Islamic extremists are using a recent peace deal with Pakistan to establish a terrorist 'œmini-state' in northern Pakistan, expanding their training of suicide bombers and bolstering ties with the Taliban and al Qaida, The New York Times reported this week. Diplomats said militants are openly flouting a September accord in North Waziristan, in which they agreed to end cross-border help for the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, while the government agreed to withdraw troops from the remote area. Instead, it is becoming a magnet for foreign jihadists, who are wresting control from local tribes. 'œThey are taking territory,' one Western ambassador said of the militants. 'œThey are becoming much more aggressive in Pakistan.'
The development poses grave challenges both to Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and to the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, officials said. Musharraf is under U.S. pressure to crack down on militants, but must balance that against the growing anti-American sentiment of the Muslim population. Meanwhile, Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan are gaining territory and adherents. 'œI expect the next year to be quite bloody,' said Ronald Neumann, the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan. 'œI don't expect the Taliban to win, but everyone needs to understand that we are in for a fight.'
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Putin’s threat to fracture Ukrainefeature Fears that Russia was building a pretext for an invasion of eastern Ukraine grew, as pro-Kremlin protesters occupied government buildings in three cities.
-
Curbing NSA surveillance
feature The White House said it will propose a broad overhaul of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program.
-
Downsizing the military
feature A new budget plan for the Pentagon would save hundreds of billions of dollars by taking the military off its post-9/11 war footing.
-
Putin ratchets up pressure on Ukraine
feature Russian President Vladimir Putin put 150,000 troops at the Ukraine border on high alert and cut off $15 billion in financial aid.
-
Ukraine on the brink of civil war
feature Ukraine’s capital was engulfed in flames and violence when hundreds of riot police launched an assault on an anti-government protest camp.
-
Ukraine at the breaking point
feature An alliance of opposition groups vowed protests would continue until President Viktor Yanukovych is removed from power.
-
Dim prospects for Syrian talks
feature A long-awaited Syrian peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland, quickly degenerated into a cross fire of bitter accusations.
-
The fight over jobless benefits
feature A bill to restore federal benefits for the long-term unemployed advanced when six Republican senators voted with Democrats.