Pakistanis in Waziristan?

I just heard that the pakistanis have opted to move en force into waziristan. What do some of the members here think about that?

Waziristan is a region within pakistan that is almost completely lawless, the central government has little to no control there. From what I understand, the ethnic makeup of waziristan is also generally diffirent from other 'pakistanis', or at least its different from the people that are the bulk of the central government and the more civilized southern regions. Its a region where tribes still rule. The peopel there are apparently proud of their gun ownership and have a very large cottage industry in the manufacture of rifles and other types of weapons. These weapons are then sold abroad and especially across the afghan-pakistani border. Also, from what i understand, that border practically doesn't exist, with teh people's on either side of it being more, lets say, waziristani than afghani or pakistani. But my understanding on these matters is hardly complete and any clarifications would be welcome too.

Here is some news from the beeb on the topic...

news.bbc.co.uk...



There is growing world attention on the remote Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan as efforts continue to locate Osama Bin Laden and other key al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects.


However, so far no senior al-Qaeda or Taleban figure has been caught in this semi-autonomous area where the Pakistani army beefed up its presence after the US intervention in neighbouring Afghanistan in October, 2001.

There are persistent reports that sympathetic Pashtun tribesmen in the area are providing fugitives with shelter and support.

www.dawn.com...

More here, it looks like Waziristan is a pit of rebellion...


PESHAWAR, July 17: Security forces killed 17 suspected foreign militants, four women and children among them, in a gunbattle near the Afghan border in the North Waziristan Agency on Saturday night.

One soldier was also killed in the clash in the Waziri Kot area on the outskirts of Miramshah town. Both sides used heavy weapons in the six-hour fight.

According to some people, most of the dead were possibly of Uzbek origin. Their bodies were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Bannu by helicopters.

The Inter-Services Public Relations confirmed in a press release that some women and young people were among the dead and security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the place after the gunfight.

The military authorities blamed militants for using the women as shield to escape.

The statement said that four passports found at the place indicated that some of the militants were nationals of Kazakhstan.

Unofficial reports suggested that security forces cordoned off some mud-houses in the Waziri Kot area at 11pm on Saturday following reports that some militants were hiding there.

all at the same time Pakistan injects more militants into kashmir..
ahh.. the hypocrcy of it all