Myth's in Al Qaeda's 'Home'

[Marauder06]

Thought that some of you with experience in AFG would like to comment on this article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080710/cm_csm/ykoogler

With continuous cross-border attacks from Pakistan fueling a resilient insurgency, Afghan President Hamid Karzai finally snapped. If Islamabad did not move more forcefully against Islamic militants in the country's tribal region, he declared recently, Afghan forces would enter Pakistan and do it themselves.

While the remark shocked Pakistani authorities and sparked a brief diplomatic row, it is not just President Karzai who is concerned about militancy in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Policymakers in London, New Delhi, and Washington are also worried about a territory increasingly referred to as Al Qaeda's new home.

 

[AWP]

I agree with the comments about attacks not dissuading or even hindering the insurgents. A hellfire here and there might make us feel better but it isn't doing much good.

I partially agree with the notion that Pashtuns aren't the problem. While many of those coming across the border aren't Pashtun, the Pashtuns run the FATA. If they are so peace loving and desirous of stability then why aren't they rising up to stop the foreign interlopers? Instead they target those in the US-led coalition. You can talk about the Balochi and Sindhi and Jedi but they aren't the problems. The authors might as well state something like the LAPD shouldn't target the Crips and Bloods since the Latin Kings are operating in Chicago. Apples and oranges....

Maybe I'm guilty of the "conventional thinking" that the authors are panning, but this piece is almost an apology to the Pashtuns and FATA. I'll stop beliving the Pashtuns and the FATA are the devil when they start doing something about their own house. Go after the foreign fighters crossing the border and using the FATA as a safe haven, shut down the radical madrassas, and come out and support the US-led coalition by condemning the Taliban.

Never happen though, so their leaders will get to wonder if that buzzing sound is about to send them Allah.

 

[Marauder06]

... You can talk about the Balochi and Sindhi and Jedi but they aren't the problems. The authors might as well state something like the LAPD shouldn't target the Crips and Bloods since the Latin Kings are operating in Chicago. Apples and oranges....

Maybe I'm guilty of the "conventional thinking" that the authors are panning, but this piece is almost an apology to the Pashtuns and FATA. ..

pretty much exactly what I was thinking.