US biggest threat, say Pakistanis

[Zak Malang]

US biggest threat, say Pakistanis

By Owen Fay, Aljazeera

A survey commissioned by Al Jazeera in Pakistan has revealed a widespread disenchantment with the United States for interfering with what most people consider internal Pakistani affairs.

The polling was conducted by Gallup Pakistan - a separate organisation affiliated with the US-based Gallup Inc - and more than 2,600 people took part.

Interviews were conducted across the political spectrum in all four of the country's provinces, and represented men and women of every economic and ethnic background.

When respondents were asked what they consider to be the biggest threat to the nation of Pakistan, 11 per cent of the population identified the Taliban fighters, who have been blamed for scores of deadly bomb attacks across the country in recent years.

Another 18 per cent said that they believe that the greatest threat came from neighbouring India, which has fought three wars with Pakistan since partition in 1947.

But an overwhelming number, 59 per cent of respondents, said the greatest threat to Pakistan right now is, in fact, the US, a donor of considerable amounts of military and development aid.

The resentment was made clearer when residents were asked about the Pakistan's military efforts to tackle the Taliban.

Keeping with recent trends a growing number of people, now 41 per cent, supported the campaign.

About 24 per cent of people remained opposed, while another 22 per cent of Pakistanis remained neutral on the question.

A recent offensive against Taliban fighters in the Swat, Lower Dir and Buner districts of North West Frontier Province killed at least 1,400 fighters, according to the military, but also devastated the area and forced two million to leave their homes.

The military has declared the operation a success, however, some analysts have suggested that many Taliban fighters simply slipped away to other areas, surviving to fight another day.

When people were asked if they would support government-sanctioned dialogue with Taliban fighters if it were a viable option the numbers change significantly.

Although the same 41 per cent said they would still support the military offensive, the number of those supporting dialogue leaps up to 43 per cent.

So clearly, Pakistanis are, right now, fairly evenly split on how to deal with the Taliban threat.

However, when asked if they support or oppose the US military's drone attacks against what Washington claims are Taliban and al-Qaeda targets, only nine per cent of respondents reacted favourably.

A massive 67 per cent say they oppose US military operations on Pakistani soil.

Forty-one per cent of Pakistanis say they support the offensive against the Taliban

"This is a fact that the hatred against the US is growing very quickly, mainly because of these drone attacks," Makhdoom Babar, the editor-in-chief of Pakistan's The Daily Mail newspaper, said.

"Maybe the intelligence channels, the military channels consider it productive, but for the general public it is controversial ... the drone attacks are causing collateral damage," he told Al Jazeera.

Nearly 500 people, mostly suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, are believed to have been killed in about 50 US drone attacks since August last year, according to intelligence agents, local government officials and witnesses.

Washington refuses to confirm the raids, but the US military in neighbouring Afghanistan and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are the only forces operating in the area that are known to have the technology.

The government in Islamabad formally opposes the attacks saying that they violate Pakistani sovereignty and cause civilian casualties which turn public opinion against efforts to battle the Taliban.

The consensus of opinion in opposition to US military involvement in Pakistan is notable given the fact that on a raft of internal issues there is a clear level of disagreement, something which would be expected in a country of this size.

When asked for their opinions on Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistani president, 42 per cent of respondents said they believed he was doing a bad job. Around 11 per cent approved of his leadership, and another 34 per cent had no strong opinion either way.

That pattern was reflected in a question about Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Respondents were asked if they thought the PPP was good or bad for the country.

About 38 per cent said the PPP was bad for the country, 20 per cent believed it was good for the country and another 30 per cent said they had no strong opinion.

Respondents were even more fractured when asked for their views on how the country should be led.

By far, the largest percentage would opt for Nawaz Sharif, a former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) party, as leader. At least 38 per cent backed him to run Pakistan.

Last month, the Pakistani supreme court quashed Sharif's conviction on charges of hijacking, opening the way for him to run for political office again.

Zardari, the widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, received only nine per cent support, while Reza Gilani, Pakistan's prime minister, had the backing of 13 per cent.

