The Taliban

rock45

Founding Member/ RIP our friend
Regular Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
152
Likes
4
Iran has rendered tremendous help to Americans in Astan ?
Hi Singh how are you?

I can't see what help can you list a few things thanks buddy.

Hamas is a terrorist group and Americans have been killed in attacks in Israel so as far as I'm concern their the bad guys and Iran supports them.

Palestine/Lebanon etc
Basically Iran is just another outside group, people, etc, pushing the beliefs on stupid people who know no better. The locals pay the price my entire adult life this fighting has been going on with no end. I have a guy on my block who from the region in fact his mother still lives there and he told me 90+% of all the arms, weapons, bombs, personnel, and support comes through Syria from Iran. Like I said Iran is as dirty as one comes and it's no surprise to me that A-Stan and P-Stan are all screwed up being they all share a border, it's no accident.

Singh I get the feeling you want Iran to be something it's not because of the their trade with India, nothing wrong with wishing for good things. Maybe for India it works that way I don't know? Iran has done nothing directly to India so that's a good thing but don't surprise that one day you find out different. For most Americans, English, and others who fight know direct support in the form launch off bases, bombs, weapons, manpower, transportation, and much more are used to kill American and UK soldiers in Iraq and most likely in A-Stan as well, so I can't think of Iran in any other way except a bad way.
 

Pintu

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
12,082
Likes
348
Singhji, I think Hamid Gul is trying to cover up the whole thing that the donor money is being landed up to Taliban hands to buy new weapons for them or else the light weapons supplied by the USA to Pakistan to fight against Taliban are falling to the hand of the Taliban.

Regards
 

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
rock45,

I don't know the role of Iran in supporting terrorism in other countries, but it stands to lose by supporting taliban in Afghanistan since taliban are mostly 'sunni' who are dead against the Iran which is predominantly 'shia'.

Hamid Gul's assertions about the role of Iran in supporting Taliban is nothing but deflecting the criticism of Pakistan for their role in supporting Taliban.
 

Pintu

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
12,082
Likes
348
^^^, I agree with you on that totally Dare Devil, it is just a ploy by Hamid Gul to deflect criticism against them.

Regards
 

rock45

Founding Member/ RIP our friend
Regular Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
152
Likes
4
daredevil
I don't know the role of Iran in supporting terrorism in other countries,
Hi daredevil
You really don't know the role Iran's takes in supporting terrorism? I'll post some links.
Iran 'leading terrorism sponsor'
BBC NEWS | Americas | Iran 'leading terrorism sponsor'

New US sanctions on Iran may hit Reliance
New US sanctions on Iran may hit Reliance - India Business - Business - The Times of India

Iran's New Target: Egypt
Iran's New Target: Egypt - WSJ.com

Iran most active state sponsor of terrorism, says US
Iran most active state sponsor of terrorism, says US - WashingtonTV ???????? ???????


Hamid Gul's assertions about the role of Iran in supporting Taliban is nothing but deflecting the criticism of Pakistan for their role in supporting Taliban.
I agree 110%
 

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,756
Country flag
Taliban to use Human Shield

The Taliban is saying that it will use Human Shield in its fight against the Pak Army. Reports are saying that the Taliban is holding about 2000 people as hostage to use them against the Pak Army.

No case of Muslim brethren here when it comes to personal interest and safety isnt it?
 

Vinod2070

मध्यस्थ
Ambassador
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
2,557
Likes
115
Hamas did the same in the recent Gaza war.

The so called "bravery" of these terrorists doesn't take too much to be shown up!
 

nitesh

Mob Control Manager
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
7,550
Likes
1,307
Cowards they are showing there true face.
 

Pintu

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
12,082
Likes
348
Here is PTI report which says Taliban is holding 2000 people hostage.

http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/0EBE020FEBAB2112652575AB002009A4?OpenDocument

Taliban militants hold 2,000 villagers as human shields



London, May 3 (PTI) Taliban militants were holding 2,000 people in Buner district of restive North West Frontier Province in Pakistan to use them as human shields in case the army attacked.
Taliban's move came as Pakistani forces stepped up their campaign to retake territory in the districts of Buner, Dir and Swat. The military said they had killed more than 100 militants and lost several soldiers since fighting began on Tuesday.

