Posted on 09/01/2008 2:13:00 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Pakistan's Taliban might be getting stronger, wreaking havoc along the country's border with Afghanistan, but they are also growing wildly unpopular, inciting their own tribesmen to turn against them.
In the latest of a series of incidents, a lashkar, or private army comprised of Pakistani tribesmen, torched the houses of Taliban commanders in Bajaur, near the Afghan border, vowing to fight them until they are expelled, the Daily Times, a Pakistani newspaper, reports.
Tribesmen in Bajaur Agency's Salarzai tehsil on Sunday formed a private army (lashkar) of around 30,000 people against the local Taliban. A local jirga decided to form the lashkar in the wake of the increasing presence of the local Taliban in the area. The lashkar torched 14 houses, including the house of a local Taliban commander. Tribal elder Malik Munsib Khan, who heads the lashkar, said tribesmen would continue their struggle until the Taliban were expelled from the area, adding that anyone found sheltering Taliban militants would be fined one million [rupees] and his house would be torched. The tribesmen also torched two important centres of the Taliban in the area and gained control of most of the tehsil.
Dawn, another English-language daily in Pakistan, cited the lashkar at a much lower number.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
fyi
Tribal lashkar attacks Taliban
***************************EXCERPT*******************
By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Aug 31: A lashkar of the Salarzai tribe launched a campaign against militants on Sunday, attacked their strongholds in the area and destroyed 10 houses and a number of the so-called command centres in the Bajaur tribal region. Militants, in the meantime, freed six soldiers they had earlier kidnapped.
Before deciding to launch the operation, the Salarzai tribe held a jirga in Pashat and warned local and foreign militants of dire consequences if they did not leave the area. The Lashkar also started a search operation.
The tribe has raised a Lashkar of more than 4,000 volunteers. Malik Munasib Khan, who is leading uprising against the militants, said that the houses destroyed by the volunteers included one of militant leader Naimatullah, who had occupied several government schools and converted them into seminaries.
Helicopters and ground-based artillery heavily shelled militants positions in Sewai, Shago and Sheen Koti areas of Mamond tehsil.
Security forces are reported to have targeted a base of militants in Sewai in Mamond tehsil where mortar shells fell on the house of another militant commander known as Sheena.
In Shago area, six extremists were reported to have been killed in the evening when a helicopter targeted a vehicle trying to evade detection by using a dried rain channel.
Osama will have to take up refuge in Iran. Where the rest of his family is.
Actually, I’ve always had a mental image of him living in one of his family’s villas overlooking the Red Sea, just over the border from Yemen, sitting around in his gown watching egyptian soap operas and boring the help endlessly with old war stories which mostly end with him sitting at the bottom of a cave. Walking up and down the beach talking to himself. Surfing the net and making wild-eyed posts in all caps.
Isn’t that him on the Daily Kos?
Pakistanis form millitias to expel Taliban, who were raised and educated in Hatred in PAKISTAN!!!!
Hey Pakis!!! you MOrons!!! Kill Your Mullahs!!! the ones who brainwashed these Murdering Idiots!!! in the first Place.
When you drag a few Mullahs into the streets and Behead them, the Rest will fall into line!!!
Get a Clue!
Then kill Bin Laden and Zahwahiri
you know...as a favor.
Hey, if they can take the hours, there’s probably some decent money in it. :’) Thanks Ernest, more good news.
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