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| India-Pakistan |
| Militants turn to abduction of key officials to achieve objectives |
| 2008-04-23 |
| The kidnappings of key government and international organisatons’ officials by militant outfits is a “more lethal weapon than suicide bombing”, military and security officials said on Tuesday. They said that, “The militants seem to have worked out a new strategy and that is to kidnap high profile people. In doing so, they exert great pressure on the government to force acceptance of their demands, while still portraying a soft image of themselves.” Khyber Agency: The militants seem to have chosen the Khyber Agency for most of the kidnappings, most likely due to its strategic road link with Afghanistan. A major supply route of the United States and NATO forces also passes through the agency. Recently, Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin was kidnapped from Khyber Agency on February 11. On Monday, paramilitary forces foiled an attempt to kidnap two World Food Programme (WFP) officials. According to the security officials, “With kidnapping, pressure builds on the government to accept most demands, as public pressure increases and the issue becomes a humanitarian concern.” Warning the government to take a more serious view of the situation in the Tribal Areas, the officials said that Azizuddin’s kidnapping was “targeted”. They also said that Monday’s attempted kidnapping was “designed” to put pressure on the government to accept certain spurious demands. The militants do this while showing a “political face pledging to work for peace” in public to retain the peoples’ sympathies, they added. The officials warned that if the Khyber Agency followed in the footsteps of Waziristan or Bajaur, Peshawar’s fall might not be far behind. They said that the militants’ ambush of paramilitary forces in Landi Kotal on Monday was a “reminder of skills foreign militants display when their colleagues come under threat”. “When the paramilitary soldiers were returning from foiling the abduction of WFP officials, they were ambushed by around 50 elements. This ambush could only be carried by a bunch of people who are highly trained,” the officials said. According to the officials, the Landi Kotal tehsil of the Khyber Agency is becoming a “red hot area” for militants, because of the region’s strategic proximity to the Tirah Valley, which offers an ideal haven for militants. Separately, tribal sources told Daily Times that foreign militants were infiltrating the Khyber tribal region. They said the local Taliban were not acting against the government. The Taliban have also denied their involvement in Azizuddin’s kidnapping, but senior government officials are accusing Waziristan, where they claim the envoy is currently being held. |
| Posted by:Fred |