Pakistan Declares The Taliban Illegal

Umbrella Militant Organization Along Border With Afghanistan Banned After Suicide Bombings

(CBS/AP)  Pakistan banned the Taliban on Monday after the group claimed responsibility for one of the country's worst-ever terrorist attacks, toughening its stance a week after U.S. ally Pervez Musharraf was ousted from power.

The Interior Ministry announced the decision 24 hours after rejecting a Taliban cease-fire offer in Bajur, a rumored hiding place for Osama bin Laden, where an army offensive has reportedly killed hundreds in recent weeks. Another 200,000 people have fled their homes.

"This organization is a terrorist organization and created mayhem against public life," ministry chief Rehman Malik said in announcing the ban on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group for militants along the Afghan border created in December to strengthen their fight against the government.

Across the border in Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents once derided as a ragtag rabble unable to match U.S. troops have transformed into a fighting force - one advanced enough to mount massive conventional attacks and claim American lives at a record pace.

Afghanistan's government banned the Taliban six years ago.

Anthony Cordesman, of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, called in a new report for the U.S. to treat Pakistani territory as a combat zone if Pakistan does not act. "Pakistan may officially be an ally, but much of its conduct has effectively made it a major threat to U.S. strategic interests."

Anyone aiding an organization designated as a terrorist group - through financial assistance, promoting them in literature or in other ways - can be jailed for up to 10 years under Pakistan's anti-terrorism laws.

Spokesman Lou Fintor said the U.S. Embassy had seen media reports about the ban. "Pakistan's leadership has clearly stated their commitment to pursuing and eliminating terrorism and securing Pakistan's borders for the benefit of its own citizens," he said.

However, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban claimed the ban was "meaningless." "Our organization is neither registered nor do we have any bank accounts," Muslim Khan said.

The announcement came amid fears among the U.S. and other Western nations that the resignation of Musharraf, a key ally in the war on terror, would affect the nuclear-armed nation's ability to battle extremist groups, especially with the ruling coalition government teetering on the verge of collapse.

The largest political party, headed by the widow of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was building alliances with smaller parties in Parliament in case it was forced to form a new government, as appeared increasingly likely.

It also was toughening its stance against militants, rejecting a Taliban cease-fire offer on Sunday and then banning the group Monday.

Malik said such steps had not been taken earlier because the provincial government had been trying to negotiate with the Taliban.

He said that despite a peace deal struck with some insurgents in Swat, a former tourist destination now beset by fighting, al Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants kept attacking security forces, burning schools and damaging public buildings.

Days after Musharraf was forced to resign after nine divisive years in power, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a spectacular attack on one of Pakistan's largest and most sensitive weapons installations.

At least 67 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in the twin suicide bombings outside a weapons factory near the capital, Islamabad, most of them civilians, in what the Taliban said was revenge for military offensives in Swat and Bajur.

They have claimed responsibility for several strikes since then, including a rocket-and-bomb attack before dawn on Monday on the home of provincial lawmaker Waqar Ahmed Khan in Swat, which killed his brother, two nephews and five guards, police and the politician said.

[libsluv2spit]

This Pakistani government will fall before month`s end and then McCain and Obama can argue the finer points of a nuclear-capable rogue nation.

Rergards,

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 04:05 PM : Aug 25, 2008
+ report abuse


******* I always know that you see the taliban as the backbone of pakistan...

[rosieod4prez]

"This Pakistani government will fall before month`s end and then McCain and Obama can argue the finer points of a nuclear-capable rogue nation. -NN


Yeah - France.

[trrrorislam3]

Pakistan Declares The Taliban Illegal
Umbrella Militant Organization Along Border With Afghanistan Banned After Suicide Bombings

WORLD DECLARES FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM ILLEGAL,,,

[libsluv2spit]

Bin Laden is responsible for the murdered Pakistanis. He lives well and free from prosecution. The real effort should be to capture Osama and his Al Qada clique. Why waste time with rank and file Arabs like Taliban?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Petro49L at 10:02 AM : Aug 25, 2008
+ report abuse
Declaring the Taliban illegal?!?! What''''s next a social snub or the old ''''stink-eye''''? lol


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by haoli25 at 09:57 AM : Aug 25, 2008
report abuse


***********

I believe that capturing osama bin laden and publicly announcing his capture AND announcing his death sentence WOULD DO A LOT MORE HARM..(i think he is dead looooong time ago). but the root of all of this problem is a lot of religious clerics or nutjobs are using thier idelogy to poison thier own culture.. solution remove all hardliners and install something that would water it down..humm *perhaps a little dose of liberalism*

by declaring the taliban and other organization that runs such radical operations illegal..would give whatever remainging force against them the legal authorithy to stop these hardliners from further injecting thier religious poison. THIS IS NOT I REPEAT NOT BE EASY..a lot of people will die along the way..for those science oriented athiests..''there has to be chaos before there is order''..

[aldon61]

Good first step, now go get Bin Laden''s head.

[petro49l]

Bin Laden is responsible for the murdered Pakistanis. He lives well and free from prosecution. The real effort should be to capture Osama and his Al Qada clique. Why waste time with rank and file Arabs like Taliban?

[haoli25]

Declaring the Taliban illegal?!?! What''s next a social snub or the old ''stink-eye''? lol

[deacon20081]

Gop_forever and Nancy naive....when Bush runs to a non-extradicting hole in a mountain..please feel free to accompany him

[bob5ford]

I suppose that now they are illegal they will disband and fade away? Isn''t that what they should do? Making things illegal always stops it, just ask any liberal. After all just look at how few drug dealers and users the U.S. has because drugs are illegal. At least they can prosecute the ones they don''t have to kill in fighting, that''s something I guess.

[csmith1948]

"Bush should make liberals illegal here since they are the American version of the Taliban. Posted by gop_forever" How ignorant can one person be? To make such a statement only shows the mentality of people like him/her. After 12 years of running this country, he/she should be ashamed. This country is in desperate need of a third party, the right and the left have no clue.

[beehive21-2009]

Bounty, $ 5.00 /scalp of any Taliban is reasonable.