Taliban Gains New Stronghold In Pakistan

(CBS)  The fight against the Taliban just got a lot more difficult.

This week, Pakistan's president signed a deal that imposes Islamic law in the northwest corner of his country. It's the latest sign that the Taliban is taking over a large part of Pakistan, as CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports.

The Taliban has been holding victory parades - convoys to declare that they're back in control. But this isn't happening in Afghanistan - the country most associated with the Taliban - but next door, in Pakistan.

They've brought with them their harsh interpretation of Islamic justice, including public floggings. Recent disturbing images show a teenage girl - accused of adultery - being beaten by local men.

The Pakistani authorities can do nothing. In February, they ceded control of the area to Taliban fighters. Now police stations and army posts lie in ruins.

It was a humiliating surrender of key territory, known as the Swat Valley. Now Washington worries it will become a militant stronghold for attacking U.S. positions in Afghanistan.

Families who fled during the fighting are coming back to a hard life under new masters.

It's an ugly development - and one Pakistan's president is reluctant to recognize.

"The Taliban are not going to be in control of any part of my country," said Pakistani President Ali Asif Zardari.

But they already are: digging into Swat, dismantling roadblocks they'd built to keep Pakistani troops out, and setting up their headquarters.

"Swat has shown people that you can move into an area of a large country that is poorly governed and you can pretty much take over by intimidation and threatening people and killing people," said Frederick Barton, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The new stronghold is becoming a potent symbol for Islamic militants in the region hoping to expand their operations.

[Iaveabrain]

I really find it quite worrying when reading American noticeboards, surely the comments do not represent the views of your average American, if so God help us in the rest of the world and the quicker you disarm your atomic weapons the better for all of us.

[ahrats]

Next the Taliban will have the nuclear weapons Pakistan has. The Taliban are trying to hold on to the past say 1000 A.D. when the crusades against Salidin occured. Now they have modern weapons and will want complete control of Pakistan and their nukes. The U.N. kicked the taliban out of Afganistan now they just set up shop in Pakistan. At least we know what Valley their in and Pakistan get ready to have that area throughly destroyed against your wises, you signed an agreement with tthe Taliban not the U.S. or U.N.

[demongirl60]

Oops... sorry about the 4X post! My bad!

[demongirl60]

WhatI was saying is.... IF they don't like the taliban, why don't THEY do something about it? They're either secretly in cahoots with them or jsut to big a bunch of WUSSES to stand up to them! (figure it out, brian....)

[demongirl60]

WhatI was saying is.... IF they don't like the taliban, why don't THEY do something about it? They're either secretly in cahoots with them or jsut to big a bunch of WUSSES to stand up to them! (figure it out, brian....)

[demongirl60]

WhatI was saying is.... IF they don't like the taliban, why don't THEY do something about it? They're either secretly in cahoots with them or jsut to big a bunch of WUSSES to stand up to them! (figure it out, brian....)

[demongirl60]

WhatI was saying is.... IF they don't like the taliban, why don't THEY do something about it? They're either secretly in cahoots with them or jsut to big a bunch of WUSSES to stand up to them! (figure it out, brian....)

[brianbwb-2009]

"...DEFENDING THEIR OWN COUNTRY! They worry about stupid BS like burkas and flogging women while the rest of the country goes to he11 in handbasket!..." Posted by demongirl60

Defending it against whom again?

"...shakes her head in disgust, muttering to herself.." Posted by demongirl60

When she should more accurately be shaking it in hypocrisy.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Islam brought the war to America on Sept 11". Posted by champcoach

Well here we have another idiot, ready to commit genocide because of the actions of a few people.

Let's allow his twisted logic, since the right-wing neocon-derthals like this one are seen by the DHS as a potential threat, we should wipe them all out.

"Now, if that Muslim-loving BO thinks we can play nice and they will leave us alone, he better wake up and smell the coffee before we are dealing with another disaster." Posted by champcoach


Right, so kill all the right-wing fake neos.

"... They intend to dominate the world, they haven't changed for 1,400 years and they're not about to change now. Better get your game face on, rookie." Posted by champcoach

It hasn't been 1400 years, only 445 years, but yes, those neocon-derthal racists are indeed a danger.

DHS, get on it.

[demongirl60]

The only reason the taliban has gotten stronger over there is because the so-called "men" over there are more concerned about running around flogging 13-YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRLS than they are DEFENDING THEIR OWN COUNTRY! They worry about stupid BS like burkas and flogging women while the rest of the country goes to he11 in handbasket!

**shakes her head in disgust, muttering to herself**