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Air Warrior Par Excellence: A Personal Homage

  This is my homage to the greatest and noblest warrior, and a true son of the soil on his birthday, that falls on 16th September “A fighter pilot is an optimist. He believes he is the best, and he is determined to prove it every time he straps into the cockpit.” — Unknown “A good commander shows valor not only in battle, but in inspiring others by his example.” Homer, Iliad Pakistan Air Force, the finest institution of Pakistan, and indeed one of the most effective and lethal fighting organizations in the annals of aerial warfare has produced many outstanding fighter pilots and commanders in its glorious history. Some achieved eternal glory through great feats in war like Sarfraz  Rafiqui, M.M Alam, Sajad Haider and recently Hasan Siddiqui and Noman Ali. Some have their names etched permanently in history books as great pioneering and visionary commanders like Air Marshals Asghar Khan and Noor Khan. These all have rightfully become the household names in Pakistan. There have ...
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007 Israel

It looks like that Israel has a license to kill anyone, anywhere with absolute impunity. Never before in the annals of human history such bloodbath at such scale has played out day in and day out on 24 hours live news cycle For months on end Israeli grim reaper has been hard at work, showing no signs of slowing down, rather expanding its circle ever wider: from Gaza, to West bank to Lebanon and Syria. It visited death without discrimination upon men and women, young and old, children and infants, sick and healthy. Anyone that breathes, lives and moves in the conflict zone is a fair target for Israel. No one is safe, not even groups customarily protected in all armed conflicts:  journalists, health workers, food deliverers, teachers. Israel's blood lust respects no boundaries. At times it seemed it was killing just to make a point that it was beyond the pale, where neither man’s nor God’s law can reach. Targeting of UN observers is just an expression of that savage hubris.  In ...

D-Day 80th Anniversary

On June 6th the former Allied powers celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day landing at Normandy, with the leaders of US, Britain and France in attendance. The historical importance of D-Day as the most critical opening phase of the operation Overlord, an overarching operation to take war to German occupied Europe and defeat Nazi Germany, is well established. In light of what we know about Germany’s fast tracked efforts to build critical weapons such as V-2 rockets, Jet fighters, and nuclear weapons, the failure of the operation could have led to a prolonged war with uncertain outcomes. The history of the world could have been different. On that basis alone, June 6 could be reckoned as one of those days on which the fate of the world hinges: one of the axial moments from the standpoint of military history.  Given this historical significance, one should regard any celebration or commemoration of the event with unqualified deferential emotion. Yet, watching the usual grand ceremoni...