Islamists fighting the Pakistani government have pledged to avoid combat in the Swat Valley city of Mingora in order to reduce civilian casualties.
"The army immediately hailed the announcement as a sign that the outnumbered militants were "staring defeat in the face." It said that it had secured at least eight major road junctions in Mingora and was arresting and killing Islamist guerillas.
But Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that the insurgents were not withdrawing and denied that his announcement was a call for a ceasefire.
"This is a long war and we will fight it strategically," he said. "We will continue fighting until an Islamic system is enforced."
He added that Islamist guerillas would not engage the army in Mingora because "we have seen when the army retaliate for our attacks they always kill civilians. Their attacks always damage public property. We do not want that."" (more)
May the Taliban all jump off cliffs.
ReplyDeleteWerll, this may be a second post because I do not see the first one. Two things, it is definitely taking the high ground to move away from civilians - however, it will not help. This is because of the dirty nature of the warfare, the invading forces are there (U.S. and co) to hurt the people, that is the nature of their war. You saw the same thing in Iraq, and the same thing took place in the Americas - the people are seen as a target. Second, they see it as a boost in their kill factor. I know your not going to like that, but too bad - you need a dose of reality.
ReplyDeleteWell, this may be a second post because I do not see the first one. Two things, it is definitely taking the high ground to move away from civilians - however, it will not help. This is because of the dirty nature of the warfare, the invading forces are there (U.S. and co) to hurt the people, that is the nature of their war. You saw the same thing in Iraq, and the same thing took place in the Americas - the people are seen as a target. Second, they see it as a boost in their kill factor. I know your not going to like that, but too bad - you need a dose of reality.
ReplyDeleteThose enamored with imperialist wars of aggression ought to stop for a second (or two) and ask themselves: what is wrong with these policies that even goons such as the Taliban are able to seize the high moral ground and from up there shoot down their hypocritical claims for "feedom" and "democracy"?
ReplyDeleteOh please. You gentlemen need a dose of reality.I love the way you simply take what the Taliban say as true! Good grief.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a fantasy world where no one is responsible for what they do EXCEPT imperialist Westerners. Now you have crowned it all with a pass to the murderous thugs known as Taliban.
ReplyDeleteShow me the Taliban over here big mouth vza, and I do not need a recital of 9/11 unless you want a lecture on what has been done in these regions (thousands of 9/11's). Understand?
ReplyDeleteWho is the "you" you are speaking to, V?
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Who is the "you" you are addressing. V? Also, I doubt it is the high ground. They haven't shown much concern for "civilians" in the past. It may just be retreat.
ReplyDeleteI don't need the Taliban to tell me what imperialism is all about, trust on this one VZA. I was a kid when my country, my loved ones and everything that was valuable to us found itself at the receiving end of imperialist "tender mercies". Now, specifically with respect to what the Taliban says, you should ponder why it has been able to endure and why is it still receiving so much popular support in the region? Personally I don't like them, but I have to consider these obvious questions.
ReplyDeleteWell Molly, if you want to see who the above is addressed to why don't you read it, it is a simple sentence structure - see who is "named" in the statement. However, if you want to argue about the point than you can make it your own to :) Because you see, it really matters little to me who I am addressing when I am telling the truth. It would not matter if you had a gun in your hand to threaten me in regard to the point I am making - I am serious. I have no patience for those who push these massacres in the name of some "liberation," and I have no respect for authority figures who push the same garbage. I learned that when I was a child, it sort of stuck with me - it is called critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell does that have to do with anything? You just gave the Taliban a pass in your first comment. And you took what they said as the truth. No sneer for them huh, v? No smarmy comments. No reveletory youtubes about their inhumanity! All is forgiven the Taliban because they are the enemy of the U.S. These are the people who throw acid on school girls' faces, who blow up schools, who behead teachers, and train young boys to behead their enemy. All atrocities of war are definitely not equal are they, v ? In your twisted logic, Thou shalt not say ANYTHING against an enemy of the U.S. THAT is your motto and your creed. Give a pass to Mugabe. Give a pass to Ahmidienjad and the crazy mullahs. Just like the Leftists during World War II who twisted their consciences into pretzels when Russia was an ally of Hiitler. All of the acts you condemn perpetrated by Israel or the U.S. you ignore or remain silent when those very same things are done by an enemy of the U.S.
ReplyDeleteHypocrite.
Now you have crowned it all with a pass to the murderous thugs known as Taliban.
ReplyDelete--------------------------
Gee, isn't this somewhat exaggerated? Talk about hyperbole!
