| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| After Peshawar school massacre, watch for the gloves to come off |
| 2014-12-17 |
| [DAWN] With the massacre of more than 130 school children by Taliban gunnies, pressure has mounted on politicians and generals to act against the internal threat of terrorism. "There have been national leaders who been apologetic about the Taliban," said Sherry Rehman, a former envoy to Washington and prominent opposition politician. "People will have to stop equivocating and come together in the face of national tragedy." Outrage over the killing of so many children is likely to seriously erode sympathy for gunnies in a country where many people have long been suspicious of the US-led "war on terror". The devastating attack could spur the army to intensify an offensive it launched this year on havens in mountains along the Afghan border. Army chief Raheel Sharif has already signaled that retaliation would follow. "The Taliban may be trying to slacken the resolve of the military by suggesting that there could be a tremendous human costs to the military offensive and create public pressure on the military to back off from this offensive," said Vali Nasr, dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. "But it may actually ricochet on them," said Nasr, formerly a State Department adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistain. Pakistain's Taliban, whose nominal unity has frayed this year with the emergence of competing factions, are distinct from the Afghan Taliban. But the groups are linked, and share the goals of toppling their respective governments and setting up an Islamist state across the region. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 "distinct from the Afghan Taliban" A distinction without a difference. >:-( |
| Posted by: Barbara 2014-12-17 20:10 |
#2 Pakistain's Taliban, whose nominal unity has frayed this year with the emergence of competing factions, are distinct from the Afghan Taliban. What difference does that make? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-12-17 18:45 |
| #1 Not to worry - the ISI won't let things get to the point of effectiveness. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-12-17 18:24 |