Tag Archives: Pakistan

Gunmen Affiliated with Islamic State Kill Foreigners in Bangladesh Café

Twenty hostages, mostly foreigners were killed in Dhaka, Bangladesh Friday July 1st after armed gunmen declaring loyalty to the Islamic State stormed a popular tourist café. The victims included nine Italians, seven Japanese nationals, and one American. According to Reuters, five assailants allegedly entered the café and told Bangladeshis to stand up before beginning to kill foreigners. The gunmen originally decided to spare Muslims but later killed the ones who were unable to recite the Quran. Following a 12-hour siege, government forces stormed the café, killing all but one of the Jihadists; one of the hostages, a kitchen worker in the café, also died in the process. The attackers were wealthy, educated Bangladeshi citizens. whom authorities had previously investigated for terror.

The siege is one of the latest in a string of attacks since the Islamic State called for during increased violence during the month of Ramadan. Turkey, France, the US, and Saudi Arabia are just some of the many countries that have experienced attacks in the past month.

Since September 2015, Bangladesh has seen numerous attacks targeting secular bloggers, social activists, and ethnic minorities; a quarter of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State, with many of the others having been claimed by smaller jihadist groups. Despite this, the ruling secular Awami League party continues to deny the Islamic State’s role in the attacks, blaming it on the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which includes a number of Islamist groups among its sub-parties. These claims are not completely unfounded, a number of the people that have been killed have been members of the Shahbag movement, which seeks to punish Jamaat el Islamiya for war crimes committed during the 1971 civil war with Pakistan. This has made sectarian tensions exceptionally high as members of JeI are affiliated with the BNP.

But this attack is unique in that it directly targeted foreigners rather than Bangladeshis. Alas, while previous attacks have mostly individual murders, this is the most deadly act of terror in the country’s history. The attack was especially shocking because it was an atypical attack in Bangladesh. Instead of targeting a bar or club, places routinely targeted by jihadists, the jihadists attacked a café, likely because of its location. The upscale Gulshan neighborhood is a popular destination for expatriates and diplomats and contains a large number of embassies. The neighborhood was considered to be quite safe, with most of the buildings fenced in, driveways gated, and security guard booths scattered around the neighborhood.

It is clear that attacking Gulshan, and specifically foreigners was meant to send the message that nowhere is safe. It shows that the Islamic State is not afraid to target westerners anywhere in the world; even in neighborhoods often considered to be safe.

It is also likely a play to destabilize Bangladesh, which has been seen as an attractive target by both IS and Al Qaeda due to growing sectarian tensions between the secular Awami League and its Islamist opposition. Bangladeshis who view growing secularism as a threat may begin to see Jihad a viable option. The perceived vulnerability of Bangladesh following the attacks may make foreign businessmen reconsider their decision to invest in Bangladesh, which is the second largest exporter of garments in the world after India. The attack may also cause westerners to reconsider travelling to Bangladesh, increasing the amount of countries perceived to be ridden with terror. Targeting of western influence and business investment has also been an attractive target in other countries where government regimes have cracked down on Islamist opposition, notably Egypt and Tunisia.

Afghanistan President Says No More Peace Talks With The Taliban

On Monday, April 25, 2016, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani officially announced he would no longer seek future peace talks with the Taliban. This comes as a major blow for the Afghan president whose foreign policy centered on a commitment to the talks. He has now called upon Pakistan to help defeat Taliban insurgents which plague Pakistan’s tribal belt.

In a speech to the Afghan parliament Ghani asked Pakistan to be a “responsible government” and launch attacks against the Taliban and its allies, warning that if Pakistan fails to do so Afghanistan plans to refer the issue to the UN Security Council.

Numerous factors have caused Pakistani Taliban insurgents to cross into Afghanistan. First, the withdraw U.S. and NATO coalition forces in 2014. Second, in July 2014 Pakistan’s military launched “Operation Zarb-e-Zab” which displaced thousands of Pakistani, Arab, and Uzbek Taliban members from Pakistan’s Waziristan tribal area. Third, while Afghan security forces have struggled to hold off Taliban insurgents they lack aircraft support and reconnaissance and intelligence capabilities.

