"America, NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
and other countries could do nothing to us despite having nuclear weapons," said Shamim Mehsud, a senior Taliban capo training the fighters who hold AK-47 assault rifles and cover their faces with white cloth. "Our jacket wallahs turn their bones into bullets, flesh into explosives and blood into petrol and bravely fight them, and they have no answer to that," he said.
On Saturday the deputy commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban said exploratory peace talks with the US-backed government were underway. The prime minister denied this and said Pakistain would negotiate only if the group, which has been waging a four-year insurgency, laid down its arms. There are no signs they intend to do that in the camp in South
Wazoo near the Afghan border. It is in unruly tribal areas like this where the umbrella group is entrenched. Taliban capos escorted a small group of journalists, including a Rooters news hound, to the remote camp. To get there without running into army checkpoints, they drove to North Waziristan, where the army has limited control, and then walked uphill for 15 hours over rugged terrain. On the way they came across fighters from Turkmenistan, a reminder that parts of Pakistain are a global hub for jihad boys.
What they discovered at the training ground is that the Taliban are highly disciplined and determined. They rise at dawn for prayers and then have a simple breakfast of tea and flatbread before the training starts. The forces of Evil jog in the high-altitude valley, and do push-ups, somersaults and jumping to hone the skills necessary for fighting in the harsh conditions on the border. In close-quarters combat training, fighters slam each other on to the rocky ground and then spring back up and chant "God is greatest." In another drill, one of the fighters wears a Pakistain Army uniform. Others sneak up, take him down and snatch his weapon. "It is my good fortune that I have been chosen for this holy task," said a 22-year-old fighter. When they are not training or praying, the fighters help carry supplies and ammunition to frontlines by mule and travel long distances to cities to buy food and other goods.
To relax, they play volleyball on a makeshift court and have wrestling matches where the contestants are cheered and taunted. One wrestler was asked how he would wage war when he could not wrestle. At night they tune in to the Pashtu services of Western radio outlets and usually don't like what they hear. "Why do they call us terrorists? America is the terrorist because it drops bombs on Mohammedans," said a 17-year-old called Malang, or free spirit.
A DVD player that is connected to a car battery offers fighters the chance to watch TTP videos of successful operations against the military. Sometimes the terrorists' communications radios cross signals with nearby army radios. One night the news hounds overheard a conversation between the enemies. "If you are so brave come out and fight us," said one fighter. "Don't worry," a soldier replied, "We are coming."