More Taliban war crimes in Pakistan fighting

Guardian:

Thousands fled Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area yesterday as air force jets pummelled militant positions after four days of clashes left almost 250 dead.

The fighting began after an army convoy was ambushed on Saturday near the town of Mir Ali. Residents of the town, which has a reputation as a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold, fled the fighting in cars and tractors and on foot.

...

Having called in air strikes, the military said it was gaining the upper hand. "We have taken some very strong steps against the militants recently, checking their freedom of movement and stopping their extortion and kidnapping activities," said Gen Arshad.

Many soldiers have been kidnapped, often dozens at a time.

Reports that soldiers' bodies were found with their throats slashed during recent clashes have added to the tension.

"The conflict is escalating because of the way the militants have been treating their [military] captives and because they have been ambushing the convoys of the military," Mr Masood said.

The Guardian buried the Taliban war crimes at the bottom of the story that was basically framed to condemn the Pakistan bombing of the thugs as creating civilian victims. No mention of the violation of the Geneva Conventions by the Taliban camouflaged as civilians and cutting the throat of prisoners. I thought they were not going to do that if we were nice to them at Gitmo. Don't expect the terrorist rights left to west much energy condemning the miscreants in the Taliban.

Carlotta Gall of the NY Times says that the mutilation of the soldiers bodies discovered when they were turned over by local elders caused the Pakistan military to the bomb the "militants."