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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban in Pakistan rejects offer for Ramadan truce |
| 2008-09-01 |
| Pakistani Taliban will continue attacks during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, rejecting a government announcement it would halt military actions in the northwest, a Taliban spokesman said Sunday. Violence has surged in Pakistan in recent weeks with the military battling Al-Qaeda- and Taliban-linked fighters in three different parts of the northwest. The militants have responded with suicide and remotely detonated bomb attacks on the security forces and civilian targets. Deteriorating security has coincided with a faltering economy and political upheaval as the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf on August 18 was followed a week later by a split in the ruling coalition. "It's a joke. It isn't a matter of holy or unholy. All months are holy. If they want to end fighting, it should be permanent," Muslim Khan, Taliban spokesman in the Swat Valley, told Reuters. "We want Sharia laws enforced and will continue our struggle. We haven't got instructions from our top leadership to stop fighting. If they do [order a halt] then we certainly will." Pakistan's government had said on Saturday that security forces would suspend operations from Sunday night for Ramadan, which ends at the beginning of October, but would retaliate if attacked. Meanwhile, a missile struck a house near the Afghan border Sunday, killing six suspected militants, residents and officials said. The attack took place in the village of Tappi, some 10 kilometers southeast of Miranshah, the main town in volatile North Waziristan on the Afghan border. "The death toll has risen to six and eight others are wounded," a security official told AFP, updating an earlier toll. "Most of the dead are foreign militants including Arabs and Uzbeks." Residents said the missile had been fired from a pilotless aircraft and that the house belonged to a local tribesman who had rented it out to the militants. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Your holidays don't mean squat to a Predator, pal. |
| Posted by: Goober Spavinter7016 2008-09-01 13:14 |
| #2 " Good morning, Mutual of Waziristan, how can I help you?" "My house just exploded and all my friends are dead" " Inshallah. And can I help you with anything else?" |
| Posted by: Grunter 2008-09-01 09:21 |
| #1 Residents said the missile had been fired from a pilotless aircraft and that the house belonged to a local tribesman who had rented it out to the militants. I hope he has good homeowner's insurance. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-09-01 02:00 |