Majestic Messages of Syed Zaid Zaman Hamid: February 29th, 2020

History of Pakistan's relations with Syria in the past. It is important that Pakistan's decisions are also understood in historical context

https://twitter.com/ZaidZamanHamid/status/1233692613271793665?s=19&fbclid=IwAR23opvcrRWea9nqPgFTyK7byzEahze35D9BLII87LqmXFwVkc_VIQCMQfU

By Syed Zaid Zaman Hamid

Pakistan has fully & unconditionally supported #Turkey's operations in #Syria...

I am going to write a full thread on history of Pakistan's relations with Syria in the past. It is important that Pakistan's decisions are also understood in historical context.

#TurkeyisnotAlone

Relevant history of Pakistan-Syria relations.....full thread below.

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Pakistan has always kept brotherly relations with all Muslim countries but its a bitter reality that some "Muslim" govts have been waging active war against Pakistan in the past. Unfortunately, Syria was one!

During the 1967 & 73 wars, Pakistan had even sent PAF fighter pilots & anti-aircraft batteries to Syria, Jordan & Egypt to defend them against Israeli attacks. PAF is the only air force in the world to have shot down Israeli jets in air combat without losing any of its own.

If Syria, Iraq, Jordan & Egypt were saved from total decimation from Israel in 67 war & later were helped in 73, Pakistan had a great role to play in that.

Such was Pakistan's level of commitment to our "Muslim" governments in Middle East. Support was sincere & unconditional.

In 1979, Soviets invaded Afghanistan.
Pakistan decided to support Afghan Mujahideen to stop the Soviet advance into Pakistan itself. It was a war we had to fight for our own survival. US, China, Saudis & Kuwaitis joined much later. But Iraq, Syria & Libya were offended.

In Pakistan, there was Govt of General Zia at that time, which had also hanged Zulfiqar ali Bhutto.

Qaddafi, Hafiz ul Asad & Saddam were in the Soviet block & very close to Bhutto & his socialist secular ideology. So, now all 3 Baathists had a cause to declare war against Pak

Pakistan's support to anti-Soviet Mujahideen was bad enough for Qaddafi, Hafiz Asad & Saddam. Now they had a personal vendetta too when Bhutto was hanged. Bhutto's son, Murtaza & shahnawaz, created first international terrorist org, Al-Zulfiqar, fully backed by these 3 leaders.

Al-Zulfiqar was the first organized terrorist org formed in Pakistan by Bhutto family with the help of Syria, Libya & Iraq.
During the 80's, thousands of Pakistanis died in a vicious terror campaign which included plane hijackings, bombings & assassinations.

In 1981, a PIA plane was hijacked by sons of Bhutto.
Plane was first taken to Kabul, under Soviet occupation & then flown to Damascus where Bhuttto's sons were VIP guests of Hafiz ul Asad regime.
Pak was forced to release hundreds of terrorists in return for passengers & plane.

For many years in 80's, Bhutto's sons continued to operate from Damascus under full protection & support of Hafiz regime. Thousands of Pakistanis died during that period at the hands of Al-Zulfiqar.
Unfortunately, Qaddafi, Asad & Saddam all had blood of Pakistanis at their hands

The betrayal by Syrian regime was most painful for Pakistan which we have not forgotten even today.
Both Saddam & Qaddafi have met divine justice. But Hafiz passed the baton to his son. Syrian never apologized for their crimes against Pakistan. Pakistan pretended cool as well.

