I just started my new post at the Eye Pavilion last week. To put you in the picture, for the last ten years, I've been working on the ward, looking after inpatients and day cases. In those years, my payscale has gone from D grade to E grade to Band 6, then down last year to Band 5 and a half. Now I'm working in the clinics, and I'm back up to Band 6. I'm also back to where I originally started in 2001. Such is the circle of life I guess.
It was internal rotation that took me up to the ward. I was only supposed to be there for six months! All I can say is it has been the longest six months ever!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Sunday, November 03, 2013
Conspiracy or Cock-up?
I know it's been a while. About four years I believe since I last posted. I doubt if anyone's going to read this, but what the hell, here goes...
Two days ago an American drone strike obliterated a Taliban leader called Hakimullah Mehsud. This is in line with US strategy of removing the leadership of terrorist organisations to disrupt the chain of command, with minimum risk to American military personnel.
As you will know, Mehsud was due to meet the next day with representatives of the Pakistan government for peace talks. Maybe something would have come of them or maybe not. We shall never know now.
To say that the people of Pakistan are a bit peeved would be an understatement. A fragile structure - like a house built of playing cards - has been literally blown away, and they are seriously pissed!
So far, so sad, but so understandable.
But
To the world, it looks like the USA has deliberately sabotaged this peace process. And to be honest, I can't see any other way this can be interpreted, other than incompetence. If the drone operators were unaware of the upcoming meeting, then the mission was an unfortunate coincidence. But that implies US intelligence didn't pass on the information.... Nah! I don't think so either.
So what's the strategy?
And why is nobody in America discussing this?
If you Google using keywords such as 'drone strike', 'American reaction', you get plenty about what they're saying in Pakistan, but trying to find out if Americans are for or against it is very difficult. On Yahoo news, the commentators are 99% for! But then I guess they're American.
Two days ago an American drone strike obliterated a Taliban leader called Hakimullah Mehsud. This is in line with US strategy of removing the leadership of terrorist organisations to disrupt the chain of command, with minimum risk to American military personnel.
As you will know, Mehsud was due to meet the next day with representatives of the Pakistan government for peace talks. Maybe something would have come of them or maybe not. We shall never know now.
To say that the people of Pakistan are a bit peeved would be an understatement. A fragile structure - like a house built of playing cards - has been literally blown away, and they are seriously pissed!
So far, so sad, but so understandable.
But
To the world, it looks like the USA has deliberately sabotaged this peace process. And to be honest, I can't see any other way this can be interpreted, other than incompetence. If the drone operators were unaware of the upcoming meeting, then the mission was an unfortunate coincidence. But that implies US intelligence didn't pass on the information.... Nah! I don't think so either.
So what's the strategy?
And why is nobody in America discussing this?
If you Google using keywords such as 'drone strike', 'American reaction', you get plenty about what they're saying in Pakistan, but trying to find out if Americans are for or against it is very difficult. On Yahoo news, the commentators are 99% for! But then I guess they're American.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)