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Karachi: Crucible for American Regional Hegemony Unravelling?
Karachi: Crucible for American Regional Hegemony Unravelling?
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
The recent assasination in London of the co-founder of MQM brought more light to the significance of Karachi as a major port city that serves as the American imperial land transport hub for its operations in AfPak as well as central Asia. Recent unrest in Karachi is very likely the result of efforts within Pakistan to unseat Karachi's secular elites from control of the city to destabilize America's influence. But first, some facts about Karachi to understand its import to Pakistan, AfPak, and the region.
Karachi is estimated to have a population of 18 million people, making it a global megacity more populated than many nations combined, such as UAE (4.5 million), Kuwait (2.4 million), Bahrain (728,000), Qatar (830,000), Oman (3.4 million). In terms of comparisons with the EU, Karachi is more populated than Belgium, and its about equal to Norway, Finland and Sweden combined. Its the 4th largest metropolitan area in the world.
Its Pakistan's largest city, its banking center, its major port, its industrial and trade center, and a major education center of the region. Its also its transportation hub, receiving all international flights and most national flights. Karachi's GDP is said to be 20% of Pakistan's entire GDP official GDP of $166 billion. Karachi's port hands 60% of all of Pakistan's cargo. Karachi Port Trust recently signed a $1 billion deal with Hutchison Port Holdings (out of Hong Kong) to construct a new container port that could facilitate Ssper post panamax container ships, the largest on the seas.
Its was a major city of the Sindh province during British colonial rule, and the British developed it into a major port. The British divided the city into the "white" and the "black", the former being modelled after British cities and populated by British and their minions, whereas the 'black' part being the home for the Indian masses.
The native peoples of Karachi are primarily Punjabis, Sindhis, Pashtuns but also many other smaller groups from across the region. One of the most powerful and its largest group are the 'muhajirs' who migrated from throughout India to settle in Karachi during the Partition since Pakistan originally made Karachi its capital. The second largest group being Pashtuns who settled over the last 30 years since the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets.
After 9/11/01, Khalid Shaykh Mohammed was captured along with his operatives in Karachi. America has set up its military air transports using Karachi's older, unused airports and air strips. America used Karachi in 2005 for its special forces training to emulate Tehran. In fact Karachi has been a location of a major American military base as well as major special forces operations since 9/11/01.
"US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, "snatch and grabs" of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help direct a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus."
" In 2006, the United States and Pakistan struck a deal that authorized JSOC to enter Pakistan to hunt Osama bin Laden with the understanding that Pakistan would deny it had given permission. Officially, the United States is not supposed to have any active military operations in the country."
"Blackwater's work for JSOC in Karachi is coordinated out of a Task Force based at Bagram Air Base in neighboring Afghanistan, according to the military intelligence source. While JSOC technically runs the operations in Karachi, he said, it is largely staffed by former US special operations soldiers working for a division of Blackwater, once known as Blackwater SELECT, and intelligence analysts working for a Blackwater affiliate, Total Intelligence Solutions (TIS), which is owned by Erik Prince. The military source said that the name Blackwater SELECT may have been changed recently. Total Intelligence, which is run out of an office on the ninth floor of a building in the Ballston area of Arlington, Virginia, is staffed by former analysts and operatives from the CIA, DIA, FBI and other agencies. It is modeled after the CIA's counterterrorism center. In Karachi, TIS runs a "media-scouring/open-source network," according to the source. Until recently, Total Intelligence was run by two former top CIA officials, Cofer Black and Robert Richer, both of whom have left the company. In Pakistan, Blackwater is not using either its original name or its new moniker, Xe Services, according to the former Blackwater executive. "They are running most of their work through TIS because the other two [names] have such a stain on them," he said. Corallo, the Blackwater spokesperson, denied that TIS or any other division or affiliate of Blackwater has any personnel in Pakistan."