Pakistan has never taken sides when Muslims countries fight with each other. Iran-Iraq war & later Saudi-Iraq gulf war & now Saudi-Yemen war are examples that Pak never participate in fratricide.
But now you know one more reason why Pakistan has openly supported Turkey in Syria!

https://www.facebook.com/syedzaidzamanhamid/posts/2759271027461024?__tn__=K-R

Personally, I feel that this deal is a non-starter. I sense betrayal from the Americans. I sense treachery within the vested interests in Kabul & Uzbek/Hazara/Tajik groups whose survival is at stake. I see another round of civil war. Taliban too have very sharp eyes & ears!!

https://twitter.com/ZaidZamanHamid/status/1233788299820531713?s=19&fbclid=IwAR2E6DqOWX1CXwLWjgLAm6hAez1acVixBamiLP0JTtbPMwyRr0Ot5aaJMoA

*By Syed Zaid Hamid*

Should I be excited ? I dont think so..

I was there in in Afghanistan as an insurgent in 1988 when a similar agreement was signed at Geneva too. Almost identical terms & at least one party is still the same. USSR has been replaced by USA.
#AfghanPeaceProcess

USA has openly accepted its defeat & humiliation in front of the world & added their name in that famous hall of shame where they share the wall with Soviets & the British empire before them....! But beyond that, not much is going to change in Afg.

#Afghanistan

Geneva accord of 1988 was signed between Pakistan & Kabul regime with US & USSR acting as guarantors.
The real party to the war, Afghan Mujahideen were left out & betrayed in the process & hence rejected the agreement though they allowed the Soviets to withdraw anyways.

So, the real inter-afghan war began AFTER the Geneva accord was completed ie: Soviets withdrew & Mujahideen then had a free hand to deal with the puppet Kabul regime of Dr. Najeeb.
That war which started after the Soviets withdrew NEVER stopped till this day, 32 years later..🙄

This time, the US has signed 2 separate agreements.
One with Kabul regime.
Other with Taliban.
But there are NO third party external guarantors of any of the agreement. So, who will be the enforcer?
Pakistan is totally out of the responsibility loop officially.

It is interesting to note that, while signing the agreement, Taliban still declared themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, adding that US does not recognize them as such...(cute)..
So, they still consider themselves as the only legit rulers of Afghanistan.
Important!

So, basically what US has done now is that it has given legitimacy to two powers in Afghanistan..(seeds of a civil war)
One agreement signed in the background with Kabul regime, accepting it as the legit Govt. Other with Taliban, who consider themselves as legit Govt.

Soviets had to leave Afghanistan anyways. They had ran out of time. Their empire was crashing behind their backs. So, while Soviets were withdrawing, Mujahideen were attacking them at will as well. Fighting continued while the Soviet withdrawal was ongoing.
US do not want this..

So, basically, this agreement says that Taliban will not attack US for next year or so while US drags its feet to reduce the troops level. I find this condition next to impossible to achieve.
There are too many players within Afg who want this deal to break. ie. Kabul regime.

As far as US is concerned, their empire is not crashing behind them as Soviets were facing. So, US can afford to drag its feet, extend the stay in Afg for longer periods & continue to buy time in "peace deals" & "ceasefires" while figuring out ways to create permanent bases.

US is NOT leaving Afghanistan anytime sooner. They do NOT want to leave. This deal is a deception to buy time only.

Ashraf Ghani & Tajiks as well as Hazaras also know that if US withdraws, they will be eaten for breakfast by Taliban. So, they are too many wild cards at play here

Remember, the Vietnam war kept dragging for years after years because the US Presidents didn't want to appear weak during election years or too early in the Presidency....even though McNamara knew way back in 1965 that the war was unwinnable. This is election year of Trump!!

Personally, I feel that this deal is a non-starter.
I sense betrayal from the Americans. I sense treachery within the vested interests in Kabul & Uzbek/Hazara/Tajik groups whose survival is at stake.
I see another round of civil war. Taliban too have very sharp eyes & ears!!

Islamabad must never become complacent.
This should be of serious concern that Pakistan was used but kept out of the formal agreement when Kabul & Taliban were in the loop. We will be lucky if the war in Afg can end in another 10 years, with or without US in the region.

https://www.facebook.com/syedzaidzamanhamid/posts/2760007740720686?__tn__=K-R