Posted on 05/04/2006 5:47:49 AM PDT by blam
New frontline in the war on terror
Experts fear Pakistan is losing fight against an Islamist militant revolt in its tribal belt
Declan Walsh in Kundi Ghar
Thursday May 4, 2006
The Guardian (UK)
As hideouts go, the Shawal Valley in northern Pakistan is a militant's dream. Lonely goat trails wind through a rocky 25-mile corridor that nudges the Afghan border. Its fiercely conservative tribesmen and forbidding high-walled compounds have sheltered Taliban fighters and probably al-Qaida fugitives. Last weekend Brigadier Imtiaz Wyne, a Pakistani army commander, stood on the top of one of its highest peaks and declared his 5,000 troops had tamed the wild valley - almost. "This border is sealed," he said, pointing to a line of observation posts along the border.
But the cornered militants were fighting back, he admitted. His soldiers had suffered five major attacks in the previous month; on one occasion a captured soldier was gruesomely mutilated before being executed. "They are a mix - foreigners, locals, Afghan Taliban, criminals," said the officer. "It's difficult to say who is the leader, but ultimately it is al-Qaida."
A vicious mini-war has erupted between the Pakistani army and the "Pakistani Taliban" in North Waziristan, a turbulent tribal area that has moved to the front line of the Pakistani and US "war on terror". Every day sees fresh violence between the army and militants - a loose coalition of radical clerics, tribal leaders and al-Qaida fighters.
The biggest upset occurred in early March, when 1,500 self-styled Taliban assaulted a military base in the main town, Miran Shah. The ensuing four-day battle involved artillery and helicopters gunships and left 145 militants dead, 25 of them foreigners, according to the army figures.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
And for what it's worth, the action in Pakistan never went anywhere, as those I'm pinging well know. Our beloved media just quit paying attention to it for the longest time.
As in "Drive by media".
Micheal Moore's freedom fighters in action..
*spit*
"a loose coalition of radical clerics, tribal leaders and al-Qaida fighters." Geeeeez, couldn't that be resolved by some nightime drops of MOABS?
No
They are waiting for nuclear subs (with SLBM capability) from US I guess. Untill then they cannot win against the Taliban. /sarc
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