Taliban announces surrender in Swat Valley after leader Maulana Fazlullah 'arrested'

[maddezmom]

Source: The Telegraph

Its announcement, made on one of its pirate radio stations, came as its charismatic leader Maulana Fazlullah was reported to be surrounded by Pakistani troops, and there were claims that he had in fact already been arrested.

Their collapse in Swat, if confirmed, will deal a serious blow to the Taliban's Pakistan leadership which has been in disarray since its leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in an American drone attack in north Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, last month.


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How we help to arm the Taliban Since then, rivals to succeed Mehsud have been locked in a bloody power struggle while a number of senior militant commanders have been killed and captured, including five senior commanders in Swat last week.

Among them was Muslim Khan, Fazlullah's deputy and spokesman, who was seized during "peace talks" with the Pakistan Army.



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/6180589/Taliban-announces-surrender-in-Swat-Valley-after-leader-Maulana-Fazlullah-arrested.html

[fujiyama]

1. Good news, but I'm doubtful this is a longterm victory

Seriously, the western media seems desperate in its attempt to treat the Taliban like it's a real military or something. It's kind of amusing. I don't think these people understand how porous these borders are or how tribal alliances work or anything of the sort. I remember the same ridiculous crap right after "defeating the Taliban" in '01. We were fed some images about the folks liberated and a few months after that I spoke to one guy who thought Iraq should be next and that Afghanistan was a democracy...and he was a pre-med student!

Kind of laughable. But then again, this is the Telegraph...They're more pathetic than many papers even on this side of the Atlantic.

[SlingBlade]

3. Yep, How many time's have we heard in the media

That the number two had been killed with the end and victory right around the corner ?

One thing though, The Bush administration for eight years ignored Afghanistan and rewarded
Pakistan's compliant incompetence with billions of dollars and no real effort to confront the Taliban.

So I'm rather mixed about Afghanistan

[Scurrilous]

2. Good news.

:thumbsup:

[ej510]

4. He will be replaced.

[aquart]

6. People are NOT replaceable.

And able leaders are not a dime a dozen. Will someone come up? Yes. But it won't be the same. And it is demeaning and dehumanizing to simply assume the enemy is made from cookie cutters.

[Trajan]

7. In many ways ....

They are ....

Yeah .. It wont be the 'same', but it will be similar enough ...

[theophilus]

5. Good news. Now to pinch off their opium money. Let them wither on the vine. n/t

[Bigmack]

8. Oh YES!!!! That will work....

like windshield wipers on a duck's ass!

Pinch off their opium money? You mean like stamp out marijuana in the states?

Where there's that much money involved, somebody always steps in.

The War on Taliban will work exactly like the War on Drugs. Gotta change the whole culture before any real change takes place.