OT: For dbu, the walking bread mold

I told you to focus your barely perceptable thoughts on Pakistan. There are other layers of detail in this story which should (but won't) pique your curiosity and send you looking elsewhere for more information. Too bad that won't happen.

Five minute radio story - perfect, since you can't read:

formatting link

Summary: Tribal Leaders Raise Army on Pakistani Border April 3, 2007 · From Pakistan come reports of tribal leaders beating their war drums for the first time in years. Thousands of tribesmen have reportedly gathered in South Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan. They're trying to raise a small army to kick out foreign al-Qaida-linked militants who have been living in their midst.

The Pakistani government says the news is a sign that the controversial "peace deals" that Pakistan signed with tribal leaders are finally working. South Waziristan may be the wildest of Pakistan's rugged border agencies.

Reports of clashes there between local tribes and foreign fighters began emerging a couple of weeks ago. Early reports indicated a few dozen dead, then a hundred.

The death toll now stands, according to Pakistan's government, at more than

200, mostly militants from Uzbekistan.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., says this represents a big success. "If Pakistan military had conducted an operation of a month-long duration," he says, "I don't think we could have ferreted out so many foreign terrorists, extremists or whatever you want to call them."

It's not clear what exactly has prompted the attacks by tribesmen. There are suggestions the government, under intense pressure from the United States to crack down on terrorists, has been paying off tribal elders to enlist their cooperation.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom
Loading thread data ...

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.