Majid was addressing the participants of 7th Shangri-La Dialogue organised in Singapore by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS). The general said the strikes incited vengeance of tribesmen and created the perception that the war on terror was in fact ‘anti Islam’.
03 June 2008: APP
Gen Majid stresses change of mindset
SINGAPORE: The cross-border strikes of the United States-led coalition forces in Afghanistan are killing civilians in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman (CJCSC) General Tariq Majid has said.
Majid was addressing the participants of 7th Shangri-La Dialogue organised in Singapore by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS). The general said the strikes incited vengeance of tribesmen and created the perception that the war on terror was in fact ‘anti Islam’.
He stressed that notwithstanding tactical and operational successes both inside Afghanistan and by Pakistan, the strategic goal of security stabilisation has remained elusive.
The security situation has become more tenuous as the challenges to domestic and regional stability have increased manifold, the CJCSC added.
Mindset: He said the way forward lied in addressing the root causes of terrorism, noting that countering terrorism required changing mindsets.
“We should adopt a re-prioritised comprehensive strategy based on political engagement and social-economic development, backed by essential military force to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism,” he said. It is not possible to get rid of extremism by military means alone, Majid said, a more holistic approach should be adopted, he added. The CJCSC emphasised the need for more effective border control measures by the coalition forces operating in Afghanistan.
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