Pakistan to arm village militias to fight terror

[HopeHoops]

Source: AP

ISLAMABAD – The local government will distribute 30,000 rifles to villagers to help security forces fight the growing strength of Taliban and al-Qaida militants in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, a top official said Sunday.
...
It did not say when the weapons would be handed out, or if villagers would be armed in the province's Swat valley, where security forces and Taliban militants are observing a week-old cease-fire while seeking a peace accord.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090222/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan;_ylt=Arp87bepxvhkNofQq1Airzus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTI2MHAwZW9tBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwMjIyL2FzX3Bha2lzdGFuBHBvcwMxMgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNwYWtpc3RhbnRvYXI-

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Call me crazy, but this somehow doesn't strike me as the best idea anyone has ever had.

[Sultana]

1. This will backfire

[ohio2007]

2. no pun intended ? meanwhile-- 2 bombers killed in suicide attack bid in Bannu

PESHAWAR: Two suicide bombers were killed when their explosives-laden car blew up before hitting its intended target in Lakki town of Bannu district on Saturday, police said. The bombers intended to ram the vehicle into a police post but it exploded a few metres short of its target, police officer Muhammad Habibullah said. “We have found body parts of two bombers from the blown up vehicle,” the officer told AFP. There were no police casualties, he added. afp


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009

[Bette Noir]

3. I won't call you crazy.

My first thought was, how do they know which villagers are anti-terrorist and which are pro-terrorist? It's not as if people have their allegiances tatooed on their faces.

[HopeHoops]

5. I'm not sure how Obama will decide, but Bush had a simple answer - the dead ones were "terrists"

[ohio2007]

4. the policy is called "The Titanic 'Every man for himself ' plan for the rest of the country"......

It did not say when the weapons would be handed out, or if villagers would be armed in the province's Swat valley.

Pak govt has abandoned the women and children of Swat valley, now the rest of the country is about to go down with the ship of state

[McCamy Taylor]

6. Huh? Should read "Pakistan to arm Taliban". Wtf?

[Robeson]

7. This has been going on. However, it is risky...

...there's always a chance the local town militias will shift alliances back and forth.

[bemildred]

8. Oh yeah, that will work. nt

[Turborama]

9. "Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said it had not been consulted about giving weapons

to village militias. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, supposedly in charge of national law and order issues, also was unaware of the plan."

Yeah, that makes sense.

And these are the guys in charge of Pakistan's nuclear weapons?