Community | October 12, 2009 | 14 comments

WTF happened in Pakistan this weekend?

source: http://blogs.current.com/news/2009/10/12/wtf-happened-in-pakistan-this-weekend/

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afitzgerald
FROM THE NEWS BLOG:
Riding high on their victory over the Taliban in the Swat Valley this May, the Pakistani Army has been planning another offensive near the Afghanistan border. Meanwhile the Taliban haven't exactly gone away. They claimed responsibility for massive car bomb in Peshawar last week and then this weekend, they stormed the Pakistani Army's headquarters and took hostages.

Wait, what?

Yeah, that's right, the Army's headquarters. From Sunday:
"Militants are holding up to 15 soldiers hostage inside Pakistan’s army headquarters today after they and others attacked the complex earlier in the day, killing at least six soldiers. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas says no army or intelligence leaders are among those being held. The militants, armed with assault rifles and grenades and wearing military uniforms, stormed the heavily guarded compound in the city of Rawalpindi."

Worse for the military, the NY Times reported today that Pakistan's police actually sent the military a letter warning them that this attack was evident. And yet still they were overwhlemed.

As I mentioned above, in a few weeks time, Pakistan's army is about to launch another major offensive against the Taliban. The Telegraph reports from the region that they'll face tough resistance. Their reporter found a small growing army of foreign fighters and local teenagers hankering for a fight. A symbolically worrisome quote:
"I remember when the British rulers attacked Waziristan," said Hazrat Hussein, a farmer aged 70 who has shouldered a rusty Kalashnikov to join the fight. "The British could not control these tribes," he added with pride.

If you're in Pakistan, let us know. We'd love to hear a local perspective on how this series of blows to the military affects locals confidence in their efforts.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Current Tonight,   World Politics,   News_Featured,   2 more
  2. tags:
    News,  Pakistan,  Taliban,  News_Featured,  1 more
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14 comments // WTF happened in Pakistan this weekend?

  • Mikeysfake1
    • 0
      Mikeysfake1  

    • Strange how the article about Obama sending more troops has strangely twice as many comments on it then this one. It's as if people didn't even hear about what happened. Or someones trying to downplay the fact that the Taliban are still around.

    • 2 years ago
  • RFIDemocracy
  • Megamax
    • 0
      Megamax  

    • This proves the biggest mafia in Pakistan is The Army. They are involve in everything; corruption to government. They can't even protect their head quarter; how you expect them to protect the country.

    • 2 years ago
  • RFIDemocracy
  • ras_menelik
  • s0uthc0ast
    • 0
      s0uthc0ast  

    • WTF happened?
      What happened was the natural evolution of the failed presidency of Barak Hussein 0bama. A guy who cannot decide where to go to church or what dog to get or whether or not to support the men and women under his command.
      What an abject failure.

    • 2 years ago
  • quixotic12
  • msltj20
  • RFIDemocracy
    • 0
      RFIDemocracy  
    • s0uthc0ast:

      Who gives fuck if or if he doesn't go to church If he was an atheist, I and millions of others might like him more.
      What do dogs have to do with it?
      Feel free to show how he doesn't support the troops in his charge, because we already know Bush and Rumsfeld didn't, otherwise they would have sent them in with some armor and in sufficient numbers, which they did not.
      If you want to debate failure, stick around. I have plenty of data.

    • 2 years ago
  • RFIDemocracy
  • RFIDemocracy
  • carmalite
  • masterzip
  • larrysnotes
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