In addition to planning drone strikes and operations against suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Pakistan for both JSOC and the CIA, the Blackwater team in Karachi also helps plan missions for JSOC inside Uzbekistan against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, according to the military intelligence source. Blackwater does not actually carry out the operations, he said, which are executed on the ground by JSOC forces.
The Secret US War in Pakistan | The Nation
Evidently, America's presence in Karachi has been at the heart of American operations throughout Pakistan, from special operations dispatched throughout Karachi as well as Pakistan, to drone attacks in the frontier provinces, to staging for actions in Iran and Afghanistan. But just as America has killed, renditioned, captured various Muslims in Karachi, it appears there has been increasing operations by Muslim groups against America and its local allies, the Muhajirs, in Karachi.
Karachi is a center point of America regional hegemonic control. According to American military officers, Karachi is to Central Asia what America's military base in Duha,Qatar was for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They are forward operating bases for staging, planning, coordinating outside of the actual center of conflict. And Karachi is a primary hub for regional hegemony reaching all the way to Uzbekistan, but also likely Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
In fact, given America's JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command)'s mandate, along with its contractor Blackwater, any and all acts of instability throughout Central Asia could be connected to Karachi.
As well, within Pakistan, Blackwater is said to not only be working for America, but for the Pakistan military.
" According to [former Blackwater] executive, Blackwater works on a subcontract for Kestral Logistics, a powerful Pakistani firm, which specializes in military logistical support, private security and intelligence consulting. It is staffed with former high-ranking Pakistani army and government officials. While Kestral's main offices are in Pakistan, it also has branches in several other countries.
Kestral has done a robust business in defense logistics with the Pakistani government and other nations, as well as top US defense companies. Blackwater owner Erik Prince is close with Kestral CEO Liaquat Ali Baig, according to the former Blackwater executive. "Ali and Erik have a pretty close relationship," he said. "They've met many times and struck a deal, and they [offer] mutual support for one another." Working with Kestral, he said, Blackwater has provided convoy security for Defense Department shipments destined for Afghanistan that would arrive in the port at Karachi. Blackwater, according to the former executive, would guard the supplies as they were transported overland from Karachi to Peshawar and then west through the Torkham border crossing, the most important supply route for the US military in Afghanistan.
According to the former executive, Blackwater operatives also integrate with Kestral's forces in sensitive counterterrorism operations in the North-West Frontier Province, where they work in conjunction with the Pakistani Interior Ministry's paramilitary force, known as the Frontier Corps (alternately referred to as "frontier scouts"). The Blackwater personnel are technically advisers, but the former executive said that the line often gets blurred in the field. Blackwater "is providing the actual guidance on how to do [counterterrorism operations] and Kestral's folks are carrying a lot of them out, but they're having the guidance and the overwatch from some BW guys that will actually go out with the teams when they're executing the job," he said. "You can see how that can lead to other things in the border areas." He said that when Blackwater personnel are out with the Pakistani teams, sometimes its men engage in operations against suspected terrorists. "You've got BW guys that are assisting... and they're all going to want to go on the jobs--so they're going to go with them," he said. "So, the things that you're seeing in the news about how this Pakistani military group came in and raided this house or did this or did that--in some of those cases, you're going to have Western folks that are right there at the house, if not in the house." Blackwater, he said, is paid by the Pakistani government through Kestral for consulting services. "That gives the Pakistani government the cover to say, 'Hey, no, we don't have any Westerners doing this. It's all local and our people are doing it.' But it gets them the expertise that Westerners provide for [counterterrorism]-related work."
The military intelligence source confirmed Blackwater works with the Frontier Corps, saying, "There's no real oversight. It's not really on people's radar screen."
In October, in response to Pakistani news reports that a Kestral warehouse in Islamabad was being used to store heavy weapons for Blackwater, the US Embassy in Pakistan released a statement denying the weapons were being used by "a private American security contractor." The statement said, "Kestral Logistics is a private logistics company that handles the importation of equipment and supplies provided by the United States to the Government of Pakistan. All of the equipment and supplies were imported at the request of the Government of Pakistan, which also certified the shipments."