Ghani referred to the Taliban as “terrorists” for the first time in his presidency a statement he had avoided calling them in his first 18-months in office. He does not expect Pakistan to hand over the Taliban for any future negotiations, so Afghanistan security forces will now have to confront the group and any of its supporters.

There will also be no amnesty for Taliban insurgents under Ghani’s reign, which seemed to take a direct shot at former Afghan president Hamid Karzai who was suspected of releasing thousands of insurgents who claimed they revoked violence. One of last week’s truck bombers is suspected of receiving a reprieve from Karzai.

The Taliban took note of Ghani’s remarks and on social media claimed that Ghani and his cabinet were nothing more than “slaves” and “lackeys” under the imperialist watch of the nation run by “Kerry” referring to Secretary of State John Kerry.

Last week a truck bomb detonated in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital and killed 64 while injuring another 347. It was the worst terrorist attack in the capital city since the suicide bombings killed 54 worshippers at a Kabul mosque during the festival of Ashura in December 2011. Afghanistan Intelligence into the truck bombing revealed that the Haqqani network, a Taliban-allied group was responsible for the attack.

Ghani along with Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of Afghanistan’s Unity Government remained supportive of talks with the Taliban following a truck bomb attack last August injured 400 Afghans. In January 2016, a meeting was held consisting Afghanistan, Pakistan, the U.S., and China on how to handle the Taliban problem after they refused to show up for the talk. Pakistan made a pledge to utilize military action against the group, at the same time indicating they can only influence, not control the group.

Prior peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have made little progress as the Taliban would not even attend talks until the withdrawal of foreign troops. The Taliban has re-engaged Afghan security forces under the most recent “Taliban Spring Offensive”.

Ghani may feel that Afghanistan has made every effort to broker a deal with the Taliban and to no effect. Given the failure of talks, the Afghans may need to seek new support for a military effort against the Taliban. The Obama administration had previously reversed insistence on withdrawal prior to the end of the President’s term in 2017. U.S. forces have largely been restricted from aggressively engaging the Taliban; something retiring General John Campbell has called for publicly, in order to push back against Taliban offensive despite lower than recommended U.S. Troops levels.

Absent a change in the level of U.S. commitment, Afghanistan may go elsewhere for support, with report of seeking Chinese and Russian aid.

 

Taliban Launch Deadliest Attack on Kabul Since 2011

Today, April 19, 2016, the Taliban launched an attack on the Afghanistan capital of Kabul killing at least 28 and wounding another 320. The Taliban used a combination of suicide bombs and gunfire against the government security building in the capital. Reuters reports this the most lethal attack on the Afghan capital since 2011.

The Taliban have continued to challenge the Afghan government, and they will continue to launch strikes like the one today until they are met with substantial force. President Obama hopes to leave 5,500 soldiers in the country by the end of his presidency, but General John Campbell has suggested that the U.S. force in the country should remain at upwards of 10,000. While President Obama has allowed for a contingent of 9,600 to remain in the country, this has done little to deter the Taliban from its campaign of making territorial gains in key areas.

The Taliban reclaimed roughly one-third of the country following the end of NATO combat operations in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. While around 13,000 international troops remain in the country they have taken a largely logistical role, with some counterterrorism functions. The Afghan forces are far less capable of deterring the Taliban, and there are reports Government soldiers are defecting to the Taliban.

While today’s attack was the worst attack since 2011, it certainly was not the first since 2011. The Taliban have been active around the region, launching attacks on Afghan government, security forces, and international forces personnel.

  • June 22, 2015, the Taliban detonated a car bomb outside the Afghan parliament building, and followed this with a gun assault on the building. The attack killed 2 and wounded another 28.
  • June 30, 2015, the Taliban detonate a suicide car bomb near a NATO convoy in Kabul, killing one and wounding another 21.
  • October 11, 2015, the Taliban attacked a UK military convoy in a residential area wounding seven people.
  • February 27, 2016, a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his vest killing 12.

The Taliban were formed in the early 1990s from a faction of mujahedeen fighters. The group was quick to gain control of major cities including Kandahar, and by 1996 they had control over Kabul. The Taliban strictly enforced Islamic law of Sharia over all its controlled territories, ruling roughly 90% of Afghanistan at the time of the U.S. invasion following September 11th, 2001.

