NATO supplies halted ahead of mass protest

[ghundal]

NATO supplies halted ahead of mass protest

AFP (52 minutes ago) Today


Activists of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf heading towards Peshawar to hold a sit-in demonstration. – Online/File Photo

PESHAWAR: Pakistan suspended delivery of supplies Saturday to NATO troops in Afghanistan via its land border for three days as campaigners began a sit-in on the supply route over US drone attacks.
Supporters of cricket hero-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party were gathering on the Peshawar ring road Saturday for the planned two-day sit-in aiming to block the route used by supply trucks.
The party called the demonstration to protest over US missile attacks from unmanned aircraft in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas, which many feel infringe on Pakistani sovereignty and which locals say sometimes kill civilians.
“They (the US) are losing the war — they can never win it,” Khan told a gathering in the northwestern town of Akora Khattak on his way to the protest site in the Bagh-e-Naran neighbourhood.
“The sit-in will start today and will end tomorrow,” he added.
The administration in Peshawar said the NATO trucking service had been halted for three days, and the trucks ordered to park in other cities on the route from Friday.
Organisers said they expected more than 20,000 people to gather locally for the protest, and many more to arrive in the caravan accompanying Khan.
In an article in Pakistan’s The News, Khan said that “today we Pakistanis of all shades and convictions need to come together to support our FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) brethren and protest their killing and displacement.
“It is not enough to simply issue statements against US policies and drone killings; we need to act so that the voice of the people becomes a force for the rulers to reckon with,” he said.
Banners on Peshawar’s main road bore the message “Stop drone attacks on innocent tribal people,” and images of crossed-out drone aircraft, while posters of Khan and his party dotted the city.
Covert missile strikes targeting militants in Pakistan’s lawless border regions, believed to operate with the tacit consent of Islamabad, stoke rampant anti-American sentiment throughout the South Asian nation.
US officials said Friday that the global superpower was considering providing unmanned drones to Pakistan for aerial surveillance, despite tensions between the two countries over measures to combat terrorist activity.
The comments followed a diplomatic furore between the two nations over a drone attack on March 17, which killed 39 people including civilians.
NATO supply trucks and oil tankers are the targets of frequent attacks blamed on insurgents attempting to disrupt supplies for more than 130,000 international troops fighting in Afghanistan.
Most supplies and equipment required by coalition troops in Afghanistan are shipped through Pakistan, although US troops increasingly use alternative routes through central Asia.
Two truck drivers have been killed this week by militants in revenge for transporting goods for NATO.

[BarakzaiAbdali]

This is an absolutely good move. I find it absurd that either the Maliki or Karzai governments are referred to as legitimate governments simply because they are UN endorsed. The fact that their write barely functions outside of Kabul and Baghdad without US force is more than adequate to dispel this farcical claim. The penultimate strategic move should be to actually shoot the drones down should this not turn out to be a farce again on behalf of the Pakistani government to save its federation from disintegration. They are unmanned aerial aircrafts and I would fail to see how their destruction would be utilized as a basis for escalating the war into KP. This would then allow the Afghan freedom fighters to continue and have a backward operating base as well as permit closer links to be forged between the FATA folks and Afghan fighters. At the end of the day, air power is insufficient to win wars though and that is the good news for the Afghan Freedom Fighting Insurgency.

[ghundal]

This is an absolutely good move. I find it absurd that either the Maliki or Karzai governments are referred to as legitimate governments simply because they are UN endorsed. The fact that their write barely functions outside of Kabul and Baghdad without US force is more than adequate to dispel this farcical claim. The penultimate strategic move should be to actually shoot the drones down should this not turn out to be a farce again on behalf of the Pakistani government to save its federation from disintegration. They are unmanned aerial aircrafts and I would fail to see how their destruction would be utilized as a basis for escalating the war into KP. This would then allow the Afghan freedom fighters to continue and have a backward operating base as well as permit closer links to be forged between the FATA folks and Afghan fighters. At the end of the day, air power is insufficient to win wars though and that is the good news for the Afghan Freedom Fighting Insurgency.

if UN endorsed genocide, some people would say UN has said it, so its ok. This shows how weak a man's mind is. Back in American history, some native american tribes used to ally with the English against other tribes. They thought along their own personal tribal interests. They actually fought for their personal interests. As a result, today the Native American numbers are dwindling, or they are on Casinos in reserves, drinking their life away. Those Native Americans can be compared with Kabul expats/ANP/PMAP with one important fortunate difference- the aforementioned group of Pashtuns lack any spine to fight Omar Hotak themselves. These pashtuns are also in very small numbers. I give credit to the Turis for actually fighting back (even though I don't agree with them), but keep in mind, they are Shiites, and their allegiance is always to Qom.

Fortunately, for the Afghan Freedom Fighting Insurgency (well put), they don't have fighting treacherous pashtuns (most of them sit in Kabul, and are opportunists who lack any spine which is good news) that they need to deal with.

So our peoples destiny is saved.

These types will turn a blind eye to the suffering of their 'brothers.' This is the reason, those who think like them can never rule. It is also the reason what they fear is already coming true.

At the end of the day, their words, their treachery has no real bearing on the way forward. Not to sound too sentimental, but fate and destiny of our people rests in the hands of those who risk their lives protecting their people and defending their homeland, and these people are not Kabul expats/ ANP/PMAP.