The Secret US War in Pakistan | The Nation
Its clear that America has designed their Karachi base as its hub for control over Central Asia and it used its 2005 anti terror operations as a front to establish JSOC security over Karachi:
"Exclusive information gathered by Asia Times Online shows that Pakistan has provided extensive facilities to special United Kingdom and US units to train them in commando operations in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, which in many ways resembles the Iranian towns of Tehran, Shiraz, Isphan and other urban centers. Special forces from the US and Britain have staged unannounced exercises in Karachi.
During the exercises, the troops got to know different localities, residential areas, roads and exit points of the city, including railway and bus stations and the airport. For the exercises, the troops were provided with detailed maps of Karachi, including important buildings. The exercises, which started several weeks ago, ended on January 17, highly informed sources revealed to Asia Times Online. The troops were barracked at Malir Cant, the cantonment area of the Pakistan army adjacent to Karachi airport"
Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan
But since America staged the overthrow of the Taliban, Taliban have migrated to Karachi within the Pashtun community there and regrouping to become a growing force in Karachi. The Muhajirs primary political party, the MQM, is closely tied to secularism and promoting American regional interests. The August murder of Syed Haider in Karachi followed by riots, and the recent murder of Imran Farooq, MQM cofounder, reflect efforts to diminish MQM influence in Karachi. Moreover, media reports have linked the murders to Taliban operatives in Karachi who have identified Karachi as a primary target to resist American regional hegemony.
Moreover, America transports massive bulk shipments from Karachi through Peshwar along the Khyber Pass to American and NATO logistics hubs near Kabul. This transport line has been under increasing attacks resulting in success. More than half of all supplies pass through Karachi and down the supply line and anti American imperial military strategies appear to be focussing on Karachi and the entire supply line.
"Even the main highways are becoming more dangerous. The largest recent attack came just outside the relatively secure capital, Islamabad. More than 80 vehicles were destroyed, including armored military hardware labeled for the U.S. Afghan surge or troops. As with all convoys, there were no U.S. forces and no security guards.
According to witnesses, it took just 12 gunmen a matter of a few minutes to turn a massive resupply mission into a mass of charred, twisted and useless wreckage.
One Pakistani trucker on the convoy who was shot in the attack told us he was lucky to be alive and that he won't be driving U.S. supplies again.
After the attack, the Taliban handed out fliers threatening drivers with death if they worked such a convoy again.
"A greedy person may work for double the pay," Ubaid Ullah Anwar tells CNN through an interpreter. "But it's like committing suicide and I won't do it."
At the port city of Karachi where some U.S. supplies come ashore, containers are stacking up, many because more and more contractors say they won't touch them."
U.S. battles for supplies as convoy attacks increase – Afghanistan Crossroads - CNN.com Blogs
The critical center remains Karachi. And while America is not likely to leave Karachi any time soon, the reality of America's presence has not yet seen the light of day. Karachi was a seat of the Uprising in 1857 against British colonial rule. And the MQM continue to dominate Karachi despite not representing the rest of Pakistan or the growing interests of nonMuhajirs in Karachi. Its very likely that militant efforts will focus on ousting MQM control in order to oust American presence, and this would help by forcing America to expose its presence in the city.
"The ANP's leader in Karachi, Shahi Saed, urged his men to stop all hostilities against the MQM and warned that the situation was being manipulated by al-Qaeda and by the Taliban, who are ethnically Pashtuns. However, Pashtun youths ganged up against the Urdu community in defiance of all orders and MQM office bearers were killed and their offices ransacked.
The American consulate in Karachi played an active role in trying to calm the situation, to some effect, but the underlying tensions exploded with the killing of Haider on Monday.
