All shepherds and woodsmen, no doubt ...
Hundreds of frightened people near the Pakistan-Afghan border have fled their homes after fierce clashes between Pakistani troops and local tribesman apparently protecting suspected al Qaeda fighters. Angry tribesmen torched more than a dozen military vehicles -- some loaded with ammunition -- on Wednesday and Tuesday after the Pakistani military launched the offensive on Monday. At least 39 people have been killed in the bloody crackdown by Pakistani forces near Wana in the tribal-controlled South Waziristan region. Fifteen soldiers have died, while Pakistani forces have killed 24 suspects, most of which were foreign fighters and not Pakistanis, military officials said. Intelligence officers are also questioning 18 people captured during the raids. "For the first time in the history, Pakistani forces have entered there to finish the terrorists," Pakistani Information Minister Shiekh Rashid Ahmed told CNN on Thursday. "We are committed against terrorism and we have to pay the price," he said. "Our soldiers sacrificed their lives yesterday ... but we have to face this crisis, and we are ready to face it and ultimately we will get rid of these terrorists." The whereabouts of bin Laden was still unknown, the minister said, but added that Pakistani forces were "ready to catch him."
| I'm guessing it was easier than they thought it was gonna be. They took the Waziri face-making and eye-rolling seriously... |
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell applauded the Pakistani effort and is set to discuss the operation with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad. "We regret the loss of Pakistani life in this effort but it shows, I think, good intentions on the part of Pakistan not to allow these tribal areas to be used as a haven for the Taliban," Powell said at news conference in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday. U.S. officials have said that ground troops and aircraft are expected to move into Afghanistan’s southeastern border region near Pakistan in the next few weeks. As the weather warms and the snow melts, Taliban and al Qaeda fighters are becoming more active with U.S. troops reporting an increase in firefights and rocket attacks on their bases. More fighters are also expected to move across the border from Pakistan to Afghanistan where U.S. forces plan to be waiting for them. |