But from there, opinions vary greatly. Eight per cent of the population would support a military government, 11 per cent back a political coalition of the PPP and the PML-N party.

Another six per cent throw their support behind religious parties and the remaining 15 per cent would either back smaller groups or simply do not have an opinion.

Babar told Al Jazeera that Zardari's unpopularity was understandable given the challenges that the country had faced since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

"Any president in Pakistan would be having the same popularity that President Zardari is having, because under this situation the president of Pakistan has to take a lot of unpopular decisions," he said.

"He is in no position to not take unpopular decisions that are actually in the wider interests of the country, but for common people these are very unpopular decisions."

For the complete poll results, click here.

Source: Al Jazeera

 

[Zak Malang]

Na ndiyo kitu kinachonishangaza sana kutoka kwa Obama. Aliingia madarakani kwa sera za mabadiliko – yaani “change” – kuzibadilisha zile za kimauaji-mauaji za Bush na Cheney.

Mwezi Juni alikwenda Cairo na kutoa hotuba nzito kwa nchi za Kiarabau na za Kiisilamu za kutaka maelewano – kwamba Marekani iko tayari kwa maelewano iwapo nchi hizo nazo zitakubali kufanya hivyo kwa kufungua ukurasa mpya.

Lakini hayo yalikuwa maneneo tu, kwani kwa Afghanistan na Pakistan ni mwendo mdundo tu, na sasa anataka kumzidi Bush kwa kurusha makombora yake dhidi ya wapiganaji wa Taliban walioko Pakistan, ambao mengi badala yake huangukia na kuua raia wasiokuwa na hatia nchini Pakistan. Kwanza pekee huu nao ni ugaidi tu, na nashangaa kwa nini dunia iko kimya, au ni kwa sababu unafanywa na taifa la kistaarabu na kwa namna na silaha za “kistaarabu.”

Marekani na washiriki wake daima wanatutaka tuamini kuwa mauaji ya kujilipua ndiyo pekee ya kigaidi kwani yanafanywa kwa njia za “kishenzi.” Nasikitika kuona tayari tumepumbazwa kwa hilo.

Nilitarajia Obama angeamuru kusitisha mashambulizi hayo na kuanza mazungumzo. Mimi napata kizunguzungu na ndiyo maana wananchi wa Pakistan wametoa dukuduku lao katika kura hii ya maoni.

Marekani haiwezi kila kukicha ikaua raia halafu itegemee kupendwa na wananchi, sana sana itapendwa na serikali iliyopo madarkani kwani ina ushawishi nayo.

 

[MzalendoHalisi]

Wamarekani wana kazi sana Kuangamiza Talebani Pakistani na Afganistan

 

[Bull]

Hilary Clinton safari zake za Africa hakuna chochote zaidi ya kuwapanbanisha waafria wapigane wenyewe kwa wenyewe,

Wakenya watapewa kitu kidogo wapambane na wasomli na Eritiria, nahapo ndo Kenya itajitafutia balaa zaidi ya kuvamia vita visivyo muhusu, Wait & see

 

[Zak Malang]

Sasa hivi nilikuwa naangalia majadiliano katika Aljazeera kuhusu matokeo ya kura hiyo ya maoni yanayosema Marekani ni adui mkubwa wa Pakistan kuliko hata Taliban au India.

Tangu miaka ya 50 Marekani imekuwa swahiba mkubwa wa Pakistan, lakini jinsi inavyoonekana kwa sasa , uswahiba huo ulikuwa baina ya serikali, siyo wananchi.

Ghasia zinazoendlea Pakistan zinatokana na tukio la Septema 11, 2001 la mashambulizi ya kigaidi dhidi ya majengo huko New York ingawa hakuna hata raia mmoja wa Pakistan aliyehusika katika ugaidi huo, karibu wote walikuwa na watu wa Saudi Arabia (yaani Osama na kundi lake).

Kwa hivyo kwa muda wa miaka 8 sasa sasa wananchi wa Pakistan wemekuwa wakibebeshwa mzigo kwa kushambuliwa makombora katika kile kinachoitwa kuwasaka magaidi waliojificha humo, pamoja na wale wa kundi la Taliban.

