Posted on 04/13/2009 9:30:30 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani Taliban are imposing their rule in a Pakistani mountain valley they took over last week, spreading fear in the area only 100 km (60 miles) from the capital, police and residents said on Monday.
Surging militant violence across Pakistan and the spread of Taliban influence through the northwest are reviving concerns about the stability of the nuclear-armed U.S. ally.
Pakistan is crucial to U.S. efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan but the government has been unable to check militant attacks in its cities let alone stop insurgents crossing into Afghanistan from border strongholds to battle Western forces.
Clashes erupted in Buner district last week after scores of Taliban moved in unopposed from the neighboring Swat valley, ..
Buner residents formed a militia, or "lashkar," to resist the militants and 13 people, including eight Taliban, three policemen and two villagers, were killed in clashes.
Authorities say they are negotiating with the militants to persuade them to withdraw but the Taliban have stayed put and appeared determined to take over the valley, police said.
"They are everywhere," Arsala Khan, a deputy superintendent of police, told Reuters by telephone from Buner.
"They are visiting mosques, they are visiting bazaars asking people to help them in enforcing sharia," he said.
"Buner is fast turning into Swat."
Swat, to the west of Buner, was one of Pakistan's main tourist destinations until 2007 when militants infiltrated into the North West Frontier Province valley from strongholds on the Afghan border to support a radical cleric.
Authorities agreed to an Islamist demand for Islamic sharia law in Swat in February to end the fighting but critics said appeasement would only embolden the militants to take over other areas.
Pakistan's Western allies fear such pacts create havens for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ugh...they are slowly taking over Pakistan.
Obama’s Fault!
Pakistan leader under pressure to back Swat deal ('slitting their own throats' "diplomacy?")
Pakistan is going to die a slow death at the hands of the Taliban. The government signed its own death warrant when they allowed Shari’ah in Swat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.