ZackMartin

Mr.Milo
InternationalPolitics
11May2015
Abstract
Thegoalofthispaperistoeffectivelyidentifythecausesandeffectsofterrorism
inPakistan.Manystudiesandarticlessuggestthatthebiggestthreattothegovernment
ofPakistananditspeopleremainsinthepresenceoftheTaliban.Theyvecometo
displaythemselvesintheinternationalspotlightastheyperformmanyattackson
innocentwomenandchildrenandforcommittingoperationsthatkilledhundredsof
infidelsatonce.Scholarlyarticleswillbeusedtoprovideexplanationsandevidence
astohowtheTalibancametobe,whattheirgoalis,andhowtheycouldbestopped.

TerrorisminPakistan
ThewordTalibaninArabicliterallytranslatestoreligiousstudents.Mostofthe
modernworldtodaywouldlabelreligiousstudentsasdevoutyouthwhopreachfor
peace,regardlessofthereligion,theTalibanprovetobeanythingbut.TheTaliban
militantpresencedebutedtheirglobalspotlightinthelate90sinAfghanistanas
antiSovietfighterswhowantedtoenforceastrictShariaLawintheircountries.When
theywereoustedoutofAfghanistanaftertheU.S.intervened,theTalibanwasdivided
betweenagroupwhoremainedinAfghanistanandcontinuedtheiroperationsona
lowerscalewhiletheotherhalfretreatedsouthandsplitintoabout30differentTaliban
operationsinPakistan,eachwithsimilar,thoughvaryingideologies.Oneofthese
groups,specificallythe
TehrikiTalibanPakistan(TTP),hasbegantogrow

momentumundertheleadership
of
MaulanaFazlullah
.
TheTalibanismadeupofPashtuntribesmen,anethnicgrouplocatedin
theareabetweenAfghanistanandPakistan.ItpreachesahardlineofSunniform,
whichhascreatedcontroversyasitopensthepossibilityitwasfundedbySaudiArabia.
RegardlessoftheirIslamicbeliefs,theywillkillanyone,SunniorShia,Muslimornot,
andhavebeengreatlycriticizedfortheirbarbaricexecutionsandextremelysexist
culture,whichforceswomentowearburkasanddeniesthemeducation,mentogrow
beards,andthatallformsoftelevisionandmusicarebanned.

RonPaul,inthe2008presidentialelection,clarifiedoncethatitisimportantto
recognizethedifferencebetweenAlQueda,whowishesdeathupontheWestand
wantstocreateanofficialIslamicStatewithacaliphatesimilartoISIS,buton

alongertimelineandwithdifferentmeans,comparedtotheTaliban,whomerelywant
toenforcetheirShariaLawwithintheirethnicpopulation.However,theCampChampan
attackin2009whichresultedinninedeadCIAoperativesafterasuicidebombingwas
tracedbackaPakistaniTaliban,again,specificallytheTTP.Whilethegovernmentof
PakistanstillclaimsithadnothingtodowithitsupbringingandwasonlyaidedbySaudi
Arabia,thoughPakistanandSaudibothrecognizedtheTalibanastheofficial
governmentofAfghanistanuntil2001,itseemstheyturnedablindeyeafterthe
Hyperabadattack,whichtook56livesinIndia.ItwouldmakesensethatthePakistan
governmentwouldntactonitastheyhaveacomplicatedpastwithIndia.Moreso,in
2010aTTPoperativenamed
FaisalShahzadwasstoppedfromblowingupabomb

inTimesSquare.Theseacts
seemstomaketheirgoalofonlymaintainingtheir
territorymorequestionable.
Inmorerecentyearshowever,theTTPhavebecomeincreasingly
aggressiveandshowntheirdepravityassaidbyPresidentObamaafterslaughtering
141innocentpeople,132ofwhichwereassumedtobechildreninthePeshwarattack
onaschoolasarevengefora6monthcampaigntostopthemmadebytheUSand
Pakistan.ThegruesomemassacrewasperceivedassobarbaricthateventheAfghan
TalibanspokeagainstitclaimingTheintentionalkillingofpeople,womenandchildren,

goesagainsttheprinciplesofIslam.AlongwithmassacringfellowSunniMuslims,the
TTPwasalsolinkedwiththekillingofboth86AhmadiMuslimsin2010duringprayer
servicesand127ChristiansinPeshwarin2013.
4
Morerecentlyin2014,thePakistaniMilitarybegananalloutmilitaryplantoend
terrorismintheNorthWaziristantribalarea,thestrongholdfortheTTP.Themilitary
plancameaftertheattackontheJinnahInternationalAirportinPakistanthatresultedin
thedeathof36people.TheTTPclaimedresponsibilityfortheattack,seekingrevenge
foraUSdronestrikethatkilledHakimullahMehsud,aseniorcommanderofthe
Taliban.Theattacksplannedandcarriedoutinthistribalareaalonehavecostthelives
ofmorethan50,000Pakistanisandhaveaffectedthelivesofpeopleallovertheglobe.
WhiletheattacksonTTPhavehadgenerallypositivefeedback,thereisserious
doubtthattheTalibanwillbackdownanytimesoon,duetotheirabilitytomigrate
betweenseveraloftheirdifferentgroupsinPakistanandtheycontinuetoholdserious
influenceonthecountryallwhilebeingeducatedinmadrassasthathavebeenlinkedto
SaudiArabia,aUSallywithstrongtiesinoil.Fortheviolencetobefinallyputtorest,
thegovernmentshouldfocusmoreaboutkillingtheideologyatitsrootsanddestroythe
madrassasandputpressureonthosewhofundthem.Theyshouldstopreceivingaid
fromUSdronestrikes,whiletheyhaveeffectivelykilledmanyTTPleadersand
members,theyareusedaspropagandaforrecruitingfortheircause.Finally,they
shouldraiseawarenessandgivespotlighttoheroeslike
MalalaYousafzai,who
authoredabookonherlifeafterbeingtargetedbytheTalibanandbeingshotinthe

faceonaschoolbusandstillsurvived.Shecondemnstheviolenceandthecountry
shouldpromoteherpeacefulideals.