Despite the lethality of the Taliban campaign, Afghan leaders, as well as Pakistan, the U.S., and China have continued to push for peace talks, in failed attempts convince the Taliban to integrate into the government.

Afghanistan, the U.S., Pakistan, and China have held two rounds of talks in which the Taliban have been absent from each. The Taliban has insisted that key members be removed from sanctions blacklists or released from prison prior to engaging in talks.

The Taliban are not the only group that the Afghan and U.S. forces have to focus on. The Islamic State has begun to grow within Afghanistan, and they have already launched attacks in the country. The U.S. and Afghan forces have been able to engage IS successfully, but the more they are forced to focus on IS, the less they can focus on the Taliban.

The current number of international soldiers in Afghanistan has done little to deter either Islamic State or the Taliban, in large part because U.S. and coalition forces are not engaged in combat operations.

While General Campbell has said current numbers are adequate for force protection and the support mission, U.S. troops lack permission to undertake offensive operations against Taliban forces. Until that changes, its highly unlikely the Taliban remain confident that it can acquire through force of arms more than it will be offered in negotiations.

If establishing a stable Afghanistan government is a U.S. interest, it may be time for the U.S. and NATO to regain control over the fight.

China Seeks Stability in Afghanistan for Economic Benefit

As the Afghanistan peace talks continue to prove fruitless, China is beginning to consider a larger security role in the country. In March of this year China pledged to send “$70 million in military aid and proposed a four-nation security bloc including Pakistan and Tajikistan.” Along with the $70 million, China is set to donate $327 million to the Afghan government.

While China’s aid is much smaller than the United States, their increased support to Afghanistan shows their concern for the stability of the region. China recently invested $46 billion in Pakistan, and its increased aid to Afghanistan shows its desire to protect that investment by preventing unrest from continuing to spillover the border.

The Afghan peace talks, orchestrated by Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the U.S. have centered on the integration of the Taliban into the Afghan government. The Taliban refuses to sit in on these talks or share power with the current government. The Taliban have instead listed several preconditions to their arrival including all foreign troops leaving Afghanistan, the release of prisoners, and removing sanctions from Taliban leaders.

While the governments sponsoring talks hold out an apparently naïve hope that the Taliban will agree to peace, the Taliban has little reason to come to the negotiation table. Since last September the Taliban have been on the offensive, and now control over one-third of Helmand province, and continue to push towards the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The Afghan government is currently on the defensive, and the Taliban have little reason to make concessions.

In February, the U.S. announced it will begin to deploy hundreds of troops to the Helmand province to aid the fight against the Taliban, but it would not be increasing the overall troop levels in the country. At the moment, the U.S. force in Afghanistan sits at roughly 9,800 troops. President Obama has pushed for troop reductions in the past, but the current situation in Afghanistan has apparently forced him to reconsider.

Some in the Afghan government feel the current troop numbers may not be enough and the Afghan government is likely to need all the help it can get, as Reuters reports that the Taliban has announced the start of their annual Spring offensive. The Taliban have also reportedly seen senior members from the Islamic State’s (IS) defect to its ranks as well as Afghan military personnel.

While China is set to spend potentially billions of dollars in the future, it has already invested significant amounts of money in mines within Afghanistan. China has already invested heavily into the Anyak copper mine, which is located southeast of Kabul, and the Amu Darya oil field, which is situated in northern Afghanistan. Afghanistan is home to a plethora of rare earth elements (REE) that China may seek to invest in. It is reported that the undeveloped mineral resources within Afghanistan can be worth upwards of $1 trillion.

Outside of mining Afghanistan’s valuable resources, China has also set to reopen one of its most ancient trade networks. CNBC reported that China is “moving to revitalize the ancient Silk Road trade network,” running through the Middle East, parts of Africa, and Europe. Carnegie Middle East Center states China’s Silk Road Economic Belt strategy includes, “the construction of railways and highways to better connect Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East.”

