Martyrs Day was observed around the country with due reverence paid to the daring defenders of the nation who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. President Zardari and COAS General Kayani vowed to stand by the martyrs families in their time of trial. However, while there should be little doubt that the countrys armed forces are fully committed to protecting the motherland, thoughts inevitably go back to the time when our leaders unblinkingly accepted the US dictation that pitted the army against the countrymen. To all intends and purposes, it was a virtual descent into chaos. Militarys forays into the tribal areas resulting from that commitment have led to a full-blown conflagration. Apart from the damage to the economy which runs into billions of dollars visible enough from a look at various cities which now resemble a warzone, the loss of life is chillingly stupendous. According to estimates, 2,700 militarymen have died in counterinsurgency operations since 9/11 when General Musharraf endorsed the US war on terror as his own. Thousands of men resisting the armys intrusion into the tribal region have been killed. The collateral damage is likewise immense. In the line of fire were the ordinary Pakistanis who had to bear the brunt of this futile exercise. According to one estimate, close to 6000 civilians have died as a result of the mass casualty attacks across the length and breadth of the country. Besides, the misery and indeed tragedy of tens of thousands of the people in the frontier region uprooted from their homes as a result of the military offensive, beggars description. This bloodletting could have been averted had we kept the Americans at arms length. The leadership as well as the armys high command must rethink the role they have played. The armys main job is that of border defence which includes keeping an eye on the hostile states. In that context it would only be a folly to downplay the Indian aggressive designs against Pakistan.