Fresh trouble in Pakistani city

[varun]

Musharraf is using US supplied weapons to kill opposition and minority leaders...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/08/28/pakistan.riots.reut/index.html

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) -- Sporadic violence flared in the city of Quetta in Pakistan's turbulent Baluchistan province on Monday during a protest strike following the killing of a nationalist rebel chief, police and residents said.

Political parties in the gas-rich southwestern province called the protest in the wake of Saturday's killing of veteran leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

Bugti, 79, died in a government attack on his cave-complex hideout in a remote corner of Baluchistan, a land of jagged mountains and deserts.

Protesters in the provincial capital set fire to half a dozen government offices and at least two buses and smashed street lights, witnesses and police...

[donkeyotay]

1. Riots in Pakistan. Bombings in Turkey ...

Worrisome. George's War has the potential to become a complete disaster. Actually, I think it already is for the US.

[Igel]

2. No problem with this one.

The Bugti clan has been a problem. They're very powerful, and want more. It's their right, to lord it over other tribes, don't you see. They're Bugtis, no more need be said. Consider this the third wave of Boluch nationalism, if you will; it's no more ideologically motivated than any other, and conceivably has a bit of Iranian backing--there's a large contingent of Boluchis in Iran, and they seem to be more interested in the strife over in Pakistan than getting a fair shake in Iran, currently. So it weakens Pakistan, puts Iran in a better position, and diverts local nationalist aspirations.

In some things, I think they have a point. Currently if you grow up speaking Urdu, you just learn English, and you're set for education and business; or Arabic, and off to extremist camp you go. If you're a Baluchi speaker, you have to learn Urdu and English, or Urdu and Arabic, and it slows you down a bit.

One way for the Bugtis to boost their power is by getting oil and gas revenues. For this purpose, they occupied a refinery, and routinely blow up rail, gas, oil, and power lines. Hostages, drug running, whatever. The current deals are probably unfair, having been negotiated long ago; but the renegotiated deal the Bugtis want is for the Bugtis to get the money, and then they can parcel it out to their favorites. On edit: Another has to do with water, although I don't recall if the Bugtis are involved in this one or not. There have been some recent water scandals, claims of having water diverted upstream just to find that it wasn't diverted upstream, but siphoned off by locals: they get a false claim against the government, generate strife that serves their goals, *and* get the water for their clan's use (or to sell for their clan).

The other way is by simply insurrection. The occasional riot, raid on government convoys and installations, lobbing mortars into a refinery or two, attacking army patrols.

Nixing the old man Bugti is probably going to rile things up, but sends a nice message, even if it was an accident (I'm not convinced it was, but for the sake of honor and dignity truth is can be dispensed with). Armed conflict has been avoided: conflict with the feds has almost always been started by the tribal side. Taking it them is necessary, at some point.

But of course, it's an insult, so to regain their dignity the Bugtis (and others, in sympathy) have to show exactly how honorable they are by destroying some stuff, injuring people, and possibly even committing a murder or two.