By: Azhar Azam
Pakistan armed forces have achieved a remarkable success in war on terror – killing 3.7 terrorists for each casualty of its national and military police troop – a recent study by US-based Costs of War Project showed.
Extremists’ killing ratio by Pakistan is much taller than the quotient achieved by highly resourced NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan and Iraq – 0.7 and 0.8 – extensively supported by the US military and other allied troops.
The death toll in Afghanistan and Iraq excludes US military, US contractors, and other allied troops – which totaled 7,479 and 8,666 for October 2001 to October 2018 and March 2003 to October 2018 respectively.
It is very rare that the armed forces of an economically trailing country have unilaterally made such exceptional realizations on the battlefield, where multilateral US-led international military missions lagged.
As of FY 2018, the United States has spent an estimated of 1,523 billion in global wars on terror (GWOT), including 753 billion in Afghanistan and $770 billion in Iraq – according to a report by Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
On the contrary, the US has paid Pakistan only $9.9 billion during 16 years of war on terror. The other disbursements are on account of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for military operations conducted by Pakistan on behalf of the United States.
Pakistan has also witnessed the occurrence of at least refugees (130,000), internally displaced people (170,000), and asylum seekers (8,000) as compared to higher proportions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
In addition, the battle-hardened country has housed the largest of Afghan refugees – about half or 1.3 million, the report said.
Headed by Prof. Neta C. Crawford of Brown University’s Watson Institute, the paper further underscores that since 9/11, the United States’ wars on terror have directly killed 480,000 to 507,000 people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
The death toll has increased by a shocking 110,000 to 137,000 deaths than the previous count of 370,000 by 35-membered groups of scholars, legal experts, human rights activists, and physicians.
A chair of Boston University’s Political Sciences Department additionally estimates that the direct deaths caused by war violence in Syria, ragged in 2011 and joined by the United States in 2014, have also killed more than 500,000 people.
Between October 2001 to October 2018, the US-GWOT have dined as many as 147,000 people in Afghanistan; 65,000 people in Pakistan; and 268,000 to 295,000 people in Iraq (March 2002 to October 2018).
Civilians in all the three countries were the prime victims of these endless wars on terror, whose deaths altogether accounted for more than 50% of the total death toll or 244,124 to 266,427 deaths.
Afghanistan – 147,000 Deaths
Between October 2001 and October 2008 – 58,696 Afghan military and policemen, 38,480 civilians, 42,100 opposition fighters, and 7,479 US military, US contactors, and other allied forces have lost their lives.
6 US DOD civilians, 63 journalists/media personnel, and 409 humanitarian workers have also been killed in the war-torn country during 15 years of war.
Pakistan – 65,000 Deaths
Since October 2001 – 8,832 Pakistani troops and civil armed forces, 23,372 civilians, and 32,490 militants have been killed in war on terror. Other deaths include US contractors (90), media (63), and humanitarian workers (95).
Iraq – 267,792 to 295,170 Deaths
Iraq, by far, is the largest victim of war on terror. Since March 2003, an estimated of 41,726 national military and police, 182,272 to 204,575 civilians, and 34,806 to 39,881 fighters of opposition factions have died.
The deaths attributable to US military (4,550), US contractors (3,793), US DOD civilians (15), and other allied troops (323) in Iraq are estimated at 8,681. A total of 245 people media men and 62 humanitarian works have also died so far.
The data compiled by the independent think tank distinctly illustrates that Pakistan armed forces have played a crucial role in building forming a more secure and more peaceful world – bullying its economy, civilians, and military and policemen.
But unfortunately, the US-dominated international community is knowingly ignoring Pakistan’s contributions in war on terror – which will only jeopardize the global efforts to trounce the menace of terrorism.
The global community needs to understand that a peaceful and militarily and economically stronger Pakistan is in the interest of the sustainable and durable peace throughout the entire world.