As the battlelines now stand, all jihadi organizations and Pashtuns are in one camp. They are lined up against the MQM, the Sunni Tehrik (an anti-Taliban Sunni group), and all Shi'ite groups. "
Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan
And Allah knows best.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
The recent assasination in London of the co-founder of MQM brought more light to the significance of Karachi as a major port city that serves as the American imperial land transport hub for its operations in AfPak as well as central Asia. Recent unrest in Karachi is very likely the result of efforts within Pakistan to unseat Karachi's secular elites from control of the city to destabilize America's influence. But first, some facts about Karachi to understand its import to Pakistan, AfPak, and the region.
Karachi is estimated to have a population of 18 million people, making it a global megacity more populated than many nations combined, such as UAE (4.5 million), Kuwait (2.4 million), Bahrain (728,000), Qatar (830,000), Oman (3.4 million). In terms of comparisons with the EU, Karachi is more populated than Belgium, and its about equal to Norway, Finland and Sweden combined. Its the 4th largest metropolitan area in the world.
Its Pakistan's largest city, its banking center, its major port, its industrial and trade center, and a major education center of the region. Its also its transportation hub, receiving all international flights and most national flights. Karachi's GDP is said to be 20% of Pakistan's entire GDP official GDP of $166 billion. Karachi's port hands 60% of all of Pakistan's cargo. Karachi Port Trust recently signed a $1 billion deal with Hutchison Port Holdings (out of Hong Kong) to construct a new container port that could facilitate Ssper post panamax container ships, the largest on the seas.
Its was a major city of the Sindh province during British colonial rule, and the British developed it into a major port. The British divided the city into the "white" and the "black", the former being modelled after British cities and populated by British and their minions, whereas the 'black' part being the home for the Indian masses.
The native peoples of Karachi are primarily Punjabis, Sindhis, Pashtuns but also many other smaller groups from across the region. One of the most powerful and its largest group are the 'muhajirs' who migrated from throughout India to settle in Karachi during the Partition since Pakistan originally made Karachi its capital. The second largest group being Pashtuns who settled over the last 30 years since the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets.
After 9/11/01, Khalid Shaykh Mohammed was captured along with his operatives in Karachi. America has set up its military air transports using Karachi's older, unused airports and air strips. America used Karachi in 2005 for its special forces training to emulate Tehran. In fact Karachi has been a location of a major American military base as well as major special forces operations since 9/11/01.
"US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, "snatch and grabs" of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help direct a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus."
" In 2006, the United States and Pakistan struck a deal that authorized JSOC to enter Pakistan to hunt Osama bin Laden with the understanding that Pakistan would deny it had given permission. Officially, the United States is not supposed to have any active military operations in the country."
"Blackwater's work for JSOC in Karachi is coordinated out of a Task Force based at Bagram Air Base in neighboring Afghanistan, according to the military intelligence source. While JSOC technically runs the operations in Karachi, he said, it is largely staffed by former US special operations soldiers working for a division of Blackwater, once known as Blackwater SELECT, and intelligence analysts working for a Blackwater affiliate, Total Intelligence Solutions (TIS), which is owned by Erik Prince. The military source said that the name Blackwater SELECT may have been changed recently. Total Intelligence, which is run out of an office on the ninth floor of a building in the Ballston area of Arlington, Virginia, is staffed by former analysts and operatives from the CIA, DIA, FBI and other agencies. It is modeled after the CIA's counterterrorism center. In Karachi, TIS runs a "media-scouring/open-source network," according to the source. Until recently, Total Intelligence was run by two former top CIA officials, Cofer Black and Robert Richer, both of whom have left the company. In Pakistan, Blackwater is not using either its original name or its new moniker, Xe Services, according to the former Blackwater executive. "They are running most of their work through TIS because the other two [names] have such a stain on them," he said. Corallo, the Blackwater spokesperson, denied that TIS or any other division or affiliate of Blackwater has any personnel in Pakistan."
In addition to planning drone strikes and operations against suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Pakistan for both JSOC and the CIA, the Blackwater team in Karachi also helps plan missions for JSOC inside Uzbekistan against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, according to the military intelligence source. Blackwater does not actually carry out the operations, he said, which are executed on the ground by JSOC forces.
