Pakistain is trying to persuade rustics in a key bad turban sanctuary near the Afghan border to take up arms against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in their midst, a top political official said Tuesday.The US has repeatedly demanded that Pakistain launch a military offensive in North Wazoo to try and sap the strength of faceless myrmidons who regularly attack foreign forces in Afghanistan, jeopardizing Washington's hopes of drawing down troops.
The latest effort to bring rustics on board appeared to be a new attempt to replicate the successes of the US military in Iraq to turn the tribes there against al-Qaeda.
So far, it has been less promising in Afghanistan and Pakistain, and at least two prominent North Waziristan locals said it would never work in their area. It is also unclear whether the government and the US have the same faceless myrmidons in mind for targeting.
| A good point, O Dawn journalist. Probably not the same faceless myrmidon groups, come to think of it. |
Tariq Hayat, the top political official for Pakistain's entire semiautonomous tribal region, said talks with the North Waziristan rustics began in recent days and the government has promised "moral and material support," but not weapons.
"If they feel now that they are strong enough and they are getting signals from the authorities about all our support, yes they would love to throw the Death Eaters out from their homes," said Hayat.
Kamran Khan, a politician from North Waziristan, said he was not aware of the recent negotiations, but said people are too angry over US
"As long as the American drones are hitting us every day, no such idea can get public support," said Khan.
The Pak government is also extremely unpopular in North Waziristan, a poor region that is effectively controlled by faceless myrmidons despite the presence of thousands of Pak troops.
A leading member of one of the two main tribes in North Waziristan ruled out local militias, known locally as lashkars, because of the danger of retaliation by the bad turbans.
"Only an insane person would think about an anti-Taliban lashkar here," he told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
for fear of being targeted by either the faceless myrmidons or the army.
It's unclear whether Pakistain's attempt to establish tribal militias is a precursor to an operation in North Waziristan or an attempt to deflect US pressure, which has increased following the American raid last month that killed the late Osama bin Laden
... who was potted in Pakistain...
in an army town not far from Islamabad.
Also unknown is whether the government has been pushing the rustics to target the same faceless myrmidons the US wants taken out. Washington is most focused on the Haqqani network, which it considers the most dangerous bad turban group fighting in Afghanistan.
But many analysts believe Pakistain is reluctant to target the group because of historical ties and the belief that it could be a useful ally in Afghanistan after foreign forces withdraw.
Instead, the more likely target could be groups like al-Qaeda and the Pak Taliban, which have declared war on the government and have carried out scores of bombings throughout the country.
Hayat, the political official, said the government wanted the rustics to target foreign faceless myrmidons and members of the Taliban, but did not indicate whether that group includes the Haqqani network and other Afghan fighters battling foreign forces.
The Mighty Pak Army did not respond to requests for comment on the recent talks or on whether a North Waziristan operation was imminent. Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI...
recently called on the people of North Waziristan "to evict all foreigners from their soil."