(Governor of NWFP Owais Ahmed Ghani has the right idea and a sound plan. He has said repeatedly that the Government should indeed negotiate but with whom? Not with the insurgents in FATA, NWFP and Balochistan but with their victims. The victims are more numerous and are even more motivated to protect their homes and hearths. The war in FATA (and its fall out in Pakistan) is no different to earlier insurrections; it is a war between the Mullah and the Tribal Leader. Mullah has the support of India, America and Israel but the tribal leaders are friendless as the provincial as well the federal government are also the friends of India, America and Israel. With the Army having put its weight on the side of the victims, the war is already being won in Swat, Dir and Bajaur. The best way to deal with Baitullah Mehsud is to help the Mehsud tribe (and other tribes) set upon him as they are even more eager to get rid of the menace that he represents. Let us support Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani in his low key but resolute method – the military and the tribes working together - for combating the insurrection. + Usman Khalid +)

Every movement in history has a direction, a quantum, and a modus operandi. According to the father of the philosophy of war, Carl Von Clausewitz, everything in strategy moves slowly, imperceptibly, subtly, somewhat mysteriously and sometimes invisibly. The greatness of military commanders or statesmen lies in assessing these strategic movements.

The USA inherited a historical situation in the shape of 9/11. At that point in time it was not making history if we agree that 9/11 was the work of Al Qaeda for which so far the USA has failed to furnish any solid evidence. After 9/11 when the USA attacked Afghanistan, US leaders and key military commanders were making history. They had a certain plan in mind. The stated objective of the plan was the elimination of Al Qaeda. The un-stated objective was the de-nulearisation of Pakistan. This scribe has continuously held this position consistently in articles published in The Nation from September 2001, all through 2002,2003,2004,2005 and till 2009.

The US strategic plan followed the following distinct phases:

An initial manoeuvre occupying Afghanistan in 2001.

Establishing and consolidating US military bases near the Afghan Pakistan border. Most prominent being the Khost, Jalalabad, Sharan and Kunar US bases. Some military bases like Dasht I Margo in Nimroz and three other bases in Kandahar, Badakhshan and Logar were so secret that their construction was not even advertised. Even in case of sensitive areas the contracts were awarded to the US Government owned Shaw Inc and the CIA proxy operated Dyncorps Corporation. Patriotic Afghans trained in USSR were removed from Afghan Intelligence because they would not agree to be a party to USA's dirty game in between 2001 and 2007. Similarly many patriotic Afghan officers trained in USSR were removed from the Afghan military establishment.

Cultivating various tribes in ethnic groups on the Pakistan Afghan border by awarding them lucrative construction and logistic sub contracts.

Forcing the Pakistani military to act against the FATA tribes thus destabilising Pakistan's North West area close to the strategic heartland of Peshawar-Islamabad-Lahore where Pakistan's political and military nucleus is located.

Creating a situation where mysterious insurgencies erupted in various parts of Pakistan including FATA, Swat and Balochistan.

Carrying forward urban terrorism into Punjab through various proxies.

Now it appears that the strategic plan is entering its final stage of launching a strategic coup de grace to Pakistan. These may be assessed as following:-

US military build-up in Afghanistan and launching of an offensive against Taliban with an aim of pushing them into Pakistan.

Simultaneously pressurising the Pakistan Army into launching an operation in Waziristan. Thus Pakistan Army gets severely bogged down and hundreds of thousands of refugees enter Pakistan’s NWFP and Balochistan provinces. Infiltrators and fifth columnists being a heavy promiscuous mixture of this movement.

Since 2001 the USA has spent a great fortune collecting information on Pakistan's strategic nuclear assets. It appears that in 2009 it has sufficient data to launch a covert operation.

The covert nuclear operation could have a civilian and a military part. The civilian part may involve an attack on Pakistan's non-military nuclear reactors like Chashma and KANUPP. The military covert operation could involve an attack on any of Pakistan's strategic nuclear groups anywhere in Pakistan. Once this type of attack is done the USA with its NATO lackeys like Britain, France and Germany would go the UN and manoeuvre an international resolution demanding denuclearization of Pakistan. The international opinion may be so strong that Pakistan's government may capitulate.

Once Pakistan is de-nuclearisaed the USA would encourage Pakistan's Balkanisation into a Baloch US satellite , a city state of MQM in Karachi, a Pakhtunistan badly bombed and in tatters and a Punjab stripped of nuclear potential , kicked and bullied by India. A Northern Area republic as a US lackey unless China decides to call the US bluff by occupying the Northern Area.

What is the answer to this:

* An immediate clean break with USA/NATO and closing all NATO/US supply lines to Afghanistan.

* Mining and barbed wiring the Afghan Pakistan Border.

* Allowing the FATA agencies to import goods for Afghanistan duty free and scrapping the old Afghan Transit Trade Accord thus economically boosting the FATA.

* A military alliance with China with a Chinese Naval base at Gwadar.

* A rapprochement with Russia and offering the Russians free port facilities at Gwadar.

* Creation of a maritime province in Gwadar and Lasbela districts insulating these areas from the Baloch Sardars on payroll of US intelligence.

* Creation of a Pashtun Province in the Pashtun districts of Balochistan with Quetta as its capital.

* Cancelling all mineral concessions to all European/Australian/American companies in Balochistan and grant all mineral concessions to Chinese companies.

Everything is not inevitable in history. The ablest navigators can defeat the worst sea storms. Pakistan needs strategic and political vision. It may be necessary to have the military in government to do all this in case the civilians prove inept