World View: Protests Boil Across Pakistan after Mass Slaughter of Quetta Shias

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Protests boil across Pakistan after mass slaughter of Quetta Shias
• Investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators
• Terrorist car bombs target Shia areas of Baghdad, Iraq
• North Korea tells China that it’s preparing new nuclear tests

Protests boil across Pakistan after mass slaughter of Quetta Shias

Pakistani Shia women protest the murder of 81 people in Quetta (Reuters)

After a terrorist bombing on January 11 killed 100 people inQuetta, the victims’ families blocked the roads and refused to burytheir dead until the government in Islamabad committed to providingprotection against further terrorist attacks. After three days, theprotest ended with the promise that the government would provideprotection. Now, after a new horrendous bombing on Saturday thatkilled over 80 people and injured hundreds, many critically,it’s clear that Islamabad is doing nothing.

The terror group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has claimed responsibilityfor both bombings, as well as bombings of Shia and Sufi shrines aroundPakistan. LeJ works hand in hand with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP), Pakistan’s Taliban, though LeJ has been even more brutal.Between the two of them, there are terrorist attacks across Pakistanon a continuing basis. Each time a new terrorist attack occurs,it confirms the opinion of many that the government is providingsupport to the terrorist groups for political purposes.

According to Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, governor of Baluchistanprovince in which Quetta is located:

“The terrorist attack on the Hazara Shiite communityin Quetta is a failure of the intelligence and security forces.

Our security institutions, police, FC (paramilitary FrontierCorps) and others are either scared or cannot take action againstthem.”

The Quetta attacks have particularly targeted the Hazaras, a ShiaMuslim ethnic group that migrated from Afghanistan over a century ago.According to Aziz Hazara, vice president of the Hazara DemocraticParty:

“The government is responsible for terrorist attacksand killings in the Hazara community because its security forceshave not conducted operations against extremist groups. We aregiving the government 48 hours to arrest the culprits involved inthe killing of our people and after that we will launch strongprotests.”

The 48-hour ultimatum is a bit puzzling, since the only thing beingthreatened is another protest.

The official is demanding that Islamabad send in the army to protectQuetta. Another demand is that the army track down the LeJ terroristsand bring them to justice. Daily Times (Pakistan) and Express Tribune (Pakistan)

Investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators

Protesters point out that there have been many terrorist attacks byTTP and LeJ, and NOT A SINGLE PERPETRATOR HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

Does that sound familiar to you, Dear Reader?

If you’re a long-time reader, then you know very well that the Obamaadministration has adamantly refused to investigate anyone whoperpetrated the massive fraud that caused the financial crisis, andthat NOT A SINGLE PERPETRATOR HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

As I’ve written in the past, from the point of view of generationaltheory, we now have three very similar events. In each case, thecrimes begin because of generational hatred of an older generation.Once that happens, then people in all generations are forced to choosesides, and the generational split morphs into a political split, andthe corruption metastasizes throughout all the “elite” politicians,financiers, businessmen, labor unions, and so forth. Respectablepeople turn out to be gangsters, and gangsters are treated asrespectable people. The three examples are:

• In Pakistan, the government is adamantly refusing to bring to justice Sunni terrorists who attack anyone who allegedly commits targeted, but the most violence is directed at Shias and Sufis. (For further analysis, see “3-Sep-12 World View — Pakistan girl to be freed after bizarre twist in blasphemy case” from September of last year.)
• The Gen-X hatred of Boomers has metastasized into almost universal corruption. The Obama administration has gained enormously from the financial crisis. Much of the fraudulently obtained money, as well as the money used to bail out banks, was kicked back to the Obama administration in the form of campaign contributions. The corruption has spread throughout Washington and Wall Street to the extent that the politicians, financiers and journalists are barely able to say a word without lying or defrauding someone.
• The 1930s German Lost Generation’s hatred for their Missionary Generation metastasized into hatred for Jews and the Holocaust. (See “The Legacy of World War I and the Holocaust” from last year.)

These situations occur in all times and places throughout history, andresult in history’s greatest catastrophes. In each case, thegenerational conflict morphs into a political conflict, as people inevery generation are forced to choose sides in the generationaldebate. In 1930s Germany, it was the Christians blaming the Jews forGerman humiliation in World War I. In America today, it’s theDemocrats blaming the Republicans for financial deregulation. InPakistan, it’s the Sunnis blaming the Shias. The result is always thesame: catastrophe.

Terrorist car bombs target Shia areas of Baghdad, Iraq

Sectarian tensions are growing almost on a daily basis across theMideast from Algeria to Bangladesh. On Sunday, there were several newcar bombs in Baghdad, iraq, mainly targeting Shia areas of the city,killing 37 and injuring dozens. No one has claimed credit, but it’sassumed that the bombers were al-Qaeda linked Sunni terrorists.BBC

North Korea tells China that it’s preparing new nuclear tests

According to an unnamed source, North Korea has told China that it ispreparing to to stage one to four more nuclear tests this year,increasing in size, as well as new rocket tests. The tests will beundertaken unless Washington holds talks with North Korea and abandonsits policy of what Pyongyang sees as attempts at regime change. NorthKorea has repeatedly adopted a pattern of promising to end belligerentactions in exchange for something from the West — food aid, liftingof sanctions, etc. — and then continuing the belligerent actionsanyway after it got what it wanted. Technically, the Korean War hasnever ended, although an armistice was declared in 1953. The NorthKoreans appear to be angling for a permanent “peace” agreement withthe United States and its removal from America’s list of terroriststates, thus removing financial and other sanctions. Whether the Westfalls for this again remains to be seen. Reuters and 38north

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