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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan accepts Taliban rule in Swat |
| 2009-03-06 |
| Pakistani authorities have agreed to establish Taliban rule in the troubled northwestern Swat Valley, new reports have revealed. Seventeen new points emerged in a meeting involving North-West Frontier Province officials, Taliban leaders and the representatives of the pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad who are mediating the talks, local media reported Thursday. Syed Mohammad Javed, commissioner of the Malakand division that includes the valley, confirmed that provincial government officials had agreed to abide by the agreement, adding that "the meeting restored the trust" lost after the ceasefire violations. The accord came after Sufi set a March 15 deadline for the government to set up a Taliban-style judicial system in the restive valley and after both sides agreed in February to an indefinite ceasefire in the troubled region. The truce, however, has been violated several times by militants who attacked security convoys. The latest round of talks has expanded the scope of what Pakistan had previously said it would do to pacify the Taliban militants in Swat Valley, sources said. The deal made no mention of female education, which militants seek to ban. Taliban has destroyed nearly 200 girl's schools in Swat. Moderate forces are concerned that the agreement will increase the influence of extremists in Pakistan. While Pakistani President Asif Zardari says the deal obliges the Taliban to lay down arms, local media reports indicate that there has been no sign of disarmament and that the Taliban has effectively gained control of Swat. In the past few months, clashes between Taliban insurgents and Pakistani military forces in Swat have left hundreds dead and displaced up to one-third of the area's 1.5 million residents. The insurgents waged a violent campaign to enforce Wahhabi-inspired laws, which included beheading dissidents and bombing girl's schools in the troubled region. Taliban leaders, who were toppled in the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, took refuge in the tribal regions of Pakistan. They have rapidly extended their influence to major towns and cities. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 You have so much more experience at life than I, dear Mike N., so I must rely on you for such things. ;-) back atcha. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-03-06 23:02 |
| #8 Once you get good at it, tw. Hate comes effortlessly :) |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-03-06 22:58 |
| #7 Hate is so draining, Mike N.. However, discrimination between acceptable and unacceptable is what we have brains for. Refusing to accept the unacceptable, and DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT is our job because we are humans instead of brute animals. Apropos what Annon said. One can only hope General Petreus and his team aren't the kind of stupid Annon describes with such passion, and that they'll be listened to back in Washington. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-03-06 22:49 |
| #6 I don't welcome it, but when the opposition, traitors, thieves, cowrads, Anti-Americans and Democrats (but I repeat myself...) pass a certain line, they earn it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-03-06 22:38 |
| #5 Personally, I welcome hate. Somewhere along the line, it and discrimination became bad words, unfortunately. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-03-06 22:25 |
| #4 we're not h8terz, Annon. You're largely on target |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-03-06 22:21 |
| #3 Folks, you will hate me for what I am saying but it is the fact that what it appears to be happening in Pakistan is about the same what happened in Iran. Pakistan is racing to become the same pain in the ass to USA just like Iran. Thanks to the stupidity of our Pentagon who believe to the level of stupidity that the very powerful army and intelligence of Pakistan are in their control. It may be true for a while, never for a long time. All those stupid in Pentagon need to be thrown out because what is happening in Pakistan, already happened in Iran and none of those stupid in Pentagon never learned nothing. |
| Posted by: Annon 2009-03-06 22:19 |
| #2 The deal made no mention of female education, which militants seek to ban. Taliban has destroyed nearly 200 girl's schools in Swat. Yeah, you can keep that in. We'll just blow up the schools. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-03-06 12:47 |
| #1 Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present the Islamic Republic of Swat! |
| Posted by: Asif Zardari 2009-03-06 11:58 |