Protest after pakistan bombings

[Petrol_noggin]

Now im not too well read on the politics of Pakistan, so Im wondering if anyone could tell me the purpose of a 'protest' against the bombings in pakistan by military forces. I understand that many innocents were killed, but what is the purpose of this particular march?

I understand a vigil for the victims, or a silence, but a full on march with shouts of "death to America" just doesnt put any political point forwards as far as I can see.

[eccles]

they are protesting about the yanks not asking permission before killing a load of 'friendly' civilians.
seeing as pakistan is on our side in the war on terror, it would have been diplomatcaly polite to ask before just bombing them!

[Boosted Ls1]

Petrol_noggin said:

I understand that many innocents were killed, but what is the purpose of this particular march?

Well, I guess that's why they're miffed, this is a way of shouting about it. Might have been a bit better had the yanks 'got their man'. Also why can't they find that dialysis machine with bed linen stuck on the end of it? Is it portable and running on a petrol generator? That always surprises me.

Boosted.

[Petrol_noggin]

whats wrong with "we want answers Bush!" instead of flag burning? just seems a bit of a backward mentality thats all. To illustrate my point, if pakistan was to bomb us tomorrow, and use the excuse that they were targeting a terrorist, I think pretty much everyone would look to Musharraf for answers, as opposed to burning a flag on the street and allowing members of combat 18 to march down the road in balaclavas.

[Boosted Ls1]

Muslims seem to like grieving in public and it's the same with protests (many are organised). It's a visual, emotional thing. Completely the opposite to say, the british stiff upper lip.

Boosted.

[ATG]

Can't say I'm in any way surprised that there was a protest. Musharraf's government may side with the USA, but there are plenty of Paikistanis who don't. If the US was bombing bits of the UK with the approval of the UK government and killing civilians, I think we'd expect to see people marching in the streets here calling Blair and Bush rude names.

This kind of event is sadly a pretty good illustration of the extreme difficulty of trying to pursue and undermine terrorist organisations. If the terrorise organisation chooses to go to ground it can just dissapear into the general population. The only way it can then be undermined is if the public can be convinced to turn them over to the authorities. Bombing civilians kicks any attempt at winning hearts and minds deep into touch. Maybe if you get lucky you can decapitate a terrorist organisation with a few well aimed bombs, but each one that misses pushes your chance of final success further and further away.

[stefd]

Petrol_noggin said:

just seems a bit of a backward mentality thats all. To illustrate my point, if pakistan was to bomb us tomorrow, and use the excuse that they were targeting a terrorist, I think pretty much everyone would look to Musharraf for answers, as opposed to burning a flag on the street and allowing members of combat 18 to march down the road in balaclavas.

Umm, if Pakistan bombed us tomorrow I imagine the nukes would be airborne before the dust settled. It's totally outrageous that the US think they have the right to bomb someones land, regardless of the justification.

IMO the Pakistanis have every right to be outraged and act any which way they like.

[R988]

eccles said:

it would have been diplomatcaly polite to ask before just bombing them!

Since when have the Yanks ever bothered to ask permission before bombing friendly forces?

ATG said:

If the US was bombing bits of the UK with the approval of the UK government and killing civilians, I think we'd expect to see people marching in the streets here calling Blair and Bush rude names.

I believe they already did and quite a lot of people share that opinion even without being bombed

There are antiamerican riots all the time in various countries, whether they get reported or not depends on whether the media feel like it or not.

[Petrol_noggin]

ATG said:

This kind of event is sadly a pretty good illustration of the extreme difficulty of trying to pursue and undermine terrorist organisations. If the terrorise organisation chooses to go to ground it can just dissapear into the general population. The only way it can then be undermined is if the public can be convinced to turn them over to the authorities. Bombing civilians kicks any attempt at winning hearts and minds deep into touch. Maybe if you get lucky you can decapitate a terrorist organisation with a few well aimed bombs, but each one that misses pushes your chance of final success further and further away.

Thats a very good point, its a vicious circle, one step forward and two back, if they manage to take a target out of the equation its a further step, but get it an inch wrong and you put the process back years. As for the flag burning ritual, I suppose its just a different culture, a volatile, group minded way of thinking seems to be developing, but I dont think theyre helping their own cause either IMO.

[ATG]

stefd said:

Umm, if Pakistan bombed us tomorrow I imagine the nukes would be airborne before the dust settled. It's totally outrageous that the US think they have the right to bomb someones land, regardless of the justification. IMO the Pakistanis have every right to be outraged and act any which way they like.

Hang on. They have the "right" to do it because the Pakistani government has given them permission to do so. It is not at all like Pakistan turning up here and dropping bombs.

[jazzybee]

What do people really expect the Pakistani public do? a foriegn state came over the boarder to make a strike into their country. The Pakistani (millitary-led) government did not defend against the infraction. 18 innocent people were killed, and the target was not killed. Why should people put up with that sort of 'threat'. The problem this creates is, it de-stabilises Musharraf's government, and plays into the hands of religious extremists.... It really is the problem of short-term politics on the part of the US, that is going to cause a longer-term issues.

Being all nice and asking for answers gets you nowhere, the people want attention, they want it to get noticed that they are angry and unfortuneatly the only way for the Pakistani general public to get exposure on CNN or FOX news is to burn the US flag! It a vicious circle that need not have started if the US stopped taking unilateral actions and engages with its partners to achieve its aims.