Taliban militants are holding 2,000 people as human shields in Pir Baba in Buner district, The Sunday Times reported today.

"Kidnapping has become routine in our village. Armed Taliban were picking up people and then demanding a huge ransom for their release," said an elderly refugee now living with his family in a tent in Timergara, a town in Dir.

According to the paper, many of the 90,000 refugees fleeing the conflict zone in NWFP welcomed the military action despite their anger at being forced to leave their homes.

The militants promised to disarm but instead moved their forces into neighbouring Dir and Buner, about 100 km from federal capital triggering panic in Pakistan and heightening fears in the US about the stability of the nuclear-armed state.

Although Pakistani officers described their onslaught as a "mopping up" operation, much of Buner remained under Taliban control, the report said. PTI
 

Pintu

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
12,082
Likes
348
The points gathered from the report is :

1. Pakistan Army lost several soldiers while claimed to kill more than 100 militants.

2. 90,000 people fled their homes, starting a humanitarian crisis , as I think happened in Sri Lanka.

3. Pakistan claimed have 'Mopping up' operation while Taliban still controls many areas in Buner, therefore the whole operation has a possibility of being farce.

4. Taliban are kidnapping people and asking ransoms for them , and also holding 2000 people as Human shield in Pir Baba. A total failure from Pakistan Army and Administration to provide security to their civilian, these farce in the name of operation going on in expense their unarmed civilians.

Regards
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
Pint, with regard to some of your points:

The points gathered from the report is :

1. Pakistan Army lost several soldiers while claimed to kill more than 100 militants.

Latest reports put the figure at 80 militants in the Buner region and 200 in total in operations in Buner, Sawat and Dir and army casualties as 3 + 11. However, the figures are wildly varying depending on the news agency, including reports that misquoted and then exaggerated a figure of '16 militants' as '60 militants' by some agencies: Dawn and Jang, and reported in later reports on the 'Daily Times' and the BBC as the lower figure. So there is sufficient cause to consume these figures with a heavy dose of skepticism.


2. 90,000 people fled their homes, starting a humanitarian crisis , as I think happened in Sri Lanka.

Reports (as of April 28, 2009) from official pakistani sources, and corroborated by local NGO's place the figure at MORE THAN ONE MILLION displaced from the frontier provinces. If these figures are true, and I suspect that they are not only true but a conservative estimate, then this is a humanitarian crisis which far outstrips the one in SriLanka.


3. Pakistan claimed have 'Mopping up' operation while Taliban still controls many areas in Buner, therefore the whole operation has a possibility of being farce.

It is virtually impossible to 'mop up' the Taliban through a military operation the likes of which is being mounted by the Pakistani Armed forces now. One can be fairly sure that the disproportionate, 'claimed' casualty figures are more a political maneuver rather than the outcome of a military one (there is logical precedent to this). I will voice the skepticism of most when I say that it (inflating enemy casualty figures) would be a good ploy to extract more funding and concessions from Washington. The fact that these are not independently verifiable and that one must rely on "official figures" from the Army alone, that is no stranger to lying, intimidating civil society society or usurping the appurtenances of the state, is more than adequate cause to take this with a heavy pinch of salt. The Taliban will simply melt away into the local populace, or take refuge in the impervious mountains that are invulnerable to gunships and form a near-impregnable defense against scaling, poorly trained pakistani troops or wage a war of attrition through force dispersal, selective reprisal, perfidy and revetting- or all four, and blow up strategic bridges, electricity pylons, sensitive government installations and government offices as they are doing now. Only then to subsequently regroup and recoup after the operation has run out of steam against a spent military that is attrited, weary of a war they are not even remotely trained to fight, and in no mood for further combat. What it will also do- if this operation is not mounted properly- is to increase the size of the Taliban's social base, as the displaced become disprivileged and an easy target for Taliban recruitment.


4. Taliban are kidnapping people and asking ransoms for them , and also holding 2000 people as Human shield in Pir Baba. A total failure from Pakistan Army and Administration to provide security to their civilian, these farce in the name of operation going on in expense their unarmed civilians.