The Silk Road is not just intended to bring trade to other nations, however. The Silk Road is predominantly intended to give Chinese companies the opportunities to seek lucrative contracts abroad. The Silk Road will allow China to lower the cost of shipping while also accessing key markets around the world. By doing this, China is lowering the influence and economic opportunity the West has around the world.

China’s interest in creating a stable Afghanistan is so they may mine its REE’s and establish an efficient Silk Road. The U.S. has stated its support behind China’s initiative, but aiding China’s strategic interests may come back to harm the U.S. Allowing China to establish this vast trade network will give the Chinese the ability to further its influence around the world, potentially to the detriment of the U.S.

Bombing Targets Pakistani Christians on Easter Sunday

Yesterday, March 28, 2016, a suicide bomber targeting Pakistani Christians in Lahore, Pakistan killed 70 and wounded another 341. 14 of those killed were identified as Christians.The bomber, identified as Muhammed Yusuf, detonated his explosives in a crowded park, where Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday.

Jamaat ul-Ahrar, a Pakistani Taliban splinter group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group broke away from the Pakistani Taliban in 2014, and it was reported the group swore allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), but this is not fully confirmed.

  • In November 2014, a twin bombing targeting the peace committee volunteers in Chinari village killed at least 6.
  • That same month Jamaat ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for a grenade attack that targeted a camp of the group Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) the attack injured 20 people including three parliamentarians. The attack was revenge for the arrest of several members of the Pakistani Taliban.
  • Last year the group targeted two Roman Catholic churches in Lahore killing 14 and wounding another 70.

Since the blast, Pakistani security forces have arrested a number of terrorist suspects in separate raids in cities across Punjab province. Pakistan has launched several military operations against the Pakistani Taliban in the past, but their efforts to stifle terrorism will become increasingly difficult if more splinter groups make themselves known in the country.

The Easter attack is not the only mess Pakistan’s security forces are focused on at the moment. Since late February, Pakistani citizens have protested the killing of a former police officer who assassinated the governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, in 2011. Mumtaz Qadri was serving as Taseer’s bodyguard when he turned on the governor and shot him 29 times in the back.

Taseer came under intense criticism for defending a Christian woman sentenced to death for breaking the country’s blasphemy law. Since his arrest in 2011, Qadri has been hailed as a hero by many in Pakistani’s Muslim majority. A mosque named after him has seen a dramatic rise in attendance.

Over the weekend it was estimated around 25,000 supporters of Qadri took to the streets in Islamabad protesting the assassin’s execution. The protest soon turned violent as protestors began throwing rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas.

The protestors are demanding the government release Islamic activists in detention. BBC reports that Pakistan arrests over 100 people a year for blasphemy, but the majority of those arrested are Christians. Pakistan has capital punishment for blasphemy, although typically those convicted remain in prison under de facto life sentences.

Since this weekend’s protests, demonstrators have staged a sit-in outside of Pakistan’s parliament building. However, Dawn, a Pakistani media source, has stated some protestors have set fire to cars and continue to demand the government impose Sharia law and list Qadri as a martyr.

The Pakistani government has urged media outlets to reduce the coverage of the protests, but there’s little reason to believe this will help quell the violence. For years Pakistan has suffered from religious violence, almost all of it directed against non-Muslims and Muslim minority sects.

The religious violence in Pakistan is likely to get worse, as many of the Islamist factions within Pakistan have threatened widespread protests over what they view as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s pro-Western stance, including the decision to officially recognized holidays celebrated by the country’s minority religions, the Hindu festival of Holi and the Christian holiday of Easter.

The Pakistani security forces face a growing challenge of keeping their country safe. Their multi-year war against the Pakistani Taliban does not seem to be coming to a close any time soon, and more Islamist groups seem to be forming every year. The government will also have to be prepared for potential security forces defection, as Qadri has illustrated, even those designated to protect may turn at any second.

While the Afghan Government Focuses on Peace Talks the Taliban Focus on Controlling Afghanistan

The Taliban have continued their campaign against the Afghan government after detonating a suicide bomb at a clinic north of Kabul, Monday, February 22, 2016. The attacker, riding a motorcycle, targeted an Afghan police commander, killing 14 and wounding 11 including the police commander.