And therefore should learn from Pakistan’s vital experiences in the war of terror, instead of unduly pressurizing it – which will only be helping the common mutual goal, to eradicate terrorism for much safer and securer world.
Extremists’ killing ratio by Pakistan is much taller than the quotient achieved by highly resourced NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan and Iraq – 0.7 and 0.8 – extensively supported by the US military and other allied troops.
The death toll in Afghanistan and Iraq excludes US military, US contractors, and other allied troops – which totaled 7,479 and 8,666 for October 2001 to October 2018 and March 2003 to October 2018 respectively.
It is very rare that the armed forces of an economically trailing country have unilaterally made such exceptional realizations on the battlefield, where multilateral US-led international military missions lagged.
As of FY 2018, the United States has spent an estimated of 1,523 billion in global wars on terror (GWOT), including 753 billion in Afghanistan and $770 billion in Iraq – according to a report by Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
On the contrary, the US has paid Pakistan only $9.9 billion during 16 years of war on terror. The other disbursements are on account of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for military operations conducted by Pakistan on behalf of the United States.
Pakistan has also witnessed the occurrence of at least refugees (130,000), internally displaced people (170,000), and asylum seekers (8,000) as compared to higher proportions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
In addition, the battle-hardened country has housed the largest of Afghan refugees – about half or 1.3 million, the report said.
Headed by Prof. Neta C. Crawford of Brown University’s Watson Institute, the paper further underscores that since 9/11, the United States’ wars on terror have directly killed 480,000 to 507,000 people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
The death toll has increased by a shocking 110,000 to 137,000 deaths than the previous count of 370,000 by 35-membered groups of scholars, legal experts, human rights activists, and physicians.
A chair of Boston University’s Political Sciences Department additionally estimates that the direct deaths caused by war violence in Syria, ragged in 2011 and joined by the United States in 2014, have also killed more than 500,000 people.
Between October 2001 to October 2018, the US-GWOT have dined as many as 147,000 people in Afghanistan; 65,000 people in Pakistan; and 268,000 to 295,000 people in Iraq (March 2002 to October 2018).
Civilians in all the three countries were the prime victims of these endless wars on terror, whose deaths altogether accounted for more than 50% of the total death toll or 244,124 to 266,427 deaths.
Afghanistan – 147,000 Deaths
Between October 2001 and October 2008 – 58,696 Afghan military and policemen, 38,480 civilians, 42,100 opposition fighters, and 7,479 US military, US contactors, and other allied forces have lost their lives.
6 US DOD civilians, 63 journalists/media personnel, and 409 humanitarian workers have also been killed in the war-torn country during 15 years of war.
Pakistan – 65,000 Deaths
Since October 2001 – 8,832 Pakistani troops and civil armed forces, 23,372 civilians, and 32,490 militants have been killed in war on terror. Other deaths include US contractors (90), media (63), and humanitarian workers (95).
Iraq – 267,792 to 295,170 Deaths
Iraq, by far, is the largest victim of war on terror. Since March 2003, an estimated of 41,726 national military and police, 182,272 to 204,575 civilians, and 34,806 to 39,881 fighters of opposition factions have died.
The deaths attributable to US military (4,550), US contractors (3,793), US DOD civilians (15), and other allied troops (323) in Iraq are estimated at 8,681. A total of 245 people media men and 62 humanitarian works have also died so far.
The data compiled by the independent think tank distinctly illustrates that Pakistan armed forces have played a crucial role in building forming a more secure and more peaceful world – bullying its economy, civilians, and military and policemen.
But unfortunately, the US-dominated international community is knowingly ignoring Pakistan’s contributions in war on terror – which will only jeopardize the global efforts to trounce the menace of terrorism.
The global community needs to understand that a peaceful and militarily and economically stronger Pakistan is in the interest of the sustainable and durable peace throughout the entire world.
And therefore should learn from Pakistan’s vital experiences in the war of terror, instead of unduly pressurizing it – which will only be helping the common mutual goal, to eradicate terrorism for much safer and securer world.