My information is that this is not the first instance of the Taliban using human shields. During the siege of Ambela-Daggar just two days ago, the Taliban used human shields to make an effective, irreprisible escape.
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
TNSM, Swat Taliban reject Darul Qaza

TNSM, Swat Taliban reject Darul Qaza

Sunday, 03 May, 2009 | 03:45 PM PST |


The setting up of Darul Qaza is a landmark decision in the history
of Malakand: NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain.—APP


PESHAWAR: Both the TNSM and Swat Taliban have rejected the creation of Darul Qaza by the NWFP government, saying Sufi Mohammad was not consulted in the decision, agencies reported.

TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said Sufi Muhammad was supposed to be consulted on the makeup of the appeals court but was not.

‘We reject this Darul Qaza and further consultation is on to discuss the future line of action,’ Khan said.

Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan also spoke out against the move: ‘Any such decision under the shadow of a military operation is not acceptable to us.’

‘The government should first stop the operation and then appoint judges for the court in consultations with Sufi Mohammad,’ he added.



DAWN.COM | Metropolitan | TNSM, Swat Taliban reject Darul Qaza


x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x


TNSM declares Darul Qaza set up unilateral

Updated at: 1135 PST, Sunday, May 03, 2009



SWAT: Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) has declared the setting up of Darul Qaza unilateral.

Sources said that the TNSM ‘shoora’ headed by Maulana Sufi Muhammad in a meeting at its central office located at Aman Dara Batkhel here deliberated on the setting up of Darul Qaza, postings of Qazis in shriat courts and other important matters and declared the Darul Qaza set up unilateral.

TNSM spokesman, Amir Izzat Khan said that the announcement relating to the setting up of Darul Qaza and Qazis postings has nothing to do with the TNSM. He said that they were waiting for the second round of talks, but the government unilaterally announced the setting up of Darul Qaza. He said that the maintenance of peace was the exclusive responsibility of the government and added, “We are not satisfied with the setting up of Darul Qaza.”



TNSM declares Darul Qaza set up unilateral
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
TNSM rejects establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza

Sun, May 3, 2009




SWAT: Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) has rejected establishing Dar-ul -Qaza and appointment of Qazis in Malakand by Provincial Government. Despite establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza under Nizam-e-Adl regulation, the situation remained tense in Swat on Sunday. Spokesman Maulana Sufi Mohammad Chief TNSM, Amir Izzat Khan while talking to media men said the Government did not consult TNSM over establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza and appointment of Qazis, which was violation of peace pact[/B [Emphasis original]].

Dar-ul-Qaza has been established without accepting our demands, he said, adding that, Provincial Government on May 01 had assured us Dar-ul-Qaza would be established and Qazi would be appointed with consultation and after halting military operation in Dir and Buner. Establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza without consultation was biased therefore we would not support it, he said.

Meanwhile, Spokesman of Awami National Party Zahid Khan has said that Sufi Mohammed had earlier said that the provincial government would have power to appoint Qazis and now we have taken steps for it. He said there is no justification of taking up arms now if someone uses arms the government would have no option but to initiate action against them. Replying a question Zahid Khan said they (TNSM) were consulted on the matter. He said Sufi Mohammed was working for peace in the region but some people are not sincere with the peace in the region.
On the other hand, unidentified militants attacked the grid station in Mingora city of Swat Valley suspending the electricity supply to many areas. According to sources, after the attack on Mingora gird station, the militants and security forces exchanged fire, which substantially damaged the main transformer. As a result, most of the areas were left short of electricity supply.

In another incident in Swat, two dead bodies were found in Alam Ganj area of Swat as militant activities continued in the violence hit valley despite much touted peace deal. Taliban have blown a girls school building in Nangolyi area with explosive material. Taliban have also attacked Rahimabad police station but fled from the area after counter attack by the police.-ONLINE


TNSM rejects establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza | Pakistan Times!
 

Pintu

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
12,082
Likes
348
Thanks and Regards RAGE for the nice analysis, RAGE , I think in my opinion Taliban is the party which will gain in the expense of the unarmed civilians. My points are only based on the report above mentioned and I totally agree with you.

Regards
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
And as was inevitable....