The Secret US War in Pakistan | The Nation
Evidently, America's presence in Karachi has been at the heart of American operations throughout Pakistan, from special operations dispatched throughout Karachi as well as Pakistan, to drone attacks in the frontier provinces, to staging for actions in Iran and Afghanistan. But just as America has killed, renditioned, captured various Muslims in Karachi, it appears there has been increasing operations by Muslim groups against America and its local allies, the Muhajirs, in Karachi.
Karachi is a center point of America regional hegemonic control. According to American military officers, Karachi is to Central Asia what America's military base in Duha,Qatar was for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They are forward operating bases for staging, planning, coordinating outside of the actual center of conflict. And Karachi is a primary hub for regional hegemony reaching all the way to Uzbekistan, but also likely Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
In fact, given America's JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command)'s mandate, along with its contractor Blackwater, any and all acts of instability throughout Central Asia could be connected to Karachi.
As well, within Pakistan, Blackwater is said to not only be working for America, but for the Pakistan military.
" According to [former Blackwater] executive, Blackwater works on a subcontract for Kestral Logistics, a powerful Pakistani firm, which specializes in military logistical support, private security and intelligence consulting. It is staffed with former high-ranking Pakistani army and government officials. While Kestral's main offices are in Pakistan, it also has branches in several other countries.
Kestral has done a robust business in defense logistics with the Pakistani government and other nations, as well as top US defense companies. Blackwater owner Erik Prince is close with Kestral CEO Liaquat Ali Baig, according to the former Blackwater executive. "Ali and Erik have a pretty close relationship," he said. "They've met many times and struck a deal, and they [offer] mutual support for one another." Working with Kestral, he said, Blackwater has provided convoy security for Defense Department shipments destined for Afghanistan that would arrive in the port at Karachi. Blackwater, according to the former executive, would guard the supplies as they were transported overland from Karachi to Peshawar and then west through the Torkham border crossing, the most important supply route for the US military in Afghanistan.
According to the former executive, Blackwater operatives also integrate with Kestral's forces in sensitive counterterrorism operations in the North-West Frontier Province, where they work in conjunction with the Pakistani Interior Ministry's paramilitary force, known as the Frontier Corps (alternately referred to as "frontier scouts"). The Blackwater personnel are technically advisers, but the former executive said that the line often gets blurred in the field. Blackwater "is providing the actual guidance on how to do [counterterrorism operations] and Kestral's folks are carrying a lot of them out, but they're having the guidance and the overwatch from some BW guys that will actually go out with the teams when they're executing the job," he said. "You can see how that can lead to other things in the border areas." He said that when Blackwater personnel are out with the Pakistani teams, sometimes its men engage in operations against suspected terrorists. "You've got BW guys that are assisting... and they're all going to want to go on the jobs--so they're going to go with them," he said. "So, the things that you're seeing in the news about how this Pakistani military group came in and raided this house or did this or did that--in some of those cases, you're going to have Western folks that are right there at the house, if not in the house." Blackwater, he said, is paid by the Pakistani government through Kestral for consulting services. "That gives the Pakistani government the cover to say, 'Hey, no, we don't have any Westerners doing this. It's all local and our people are doing it.' But it gets them the expertise that Westerners provide for [counterterrorism]-related work."
The military intelligence source confirmed Blackwater works with the Frontier Corps, saying, "There's no real oversight. It's not really on people's radar screen."
In October, in response to Pakistani news reports that a Kestral warehouse in Islamabad was being used to store heavy weapons for Blackwater, the US Embassy in Pakistan released a statement denying the weapons were being used by "a private American security contractor." The statement said, "Kestral Logistics is a private logistics company that handles the importation of equipment and supplies provided by the United States to the Government of Pakistan. All of the equipment and supplies were imported at the request of the Government of Pakistan, which also certified the shipments."
