Comments on: General Sympathy: Aiding the Taliban

By: M.Srinath

M.Srinath — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:40:11 +0000

An incisive piece on the most dangerous aspect of Pakistan’s Army. I wish to know from Mr Zahid Hussain if this is solely Gen Zia’s gift to posterity as perceived by several ‘experts’.Can a civilian government pursue a foreign policy independent of such rabid elements in the Army?

By: Online Editor

Online Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:34:30 +0000

Correction:
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed stayed with a major at the Kohat Garrison; he was not a major in the Pakistan Army.

Newsline erroneously printed the following:
“Among them was a major Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11 attacks, who stayed within the Kohat Garrison before he was arrested in 2003.”

By: Online Editor

Online Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:32:25 +0000

Hanif: Thank you for pointing out an error. We have corrected it (see next comment).

By: hanif

hanif — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:07:18 +0000

great piece…but was khalid shaikh mohammed a major??

By: Online Editor

Online Editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:11:35 +0000

Salman: Valid point. Exploring people and personalities is key to good stories. It would be no easy task though: getting access to the right people (those named and those who worked with them and questioned them) would be necessary. But it is something we should look at. Thanks for the feedback.

By: Salman

Salman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:01:50 +0000

I think a case by case study is needed of all the inidividuals mentioned in this article. For example, take Major Haroon Rashid: it would be interesting to know what missions Rashid had conducted with the Pakistan Army before joining the Taliban, what was his ethnic background, his religious leanings etc to investigate what really was the turning point for them to take such a radical step. Yes, we already about these people and what they’ve done as mentioned in this post, but it would be better for the public if one digged a little deeper than the obvious…