Taliban using gemstones’ money to fund terrorism

* Swat businessmen say emeralds mined from Taliban-controlled Mingora, Shangla and Gujaro Killay are sold in Mingora black market

By Akhtar Amin


PESHAWAR: Swat Taliban are using money earned from mining and selling gemstones in Swat and Shangla for terrorism, entrepreneurs from the Swat valley said on Sunday.

Entrepreneurs in a Gem Bazaar – organised by the Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company at Namak Mandi – told Daily Times that Taliban were using the money for terrorist activities in Swat, Buner and Dir districts of Malakand division.

Babu Khan, an entrepreneur from Swat who had displayed emeralds in the bazaar, said that Taliban had started extensive mining through hired labourers and were selling the precious stones in the black market.

He said plunderers had also taken over several mines of high quality gemstones, one of which had earned the government about Rs 90 million in a single auction in the past.

Another entrepreneur from Swat, Muhammad Ali, told Daily Times that Taliban had also taken over the Mingora emerald mine.

The Shamozai emeralds mine, some 25 kilometres from Mingora, and the Gujaro Killay emerald mine in the adjacent district of Shangla, are also under the control of the Swat Taliban.

Stones extracted from these mines are auctioned in the premises of the Mingora mine every Sunday, where dealers from all over Pakistan come to shop, he said.

The federal and provincial governments have not taken any action over “this looting and plunder of state property”, Muhammad Ali said.

Imran Inam, a senior official of the Gems and Jewellery Development Company, told Daily Times that the US was also concerned over the Taliban occupation of emerald mines in Swat and Shangla and had talked to the Pakistani government.


Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
 

Vinod2070

मध्यस्थ
Ambassador
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
2,557
Likes
115
This Gul idiot is a fanatic extremist. He typifies the Pakistani mentality of fighting to the last Afghani as long as he can score some brownie point against the "American crusaders".

These guys profess great love for their Muslim brothers but are happy to see their lives ruined as long as they can see some dead kaafirs in the bargain.
 

Su-47

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
282
Likes
40
This Gul idiot is a fanatic extremist. He typifies the Pakistani mentality of fighting to the last Afghani as long as he can score some brownie point against the "American crusaders".

These guys profess great love for their Muslim brothers but are happy to see their lives ruined as long as they can see some dead kaafirs in the bargain.
Many Taliban who 'fight for Islam' aren't motivated by the love for Muslims. Rather they are motivated by the hate for kaffirs. What exactly have they done that has benefited normal Muslims. Nothing.

In contrast real freedom fighters, revolutionaries and soldiers are motivated by love for their nation or their people. Even before and after the fighting, they work to make life better for everybody.

The only thing Taliban love is hate.
 

Singh

Phat Cat
Super Mod
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
20,311
Likes
8,403
Country flag
Pakistan is facing galloping Talibanisation: Ahmed Rashid


On Monday, April 4, veteran journalist Ahmed Rashid addressed a select crowd at Karachi’s Mohatta Palace Museum. Not surprisingly, the subject of his talk was ‘Afghanistan and Pakistan: Quest for Peace or Recipe for War?’ He argued that Pakistan was facing a major existential crisis: ‘I no longer say that there’s a creeping Talibanisation in Pakistan, it’s a galloping Talibanisation.’ Here, Dawn.com’s Huma Yusuf presents the salient points from Mr. Rashid’s presentation. (Photograph: Fahim Siddiqi/White Star)

Where did the Taliban come from?

The myths about the Taliban need to be clarified. They are not an extension of an external threat, they are not being funded by Russia or India. In the 1990s, the Taliban in Afghanistan were fighting the Northern Alliance, and thousands of Pashtuns went to fight as foot soldiers on behalf of the Taliban. In 2001, the Afghan Taliban fled to Pakistan. Pakistani Taliban, who previously had little clout, became hosts of the Afghan Taliban and earned much money for their assistance. From 2001 to 2004, the Pakistani Taliban grew in numbers and influence and became radicalized because of their proximity to the Afghan Taliban. They planned and mobilized to establish a Taliban ‘emirate’ or state in Fata and the expansion of that idea of statehood is what we see happening today.

