Pakistan Troops Bomb Taliban, Govt Says No More Dialogue
May 7, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Unleashing an all-out war on the Taliban, Pakistani fighter jets today pounded militant positions in the restive tribal belt, where a son of a pro-Taliban cleric who negotiated a controversial peace deal in Swat was killed in shelling by troops.
As the government said there will be no more negotiations with the Taliban in Swat and they will be dealt with sternly, security forces targeted militants holed up in Malam Jabba, Matta and Khawaza Khela of the valley.
Thousands of panic-stricken civilians streamed out of the area as fighting intensified. Pakistan government estimates that about 500,000 people could be displaced due to the escalating military operations in the troubled region. About 40,000 people have already fled the valley.
Chairing a meeting of his cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sent out a “clear message” that the militants will be “crushed with full force” and not given any relaxation as peace had not been restored even after the government implemented Shariah or Islamic law in Swat.
“The writ of the government will be established without listening to these elements from now onwards,” he said.
I do not see the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan as two separate wars, but they in fact are linked together. The United States ought to go into the northwest area of Pakistan and bomb the Taliban/al quiea . If they (the terrorist) are successful, they will be a nuclear power, and should be dealt with accordingly.
You want to bomb an area where civilians are trying to flee, and in some cases being used as human shields for their anti-US propaganda, like in Farah province in Afghanistan? Bombs should never be used in place of troops on the ground. We need to surgically remove the militants with special ops and ground troops.
Otherwise, I agree with your statement that we should treat the conflict in both countries as one war.