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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 10-Apr-2011
10-Apr-11 News -- In dramatic reversal, Germany agrees to supply ground troops to Libya

Web Log - April, 2011

10-Apr-11 News -- In dramatic reversal, Germany agrees to supply ground troops to Libya

Pakistani military mercenaries aiding Bahrain government

In dramatic reversal, Germany agrees to supply ground troops to Libya

On March 17, when the United Nations Security Council passed the resolution authorizing military action against Libya, the vote was 10-0, with five abstentions: China, Russia, Brazil, Germany and India. (See "18-Mar-11 News -- UN declares war after Gaddafi threatens 'moment of truth.'")

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister

Germany received special criticism for failing to stand by its European partners.

Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer "Germany has lost its credibility in the United Nations and in the Middle East," and called the vote "a farce" and a "scandalous mistake," according to the Guardian.

Dietmar Ossenberg, a German war reporter, said he was ashamed to be congratulated by Gaddafi's henchmen. "It's embarrassing to get a pat on the back from Gaddafi's supporters saying 'Germany good.'"

Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, had wanted to vote against the UN resolution, rather than merely abstain, but was persuaded against it by his boss, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Well, the naming and shaming of Germany has apparently taken its toll.

On Thursday, Guido Westerwelle said that Germany would be willing to put actual German troops on the ground in Libya, to provide humanitarian assistance. Der Spiegel quotes him as saying that if the U.N. made a request for such assistance, "then of course we wouldn't shirk our responsibility."

It's so much fun to watch mission creep in action. A few days ago, Germany was still opposed to the entire intervention, and the use of troops on the ground was specifically excluded. Now, in a stunning reversal, we may see German troops on the ground in Libya.

That's not all. Germany had removed its navy warships from the Mediterranean so as not to risk getting involved in the Libya effort, but now Deutsche Welle reports that this decision may be reversed, allowing Germany navy ships to participate in EU aid efforts.

However, Westerwelle and Merkel are being accused of flip-flopping by the opposition, according to the article. Of greater concern is the fact that sending armed troops to perform humanitarian tasks while in a war zone is almost a contradiction.

This situation reminds me of an incident that occurred during the 2004 presidential campaign. So-called peace activist Jesse Jackson had been harshly critical of President Bush for sending troops to Iraq.

So I was shocked when I turned on the TV to CNN one morning, and heard Jackson condeming President Bush for the Iraq war, but then calling on Bush to lead a worldwide effort to send troops to prevent further deaths in Darfur. He said, "If we can have troops in Korea, in Nato, there should be nothing shameful about defending life in Africa." (See "Jesse Jackson calls for sending American troops to Darfur.")

So, apparently it wasn't ok to have troops in Iraq, according to Jackson, but it was perfectly ok to send troops into the middle of a bloody civil war in Africa.

That's why I've concluded is that, except for a few nut cases like Cindy Sheehan, there's really nobody who's opposed to war. It seems that everyone loves SOME wars and hates others.

So now Guido Westerwelle, who didn't want anything to do with Libya just a couple of weeks ago, finds it perfectly OK to send German troops into Libya.

So one more line in the sand has been crossed. I wonder what new escalation will happen next week?

Pakistani military mercenaries aiding Bahrain government

We're reported in the past that Pakistan is getting more and more heavily involved in supporting governments on the Arabian peninsula facing uprisings. According to the South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), Pakistan's army is recruiting two divisions on standby alert for immediate deployment to Saudi Arabia, if there's an outbreak of political upheaval in that country. In addition, Pakistan is recruiting retired soldiers for service in the Bahrain National Guard, to protect the Sunni monarchy. These recruitments are being restricted to Sunni Muslims only; Shias are not being recruited.

A recent editorial in Pakistan's Express Tribune expresses alarm at the number of Pakistani mercenaries in Bahrain:

"With Bahrain in the midst of a violent uprising, many Pakistanis are being targeted by protesters who see them as collaborators of the unpopular regime. Most of the Pakistanis targeted are labourers or other civilians in low-paying jobs. Although the Pakistan Embassy in Bahrain is providing shelter to about 40 Pakistani families, the vast majority are helpless and defenceless.
Much of the blame has to be directed at the Pakistan government. Even before the uprising broke out, many Pakistanis were serving in the Bahraini police force. Since the troubles began, Bahrain has been recruiting mercenaries from Pakistan to bolster its police and armed forces. We have allowed them to do so unhindered. Bahrainis are understandably enraged that foreigners are being employed to oppress them and so are lashing out at all Pakistanis. The government needs to immediately ban any more Pakistanis from being recruited in Bahrain’s security forces. Additionally, it is the job of the embassy and the government to make sure its citizens are safe in a foreign country. As soon as the situation turned ugly, all Pakistanis should have been evacuated from Bahrain, just as the US had done with its citizens in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries that are in the throes of revolution.
By allowing mercenaries to serve the Bahraini monarchy, Pakistan has dangerously taken sides in what may turn out to be a geopolitical, ethnic nightmare. The population of Bahrain is overwhelmingly Shia while the ruling family is Sunni. Iran is naturally supporting the protesters while Saudi Arabia is on the side of the king. Thanks to the mercenaries, the impression will now stick that Pakistan is on the anti-Iran side. This will only hurt relations with Iran, with whom we hope to reach a deal on a gas pipeline. It is time to put potential new alliances on par with existing ones. The government needs to cite its own law-and-order problems at home and a desire to remain neutral in a delicate part of the world. Above all, its foremost priority should be to safely bring home Pakistani citizens."

According to an analysis by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), mercenaries are being recruited by the Fauji Foundation, which was set up in 1954 to help Pakistani ex-servicemen and their families:

In March 2011, the Overseas Employment Services (OES) of the Fauji Foundation placed advertisements in Urdu-language Pakistani newspapers to "immediately" recruit Pakistani youth for the Bahrain National Guard. On such advertisement specified recruitments for the following job categories: "officers (majors), Pakistan Military Academy drill instructors, anti-riot instructors, security guards, and military police as well as cooks and mess waiters…" A Pakistani newspaper report noted: "The requirement for anti-riot instructors was NCOs (non-commissioned officers) from the Sindh Rangers or officers of an equivalent rank from the Elite Police Force."

The report concludes that the Fauji Foundation is playing the lead role of recruiting security men from Pakistan to confront the protesters in Bahrain.

The flow of Pakistani military mercenaries into the Arabian Peninsula is consistent with the expectation that China, Pakistan and the Sunni Muslim countries will be opposed to America, India and Russia in the coming Clash of Civilizations world war.

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 10-Apr-11 News -- In dramatic reversal, Germany agrees to supply ground troops to Libya thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (10-Apr-2011) Permanent Link
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Pakistani military mercenaries aiding Bahrain government

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 10-Apr-2011
10-Apr-11 News -- In dramatic reversal, Germany agrees to supply ground troops to Libya