Dear Jim,

Once again you’ve given us vital information months before there are whispers of it in the mainstream press. I give the AP a lot of credit for this unblinking look at the Taliban’s rise in Pakistan, several passages of which frankly gave me chills.

A good candidate for understatement of the year: "the regional government made a mistake in May when it struck a peace deal with the militants."

God help them (and us).

Best regards,
CIGA Richard B.

Scenic Pakistani valley falls to Taliban militants
By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer
(Key paragraphs excerpted from article)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Taliban militants are beheading and burning their way through Pakistan’s picturesque Swat Valley, and residents say the insurgents now control most of the mountainous region far from the lawless tribal areas where jihadists thrive…

The 3,500-square-mile Swat Valley lies less than 100 miles from the capital, Islamabad…

Most of the insurgents are easy to spot with long hair, beards, rifles, camouflage vests and running shoes. They number at most 2,000, according to people who were interviewed.

In some places, just a handful of insurgents can control a village. They rule by fear: beheading government sympathizers, blowing up bridges and demanding women wear all-encompassing burqas…

Several people interviewed said the regional government made a mistake in May when it struck a peace deal with the militants. The agreement fell apart within two months but let the insurgents regroup…

On Friday, Pakistani intelligence officials said thousands of troops were being shifted toward the border with India, which blames Pakistani militants for terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month that killed 164 people. But there has been no sign yet of a major buildup near India.

"The terrorists’ aim in Mumbai was precisely this — to get the Pakistani army to withdraw from the western border and mount operations on the east," said Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and author who has written extensively about militancy in the region.

"The terrorists are not going to be sitting still. They are not going to be adhering to any sort of cease-fire while the army takes on the Indian threat. They are going to occupy the vacuum the army will create."

More…