The Secret US War in Pakistan | The Nation
Its clear that America has designed their Karachi base as its hub for control over Central Asia and it used its 2005 anti terror operations as a front to establish JSOC security over Karachi:
"Exclusive information gathered by Asia Times Online shows that Pakistan has provided extensive facilities to special United Kingdom and US units to train them in commando operations in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, which in many ways resembles the Iranian towns of Tehran, Shiraz, Isphan and other urban centers. Special forces from the US and Britain have staged unannounced exercises in Karachi.
During the exercises, the troops got to know different localities, residential areas, roads and exit points of the city, including railway and bus stations and the airport. For the exercises, the troops were provided with detailed maps of Karachi, including important buildings. The exercises, which started several weeks ago, ended on January 17, highly informed sources revealed to Asia Times Online. The troops were barracked at Malir Cant, the cantonment area of the Pakistan army adjacent to Karachi airport"
Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan
But since America staged the overthrow of the Taliban, Taliban have migrated to Karachi within the Pashtun community there and regrouping to become a growing force in Karachi. The Muhajirs primary political party, the MQM, is closely tied to secularism and promoting American regional interests. The August murder of Syed Haider in Karachi followed by riots, and the recent murder of Imran Farooq, MQM cofounder, reflect efforts to diminish MQM influence in Karachi. Moreover, media reports have linked the murders to Taliban operatives in Karachi who have identified Karachi as a primary target to resist American regional hegemony.
Moreover, America transports massive bulk shipments from Karachi through Peshwar along the Khyber Pass to American and NATO logistics hubs near Kabul. This transport line has been under increasing attacks resulting in success. More than half of all supplies pass through Karachi and down the supply line and anti American imperial military strategies appear to be focussing on Karachi and the entire supply line.
"Even the main highways are becoming more dangerous. The largest recent attack came just outside the relatively secure capital, Islamabad. More than 80 vehicles were destroyed, including armored military hardware labeled for the U.S. Afghan surge or troops. As with all convoys, there were no U.S. forces and no security guards.
According to witnesses, it took just 12 gunmen a matter of a few minutes to turn a massive resupply mission into a mass of charred, twisted and useless wreckage.
One Pakistani trucker on the convoy who was shot in the attack told us he was lucky to be alive and that he won't be driving U.S. supplies again.
After the attack, the Taliban handed out fliers threatening drivers with death if they worked such a convoy again.
"A greedy person may work for double the pay," Ubaid Ullah Anwar tells CNN through an interpreter. "But it's like committing suicide and I won't do it."
At the port city of Karachi where some U.S. supplies come ashore, containers are stacking up, many because more and more contractors say they won't touch them."
U.S. battles for supplies as convoy attacks increase – Afghanistan Crossroads - CNN.com Blogs
The critical center remains Karachi. And while America is not likely to leave Karachi any time soon, the reality of America's presence has not yet seen the light of day. Karachi was a seat of the Uprising in 1857 against British colonial rule. And the MQM continue to dominate Karachi despite not representing the rest of Pakistan or the growing interests of nonMuhajirs in Karachi. Its very likely that militant efforts will focus on ousting MQM control in order to oust American presence, and this would help by forcing America to expose its presence in the city.
"The ANP's leader in Karachi, Shahi Saed, urged his men to stop all hostilities against the MQM and warned that the situation was being manipulated by al-Qaeda and by the Taliban, who are ethnically Pashtuns. However, Pashtun youths ganged up against the Urdu community in defiance of all orders and MQM office bearers were killed and their offices ransacked.
The American consulate in Karachi played an active role in trying to calm the situation, to some effect, but the underlying tensions exploded with the killing of Haider on Monday.
As the battlelines now stand, all jihadi organizations and Pashtuns are in one camp. They are lined up against the MQM, the Sunni Tehrik (an anti-Taliban Sunni group), and all Shi'ite groups. "
Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan
And Allah knows best.