Pakistani Taliban expanding

The leadership of the Taliban is now in Pakistan and they have stated their intention of overthrowing the government here. The Taliban are linking up with groups in Pakistan and the Pakistani Taliban movement is turning into a multiethnic movement. Groups cultivated to fight in Kashmir have joined up with the Pakistani Taliban, and include Punjabis with organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkatul Mujahideen. Now, some 40 groups in Pakistan are loosely affiliated with the Pakistan – the several years of progressive diplomacy with India exacerbated the rise of different Taliban-affiliated factions. For that reason, Pakistan faces a more dangerous situation than Afghanistan, where Tajik and Uzbek fighters were not permitted to join the Afghan Taliban movement.

Issues in Pakistani governance

Pakistan is also weaker because of a raging economic crisis, the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan, and a political crisis. The PPP government has wasted one year vying with the PML-N for power rather than tackling the Taliban threat. Meanwhile, ANP, which was supposed to serve as secular face of Frontier province, has collapsed (ANP officials are being targeted by Taliban in northern areas).

Before 2008, the Musharraf government allowed the Taliban to resettle in Pakistan from Afghanistan. Musharraf wanted to maintain the jihadi nexus as a force against the Indians. Also, the emphasis then was on getting rid of Al Qaeda, the Taliban were not seen as a major threat.

After 2004/2005, when military operations did begin in Fata, the government pursued a stop-and-start policy, which involved several peace deals that did not hold. In the meantime, the Pakistan government and army failed to protect the people of the Fata and the traditional tribal hierarchies that were pro-Pakistan. About 300 maliks of tribes were killed and by 2007, there were half a million refugees from Fata in Pakistan. Having lost the goodwill of the population in Fata, the government will find it hard to reenter the area and rebuild traditional tribal structures.

American failures

How did we get from 2001 to where we are today? The Bush government got distracted by Iraq, which provided a diversion of attention and resources from the situation in Afghanistan. Instead of having an on-the-ground plan for capacity building in Afghanistan, the US supported warlords – instead of empowering the centre, regional powers were bolstered. Plus, little was done about the drug trade, which is now the main source of funding for the Taliban (it is estimated at 300 million dollars, but Rashid believes the real figures are triple that amount). Instead of defeating Taliban in Afghanistan, Americans routed them to Pakistan.

Obama policy

US President Barack Obama is now doing what Bush should have done in Afghanistan (troop surge, capacity building, securing the ground to ensure that presidential elections can take place this August). In Pakistan, however, American options are limited. There was a hope that after February 2008 elections, there would be a strong coalition government that could serve as a civilian partner for Obama to partner with. After all, army has proved unreliable ally (especially since it still thinks that India is the main enemy; army officials dislike Indian presence in Afghanistan; and army officials don’t like Karzai and other Afghan leaders). However, there is no one for America to partner with. PM? President? Opposition leader? They have all proved too weak.

As a result, US is asking for aid to help Paksitan, but there is very little trust and faith in Pakistan amongst the Congress. The aid that will be given will be packed with conditionalities that Pakistan won’t be able to accept. Congress is asking, who will we give this aid to?

India question

There is a tit-for-tat game between India and Pakistan whereby they support nationalist insurgencies in each other’s countries (so while India may be giving funds in Balochistan, Pakistan is helping out rebels in Assam). But India is not funding the Taliban. India realizes that the Taliban will be at their border next and they have nothing to gain from supporting the militants.

Regional strategy

New focus of Obama administration is regional policy – get Afghanistan’s six neighbors involved and make them sort out regional stability and set a common agenda. But first, bilateral issues will have to be sorted: Indo-Pak will have to clear the air, Pakistan and Central Asian states will have to reach understandings, and Iran and the US will have to start negotiating. This way, Afghanistan is not only a problem, it becomes a trigger for regional problem solving. This is one of the most doable and productive aspects of the Obama policy for Af-Pak.

Fallacies of Swat deal (Nizam-i-Adl Regulation)

The ANP thought that the deal would be contained within Swat, but that was very misguided thinking. The Taliban have an expansionist agenda. They make deals in one areas so that they can secure it and then move into other areas. There has also been no cessation of their killing of ANP and other government officials and they have not agreed to lay down their arms. Instead of achieving anything, the Swat deal formalises a different form of law and governance for one part of Pakistan, thus weakening the government.

The law in Swat is Taliban law, and it’s nonsense to say that the Swatis have been practicing Sharia for decades. The Taliban law has nothing to do with the mild form of Sufi-influenced Sharia that Swatis have had from 1960s.

