[Marxism] Taliban in Swat region accepts Pakistan army cease-fire

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/world/asia/25pstan.html

February 25, 2009
Taliban Accepts Pakistan Cease-Fire 
By JANE PERLEZ
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The leader of the Taliban of the Swat region announced
a long-term cease-fire on Tuesday, handing the Pakistani military a respite
from fighting, and raising tenuous hopes for peace. 

The army, which has been battling militants in Swat off and on for more than
a year, said Monday that it had returned to barracks. 

The cease-fire was announced by the spokesman for Maulana Fazlullah, a
hard-line cleric in Swat, who has led a terrorism campaign against
civilians, including the burning of girls' schools and public executions.

The spokesman, Muslim Khan, told reporters that the cease-fire would be for
an "indefinite period." The well-armed Taliban have gained control of about
70 percent of the Swat Valley, 100 miles north of the capital, Islamabad, by
using brutal guerrilla tactics against an army unaccustomed to insurgency
warfare. 

There was considerable skepticism about the durability of the cease-fire.
There was no word from the government or the militants on whether there was
a specific agreement that dealt with the top demands of the militants,
including the introduction of Islamic courts and amnesty for their fighters.

The national government has said it agrees to the introduction of Islamic
courts, but will not sign off on putting them into effect until there is
peace in Swat.

On Monday, Mualana Sufi Mohammed, who is the father-in-law of Mr. Fazlullah,
and with whom the government initially arranged a cease-fire a week ago,
said that Islamic law was now in practice in Swat. 

Some politicians said Tuesday that the cessation of hostilities would give
the militants a pause to gather strength and bring more recruits from the
tribal belt, where the Taliban keep fighters in reserve.

The government of the North-West Frontier Province announced that schools
were open on Monday, but only a few children attended. Property owners who
fled Swat months ago, for fear of being singled out by the Taliban, said it
was too early to return.

The seriousness of the militants was in question after they captured a newly
appointed senior government official, the district coordination officer,
Khushhal Khan, and his aides on Sunday. They were released after six hours.

The cease-fire announcement by Mr. Fazlullah followed a statement by
militants on Monday night in nearby Bajaur, in the tribal belt, that they
would observe a cease-fire with government troops there. 

The Frontier Corps, a Pakistani paramilitary force that has been fighting in
Bajaur, said over the weekend that soldiers had captured two crucial
militant strongholds.




________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu