Taliban Overruns Picturesque Pakistani Valley; Militants Behead Opponents, Burn Schools

[tekisui]

Source: LA Times


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Taliban militants are beheading and burning their way through Pakistan's picturesque Swat Valley, and residents say the insurgents now control most of the mountainous region far from the lawless tribal areas where jihadists thrive.

The deteriorating situation in the former tourist haven comes despite an army offensive that began in 2007 and an attempted peace deal. It is especially worrisome to Pakistani officials because the valley lies outside the areas where al-Qaida and Taliban militants have traditionally operated and where the military is staging a separate offensive.

"You can't imagine how bad it is," said Muzaffar ul-Mulk, a federal lawmaker whose home in Swat was attacked by bomb-toting assailants in mid-December, weeks after he left. "It's worse day by day."

The Taliban activity in northwest Pakistan also comes as the country shifts forces east to the Indian border because of tensions over last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, potentially giving insurgents more space to maneuver along the Afghan frontier.

Militants began preying on Swat's lush mountain ranges about two years ago, and it is now too dangerous for foreign and Pakistani journalists to visit. Interviews with residents, lawmakers and officials who have fled the region paint a dire picture.

A suicide blast killed 40 people Sunday at a polling station in Buner, an area bordering Swat that had been relatively peaceful. The attack underscored fears that even so-called "settled" regions presumptively under government control are increasingly unsafe.

The 3,500-square-mile Swat Valley lies less than 100 miles from the capital, Islamabad.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-as-pakistan-valley-of-fear,1,4175060.story

[deaniac21]

1. Thanks to Bush.

[jobycom]

2. Could we put Bush in a gold titanium suit and have him fly over there?

Saw it in a movie once.

[YOY]

3. Well this is what happens when you let your fundementalists get away with shit.

n.t.

[High Plains]

4. No, this is what happens when you destablize a region for decades...

...in pursuit of your imperial fever dreams. The emergence and resurgence of the Taliban is a direct result of our arming Islamic militants in the region for their jihad against the Russians. Blowback is a bitch, ain't it?

[YOY]

5. I'd say we're both right.

Pakistan let shit slide and we fueled the destabilization of the area assisted by the Russians starting the decline in the 80s.