The Taliban’s insurgency has increased dramatically following the pull out of U.S. forces in 2014. The Afghan government and remaining U.S. and allied troops have struggled to prevent further attacks and have proposed peace talks to quell the violence.

Monday’s attack came as Afghan forces began to pull out of Musa Qala and Nawzad districts of the Helmand province, allowing the Taliban to easily reclaim the territory. Afghan commanders have claimed the move was to concentrate soldiers more effectively in the region.

While the government continues to lose ground, the Taliban have been extending their control. It is estimated the Taliban now control or threaten up to one-third of the country.

The Helmand Province is a major source of Afghanistan’s opium production, and controlling Helmand province could provide a financial shot in the arm for the Taliban’s campaign against the government.

Afghan forces are retreating from outlying areas in Helmand, in part, to better secure the major city of Sangin, in the Southern part of the Helmand Province. Government forces were able to secure Sangin following a Taliban assault the city in late December. In early February the Taliban launched a second assault that Afghan forces have struggled to put down. If the Taliban were able to secure the city it would put them in a dominant position over the entire province.

Apart from Sangin, the Taliban were able to capture and hold Kunduz for a short period of time. The Taliban were only able to hold the city for 15 days, but the seizure served as a sign of the resurgent strength of the Taliban.

The Afghan government along with China, The U.S., and Pakistan have sought to find peace with the Taliban. The first round of talks took place earlier this year, but the Taliban refused to attend. The national governments hope to restart talks in the beginning of March, but there remains no assurance that the Taliban will come to the table, unsurprising since there appears to be no reason for the Taliban to consider peace negotiations, given their continued successes.

Electrical Grid Remains a Vulnerable Target to Nations and Terrorists

Today, Afghani and Israeli infrastructure were targeted by outside forces. In Afghanistan, the Taliban blew up a major electricity pylon in Dand-e-Shahabuddin area knocking out power to the entire region. In Israel, the Public Utility Authority was the target of one of the country’s largest cyber attacks in history.

Afghanistan and Israel will be able to recover from the recent attacks, but these events illustrate how susceptible a nation’s infrastructure can be. The Taliban were able to easily knock out power to an entire region without any high tech equipment, while the entire nation of Israel would have been effected if the attack was not stopped.

This is not the first, and certainly not the last, time an outside force has attacked a nation’s grid.

  • March 31, 2015, 44 of Turkey’s 81 provinces lost power for twelve hours after their grid was alledgedly hacked by Iran.
  • January 2015, cities and towns across Pakistan lost power after Baluchistani rebels attacked a transmission line.
  • June 9, 2014, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) attacked a transmission tower that blacked out the entire nation of Yemen.
  • In December 2015, Russia was suspected of hacking Ukrainian power stations, causing tens of thousands of Ukrainians to lose power.
  • 2013, the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press reported on several occasions when Iranians infiltrated the U.S. power grid and, on one occasion, a dam in New York.
  • 2010, a North Korean defector spoke with BBC Click about North Korean hackers began using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to target control systems of critical infrastructure.

Whether high tech or low tech, attacks on the grid can be carried out by anyone or any group. In the case of Yemen, AQAP simply fired grenades at a Yemeni transmission tower and blacked out the whole nation. With powerful nations relying heavily on electricity, it is imperative for nations to secure their grids and protect against a possible incursion.

As a well developed nation it is not enough to just prepare against high tech incursions. Securing servers and putting up firewalls will not stop an explosive or gunfire from ruining a system. The United States must prepare for a full spectrum of attacks from its enemies.

John Riggi, a section chief at the FBI’s cyber division, mentioned in a CNN article that IS had been attempting to hack into the U.S. grid, but have been unsuccessful. However, he later mentions that it is possible to gain the technology necessary from the black market. Some companies have been cited selling hacking equipment to oppressive governments.

Hackers have offered hacking training on internet forums for a small fee. The tools to hack into control systems on power plants and dams are easily accessible on the internet. Powerful nations and average people now have access to the knowledge to do critical damage to a nation’s vital infrastructure.

With all of these threats it is important for the U.S. to know who their enemies are. As the CNN article mentioned, while IS has been unsuccessful, they still have the potential and desire to hack our grid. U.S. Defense leaders are well aware of the threats We currently do not have a strategy to deter actors like China and Russia from proliferating hacking capabilities to other hostile actors.

