Article

2009-02-17 India-Pakistan

Pakistani militants talk peace amid criticism

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Posted by tu3031 2009-02-17 10:56|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Just like Chamberlain, if anybody thinks the militants will be satisfied with Swat they are out of their frickin' minds. More likely it's more of an admission of defeat or an attempt to buy time and get ready for a bigger war to come.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-02-17 12:50|| 2009-02-17 12:50|| Front Page Top

#2 This quote:

"Our whole struggle is for the enforcement of Shariah law," Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said. "If this really brings us the implementation of Shariah, we will fully cooperate with it."

made my blood run cold.

Found here.

Posted by Seafarious 2009-02-17 13:44|| 2009-02-17 13:44|| Front Page Top

#3 Brown eyes, black hair, seedy looking. Does that help?

You just described 90% of the males in the Muddled East.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2009-02-17 14:16|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2009-02-17 14:16|| Front Page Top

#4 Analysts have derided the deal as a defeat that will embolden Islamists in the violent, nuclear-armed Muslim nation, but the government and pro-Taliban cleric Soofi Mohammad, who signed the deal, hailed it as a chance for peace. Information Minister Sherry Rehman denied it was a "concession."

"It is in no way a sign of the state's weakness. The public will of the population of the Swat region is at the centre of all efforts and it should be taken into account while debating the merits of this agreement," she said.

The government hopes that Islamist hardliners will now disarm in the Swat valley, where the deal will be implemented, and Rehman insisted President Asif Ali Zardari will only validate the agreement after peace has been established.

...and I hope monkeys holding winning lottery tickets will fly outta my ass.

Posted by tu3031 2009-02-17 15:06|| 2009-02-17 15:06|| Front Page Top

#5 Well here's one unhappy local. From CNN...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Gul Bibi and her three children fled the Taliban's bloody interpretation of Islamic law in Pakistan's Swat Valley, hoping one day to return.

But now that the Pakistani government has recognized Taliban rule in the region in exchange for a temporary cease-fire, she said those hopes have been dashed.

She warned that the government's deal with the Taliban will have worldwide implications.

"The whole point is, if it's not contained to Swat, it's going to spill all over in Pakistan and the West also doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation," Bibi said. "Probably your next 9/11 is going to be from Swat."

It is difficult to gauge the concerns of residents in Swat, because the government does not allow journalists into the area due to the ongoing military operation. Also, residents risk their lives if they openly criticize Taliban rule.

Bibi -- who used a false name to protect her identity -- told CNN that people in Swat do not support the Taliban's version of Islamic law. A strict Muslim herself, Bibi said she observes the teachings of the Quran, and the Taliban's interpretation of sharia has nothing to do with the Muslim religion. "They are killing people, they are beheading people, there is no accounting for what they are doing," Bibi said.

Their oppression is also focused on women. The Taliban have destroyed dozens of girls' schools in the region. Bibi is living in a house in Islamabad with other women who have fled Taliban rule in Swat. "For God's sake, in the West you must realize this: no education for women," she said. "You are going to destroy an entire generation."

Posted by tu3031 2009-02-17 16:23|| 2009-02-17 16:23|| Front Page Top

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