big screen.
No one condones any of the actions of bin laden, his beliefs, ideologies and principles. He does not represent Islam or anything that the Islamic religion stands for, in fact he single handily created the fear and negativity towards Islam. One however, does question the actions of the United States of America. Pakistan was been labelled the biggest ally of the United States in their created war on terror, it was said that the war on terror could not be won without the help, input and support of Pakistan.
Yet the US of A gave no regard to the sovereignty of Pakistan as a nation, gave no regard its obligations under
international law and murdered an unarmed man upon invading on of it’s closest friends. Sadaam Hussein was arrested, given a trial and accordingly sentenced. There is a separate tribunal set up for war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, should bin laden not have been arrested and brought to “justice”?
In late 2009 the United States started sending drone planes to destroy terrorist safe havens in the North Western Province of Pakistan. The above first picture is allegedly one of those terrorist safe havens. Despite weekly drone attacks on towns, villages, homes, shelters and entire communities, there has been no respite in the violence, carnage and bloodshed that has been happening in Pakistan, rather an increase.
The question must be asked, what are the drone attacks achieving? Over time the drone attacks have increased not only in regularity but also in their ferocity. What of the innocent civilians that lose their lives? What of those that lose their Parents? Sisters? Brothers? Friends and extended family members? The drone attacks are creating the exact monsters that the United States are trying to extinguish. They are fuelling the anti American sentiment that is so apparent not only in Pakistan but through the entire Middle East and Asia
The irony is, Osama bin laden in the late 1980’s was funded by the CIA to fight the formerUSSRinAfghanistan. His organisation was provided with ammunition, weapons and financial support.
What was the killing of Osama bin laden meant to achieve? Revenge? Closure? Celebrations at point zero inNew York? I feel for all those that loss their loved ones in 9/11, but bin laden’s assassination has resulted in nothing but an increase in violence, bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives and perhaps, the exact thing that Bin Laden wanted.
Even after his death, the drone attacks are continuing on a regular basis, they continue to be allowed by the Pakistani government, innocent people continue to loose their lives, their livelihoods, their homes. The sell for the drones was to “target” extremist hideouts and camps and somehow eradicate extremism and assist with the further establishment of a democratic and stable Pakistan. I still don’t know how they “target” what is an extremist hideout and what isn’t. Nonetheless, the drone attacks continue, the bloodshed continues and innocent civilians continue to be killed every day.
This week, Australia mourned the loss of its 24th Soldier in the war on terror, whilst the loss of each life is a tragic, especially in war,Pakistan has lost over 5000 soldiers to date, this is not including civilians. Pakistan continues to fight America’s war, this must now stop; we can no longer continue to fight the terrorists that, the US, by proxy of their actions and foreign policy continue to create.
After being elected as the President, Obama attempted to reach out to the Islamic world and in his speech in Cairo said the following:
“It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true, too many tears have flowed, too much blood has been shed”
Whilst the higher echelons of the Pakistani government might not be directly standing up the Americans, this Pakistani is; it is one voice among many, Obama Sir, you are doing exactly the opposite, every citizen that is killed in Pakistan; their blood is on your hands.
A few months ago, all over the world, a video of the teenage kid “Casey” standing up to a school bully went viral, its time Pakistan stood up to this international bully. Unity, Faith & Discipline is what Pakistan was founded upon, we will not continue to fight your war, nor will we let you fight it from our land.
Obama? Yes we can? – I think not.
Hassan Ehsan 