Na sasa hivi hao akina Osama tayari wamesahauliwa, ni Taliban tu ndiyo maadui wakubwa wa Marekani na ndiyo wa kuangamizwa. Katika harakati hizi wananchi wengi wa Pakistan wasio hatia wanakufa bure tu, huku Taiban wanazidi kujizatiti.

Hii kura ya maoni inabidi imfanye Obama atumie busara sasa – kwani popote pale, mitutu ya bunduki haileti amani.

 

[MwanaFalsafa1]

Na ndiyo kitu kinachonishangaza sana kutoka kwa Obama. Aliingia madarakani kwa sera za mabadiliko – yaani “change” – kuzibadilisha zile za kimauaji-mauaji za Bush na Cheney.

Mwezi Juni alikwenda Cairo na kutoa hotuba nzito kwa nchi za Kiarabau na za Kiisilamu za kutaka maelewano – kwamba Marekani iko tayari kwa maelewano iwapo nchi hizo nazo zitakubali kufanya hivyo kwa kufungua ukurasa mpya.

Lakini hayo yalikuwa maneneo tu, kwani kwa Afghanistan na Pakistan ni mwendo mdundo tu, na sasa anataka kumzidi Bush kwa kurusha makombora yake dhidi ya wapiganaji wa Taliban walioko Pakistan, ambao mengi badala yake huangukia na kuua raia wasiokuwa na hatia nchini Pakistan. Kwanza pekee huu nao ni ugaidi tu, na nashangaa kwa nini dunia iko kimya, au ni kwa sababu unafanywa na taifa la kistaarabu na kwa namna na silaha za “kistaarabu.”

Marekani na washiriki wake daima wanatutaka tuamini kuwa mauaji ya kujilipua ndiyo pekee ya kigaidi kwani yanafanywa kwa njia za “kishenzi.” Nasikitika kuona tayari tumepumbazwa kwa hilo.

Nilitarajia Obama angeamuru kusitisha mashambulizi hayo na kuanza mazungumzo. Mimi napata kizunguzungu na ndiyo maana wananchi wa Pakistan wametoa dukuduku lao katika kura hii ya maoni.

Marekani haiwezi kila kukicha ikaua raia halafu itegemee kupendwa na wananchi, sana sana itapendwa na serikali iliyopo madarkani kwani ina ushawishi nayo.

Those were campaign politics and PR stunts from Obama and America. Did you really think Obama could come in and change the status quo and in a short time? Na pia ikumbuke kwamba Marekani wana stric system ya checks and balances siyo kama nyumbani ambapo raisi ndiyo alpha na omega katika kila maamuzi.

 

[jmushi1]

Shida ni kwamba hakuna anayetaka Taliban warudi tena Afghanistan kwasababu ndiyo tiketi ya matukio makubwa zaidi ya kiugaidi...Shida ni kwa wale wanaoamini kuwa vita hii ni yakidini,hapo ni lazima wananchi wengi ambao ni waislam watakuwa kinyume na marekani na ndio maana Taliban walivuka mpaka na kuingia Pakistani na kuwa na nguvu za kutisha kutokana na sapoti...Hata Musharaff mwenyewe alikuwa akijua kwamba jeshi lake lina elements za Alkaeda na limekuwa likiwapa taarifa za kiintejensia ikiwa ni pamoja na kushirikiana nao...The situation is very complicated,ila cha muhimu ni no more Taliban....Wakielewa hilo hakuna shida,shida iko kwasababu tayari wako manipulated kuwa dini yao iko under attack,very sad...Afghanistan ilichangia sana kuanguka kwa urusi,mmarekani ni budi awe makini,ila kuiingiza Pakistan kwenye mgogoro kunaleta dimension ya tofauti kwani Pakistani tayari wana matatizo yao na India ambayo hawawezi kuyafumbia macho hata iweje...Mambo yakiendela hivi situation inaweza kuwa unfolded in an absolutely un anticipated ways,ukichukulia wakati wa vita kuna wale wasiotaka kuloose peke yao,yani kuliko kushindwa ni bora kuwaingiza wengine ndani ili kuweka possibilities za ushindi.