Taliban Continue War Against Afghan Government Amid Peace Talks

On Sunday, January 17, 2015, a suicide bomber struck the house of a prominent, local Afghan politician Obaiduallah Shinwari. The blast killed 14 and wounded another 13. Shinwari escaped with minor injuries.

It is still unconfirmed who was responsible for the attack, but Taliban leaders have voiced their innocence. The second round of Afghan peace talks was set to take place soon, and some believe this attack was meant to disrupt any meaningful progress. The talks are meant to focus on a possible peace between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

The Taliban were absent from the first talks, but the U.S., China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan all took part. For almost a decade the government has been at war with the Taliban, and internal and external powers would like to see an end of hostilities.

Peace may be even more critical in the upcoming years as a branch of the Islamic State (IS) has begun its push into Afghanistan. Last week IS incited an attack near the Pakistani consulate building in Jalalabad. While ideologically aligned, the Taliban and IS remain competitors.

While the Taliban may not have been behind Monday’s bombing, they have done little to show their commitment to peace. This past September the Taliban overran the city of Kunduz after months of fighting government forces. The capture of Kunduz served as not only a military victory, but also a political victory. Kunduz was the largest city to be captured by the Taliban since 2001. While in the city, the Taliban released hundreds of Afghan prisoners into the streets and reportedly burned police stations.

Government forces were able to recapture the city of Kunduz, but their troubles did not end there. Just months later in December, the Taliban launched a major attack on the Kandahar airport, one of the most heavily fortified military compounds in the country. The attacks resulted in 22 military personnel and 9 Taliban being killed.

Later in December the Taliban attempted to capture Sagin. If the Taliban had captured Sagin they would have been able to cut off a key supply line coming from Lashkar Gah. The Taliban would have had better mobility in the north. Government forces were eventually able to stop the assault, but lost a police headquarters and the governor’s compound.

While Afghanistan, the U.S., Pakistan, and China would all like the Afghan government and Taliban to come together, recent trends would suggest peace is not on the horizon. The Taliban’s attacks on Kunduz and Sagin indicated the Taliban are trying to weaken the Afghan government militarily and politically. Currently the Taliban are attempting to control the Helmad region. Afghan and U.S. forces are working together to repel their attacks, but even if they stop the Taliban here there will surely be more attacks to come.

Back in October, President Obama issued a statement claiming around 5,500 American troops will remain in the country after he leaves office, but given the 10,000 soldiers currently in Afghanistan have been unable to positively impact the current situation, a downgrade will make matters worse. Given the failing strategy of the Obama Administration, it is up to the next President to thoroughly evaluate America’s Afghan policy.

Pakistani Taliban Continue to Fight Back in Northeast

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for suicide bombing a security checkpoint along a Pakistani highway in the Peshawar region, Tuesday. A Talban supporter reportedly drove a bomb-laden motorcycle into the security checkpoint killing 10 and wounding another 20. A TTP splinter group has also claimed responsibility for the attack.

TTP senior commander Mabool Dawar claimed the attack was in retaliation to recent arrests and killings of Taliban supporters. The increase in arrests is a result of an increase in security forces along the Pakistani-Afghan border to combat the influence of the Taliban and other groups in the region.

Reuters reports the number of attacks has gone down since the government forces crackdown on terrorist groups in the region, however TTP has continued to conducted attacks around the country in recent months. Just last week TTP claimed responsibility for the bombing of a polio center that killed 15.

The recent government crackdown was instigated by a TTP assault on a Pakistani school that killed 145 people, 132 of them being schoolchildren. The government responded with fierce air strikes against Taliban strongholds, and has since been closely monitoring the border region to limit operations in the Northeast.

Since June of 2014, Pakistani government forces have launched numerous offensives under Operation Zarb-e-Azb to route the Taliban out of the border region. However, this offensive has sparked extreme hostility from TTP.

Last Friday Newsweek reported that nearly 80 TTP supporters surrendered to government forces. An unnamed Tribal Leader hoped that this would be the beginning of more surrenders by Taliban forces, yet recent weeks have painted a different picture. The surrender may have been the impetus for Tuesday’s attack, and there may be more to come in the future.