My point is alot less presumptuous than this. All I'm saying is that if I had to choose between criminal imperialism and thuggish Taliban brutality I would be hard pressed.
I don't think that US imperialism is at fault for everything that goes wrong in the world, but from my Latin American perspective one simple truism is quite clear: the taliban has never done any harm to us at all, while US imperialism has killed hundreds of thousands of our people in 200 years of intervention in our domestic affairs. And I think the same applies to most of the rest of the world. So please go ahead, fight your stupid war against the Taliban and anyone else that may be an obstacle to US interests in the region, for we will pursue our freedom from imperial domination, no matter what.
A SILLY THINK CALLED THINKING
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaS2bRGS86c&feature=related
A SILLY THING CALLED THINKING
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaS2bRGS86c&feature=related
I was replying to v. You have never, to my knowledge, given them a pass or called them anything but goons. But they are goons whether or not the U.S. is fighting them or they are fighting amongst themselves.Nobody should make excuses or give them a pass for the horrific things they do to their own people.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely vza, and I do not give a pass to the the "goon execution squad" either
ReplyDeleteIt has been able to endure because there are enough people who believe in that hardline, joyless form of Islam and believe it is their duty to impose it on all others. Most Pakistanis and most Afghans do NOT want to live under Taliban rule.
ReplyDeleteV, I was talking about your first post, which is addressed to no one. No d to get snippy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/5369740/Top-US-official-warns-that-war-in-Afghanistan-strengthens-Taliban-in-Pakistan.html
ReplyDeleteMolly, it is addressed to anyone who thinks that this is a "clean war," and for "correct motives." I have to tell you Molly, we have plenty of people who do not know the first thing about war, and believe it has nothing to do with terrorizing the people.
ReplyDeleteVZA, in the most recent Afghan national poll released this past February, 91% of Afghans had a negative view of the Taliban and 91% had a negative view of Pakistan (which most Afghans think is linked to the Taliban.)
ReplyDeleteHowever, until recently, the Taliban did have a lot of support among the Pakistani people. Fortunately, that is starting to chance. Cry your heart out V. The Taliban is going down.
v, what would you have the Pakistani elected government and the Pakistani Army do.
ReplyDeleteThe Pakistani army backed Takfiris, and AQ linked networks from the 1980s until recently. What did it get them?
Do the Pakistanis have any choice other than to fight the Taliban and their AQ linked allies (Lashkar e Toiba, Lashkar e Jhanvi, Jaish e Mohammed, etc.)?
For the first time in over a generation, the Pakistani Army is actually fighting them. What choice does it have? The Pakistani Army has to drive them out of Pakistani towns, one at a time. Thank God that they were able to drive them out of Mingora without heavy fighting.
Hopefully all other Taliban cities will fall as easily. But I fear not.
Moy, how is America responsible for Mexico's or Brazil's problems? Try to understand American interests. Americans want Mexico and Brazil to be rich and secure because it benefits America. America wants to make money doing business with Mexicans and Brazilians. America also does not want to have a surge of immigration from Latin America (which might result from instability.)
ReplyDeleteLatin America and the US share over 90% of the same interests and values. Shouldn't Latin Americans and the US work together to achieve their common values and interests?
Actually Molly, I would rather that they woke up from Takfiri indoctrination and transformed themselves into better people.
ReplyDeleteThe senior Takfiri clerics who manipulate the masses are the real culprits.
Of course they have no choice, the Taliban is taking over the whole country.
ReplyDeleteThe doctrine of "two wrongs make a right":
ReplyDelete“McChrystal is an expert killer. That’s what the teams he heads are good at,” said former senior DIA official Pat Lang. “The idea is to put out the eyes of the insurgency using force,” a Pentagon official said.
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="">The Taliban based in Pakistan amount to fewer than 10,000 fighters who have no air force, no armoured vehicles, and no tanks; they stand no chance against the Pakistani army’s 550,000 troops.</span>
ReplyDeleteShhh r.s., don't say things like that, you may wake up the dynamic duo Molly and Anand, who are essentially saying the same thing. It is just that one is more honest than the other - say Molly, why don't you come right out and say that you support the American war(s) of aggression? It would bring much more respect than posting dribble from those who want this tragedy to continue, you can partner up with the colonials like IM and have a blog that is continually visited by duped war mongers.
ReplyDeleteI even have a new name for a site that is really for Imperialism but just likes to blow up bullshit stumped for by Western media in the name of "exposure" (especially on anti-imperial posts) -
ReplyDelete"WINK WINK"
What do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVAOUOQwH0
ReplyDelete