Afghan, Paki update

Afghanistan: Mapping the rising violence

By The LWJ EditorsAugust 5, 2008 8:16 PM

Click to view map of attacks in Afghanistan by province, 2007 versus 2008.

By Chris Radin and Bill Roggio

Attacks in Afghanistan by province, 2007 versus 2008. Click to view chart.

Afghanistan has seen its worst bout of violence since the US overthrew the Taliban government in 2002. Taliban-related attacks and incidents have skyrocketed as the Taliban seeks to destabilize and de-legitimize the weak Afghan government and break NATO's will to fight a protracted counterinsurgency campaign.

The number of Taliban-related incidents per day has jumped by almost 50 percent, according to data compiled by Vigilant Strategic Services Afghanistan. The data compares the Taliban-related incidents from the Jan. 1 to July 13 time periods in 2007 versus 2008.

Afghanistan experienced 18.4 attacks per day in 2008 compared to 12.4 in 2007. Much of the violence can be traced back to Pakistan's lawless border region, where the Taliban openly control wide swaths of territory.

More than two-thirds of the Taliban-related violence has occurred in nine of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Each of the nine provinces borders Pakistan and seven of them border the volatile tribal areas where the Taliban and al Qaeda have a de facto sanctuary and maintain more than 100 camps.

SOURCE: More:

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Some Afghan MPs back Taliban, drugs trade -official

Wed Aug 6, 2008 3:38am EDT

KABUL, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A senior Afghan intelligence official has accused a number of parliamentarians of supporting Taliban insurgents, Afghan newspapers said on Wednesday.

Afghan and foreign troops are struggling to contain the growing Taliban insurgency while President Hamid Karzai's government is also coming under increasing international pressure to rein in rampant corruption fed by the booming drugs trade.

The deputy head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Dr. Abdullah, told parliament on Tuesday that a "number of delegates" in the parliament "supported drug traffickers and terrorists", several newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Abdullah, who uses only one name, did not elaborate and did not name any politicians.

http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSISL50881

http://snipurl.com/3cnaa

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MQM ready to counter Taliban threat

* Sattar says extremists trying to plot ethnic, sectarian violence with variety of weapons

Staff Report

KARACHI: A day after the Pakistani Taliban said it was targeting Karachi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders declared that they had proof the Taliban were plotting to "spread ethnic and sectarian violence" with a variety of weapons but the party was prepared to counter the threat.

"After this open announcement from the Taliban, can these religious and political personalities still deny the conspiracy of Talibanization in Karachi?" asked MQM Rabita Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference at party headquarters Nine Zero Tuesday. In an interview with BBC Urdu on Monday, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Maulvi Umar said that they aimed to establish themselves in Karachi. Umar said that the MQM was working on the agenda of foreign agencies and was responsible for terrorism in Karachi.

At his press conference, the MQM's Sattar referred to these words and demanded the government do something to stop the spread of 'Talibanisation' and investigate the sources of its funding and weapons. The Rabita Committee deputy convenor reiterated the MQM's anti-extremism stance. This was their "true cause" he said. The MQM sees religious extremism as a threat to peace in the country and has organized many rallies in Karachi, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, to raise public awareness.

Over the last few months, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has been warning of what he referred to as signs of Talibanization.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C06%5Cstory_6-8-2008_pg12_1

http://snipurl.com/3cnb0

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Lot going on, things moving fast.

G

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Karachi ready to fall?

Image via Wikipedia
Photo by Gerald

Taliban can take control of Karachi anytime: TTP

* TTP warns Altaf to end 'kingdom' in Karachi
* Militant action across country if Swat operation not stopped

By Hasbanullah Khan

KHAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) warned Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Tuesday to "immediately end his kingdom in Karachi", saying the time was ripe for the Taliban to gain control of the city.

"This is a warning for Altaf Hussain to cease his statements against the Taliban and end his kingdom in Karachi, otherwise we will launch attacks against the MQM and its leaders once we are given the go-ahead by Baitullah Mehsud," TTP chief Maulana Faqeer Muhammad and spokesman Maulvi Umar told a joint press conference at Inayat Kalay. According to Online, Umar boasted that the Taliban had 'massive' support of Karachi's residents and Mehsud could take control of the city whenever he wanted to.

The spokesmen said the TTP was "prepared to wage jihad to counter United States and NATO forces in the Tribal Areas" and had established anti-aircraft "missile systems" along the Pak-Afghan border for this purpose.

Militant action: The TTP spokesmen also warned that they would instigate militant action across the country if the government did not stop the ongoing military operation in Swat and continued to pursue a military option in the Tribal Areas.

Umar said that, on the directives of Baitullah Mehsud, the TTP had convened special meetings of Taliban commanders to design a strategy against the government if the military operations continued. He said that the organisation had given a "positive response" to the government's proposals for peace. However, he added, neither the federal nor the provincial government had stood by their promises to continue dialogue with the Taliban to maintain law and order. Umar said that the TTP had established a special squad, comprised of a large number of male and female suicide bombers aged between 10 and 20, to target top government officials.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C06%5Cstory_6-8-2008_pg1_4

http://snipurl.com/3bkqy

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If Paki yells HELP, How long would it take USA to respond militarily?

USA just got a 'warm up message'.

USA should be in the batters cage 'just in case'.
They yell : USA is there. Thats how it should go,
hit Taliban and al Qaeda hard and fast.

Jis waitin fer a haid nod....

Gerald

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Paki's rally against Taliban

IN ENGLISH?



Photo by Gerald: Click for more.
Image via Wikipedia

Posters slamming ‘Talibanisation’ appear in Karachi areas

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Hundreds of posters condemning the Talibanisation in Karachi were seen on walls across the provincial capital on Saturday, a satellite channel reported.

The posters contained gruesome images of severed heads and mutilated limbs, Dawn News reported, adding that most of the posters were found in North Karachi, New Karachi, North Nazimabad and Gul Baharabad areas of country’s financial hub. The posters put on walls by ‘citizens of Karachi’ did not contain the name of any organisation or group, the channel added, saying that the posters had sparked a debate about the threat of Talibanisation in Karachi.

MQM, ANP: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Raza Haroon said Karachi was facing the threat of Talibanisation. He added that various reports of threats to truck drivers supplying oil to NATO forces in Afghanistan had been received. The Awami National Party (ANP) however denied that there existed any tangible threat to the city. ANP leader Amin Khattak said the Taliban would be exposed if they were present in the city.

Anyone with has any information about the Taliban should contact the government, he said. According to Geo News, the Investigation committee from the MQM believed an increase in Talibanisation had occurred in Karachi. Influential elements from the establishment were involved in conspiracies against the city, the committee said.A statement issued by the MQM Co-ordination Committee said MQM chief Altaf Hussain had warned the administration about the growing threat of extremism in the city. The committee claimed that wife of former Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz, Umme Hassan, visited Karachi on July31 and distributed certificates among students of jihadi seminaries urging them to participate in jihad.

SOURCE:

Go Pakis: Hoo RA, Pakis with BALLS.

UPDATE: Thru comments we got one of the posters? Why In ENGLISH??

Wouldn't they be more effective in Urdu and Pashtoon? Or even Arabic?

Anyone know the % of English speakers in Karachi? Its high and desirable, G

G

Some one send me more posters: PLEASE

iNTERNETaNTHROPOLOGISTtt at GMAIL.COM

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