Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pakistani tribesmen organize private armies to fight Taliban
Christian Science Monitor ^ | September 01, 2008 at 10:10 am EDT | David Montero

Posted on 09/01/2008 2:13:00 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

After weeks of fighting between the Pakistan Army and militants, the declaration of a month-long cease-fire may give the Taliban time to regroup.

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 ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; alaeda; islam; mohammedanism; pakistan; taliban

1 posted on 09/01/2008 2:13:01 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge; elhombrelibre; Allegra; SandRat; tobyhill; G8 Diplomat; Dog; Cap Huff; ...

fyi


2 posted on 09/01/2008 2:15:52 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Referenced article:

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.

3 posted on 09/01/2008 2:19:40 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

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.


4 posted on 09/01/2008 2:52:20 PM PDT by marron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marron

Isn’t that him on the Daily Kos?


5 posted on 09/01/2008 3:10:15 PM PDT by opocno (France, the other dead meat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TheBlueMax; WLR; iThinkBig; Molly K.; bayouranger; beebuster2000; maine-iac7; lancer; voletti; ...

Pakistan ۋﮧ۱م

FReepmail if you want on or off

6 posted on 09/01/2008 6:05:14 PM PDT by G8 Diplomat (The thing about politics is it's never so bad that it can't get worse)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Hopefully we shall read about more Pakistani tribal groups coming to the conclusion that it is better to rid themselves of all foreigners as well as the local radical Taliban groups.
Of course the Pakistani government must back these people and make them feel they will not get screwed in the long term.
7 posted on 09/01/2008 7:37:00 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

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!


8 posted on 09/01/2008 9:57:19 PM PDT by LtKerst (Lt Kerst)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LtKerst

Then kill Bin Laden and Zahwahiri

you know...as a favor.


9 posted on 09/01/2008 9:58:09 PM PDT by LtKerst (Lt Kerst)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Fred Nerks; george76; ...

Hey, if they can take the hours, there’s probably some decent money in it. :’) Thanks Ernest, more good news.


10 posted on 09/01/2008 10:13:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______Profile hasn't been updated since Friday, May 30, 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The most recent security gains in Iraq, led by the local militias such as the Sons of Iraq and the Awakening Council, provide a model for Pakistan. Perhaps, as in the case of Iraq, the Paki. locals are getting their fill? Also, having your neighbor's home disintegrate before your very eyes, due to hunter/drone activity, may add to the motivation of said tribesmen...
11 posted on 09/01/2008 10:27:31 PM PDT by freepersup (find the enemy... destroy the enemy... remain vigilant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson