The LA Times reports that Pakistan’s military has re-taken the main town in the district of Buner.
But Taliban fighters took control of a police station before the military swooped in. While about 18 officers were released, 50 are still being held hostage. The state is facing drawn out hostage negotiations with the Taliban.
Pakistan’s [...]
Posts from ‘April, 2009’
Taliban holding police station hostage in northern Pakistan
Pakistan’s military fights Taliban in Buner
The Taliban made an agreement to withdraw from Buner, a region in northern Pakistan, after having taken power with little resistance from Pakistan’s government. But the Taliban never actually withdrew, and now Pakistan has sent troops to battle them out, the New York Times reports.
A military spokesman said that the withdrawal was a show, [...]
Taliban withdraws north in Pakistan
After moving into the Buner region of northern Pakistan last week, the Taliban began drawing back farther north. The Pakistani government threatened to force the Taliban out of Buner, the Associated Press reports.
The threat prompted the Taliban to retreat to Swat, the region just north of Buner that it controls.
Though the state has pushed [...]
U.S. doubts Pakistan’s will to fight Taliban
American officials have become “very concerned” with the Taliban’s position in Pakistan, the New York Times reports.
Taliban forces control the Swat district in northern Pakistan. They moved into the Buner district just south of Swat and closer to Islamabad, the capital. Pakistan’s government sent out a small unit that was pushed [...]
Justice Dept. could prosecute Bush administration for torture
Following President Obama’s decision to release CIA interrogation memos, some Republicans said Obama was being partisan. Former Bush wingman Karl Rove accused the president of “criminalizing policy disagreements.”
Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department had no intention of prosecuting CIA officials who followed the law.
But Holder also left the door open [...]
Iran incites Israel at U.N. racism talks
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned Israel as a “racist” state at the U.N. racism conference, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. 23 European leaders then walked in protest.
While the West and Iran have been approaching diplomatic talks, Iran and Israel are ratcheting up threats towards each other.
The U.S., Canada, Israel, Germany, Italy, Poland, [...]