Revolting tribes ignored in Pakistan

Sunday Scotsman:

IN AUGUST, militants in Pakistan's wild tribal region on the border with Afghanistan surrounded and captured more than 200 soldiers. Three were subsequently executed and the rest are still being held in a remote hideout in South Waziristan.

This would be a crisis for almost any nation, but in Pakistan, attention is focused on the drama of the political crisis in the pristine capital Islamabad, not the takeover of the rugged hills of Waziristan by religious fanatics.

Even the hostage-takers have grown frustrated by the lack of attention. Their spokesman, Zulfiqar Mehsud, said last week that the government was "not serious" about negotiating hostages' release.

A full-scale insurrection is taking hold in Waziristan, the most restive part of the tribal region which lies on the border with Afghanistan. It is an uprising not by a few foreign Taliban or al-Qaeda fighters, but the local population.

"Tomorrow they may declare the Islamic emirate of Waziristan," said Talat Masood, a retired general. "This is the greatest challenge since 1971 [when East Pakistan broke away to become Bangladesh]."

...

Others have reported that it is mostly a battle with al Qaeda. However, authorities in Islamabad have gone out of their way to down play the events and in fact ignore as much of it as they can. The army has been mostly ineffective, however the air attacks were important in changing the dynamic in the area and asserting some sense of power.

Bill Roggio says the Taliban are consolidating their control of the area. He has been right more than Islamabad has been on who controls the tribal areas.