The day's developments began with the release of Sufi Muhammad, who is believed in his 70s, after more than five years in custody following his dispatch of thousands of followers to fight in Afghanistan.
 The followers he dispatched arrived on pickup trucks, most without training, some unarmed, fired up to fight the infidel. The real mujaheddin, to whit the Northern Alliance, didn't really fight them -- they harvested them. Most of Sufi's heroes didn't make it back home, and the ones who did mostly had to be ransomed. Perv put Sufi in jug as much for the old horror's own protection as anything else. But memories in NWFP seem to be short, even though the droves of dead guys remain dead. Go figure. |
| "Peacefully" in NWFP means nothing over .50 caliber for small arms and 107mm for artillery. Really calms things down a lot. |
The anti-government sentiments in the region affected by Monday's deal are seen as less intractable than those held by Taliban sympathizers in the tribal regions of Waziristan, where U.S. officials believe Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are hiding. Provincial government spokesman Faridullah Khan said the pact covers the Swat Valley and neighboring districts in this area along the Afghan frontier.
It was not clear if the deal was accepted by Muhammad's son-in-law, Mualana Fazlullah, whose fighters seized control of the Swat Valley last year, prompting a bloody army offensive. Fazlullah's spokesman could not be reached for comment late Monday. Fazlullah is reportedly at odds with Muhammad, and experts expressed doubts the younger militant would change. "I think Maulana Fazlullah will continue with whatever he is doing," said Mehmood Shah, former security chief for Pakistan's tribal areas.