Taliban Losing Popularity Contest

[babylonsister]

This is encouraging!

Taliban Stir Rising Anger of Pakistanis

Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Pakistanis waited for bread in Swabi on Thursday. More Photos >

By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: June 4, 2009


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A year ago, the Pakistani public was deeply divided over what to do about its spreading insurgency. Some saw the Taliban militants as fellow Muslims and native sons who simply wanted Islamic law, and many opposed direct military action against them.

But history moves quickly in Pakistan, and after months of televised Taliban cruelties, broken promises and suicide attacks, there is a spreading sense — apparent in the news media, among politicians and the public — that many Pakistanis are finally turning against the Taliban.

The shift is still tentative and difficult to quantify. But it seems especially profound among the millions of Pakistanis directly threatened by the Taliban advance from the tribal areas into more settled parts of Pakistan, like the Swat Valley. Their anger at the Taliban now outweighs even their frustration with the military campaign that has crushed their houses and killed their relatives.

“It’s the Taliban that’s responsible for our misery,” said Fakir Muhammed, a refugee from Swat, who, like many who had experienced Taliban rule firsthand, welcomed the military campaign to push the insurgents out.

The growing support for the fight against the Taliban could be an important turning point for Pakistan, whose divisions about its Islamic militancy seemed at times to imperil the state itself.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/world/asia/05refugees.html?ref=todayspaper

[annabanana]

1. Imagine. Propping them up as "the worst of the worst".. and "able to

breach supermax security with a single glare" hasn't worked.

[BolivarianHero]

5. It's not hard to believe...

I could bust out of a Supermax if I was given weapons by a CIA-sponsored Pakistani dictator.

[BolivarianHero]

2. I'm not surprised...

The people there aren't really nutters. A lot of anti-West hatred stems from the decision of the West and Beijing to back lunatic Islamist militia groups and dictators over leftist progressives in that part of the world (i.e. Mujahideen in Afghanistan, General Zia ul-Huq in Pakistan). With socialism forced out of the picture, the only alternative many people see to the broken dreams of neo-liberalism is the same radical Islam that had been used as a tool to fight socialism in Western Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The Taliban was trained in Madarassas that were open by General ul-Huq as a way of brainwashing the young males of Pakistan to hate socialism and to be ignorant of the real problems that plague the region.

[Dorian Gray]

3. This is heartening to hear

Hopefully the people will speak and the Taliban will be swept under the rug in Pakistan.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Amazing What A Little Diplomacy Can Do...

The way President Obama has handled this trip, and in particular the latest diabribes from bin Laden and Al Zawahari shows what was long missing in this "war on terror"...a reasonable voice. With georgie booosh around, no matter how ham-handed or bombastic their screeds, they looked smarter and made boooooosh look like the monkey he is. They can't pull that crap with President Obama.

Not to diminish any Al Queda threat (or those who would love to instigate on their behalf) but President Obama's speech and outreach did more to hurt terrorism in the Arab world than all the clusterbombs could do. This is the "shock & awe" that was desperately needed if we're ever to look at getting our troops out of that part of the world and to minimized those who have made a career out of pushing violence rather than diplomacy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. A similar article, from the BBC, that points in particular to the flogging video

Pakistanis turn backs on 'erring' Taliban

...
For a long time the Taliban presented themselves as the lost link to a pure past, a conduit to a simple life and eternal salvation.

Only four weeks ago most Urdu television channels were acting as cheerleaders for the Taliban.
...
Even the people who were sitting on the fence - or considered the Taliban a localised problem - have suddenly realised that actually the Taliban are out to destroy their way of life.
...
Everyone knew that the Taliban flog and behead people, and when they want to show their softer side they just shoot them or slice off their ears. But nobody had seen them at work.
...
This series of images had more impact on the people's psyche than a thousand theological debates raging on television.

For the first time a young girl's screams silenced the Taliban cheerleaders.
...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8085680.stm