Government was definitely taken by surprise by the speed with which Taliban moved on from Swat to Buner, Dir, etc. They will not stop and government should realise their ultimate goal of toppling Islamabad. To that end, the operation in Swat is welcome. But the question is: will it be a sustained offensive?

Also, there are already one million IDPs who have escaped from Fata and northern areas. If the army is seriously going to tackle Taliban menace, it must learn counter-insurgency tactics and get the right equipment to target Taliban without damaging entire villages.

http://dawntravelshow.com/dblog/2009/05/04/pakistan-is-facing-galloping-talibanisation-ahmed-rashid/
 

Su-47

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
282
Likes
40
Spare a thought for the refugees!

The tent cities are growing in the district of Swabi, in north-west Pakistan: swelled with the thousands fleeing the fighting in nearby Buner district.

Last month, Taleban from the troubled district of Swat moved south into Buner and overran it, occupying government offices and police stations, and closing down locally popular Sufi shrines which they oppose.

The army moved in a couple of weeks ago to counter them, and is now engaged in heavy fighting in the area.

According to Shahram Khan, the head of Swabi district government, around 150,000 people have fled Buner during the last few days. This is three times the figure of 40,000 previously provided by the federal government.

Most of these people have ended up in about a dozen refugee camps set up by the government in Swabi.

'Pouring in'

Many of these camps are funded by private individuals. Others are supported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme, others by foreign and local NGOs.

The government of North West Frontier Province has already earmarked money to take care of the refugees, and it is now reaching most camps.

One such camp is located in Chhota Lahore town of Swabi district.

There are rows of tents supplied by the UNHCR. Most are family shelters, but some also house one school each for boys and girls, as well as a medical dispensary.

"Tents are in short supply, and we also expect food shortages in coming days as refugees from Buner continue to pour in," says Kabir Khan, the administrator of the camp.

The refugees are, in the main, happy with the supply of food and other necessities, but nonetheless they say they cannot live in a refugee camp forever.

'Talks needed'

"Our problem is not here, but back in Buner," says Bakht-e-Rahman, a refugee from the Cheena area of Buner.

"Even if you give us a palace to live in here, the problem up there remains. For that, the government needs to talk to the Taleban."

I point out that talks have been held, but after the government met all its demands, the Taleban still refused to lay down arms.

But Mr Rahman was not convinced, saying the negotiations which surrounded the creation of the peace deal were not exhaustive enough to tackle all the issues.

Most displaced people say they have left their homes not because of the Taleban's excesses, but because of shelling by the army.

"The Taleban captured our area and started patrolling the streets, they snatched vehicles from NGO staff, government officials and private individuals, and they threatened local people," says Nasir Ali, a high school student.

"But it wasn't as bad as the shelling by the army - that was what actually forced us to leave our homes."

Perils of fleeing


Many people waited a long time before they got the opportunity to flee. And then they walked for hours to reach safety, with women and children in tow.

Rahim Khan, from Chamno village, is one of them.

"When the shelling got too close and the women and children started to cry, we decided to leave, but we couldn't. Several people died or got hurt trying to get to the road.

"Then there was a lull in shelling, and about 1,000 villagers fled. About 500 are still there."

Mr Khan's family, which includes several women and children and his old mother, walked for three hours before they were able to get a ride to Swabi.

'Same coin'

I interviewed a large number of refugees in Swabi, but I did not meet a single person who actually saw the army and the Taleban as members of opposing camps.

Instead, I heard, they were "two sides of the same coin".

"The Pakistani army has hurt us badly - but while they have killed civilians, I swear I haven't seen a single shell directed at the Taleban," says Shahdad Khan, a refugee sheltering at a camp in Swabi's Shave Ada area.

Others question the Pakistani military's stated commitment to "eliminating" the Taleban.

"No way," Siraj tells me.

"The army brought the Taleban to our area! It's politics. The Taleban and the army are brothers."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8040858.stm



From this it appears the PA is worse than the Taliban for the locals. How PA expects to get local support like this is beyond me. It appears the PA's real objectives is to drive civillians into joining the Taliban! And the USA is paying for it!
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

Articles

Top