"The Pakistani Taliban Keep Getting Stronger
by John Ubele
Earlier today the Taliban in Pakistan launched coordinated attacks on several police stations throughout the country’s cultural capitol, Lahore. Today the Associated Press wrote:
“Islamist militants launched coordinated assaults on three police compounds in Pakistan’s second largest city Thursday, the latest in a wave of attacks by insurgents bringing the war to the country’s heartland ahead of an expected offensive against their Afghan border sanctuary…”
And just a few days ago the Taliban pulled off a stunning attack on the country’s army headquarters. On October 13th the Hindu Business Line wrote:
“The tranquility around Pakistan’s Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi was rudely disturbed on October 11. A small group of militants clad in military uniforms from the “Amjad Farooqi Group” of the Tehriq-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) struck at the hallowed precincts of the Army Headquarters, killed army personnel, including a Brigadier and a Lieutenant Colonel, and held the army Headquarters hostage for around 18 hours…”
With these recent attacks it should be obvious that the Pakistani Taliban show no signs of giving up or slowing down anytime soon. If anything their attacks will increase and intensify.
Of course our country’s missile strikes inside Pakistan are doing wonders for fueling the Taliban’s recruitment. On April 29th 2009 Reuters wrote:
”… Some in the administration favor attacking Taliban leaders with missile strikes from pilotless CIA drones, saying the tactic has eliminated militant leaders and disrupted planning for cross-border attacks in the FATA.
But others fear missile attacks in Baluchistan could cause a destabilizing backlash for Pakistan’s fragile civilian government at a time when social and economic turmoil is fueling religious extremism across the country…”
Most Americans find it hard to conceptualize the type of culture that exists in Pakistan, in regard to the growing support structure that the Pakistani Taliban now enjoy.
In October 2006 PBS’s Frontline program did an in depth report on the Taliban in Pakistan and how popular they are with the Pakistani people. It should be noted that the Taliban there are receiving more support now than what they did when that program was originally aired.
One thing is certain our presence in the region is only helping to fuel Pakistan’s Taliban insurgency. The sooner we withdraw our forces the better off the Pakistani and American people will be.
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AMEN to THAT!!!
Also see: Taliban I Told You So
