This needs to be followed closely.
The Taliban has seized control of an area just 60 miles from the Pakistani capital Islamabad, provoking fears that militants are attempting to spread their insurgency – and with it their extreme brand of Islam – across the country.
Pakistani forces came under fire yesterday as they attempted to wrest back control of the strategically important district of Buner. The seizure by militants of the district in recent days underlines the strength of the insurgency and its ability to advance from the neighboring Swat Valley which the Taliban controls, into the heart of Pakistan. Two policemen and a soldier were gunned down as six platoons of the Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force, were despatched to Buner to attempt to secure government buildings and bridges.
As this is posted check the front page of the NYT and Wash Post. There is nothing! THUS nobody except the Europeans are covering it. Hopefully they will catch up to this important story soon.
iTS FUNNY,
Some of it sounds like they are blaming Pakistan..
If they ask, THEY NEED TO ASK, the USA can run up their backdoor. the problem is Pakistan DONT WANT THE USA in their country. we generally dont leave as quickly as we entered.
How many times have I and others said that the real problem isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan.
It’s Pakistan, Iran and North Korea.
Pakistan gave the Taliban the Swat Valley and made it a semi-autonomous region. The Taliban were allowed to administer the territory as they saw fit with the condition that they stay there peacefully.
Well, all the government did was give their enemies a launching point and enough time to gather their forces.
It’s called APPEASEMENT.
In case you all have missed it, the only thing appeasement does is give time and resources to those who want you dead or enslaved.
Giving the bully/murderer/psychopath what he wants only makes him more bold and ambitious.
Think about that the next time someone bows to a Saudi King, (go ahead and keep screwing us), or to an Iraqi Hitler (let’s talk while you finish your bomb, and, by the way, go ahead and destroy that pesky Israel), or to a Northern Communist Dictator (go ahead and extend to us your open hand, we will ignore the dagger you are holding in the other).
In case you missed it, none other than Hillary Clinton pointed out Pakistan is in deep trouble.
http://upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/22/Clinton-Pakistan-mortal-threat-to-world/UPI-34481240421045/
The WaPo has it, just not on the front page, but buried under “World News”. This doesn’t just happen in the USA; in local papers here in Ireland, something has to be pretty major to break out of the “World News” ghetto.
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/04/23/is-pakistan-a-mortal-threat-to-the-world%E2%80%9D/comment-page-1/#comment-1515585
hERE IT IS..
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/04/23/is-pakistan-a-mortal-threat-to-the-world
hERE IT IS..
There is a lot more to this story alright. A revolution is going on over there but the media here just slap the terrorists tag on it and push it under the rug. I can’t rember were I cut this from but it sums it up.
“PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The Taliban have advanced deeper into Pakistan by engineering a class revolt that exploits profound fissures between a small group of wealthy landlords and their landless tenants, according to government officials and analysts here.
…
In Swat, accounts from those who have fled now make clear that the Taliban seized control by pushing out about four dozen landlords who held the most power.
…
Mahboob Mahmood, a Pakistani-American lawyer and former classmate of President Obama’s, said, “The people of Pakistan are psychologically ready for a revolution.”
Sunni militancy is taking advantage of deep class divisions that have long festered in Pakistan, he said. “The militants, for their part, are promising more than just proscriptions on music and schooling,” he said. “They are also promising Islamic justice, effective government and economic redistribution.”
…
The insurgents struck at any competing point of power: landlords and elected leaders — who were usually the same people — and an underpaid and unmotivated police force, said Khadim Hussain, a linguistics and communications professor at Bahria University in Islamabad, the capital.
At the same time, the Taliban exploited the resentments of the landless tenants, particularly the fact that they had many unresolved cases against their bosses in a slow-moving and corrupt justice system, Mr. Hussain and residents who fled the area said.”
Oh, no, there aren’t any WMDs! It’s all a trick! George Bush is in Crawford, Texas, right now trying to get together an invasion force.
The Taliban aren’t really dangerous! We just need to understand them! They just need a friendly visit from Cindy Sheehan to show them how much we want to trust and believe them! Then we need to pull out all our military and stop all aid to Israel. These are the things that make them mad! If we just do all this, the desert will bloom like a rose with peace from Allah!
Mr Marsh, true words of wisdom. We should do all those things and more. Like drop a small thermonuclear device in the Swat Valley. That blossom would, indeed, be sweet.
BTW – the story hits the top of the page on Google News.
Also, I still get security updates from the US Embassy in Kabul. Just yesterday I received this warning: “Recent intelligence reporting indicates that insurgents are planning to conduct a suicide attack against U.S. personnel in the Serena Hotel in Kabul using a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). Separately, insurgents may carry out attacks in and around Kabul on April 28, 2008, in an effort to disrupt celebrations and undermine the Karzai government.”
I still have friends in Kabul and Islamabad and the news continues to sadden me. My biggest complaint with GWB is that he didn’t send an even bigger force into Afgh to quickly defeat the Taliban.
One of my talk shows interviewed the Ambassador from Pakistan this morning. He said there was no worry because the Pakistan Army “could” defeat the Taliban whenever they decide to do it.
I experienced touch of vertigo recalling Baghdad Bob’s excellent review of the tactical situation a few years ago.
But, excellent post at #7==thank you. Land Reform, disproportionate wealth in the hands of a few.
Wake up wingnuts.
John, Foxnews is covering since yesterday. http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517555,00.html
Don’t worry, no one in the US watches the other networks anyway.
Taliban advance on the Captitol? Is that some new city or entity of which I’m not aware?
#12… he meant Capityl.
Wow I’m glad I live in the USA, where I don’t have to worry about religious wackos trying to push their moral agenda on others.
No wait….uhm…never mind.