Truces fueling resurgence of Taliban, critics say

[Rose Siding]

snip>
The fighting in Afghanistan is the bloodiest since U.S. forces drove the Taliban from power after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Many of the movement's top leaders, along with Osama bin Laden and many of his followers, escaped to Pakistan and have never been caught.

The Pakistani regime of Gen. Pervez Musharraf has been negotiating truces - with the Bush administration's encouragement - with Islamic separatists in North Waziristan and South Waziristan, mountainous tribal areas along the Afghan border where U.S. officials think bin Laden may be hiding.

In return, Pakistani officials are promising to restrict the country's troops in the area to major bases and towns and to pour huge amounts of aid - much of it from the United States and other nations - into the destitute region, according to American officials.

But as the truces take hold, separatists have been crossing into Afghanistan to fight alongside Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, according to Western and Afghan officials.

Diplomats who discussed the issue requested anonymity because the problem is the subject of highly sensitive discussions among Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States and major contributing countries to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/jonathan_s_landay/15419933.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_jonathan_s_landay

[rodeodance]

1. so, are we really looking for bin laden?

[mom cat]

3. Why don't we look for just Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer?

It would be a far less bloody way to engage in fantasy!

[bemildred]

2. Pakistan negotiates truces in the tribal areas because

it gets it's ass kicked when it doesn't. The story is quite right about the "resurgence of the Taliban", but there is diddly squat Mushhead can do about it without risking his own head.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=116x13202