Terrorism / seperatism
Terrorists ran amok in 2009 in our north western neighbourhood. There were more terrorist strikes and suicide bomb attacks despite the presence of armies of USA and other countries being on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unmanned drone attacks have also been used to target terrorists ensconced in tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
Suicide bombers are striking daily in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan seems to be facing the brunt of the impact of suicide bombers. For long periods of time during 2009 it was Swat valley which was the battle ground. Lahore was an unaffected place until terrorists launched an attack on Srilankan cricket team bus which was taking the team from hotel to Gaddafi stadium. The players had a providential escape due to the presence of mind of the alert bus driver. Karachi has seen suicide bomb attacks of sizeable magnitude every now and then culminating with the suicide bomber attack on day of Moharram.
The year also showed the world how a violent separatist movement under a despot which had assassinated Rajeev Gandhi and Premadasa could be tackled and subdued with determination. The dispensation at Colombo under President Rajapakase brooked no interference and went hammer and tong after the Tamil tiger army and recaptured areas of Northern Srilanka which have been under rebel Tamil grip for than a decade and a half.
Political will is required to tackle violent separatist movements and terrorism. Rajapakase has shown this in good measure. A generation of Tamils has lost education and livelihood under the despotic and intransigent leadership of Tamil separatist movements. Most of the separatist leaders have been captured. This act of Srilankan government augurs well in the fight against terrorism.
Let us hope we will see meaningful dialogue and political initiative in calming the nerves of disparate elements of Kashmir polity in the New Year 2010
Suicide bombers are striking daily in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan seems to be facing the brunt of the impact of suicide bombers. For long periods of time during 2009 it was Swat valley which was the battle ground. Lahore was an unaffected place until terrorists launched an attack on Srilankan cricket team bus which was taking the team from hotel to Gaddafi stadium. The players had a providential escape due to the presence of mind of the alert bus driver. Karachi has seen suicide bomb attacks of sizeable magnitude every now and then culminating with the suicide bomber attack on day of Moharram.
The year also showed the world how a violent separatist movement under a despot which had assassinated Rajeev Gandhi and Premadasa could be tackled and subdued with determination. The dispensation at Colombo under President Rajapakase brooked no interference and went hammer and tong after the Tamil tiger army and recaptured areas of Northern Srilanka which have been under rebel Tamil grip for than a decade and a half.
Political will is required to tackle violent separatist movements and terrorism. Rajapakase has shown this in good measure. A generation of Tamils has lost education and livelihood under the despotic and intransigent leadership of Tamil separatist movements. Most of the separatist leaders have been captured. This act of Srilankan government augurs well in the fight against terrorism.
Let us hope we will see meaningful dialogue and political initiative in calming the nerves of disparate elements of Kashmir polity in the New Year 2010
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