"Pakistan's Own War" Update. "Taliban opens new front in Pakistan," by Isambard Wilkinson for the Telegraph, September 18:
Militants have used fear and intimidation to clear a swathe of territory in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to establish training camps and for taking sanctuary, and have set up their headquarters in Maidan, in the rugged, green hills of the Upper Dir valley.
One thing's for sure: the hills aren't alive with the sound of music.
"We know the local militants but we don't know the foreigners and outsiders who have arrived here. They are the mostly hardline, well-trained fighters," said Hussain Shah, a local leader from the NWFP's ruling Awami National Party (ANP).
The Taliban encroachment has seeped from Pakistan's seven tribal areas into adjacent areas nominally under full government control. In Maidan The Daily Telegraph witnessed armed Taliban fighters in fields surrounding the town.
Last week 20 more locals were killed and 30 wounded when militants hurled grenades and fired indiscriminately into a Dir mosque.
At a funeral service held two weeks ago in Maidan fear had silenced the mourners. Prayers were said for Mehmud Jan, the right-hand man of Sufi Mohammed, a former leader of a rival militant group, Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e- Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM).
A friend said that Jan had been "courageous to talk against the Taliban". Militants riddled Jan with bullets in front of his house as he set out to pray in a nearby mosque.
"Nobody knows who to trust. Fear is everywhere. We do not look anybody in the eye," said Jan's friend.
The arrival of militants better known for fighting in Afghanistan comes at a watershed moment for Pakistan's counter-insurgency operations.
Washington and London are frustrated that Pakistan has failed to formulate a comprehensive counter insurgency strategy or a plan for governing its lawless, border tribal areas.
America is forging a new, more aggressive military strategy to tackle terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan. Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said last week that "time is running out" in the battle against the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. [...]
America views Pakistan's policy of engaging militants in limited battles and then striking peace agreements with them as inadequate. Pakistan views its role as one of "containment" and has been loath to sever its links with its old Afghan Taliban and jihadi proxies....
..."We know the local militants but we don't know the foreigners and outsiders who have arrived here. They are the mostly hardline, well-trained fighters," said Hussain Shah, a local leader from the NWFP's ruling Awami National Party (ANP).
(from the article)
Might these foreigners and outsiders be classified as "illegal immigrants"? Or might they be classified as "migrants"?
Pakistan is a "new front"? Coulda fooled me.
Nobody knows who to trust. Fear is everywhere. We do not look anybody in the eye
i thinks thats an perfect style of islam. i like it, thats it so liberating for its adherents. i'm jealous that its not here yet, but it will been soon.
/sarc
"Nobody knows who to trust. Fear is everywhere. We do not look anybody in the eye ..."
That poisoned environment is the true "gift of Islam," the inevitable result of Islamic ascendence in any society.
Civil societies depend on mutual trust, which in turn depends on respect for objective truth, mutual tolerance and respect for others, and above all, respect for freedom of expression.
Islam is based on egregious lies, concocted by a bloodthirsty 7th century pirate, Mohammed, himself lusting after sex and political power. Islam employs brainwashing from birth to force feed his lies into innocent minds, to abort all natural curiosity, and to destroy all vestiges of personal identity within the population at large. For those who resist, or who question anything at all out of Mohammed's perverted dogma, follows relentless totalitarian violence and threats of violence. Speak the lies, or die! Live the lies, or die! Live in perpetual terror. Extend that terror to others as your "gift."
That is no gift. It is a curse. It is evil through and through.
Given that Pakistan nurtured the Taliban and that the NWFP in Pakistan have been sheltering al Qaeda fighters for the last decade and the government in Islamabad has refused to take action, none of them seem worthy of any sympathy.
All of Pakistan's chickens are coming home to roost. It might end up being destroyed by its own creation.
Read any good books, lately?
With billions of aid they Pak Army and Air force see US and NATO troops entering, however, they always seem to miss seeing the Taliban. Wow! The Taliban have safe haven and have ultimately their own territory to train and then kill US and NATO soldiers. While the Pak leaders cajole US senators and congress and President into believing they are on the side of the US to get more money. From all these problems with countries that are Islamic I hope non Islamic countries look at this as an example of what happens when Islam and Sharia is established. There is never peace. All these countries never have peaceful transfer of power for maybe one exception. Otherwise there are tyrants, dictators, killings and violent transfer of power from one leader to another. Unlike the West and other democratic countries there is peaceful transfer of power.
America is forging a new, more aggressive military strategy to tackle terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan . . .
Shouldn't they have done that seven years ago?
Seven years ago?
Make that ten. They declared war on the US (again!) in 1998, with the bombing of the embassies in Africa: sovereign US territory.
One thing's for sure: the hills aren't alive with the sound of music.
"Climb every mountain
Blow up every school
Keep your women in burkas
Don't be no western fool"
pakistan is being devoured by its own creation the taliban.. where will naseem go? no more paks should be allowed to enter non muslims countries, unless they leave islam.
"where will naseem go? "
southern England....already there..