1.0Drishtikonehttps://www.patheos.com/blogs/drishtikoneDesh Kapoorhttps://www.patheos.com/blogs/drishtikone/author/drishtikone/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="pKcwEqdoiC"><a href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/drishtikone/2009/06/ongoing-talibanal-qaeda-saga-pakistan/">The ongoing Taliban/Al Qaeda saga in Pakistan</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/drishtikone/2009/06/ongoing-talibanal-qaeda-saga-pakistan/embed/#?secret=pKcwEqdoiC" width="600" height="338" title="“The ongoing Taliban/Al Qaeda saga in Pakistan” — Drishtikone" data-secret="pKcwEqdoiC" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> Things before the Pakistan Army attack on Taliban in Swat et al were pretty bad. There was no resistance to Taliban/Al Qaeda combine and there was a strong probability of Taliban taking over a substantial part of Pakistan. If there were any doubts about that, the resistance that Pak Army (4th largest army in the world) has been met with - and the almost rampant and at will attacks on high value targets by suicide bombers - quickly underscores the strength and tenacity of Taliban/Al Qaeda combine as well as provide a window into their resolve. After the Pak Army initiative and the displacing of hundreds of thousands of people (IDP - Internally Displaced People), it now seems to have made things worse than before. There was a need to use a scalpel and be selective on how Taliban/Al Qaeda was weeded out of the society and their head quarters and strongholds be systematically neutralized. However, what happened was use of a "hatchet" and more than attacking the "weed", the Army hit at the garden itself. Now, there are so many IDPs thrown out for no fault of theirs. In fact, I personally talked to a friend from Lahore on phone (the person is into journalism) and had information (credible according to that person) that some of the dead bodies being categorized as Taliban fighters were actually locals. There were pictures which were received from people on the ground in Swat in possession of my friend. So, there are doubts that Pak Army indeed has hit at the Taliban when it says it has.