Reply #91: not really (Scenic Pakistani valley falls to Taliban militants ) just a matter of time and how much

[ohio2007]

of the state formally known as Pakistan the parallel government decides they need to annex into the new country they rule

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.



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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.
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Officials estimate that up to a third of Swat's 1.5 million people have left the area. Salah-ud-Din, who oversees relief efforts in Swat for the International Committee of the Red Cross, estimated that 80 percent of the valley is now under Taliban control.

Swat's militants are led by Maulana Fazlullah, a cleric who rose to prominence through radio broadcasts demanding the imposition of a harsh brand of Islamic law. His appeal tapped into widespread frustration with the area's inefficient judicial system.

Most of the insurgents are easy to spot with long hair, beards, rifles, camouflage vests and running shoes.


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http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/12/29/ap5865858.html

looks like a duck,quaks like a duck,

Pakistan has no buisness being an occupying force and should cut and run....well, I guess they are
But,
of course, they have no place to run or hide from the flea infested bed they slept in for the past 15 years. I don't think it's a good idea for BHO to throw good $ into bad govt coffers over there any time soon. That sectarian govt over there will have to decide who they are and how they intend to deal with that house divided .