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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan Launches New Offensive Against Insurgents |
| 2009-04-26 |
| Taliban moving west/sout west, Paks seem to be attempting to surround Swat, haven't heard much more ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan launched an operation against militants Sunday in a district covered by a government-backed peace deal, threatening the survival of a pact that raised U.S. concerns about the nuclear-armed nation's willingness to confront the insurgents. A top government official insisted the deal remained "intact" and denied American pressure prompted the offensive, while another warned that the Taliban in a valley that was the focus of the deal must disarm or "face action." A military statement said the offensive in Lower Dir had already killed "scores" of militants, including a commander, and left at least one paramilitary soldier dead. It said the operation was launched at the request of the provincial government and local residents, but did not give details of exactly what it entailed or how many troops were involved. Yeah no details Television footage from the district showed at least two helicopter gunships heading toward the mountains. Troops guarded a road blocked with paramilitary trucks, while some families sat nearby. Another family headed away in a vehicle full of luggage. The Dir region neighbors Afghanistan and the beleaguered Swat Valley. The government agreed to impose Islamic law in Swat and the surrounding districts that make up Malakand Division if the Taliban there would end their violent campaign in the one-time tourist haven. In recent days, Taliban forces from Swat began entering Buner, a neighboring district which lies just 60 miles from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Officials said most of the insurgents pulled out of Buner on Friday amid reports of possible military action, and threats that the government would scrap the deal. The decision to attack militant hideouts in Lower Dir was something of a surprise, though reports of a rising militant presence there and in Upper Dir have been growing. Losing either district of Dir to militants would be a significant not only for Pakistan but also for the U.S. because a part of the region borders Afghanistan, where the U.S. is sending thousands more troops to shore up the faltering war effort. The Dir region lies above Bajur, a tribal area where the military staged another offensive. Many of the militants now in Dir may have come from Bajur. It was unclear if Swat militants were in Dir, though they have been reported in nearby districts other than Buner. The Swat Taliban spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. Farhatullah Babar, spokesman for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, insisted that a military offensive did not render the peace agreement moot. He said the government would fulfill its pledge to establish Islamic courts in Malakand, a long-standing demand of local residents exhausted by the inefficient regular judicial system -- and a grievance exploited by the Taliban. Still, Babar added, the government would not tolerate militants' spread. "The peace deal is intact -- the government has not revoked the peace deal," Babar said. "At the same time the government is determined to root out the militants hell-bent on destroying the law and order situation." Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, the country's top civilian security official, had harsher words, even speaking of the deal in past tense when saying the Swat militants had to disarm. "Enough is enough," Malik said. "There is no option for them except to lay down their arms, because the government is serious now to flush them out." The Pakistani military's ability or willingness to take on the Taliban has been questioned by some top U.S. officials in recent days, even as they ponder giving Pakistan billions more in military and other aid. |
| Posted by:Kofi Claitle6576 |
| #2 Remove the nukes before giving more aid or we will remove the Taliban for them. And give a deadline of 48 hours. |
| Posted by: Thealing Borgia 122 2009-04-26 14:13 |
| #1 they always seem too throw in some comment like " the faltering war efort" in regards too afghanistan, hell it's not our country being taken over why not worry about the paki nukes or the weak ass president they have instead of taking a shot at the US? Just go ahead and pull our troops out of the region stop AID and make the asshats glow. |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-04-26 12:43 |