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Tribes Stare Down Soldiers
 April 22, 2005: In southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), thousands of armed (with rifles and RPGs) Bugti tribesmen have moved to surround an army base. The tribes and the government are in conflict over how much money the tribes get for oil and gas pumped from the area, and how many troops the army can station in Baluchistan. The death toll, so far, has not been very high. It's been a game of bluff and bluster, backed up by a lot of firepower. In western Pakistan (the tribal areas along the Afghan border), police and tribal volunteers are searching villages for foreigners (al Qaeda terrorists). This is all being done very quietly, with the only army troops in evidence being elite commandos. The tribesmen get agitated when they see convoys of regular troops rolling through their territory. But SUVs and trucks full of police or commandos cause less unrest.Posted by: Steve 2005-04-22 |
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