BULLETIN:Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s second in command, has sung the praises of former Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud on a videotape produced by As Sahab and distributed on jihadi forums. Zawahiri used Baitullah’s death to praise the Taliban’s fight against NATO and the US in Afghanistan. This story outlines what al Qaeda believes about the Pakistan Government and Military, that they work for foreign governments, not for the people.]
Artificial lines separating Tribes are causing the problems that can not be solved with guns/bombs/drones.
Two of the Huge Problems that no one is facing in Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan are due to artificial borders laid out years ago. The Iraq problem is what to do with the Kurds, who lay claim to Kirkuk (after Saddam sent Iraqi’s into Kirkuk and chased out/killed many Kurds so now the population is not a high majority of Kurds like it was before Saddam’s action), the richest underdeveloped oil fields in Iraq. Who gets this oil? Will the Iraqi’s kill all the Kurds? Will the Turks help out as many Kurds are in what is known as Turkey? The Turks battle and kill Kurds when they please. Read our story 40 Million? Leyla Zana speaks for them.
Kurdish Woman's headdress
The Afghanistan/Pakistan problem is that the majority of both of these countries should be called Pashtunistan, because almost 40 million Pashtuns make up this area, but they have no country, they are either Afghani or Pakistani. So the U.S. brings them Democracy, a Constitution, a Central Government, something that is totally against the culture of both the Kurds and the Pashtuns.
Pashtun Women in headdress
The Pashtuns are run by Pashtunwali, an alternative form of social organization, see our story here. Over the centuries, complex and sophisticated conflict-resolution mechanisms, legal codes, and alternative forms of governance have developed in the region. The rural Pashtuns prefer their own mechanisms to alien, external ones, because, in their perceptions, theirs are clearly superior, said Thomas Johnson/M. Chris Mason in No Sign until the Burst of Fire.
The splitting up of land masses and calling the areas within artifical lines “Countries” has led to much damage in Central Asia and many other places. Let’s look at Pashtunistan, an area of land that is made up primarily of people of Pastun descent. It happens to not be a country at all. It was divided by an artificial line, the Durand Line in 1893. Pashtunistan is now the area that is under the most fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan as Pastunistan covers most of what is now called Afghanistan, and a majority of the lands now called Pakistan, which was known as British India before Pakistan was cut out of India. Here’s Pashtunistan:
The Green Area is Pashtunistan (2007 map) The Green line is the Durand Line with a small change since 1893
Let’s take a quick look to Kurdistan. The Kurds have a small area of Iraq on the North that they are left to self-govern. This is all of the recognized areas that the Kurds now have, even though there are over 40 Million Kurds in four different countries, all held down by their new Nation. Here’s what Kurdistan should look like:
Another map of Kurdistan, for comparison purposes:
A different map of Kurdistan Area
And of course, the new highlighted area “Balochistan”, an area of land that is now all within Pakistan, and was cut into Pakistan when India and Pakistan border was laid out. The Baloch’s are a proud and ancient tribe of people, see our story on Balochistan
Balochistan and the other three areas that should be countries
Gowar Shakar Bibi, founder of Baloch Women Panel(BWP) at a press conference in January 2005 condemning the Pakistani operation against Baloch people in New Kahan.
Action YOU can take:
Congress Should Vote “No” on 2010 Military Budget! To reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121 Leave a message: Vote No on the Military budget. End the War(s).
Today, please tell your member of Congress and U.S. Senators to End the War in Afghanistan, sign this petition. If you live outside the United States, write to your leaders, End the War Now.
Tags: Afghanistan, Baitullah Mehsud, Baloch, Baloch Independence, Balochistan, Balochistan Map, Durand Line, End the war, Iraq, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Map, Kurds, Pakistan, Pashtunistan, Pastunistan Map, Pastuns, taliban, The Long War, Zawahiri
October 27, 2009 at 6:18 am |
[...] Durand Line that cut up parts of Central Asia in 1893, and other political divisions were wrong. See our Durand Line story here. * * * Take Action Now: Call President Obama: To reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 [...]
November 21, 2009 at 6:21 am |
[...] There should be an Independent Kurdistan, much larger than the current Iraq Kurd area. There should also be an Independent Pastunistan, since 2/3 of Afghanistan’s area is Pashtun populated, Pashtuns number over 40 Million and have no home country. There should be an Independent Balochistan, with over 7 Million population, and over 45% of the Pakistan country lands. The Durand Line that cut up parts of Central Asia in 1893, and other political divisions were wrong. See our Durand Line story here. [...]