Pakistan Arming Villagers To Fight Terrorists
Feb. 17: A crowd gathers in Mingora, a city in the troubled Swat valley, Pakistan
Too little too late???
I say just give our Special forces and SEALS 48-72 hours and we’ll take care of it enough for the Paki army and police to come in and mop up.
Previous here and here.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s treason here.
Feb. 16: Representatives of Taliban and Islamic militants listen to speakers during their peace meeting with Pakistani officials in Peshawar.
ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani border region struggling against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants will distribute 30,000 rifles to villagers in hopes that local militias can help the provincial government regain control, a top official said Sunday.
The announcement from the North West Frontier Province came after Pakistan’s government announced a seemingly conflicting deal in the Swat Valley — a Taliban stronghold within the province — to impose Islamic law if the extremists stop fighting.
Pakistan has been trying to allay U.S. concerns that peace talks with Taliban militants in the region were tantamount to surrender. But it was unclear if the embattled North West Frontier Province government’s plan had the backing of national leaders or the army.
Similar village militias, backed by the United States, have been credited with reducing violence in Iraq, and a comparable initiative is under way in Afghanistan.
Haider Khan Hoti, chief minister of the provincial government, said authorities would distribute the guns among “peaceful groups and individuals” so they could help police to guard their villages.
Officials would consult with local police before handing out the arms and would take them back if they were not used against “terrorists and troublemakers,” Hoti’s office said in a written statement.
The statement said the guns had been seized from “terrorists and anti-state elements.”
It did not say when the weapons would be handed out, or if villagers would be armed in the Swat valley, where security forces and Taliban militants are observing a week-old cease-fire while seeking a peace accord.
Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the army had not been consulted about arming village militias. Interior Ministry spokesman Shahidullah Baig was also unaware of the plan.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy could not be immediately reached for comment.
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That’s like asking your cat to protect the house.
Amen!
This is just the beginning of the end of Pakistan. With a foothold in the SWAT Valley the Taliban will use murder and intimidation tactics perfected by Al-Qaeda and the “peace loving” muslims will buckle to extremism. We have seen time and again that without a disproportionate number of US, British, Aussie, or Canadian troops guiding them most likely these weapons will just become more guns in the fight for Taliban. Once the Taliban controls a nation with nukes, it will be anyones guess whether they use them first or if the Iranians beat them to it. We are running headlong into so different potentially cataclysmic scenarios it seems insane to believe we will come out unscathed. Now more than ever we need leaders who inspire confidence, and lead from the front and look at what we have.