I'm sure some of you are tired of my harping on this point but I truly feel it is critical to not only operations in Pakistan against the Taliban but also in Afghanistan - and that point is that the Taliban's adoption of suicide bombing extremes from their al Qaeda trainers and overlords is creating the vengeance mentality amongst the people, the same civilians and tribes that once offered them sanctuary. And as we saw in Iraq, when the tribes finally make that turn to revenge mode, it does not end well for the jihadists who are strangers in their midst.
The suicide truck bombing in Pakistan last week that killed nearly 100 people at a soccer event is the perfect example of how the Taliban have pushed the envelope past the line and now, that village that witnessed and felt that carnage and lost, is committed to their revenge against those same Taliban. Look at some of the reaction at the story from The Star:
As in Iraq, these tribal leaders who stand up to the terrorists will find themselves on a list for assassination but we saw in Iraq that as each tribal leader was knocked off, a replacement was right there to take over with the same zeal.
I repeat, this will become the end of the Taliban - it will happen first in Pakistan where the Taliban have adopted these aggregious tactics to try and influence the Pakistani government's war on them but I do feel it will eventually spill into Afghanistan. You might recall a few weeks ago that al Qaeda in Pakistan tried to distance themselves from these extreme suicide bombings, trying to blame it on the U.S. and CIA for trying to frame them. Yeah, right. But it showed that al Qaeda sees the danger of these attacks.
And finally, one thing that has been missed - when the Taliban are all caught up in trying to take down tribal leaders who are anti-Taliban, that is less time that the Taliban have to focus on hitting U.S., Pakistani, and Afghan targets.
The suicide truck bombing in Pakistan last week that killed nearly 100 people at a soccer event is the perfect example of how the Taliban have pushed the envelope past the line and now, that village that witnessed and felt that carnage and lost, is committed to their revenge against those same Taliban. Look at some of the reaction at the story from The Star:
Tribal elders in a village where a suicide car bomber killed 96 people insisted Saturday that residents will keep opposing the Taliban, despite the evident risks facing the citizen militias that make up a key piece of Pakistan's arsenal against extremism.
"Such attacks will only strengthen our resolve – being Pashtun, revenge is the only answer to the gruesome killings," said Mushtaq Khan, 50, head of the tribal council.
"The people are in severe grief and fear – it is a demoralizing thing," said Raham Dil Khan, a rifle-toting elder. "One thing is very clear: The committee will stand against every type of terrorism."
As in Iraq, these tribal leaders who stand up to the terrorists will find themselves on a list for assassination but we saw in Iraq that as each tribal leader was knocked off, a replacement was right there to take over with the same zeal.
I repeat, this will become the end of the Taliban - it will happen first in Pakistan where the Taliban have adopted these aggregious tactics to try and influence the Pakistani government's war on them but I do feel it will eventually spill into Afghanistan. You might recall a few weeks ago that al Qaeda in Pakistan tried to distance themselves from these extreme suicide bombings, trying to blame it on the U.S. and CIA for trying to frame them. Yeah, right. But it showed that al Qaeda sees the danger of these attacks.
And finally, one thing that has been missed - when the Taliban are all caught up in trying to take down tribal leaders who are anti-Taliban, that is less time that the Taliban have to focus on hitting U.S., Pakistani, and Afghan targets.
Village bloodied by bomb vows revenge on Taliban
SHAH HASAN KHEL, PAKISTAN–Tribal elders in a village where a suicide car bomber killed 96 people insisted Saturday that residents will keep opposing the Taliban, despite the evident risks facing the citizen militias that make up a key piece of Pakistan's arsenal against extremism.
The New Year's Day attack on the northwest village of Shah Hasan Khel was one of the deadliest in a surge of bombings that has taken more than 600 lives across Pakistan since October.
Police believe the attacker meant to set off his 250 kilograms of explosives at a meeting of tribesmen in charge of the local anti-Taliban militia. Instead, the blast went off at a nearby volleyball court.
The explosion levelled three dozen mud-brick homes and covered the village with dust, smoke and the smell of burning flesh. Many in the village of 5,000 were too scared to name possible culprits, but others were defiant.
"Such attacks will only strengthen our resolve – being Pashtun, revenge is the only answer to the gruesome killings," said Mushtaq Khan, 50, head of the tribal council.
"The people are in severe grief and fear – it is a demoralizing thing," said Raham Dil Khan, a rifle-toting elder. "One thing is very clear: The committee will stand against every type of terrorism."
None of the elders was killed. The 28-member council had been debating punishing relatives of militants suspected in the recent killing of a fellow tribal leader, Khan said.
Across Pakistan's northwest, where the police force is thin, various villages and tribes have taken security into their own hands over the past two years by setting up citizen militias to fend off the Taliban.
The government has encouraged such "lashkars," and in some areas they have proven key to reducing militant activity. In the Bajur region, for instance, the militias helped turn the tide against militants during an army offensive. Civilians in the Swat Valley are active to prevent militants suppressed by the army from staging a comeback.
The militia movement has its roots in Pashtun tribal traditions that go back generations and encourage vengeance. It has been compared to largely successful U.S. efforts to persuade Sunni tribesmen to turn on Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Pakistani tribal leaders who face off with militants do so at grave risk. Several suicide attacks have targeted meetings of anti-Taliban elders.
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