TTP seems to be less intimated than government and news sources have led on. While the number of attacks may have gone down, TTP have been more brazen in recent months attacking security forces and installations in the region. In September 2014, TTP launched an attack on a Pakistani naval yard in Karachi that killed one person. This past September, TTP fighters attacked a Pakistani air force base in Peshawar, which killed 29 people.

Aside from attacking military installations, TTP and Pakistani Taliban splinter groups have continued to target civilian populations throughout Pakistan. On January 30, 2015, Jundullah, a TTP splinter group, bombed a Shia Mosque in the Shikarpur district killing 40 people. February 13, 2015, TTP attacked another Shia mosque in Peshawar killing another 20. March 15, 2015, TTP attacked a church during Sunday Mass in Lahore killing 14. Finally on December 29, 2015, TTP claimed responsibility for the bombing of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office killing 26 and wounding another 45.

The Pakistani Taliban may have lessened the number of attacks since the government crackdown, but they are still playing a dangerous role in the country. With the U.S. limiting its military and drone efforts around the region the only force to challenge TTP is Pakistani government forces.

Polio, Bin Laden, and the Doctor

Blog Four: Polio, Bin Laden, and the Doctor

On January 13, 2016, a polio facility in the city of Quetta, Pakistan was attacked by suicide bomber killing 15 including 13 police officers and injuring another 23 bystanders. A few hours later, Ahmed Marwatt, spokesman for the Jundullah or Army of God, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The group was known to have ties to the Taliban and has promised more attacks if the polio vaccinations do not stop. This tragedy has unfortunately become an all too common theme for Pakistan a combination of anti-American sentiment, the Taliban, and a covert operation conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Throughout the nineteen nineties, uninformed Pakistani’s were told that polio vaccine was used to sterilize Muslims; clerics falsely described that the vaccine contained pig products a taboo for Muslims. In October 1999, 588 cases of polio were diagnosed throughout Pakistan.

In 2006, Maulana Fazlullah, jihadist cleric of the banned Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law), spearheaded efforts against government backed health programs. he wanted polio program banned from Pakistan as he believed it was a conspiracy created by the west. Maulana Fafzlullah, is now leader of the Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan (TPP) and approves and praises attacks on polio workers in the wake of the bin laden raid.

Many within the Taliban and other militant groups look at  Dr. Shakil Alfridi as the perfect example of why not to allow the polio program in Pakistan. The Pakistani media claim he worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) willingly to run a covert polio vaccine campaign in the Abbottabad, Pakistan.  They were convinced the doctor could obtain the information if Usama Bin Laden was within the compound.

Doctor Afridi insists he thought he was working for “Save the Children” which included running Hepatitis B campaign, which included gathering DNA samples. He stated that he admiration for the United States but never knew he was to be part of a plot. Praised as a hero in Washington, D. C.,  and vilified by Pakistan, and now serving a twenty three year prison sentence Dr. Afridi may be the most tragic figure in Pakistan’s polio war.

Between 2012 and 2015, 78 polio workers have been killed, and dozens more injured for trying to administer polio vaccine. Some of the most graphic killings came in December 2012 when Taliban militants executed a string of attacks on Karachi, Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera.

On October 7, 2013, an attack on an attack on a medical distribution camp in Suleman Khel area of Peshawar and killed seven including four security officers. Attacks spiked again in 2014 as more security and police were sent to guard polio clinics.

Pakistan is gradually making progress on the war on polio and have entered regions like the northern Waziristan, an area controlled by the Taliban, and for years never allowed polio vaccine programs.  However, there remain jihadist leaders and followers though out Pakistan who will continue their attacks on these medical clinics.

Pakistan has the highest rate of Polio in the world just ahead of Afghanistan and Nigeria, so there is a critical need for these vaccines.

Despite an uptick in violence against polio workers following the exposure of Dr. Afridi’s role in the intelligence operation which led to the Bin Laden Raid, the reality is that Pakistani jihadist groups were always mobilized against the polio campaign as part of their ongoing conflict with the Pakistani government, and against Western influences more generally.